Editing Theodore Kurita (31st c.)

{{Update Needed|[[Era Report: 3052]]|[[Era Report: 3062]]|[[Historical: War of 3039]]|[[Wolf Pack]]|[[Handbook: House Kurita]]}}
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{{otheruses|the thirty-first-century Coordinator|his great-grandson|Theodore Kurita (32nd c.)}}

{{InfoBoxCharacter
| image               = Theodore Kurita BTLegends.jpg
| caption             = Theodore Kurita
| name                = Theodore Kurita
| birthdate           = 1 July [[2997]]<ref name=HKDCLS>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', foldout: "The Draconis Combine's Line of Succession and Partial Kurita Family Tree"</ref>
| died                = 5 January [[3070]]<ref name=BT:Lp56>''BattleTech: Legends'', p. 56</ref>
| othernames          = 
| affiliation         = [[House Kurita]]
| rank                = 
| title               = 
| position            = [[Coordinator of Worlds]]
| profession          = Noble
| parents             = [[Takashi Kurita]] (father)<br />[[Jasmine Isu]] (mother)
| siblings            = 
| spouse              = [[Kathleen Palmer]] (lover)<br/>[[Tomoe Sakade]] (wife)
| children            = [[Franklin Sakamoto|Franklin]] (illegitimate)<br />[[Hohiro Kurita (31st c.)|Hohiro]]<br />[[Omiko Kurita|Omiko]]<br />[[Minoru Nova Cat|Minoru]]
}}
'''Theodore Kurita ''' succeeded his father as the [[Coordinator of Worlds|Coordinator]] of the [[Draconis Combine]]. Theodore was the only child of [[Takashi Kurita]] and [[Jasmine Isu]], who were third cousins.<ref>''Dawn of the Jihad'', p. 93</ref><ref>''Blake Ascending'', p. 253</ref> He was tall and lanky, bearing a closer resemblance to his mother than his father.<ref name=HKTDCp169>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', p. 169</ref>

==History==
===Early Life===
Jasmine's was a difficult pregnancy. She was completely bedridden with Theodore, then recovered slowly after his birth. Theodore was born on 1 July in the Imperial City of [[Luthien]]. Because Jasmine knew she could never conceive again, she lavished love of her only child in a decidedly un-Kuritan fashion, though the coldness of Takashi balanced this out. When he was a boy he was betrothed to the younger daughter of a noble family, but when her father was discovered in a plot to assassinate Takashi, the whole family was executed. His father was leery of another such contract and for some years he did not press the issue.<ref name=HKDCp168/>

Theodore began his schooling when he was six years old with private tutors. He received his [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarrior]] training at the [[Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery#Sun Zhang MechWarrior Academy|Sun Zhang MechWarrior Academy]], where [[Minoru Tetsuhara]] was one of his teachers, and finished his military training at the [[Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery#Wisdom of the Dragon|Wisdom of the Dragon]]. During his time at the academy he became friends with [[Subhash Indrahar]], the Director of the [[Internal Security Force]]. While he was stationed on [[New Samarkand]] he was inducted into the [[Sons of the Dragon]] by Subhash Indrahar.<ref name=HKDCp168/> Some time during his academy days, Theodore fathered an illegitimate son with ISF agent [[Kathleen Palmer]]. The child, [[Franklin Sakamoto]], was taken away and raised in secret as part of a "secret" plan from Subhash Indrahar in order to secure an heir to House Kurita as Theodore had rejected all the "suggestions" from Takashi Kurita. The day after his graduation, [[Florimel Kurita]] presents him with an ON-1K ''[[Orion]]'' as his personal 'Mech instead, incidentally the refurbished [[Protector (Hero 'Mech)|original ''Orion'']] once piloted by the great [[Aleksandr Kerensky]] himself.<ref name=HDB1>''Heir to the Dragon'', Book 1</ref>

In his early career, Theodore served in a number of line units and as a staff officer, most notably as an aide to [[Dieron]] District commander [[Vasily Cherenkoff]]. In the mid-3020s he had a falling out with his father and was sent off to command the [[Legion of Vega]], a brigade of misfits and malcontents.<ref name=HKTDCp169/> Theodore resented this assignment deeply as he felt it prevented him from fulfilling his duty-to-one’s-name, or giri.<ref name=HKDCp168/>

By [[3025]] he was Prince of Luthien and Heir-Designate of House Kurita.<ref name=HKDCp168>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', p. 168: "Theodore Kurita"</ref>

