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[[File:Gundam.jpg|frame|The face that launched a thousand spinoffs.]]
{{quote|''"What the heck? That's a Mobile Suit! '''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v{{=}}6lvJ6eFcCJE IT'S A GUNDAAAAAAAAM!"]'''''
|'''[[Mooks]]''' throughout the franchise. It usually ends badly for them.}}
The franchise bearing the name '''Gundam''' can be considered the [[Anime]] equivalent of ''[[Star Trek]]''. In 1979, a planned 52-episode series got cut down to 43 due to low [[Ratings]],{{context|reason=why is this sentene here? Was Gundam the series that had low ratings? Did Gundam replace the series that had low ratings? Or is this here for some other reason entirely?}} ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'' (''Kidou Senshi Gundam'' in Japanese) became easily one of the two most well-known and long-running series of the [[Humongous Mecha]] genre (the other most well-known being ''[[Macross]]'') Created by [[Yoshiyuki Tomino]], it's a veritable merchandising empire encompassing manga and video game tie-ins, plastic models and toys,
''Gundam'' effectively invented the [[Real Robot]] genre, depicting [[A Mech by Any Other Name|mobile suits]] as mass-produced machines of war similar to planes or tanks, rather than unique creations solely responsible for defending against enemies. Of course, its [[Super Robot]] roots remain in the Gundams themselves -- unique mobile suits (typically [[Super Prototype|Super Prototypes]] or [[Ace Custom]] units) piloted by the main character(s) and the focus of much of the show.
One of the most noticeable quirks of the Gundam metaseries is its prolific use of [[Alternate Universe|Alternate Universes]];
* ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'' (1979 TV series, recut in 1981 and 1982 into three [[Compilation Movie|Compilation Movies]]): In UC 0079, [[The Empire|the Principality of Zeon]] fights a war of "independence"<ref> More like conquest of the Earth and other colonies.</ref> against [[The Federation|the Earth Federation]], the initial skirmishes killing off half the human population. The story follows the [[Ragtag Bunch of Misfits|refugee crew]] of the Earth Federation ship the ''White Base'' (and its load of [[Super Prototype]] mobile suits) as they battle their way through the latter half of what would later be called the One Year War. What set this series apart as [[Real Robot]] was the large scale military use of mecha, the in-depth technical specifications of the future technology and the depiction that both the Federation and Zeon had good and bad people fighting for them, rather than one side of [[Heroes]] and one side of faceless evil [[Mook
▲=== The One Year War ===
▲* ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'' (1979 TV series, recut in 1981 and 1982 into three [[Compilation Movie|Compilation Movies]]): In UC 0079, [[The Empire|the Principality of Zeon]] fights a war of "independence"<ref> More like conquest of the Earth and other colonies.</ref> against [[The Federation|the Earth Federation]], the initial skirmishes killing off half the human population. The story follows the [[Ragtag Bunch of Misfits|refugee crew]] of the Earth Federation ship the ''White Base'' (and its load of [[Super Prototype]] mobile suits) as they battle their way through the latter half of what would later be called the One Year War. What set this series apart as [[Real Robot]] was the large scale military use of mecha, the in-depth technical specifications of the future technology and the depiction that both the Federation and Zeon had good and bad people fighting for them, rather than one side of [[Heroes]] and one side of faceless evil [[Mook|mooks]].
** ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO]]'' (2004-2009 CGI OVA): Covers the One Year War, first from the POV of a Zeon [[Wide-Eyed Idealist]] engineer who's always in charge of testing new [[Awesome but Impractical|prototypes]], and then from the POV of a Federation battalion as they fight Zeon on Earth.
** ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team]]'' (1996 12-episode OVA, 1998 compilation movie): A sort of [[Lower Deck Episode|Lower Deck Series]] counterpart to [[Mobile Suit Gundam]], it follows the eponymous 08th MS Team, a textbook example of [[The Squad]] (only with mobile suits), with nary a Newtype in sight.
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** ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Rebellion]]'' (2013- manga): A retelling and [[Adaptation Expansion]] of ''Stardust Memory'', this work follows the chain of events that would eventually lead up to the beginning of ''[[Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam|Zeta Gundam]]''. Like the original OVA, it's generally counted as a OYW series though set after it.