===Locking Horns===
It was with the Legions of Vega that Theodore began his programs for reform. He saw the problems with the military doctrine of the Draconis Combine, notably their insistence on attacking the center of their enemies' line and the enacting of the rite of ''[[seppuku]]'' by otherwise good commanders.<ref>''Field Manual: Draconis Combine'', pp. 7, 121</ref> Thanks to his leadership, the Combine was able to fight off the [[Lyran Commonwealth]]'s invasion of Vega during the [[Fourth Succession War]]. Later, Theodore exploited the machinations of Duke [[Aldo Lestrade (31st c.)|Aldo Lestrade]] of Skye and led a counterattack on several undefended Lyran worlds near the regional capital of [[Skye]], threatening the important world. This action forced Archon [[Katrina Steiner]] to use her reserve forces, including the [[Tenth Lyran Guards]] and the [[First Royal Guards]] to counterassault the Kuritan juggernaut.

After the Fourth War, Theodore's military acumen had become widely known, so his father was almost forced to promote him to the rank of ''[[Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery#Gunji-no-Kanrei|Gunji-no-Kanrei]]'' (Deputy for Military Affairs) in [[3031]]. Takashi planned on reining Theodore in, but Theodore jumped at the opportunity to push his new interpretation of ''[[bushido]]'', which he began with the [[Genyosha]] and [[Ryuken]]. Perhaps his most brilliant move as ''Kanrei'' was agreeing to recognize the independence of the [[Free Rasalhague Republic]]. In doing so, he bilked the Lyrans out of all of the gains from the Fourth War and received aid from [[ComStar]] in the form of new, high-tech [[BattleMechs]]. These 'Mechs came in handy when the [[Federated Commonwealth]] launched its invasion in [[3039]].

The [[War of 3039]] was a brief affair. After Prince [[Hanse Davion]] launched his invasion, Theodore mustered the forces for a counterattack, which captured the factory world of [[Quentin]]. Hanse stopped the assault in the face of the Combine's apparent strength. It was not until more than ten years later that he learned Theodore's counterattack had been a bluff, and that he had banked the survival of the Combine on Hanse backing down.

===Reconciliation and Clan Invasion===
The 3040s were peaceful, but [[3050]] brought news of a strange invader from the [[Periphery]]. When the [[Clans]] appeared, it fell to Theodore to organize the nation's defenses against what seemed at times to be an unstoppable threat. On [[Wolcott]], he was able to trap the [[Clan Smoke Jaguar|Smoke Jaguars]], a plan executed by his son Hohiro and [[Shin Yodama]]. The Combine was then able to obtain four fully operational [[OmniMechs]], two dozen [[Elemental]] [[battle armor]] infantry suits, and considerable salvage from the defeated Jaguars. Perhaps most importantly, the Jaguars were forbidden from attacking the planet ever again.

{{quote|''So we lured the [[Clan Smoke Jaguar|Jaguars]] into a bog on [[Wolcott]] - not honorable, perhaps, but we achieved a [[Battle of Wolcott|great victory]] and won hope for all the [[Inner Sphere]].''}}
-- ''Kanrei'' [[Theodore Kurita]], Luthien, 15 Nov 3050

Later, Theodore traveled with the other leaders of the [[Inner Sphere]] to [[Outreach]] in [[3051]] for the purposes of a summit aimed at defeating the Clans. There, [[Jaime Wolf]] provided information to Theodore and the others, while he and Hanse agreed on a truce with the threat of a superior enemy. In [[3052]], Clans Smoke Jaguar and [[Clan Nova Cat|Nova Cat]] launched a joint invasion of [[Luthien]]. Hanse sent both the [[Kell Hounds]] and [[Wolf's Dragoons]] to aid the DCMS forces, which included units that followed both Theodore's reforms and the old ways that Takashi espoused. The victory by these disparate elements helped reconcile father and son, though successful brain surgery on Takashi also helped his mental state. Ironically, the [[Clan Invasion]] helped Theodore's cause by giving so many traditionalist ''samurai'' the glorious death in battle that many of them so wanted.

Though father and son would find some measure of respect for one another after these events, life in the Imperial Court remained uneasy at times.  Then suddenly on September 15, [[3054]],<ref>''Field Manual: Draconis Combine'', p. 9</ref> Theodore's long power struggle with his father ended with Coordinator Takashi's ''seppuku''.

===Coordinator===
As Coordinator, Theodore vowed to focus on the Clans and stay out of petty [[Inner Sphere]] political squabbles. He instituted the Phoenix Programs, which were targeted at rebuilding the DCMS. To do this, he directed them to recruit heavily from nontraditional sources such as women and ''yakuza''. He also allowed ComStar to stage Explorer Corps missions from DCMS bases, both within the Combine and the [[Deep Periphery]], ostensibly with the goal of finding the Clan territories. Domestically, he initiated the [[Environmental Reclamation Program]], a portion of which transplanted over 5,000 acres of trees to the vicinity of the [[Buda Imperial Vehicles|Buda Weapons Sector]] on the Luthien continent of [[Aichi]].<ref name=JTPL-5>''Jihad Turning Points: Luthien'', p. 5: "Luthien"</ref>

Among other reforms, he improved trade and relations with the [[Outworlds Alliance]].<ref>''Handbook: Major Periphery States'', p. 142</ref>

Theodore could not keep his Combine out of the way forever, and sent in [[Combine Peacekeepers|peacekeepers]] under ComStar's aegis into the [[Chaos March]] shortly after its creation, mostly in the Lyons Thumb. Reactionary conservative elements within the Combine did not think this was enough, however, and invaded the world of [[Towne]] in [[3058]]. Though they were stopped by the [[mercenary unit]] [[Camacho's Caballeros]], they then tried to assassinate Theodore at his birthday celebration in that year. The ''[[Kokuryu-kai]]'' were again stopped by the Caballeros.

[[3058]] also saw the resurrection of the [[Star League]] and its goal of annihilating a Clan. Theodore successfully argued for that Clan to be Clan Smoke Jaguar, the most repressive of the Clans towards their conquered peoples. Though DCMS forces made up the bulk of the Star League troops, the Combine benefited greatly from the Inner Sphere coalition that aided them. Theodore worked on reintegrating the liberated worlds into the Combine, while other leaders went after the Jaguar capital on [[Huntress]].

===First Lord===
While those forces were gone, [[Katherine Steiner-Davion]] usurped the last of her brother's thrones, so Theodore welcomed [[Victor Steiner-Davion]] back to the Inner Sphere on Luthien. Shortly thereafter, he was elected the second [[First Lord]] of the reconstituted [[Star League]] at the Second [[Whitting Conference]] in [[3061]], after Victor cast the deciding vote against Katherine as the [[Precentor Martial of ComStar]].

Theodore was accused of abusing his power as First Lord when he annexed the Lyons Thumb in [[3062]]. In that year, the ''Kokuryu-kai'' showed themselves once more when they hired [[mercenary unit]]s to attack Lyran troops under DCMS colors. Similarly: "Lyran" troops attacked DCMS garrisons. When a real Lyran unit counterattacked, Theodore seized the Lyons Thumb to "ensure the stability of the region."{{cn}}

===Late Years===
In [[3062]], forces from [[Clan Ghost Bear]] and the [[Federated Commonwealth]]'s [[Draconis March]] attacked the Combine. The Bears did so because of a misjudged assault on their new capital of [[Alshain]] by the ''Kokuryu-kai''-influenced [[Alshain Avengers]], while the March did so because of a perceived weakness borne out of distraction. Theodore received unsolicited aid in the form of [[Clan Hell's Horses]], which attacked the Bears from the other flank, causing the Ghost Bears to sue for peace. With one border secured thanks to the [[Trial of Courchevel]], Theodore sent his troops to beat back the nominally FedCom invaders and conquered two planets for the trouble.

With the [[FedCom Civil War]] over, the [[Fourth Whitting Conference]] saw the dissolution of the Second [[Star League]], which led to the [[Word of Blake]] launching their [[Jihad]] on the [[Inner Sphere]]. Theodore and his contingent had left [[Tharkad]] before the attack there started, only to find their capital being fought over by troops loyal to Theodore and ''Kokuryu-kai'' rebels, with [[Word of Blake Militia]] forces thrown into the mix.

===Death and Afterward===
While trying to direct the DCMS from [[Dieron]] and plan a campaign to liberate Luthien, Theodore suffered a stroke that rendered him comatose,<ref name="J:FRp45">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 45: "The Jihad In Review"</ref> and which finally killed him in 3070. His reforms of the DCMS would later have to be scaled back by Hohiro to appease the hardliners that still existed within the military.

==BattleMechs==
Early in his career, Theodore piloted an ''[[Orion]]'' BattleMech that was once famously used by [[Aleksandr Kerensky]]. Later, during the Fourth Succession War, he used a ''[[Victor]]''. During the War of 3039, he occasionally sat in the commander's seat in a [[Dual Cockpit]]-equipped ''[[BattleMaster]]'' provided by ComStar.<ref>''Heir to the Dragon''</ref> As of the [[Battle of Luthien (Clan Invasion)|Battle of Luthien]], Theodore was using a captured Clan ''[[Warhawk|Masakari]]''.<ref>''Luthien''</ref>

==Behind the Scenes==
In [[MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries#Rise of Rasalhague|''MechWarrior 5: Rise of Rasalhague'']], Theodore Kurita was voiced by [[Ian Russell]].<ref name=MW5Mc>''MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries'', closing credits</ref>

==Quotes==
{{Quote|''In matters of personal honor and duty, the needs of the nation must always take precedence over the needs of the individual. Even if that individual is the Coordinator.''|Coordinator Theodore Kurita, 15 December 3063<ref name="H:Wo3039p102">''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 102: "Galedon Thrust"</ref>}}

{{Quote|''From the ashes of political divisiveness, Terra rose once more like a proud phoenix. If the analogy holds true, Terra may one day rise again in political importance, capable of casting her shadow over House Kurita and the Draconis Combine. This is something we must not let happen, even if we are forced to attack Terra directly!''|ISF internal memorandum from Theodore Kurita, Prince of Luthien, to Subhash Indrahar, Director of the ISF, [[ComStar]] Archives<ref name="HK(TDC)p19">''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', p. 19: "The Terran Hegemony"</ref>}}

==Portrait Gallery==
<gallery>
Theodore Kurita HKTDC.png|Theodore Kurita at age 28 from ''[[House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)|House Kurita]]''
Theodore Kurita HWo3039.jpg|Theodore at age 42 from ''[[Historical: War of 3039|War of 3039]]''
Theodore Kurita HistBrushWars.jpg|Theodore at age 37 from ''[[Historical: Brush Wars|Brush Wars]]''
Theodore Kurita 20YU.jpg|Theodore Kurita at age 53 from ''[[20 Year Update]]''
Theodore Kurita ER3052.jpg|Theodore at age 53 from ''[[Era Report: 3052|ER:3052]]''
Theodore Kurita Luthien.jpg|Theodore at age 55 from ''[[Luthien (scenario pack)|Luthien]]''
Theodore Kurita FMDC.jpg|Theodore at age 62 from ''[[Field Manual: Draconis Combine|FM:DC]]''
Theodore Kurita ER3062.jpg|Theodore at age 63 from ''[[Era Report: 3062|ER:3062]]''
Theodore Kurita ShSphere.jpg|Theodore at age 64 from ''[[Shattered Sphere]]''
Theodore_Kurita_HBHK.jpg|Theodore at age 70 from ''[[Handbook: House Kurita|HB:House Kurita]]''
Theodore Kurita BTLegends.jpg|Theodore from ''[[BattleTech: Legends|BT:Legends]]''
Orion (Revenant) BTL.png|Theodore's ON1-K ''Orion'' [[Revenant (Individual Orion BattleMech)|"''Revenant''"]] from ''BT:Legends''
Theodore Kurita BTTCG.jpg|Illustration of Theodore Kurita from the ''[[BattleTech Trading Card Game|BTTCG]]''
Theodore Kurita MW5.png|In ''MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries''
</gallery>

==References==
<references/>

==Bibliography==
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
* ''[[20 Year Update]]''
* ''[[BattleTech: Legends]]''
* ''[[Black Dragon (novel)|Black Dragon]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Blake Ascending]]''
* ''[[Blood Legacy]]''
* ''[[Dawn of the Jihad]]''
* ''[[Endgame]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Draconis Combine]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Updates]]''
* ''[[Grave Covenant]]''
* ''[[Handbook: Major Periphery States]]''
* ''[[Hearts of Chaos]]''
* ''[[Heir to the Dragon]]''
* ''[[Historical: War of 3039]]''
* ''[[House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)]]''
* ''[[Jihad: Final Reckoning]]''
* ''[[Jihad Hot Spots: 3070]]''
* ''[[Jihad Turning Points: Luthien]]''
* ''[[Lethal Heritage]]''
* ''[[Lost Destiny]]''
* ''[[Luthien (scenario pack)|Luthien]]''
* ''[[MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries]]'' (video game)
* ''[[Patriots and Tyrants]]''
* ''[[Prince of Havoc]]''
* ''[[Storms of Fate]]''
* ''[[Warrior: Coupé]]''
* ''[[Warrior: En Garde]]''
* ''[[Warrior: Riposte]]''
{{div col end}}

[[Category:Draconis Combine Characters|Kurita, Theodore]]
[[Category:Coordinators|Kurita, Theodore]]
[[Category:First Lords|Kurita, Theodore]]
[[Category:Notable Orion Pilots|Kurita, Theodore]]