** ''[[Gundam Legacy]]'' (2004-9 manga): Set before, during and after the One Year War until the events of ''Char's Counterattack,'' this manga is a collection of short stories focusing on characters from various works, including games.
** ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin]]'' (2001-11 manga, 2015- OVA series): An [[Adaptation Expansion]] and remake of the original ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]''. Not only does it cover the events of the 1979 anime, but also sheds light on the events leading up to the OYW and backstories of the likes of Char and Sayla.
* ''[[Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam]]'' (1985 TV series, three 2005 [[Compilation Movie|Compilation Movies]]): Set in UC 0087, eight years after the original series ended. It featured a mix of new and returning characters joining together to form the [[La Résistance|AEUG]] and fight first against the vicious [[A Nazi by Any Other Name|Titans]] and later [[The Remnant|Axis Zeon]], making it essentially one long [[Melee a Trois]] series. Comparable to [[Star Trek: The Next Generation]] in expanding the mythology of the saga. Three new compilation movies were made in 2005 as a celebration of Gundam's 25th anniversary known as ''A New Translation'', with new clips added in and major changes to the story plot.
** ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam Ecole Du Ciel]]'' (2001 manga): Set in UC 0085, the series follows a girl called Asuna Elmarit, generally regarded by fans as being ''Gundam'''s first [[The Smurfette Principle|female lead]]<ref>she isn't, technically</ref> as she goes from unsure test pilot to member of the AEUG.
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* ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ]]'' (1986 TV series): Deals with the fallout of ''Zeta'''s conclusion, with the victorious Axis Zeon declaring themselves Neo Zeon and launching a new war against the Earth. It falls to the battered remnants of the AEUG to combat the Neo Zeon menace. The early episodes are surprisingly lighthearted, as they take the POV of civilians not directly involved in the events of Zeta Gundam. This makes it highly divisive among the fandom; it's either loathed as [[Mood Whiplash]] or seen as the franchise's sigh of relief after Zeta's gratuitous [[Wangst]].
** ''Under the Gundam: Double Fake'' (manga): A side-story set between ''ZZ Gundam'' and ''Char's Counterattack'', it is based around a decoy operation launched by Char in preparation for his Neo Zeon movement, and notably features, for what is possibly the only time in the entire franchise, a fake Gundam, hence the title. Later had a sequel called Mobile Suit Gundam Almarya, set very far down the Universal Century line.
** ''[[MSV-R: The Return of Johnny Ridden]]'' (2010- manga): Set in UC 0090, between ''ZZ Gundam'' and ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack]]'', it follows the exploits of the Federation Survey Service as they gather data on mobile suits, prototypes and experimental weapons particularly those from the One Year War. But what seems to be a [[Merchandise-Driven]] [[Excuse Plot]] quickly reveals itself to be part of a deeper, larger story involving Zeon's Chimera Corps., Kycilia Zabi and Johnny Ridden himself.
* ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack]]'' (1988 movie): Set in UC 0093. After vanishing at the end of ''Zeta'', Char returns and founds a second Neo Zeon with the intent of dropping Axis on Earth to cause a nuclear winter. Only the Londo Bell taskforce, lead by Amuro and Bright, has the manpower and initiative to stop him. ''CCA'' is the ultimate conclusion of Amuro and Char's character arc, and clears the field for new stories to come.
** ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn]]'' (2007-9 novel, 2010-12 OVA): Three years after ''[[
** ''Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash'' (1989 novel series): Set in UC 0105, the novel centers on Hathaway Noa, the estranged son of [[The Captain|eternal captain]] Bright Noa as he leads an anti-Federation terrorists and suffers one hell of a [[Downer Ending]]. Though it springs from the continuity of the ''Char's Counterattack'' novels rather than the films, fans tend to count it as having happened.
* ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam F91]]'' (1991 movie): In UC 0123, the forces of the Crossbone Vanguard begin taking over the Frontier Side colonies as part of their plan to create the elite society "Cosmo Babylonia". It falls to young civilian Seabook Arno to pilot the Gundam F91 and battle the Crossbone menace. Originally intended as a TV series, after 13 episodes were scripted it was instead turned into a movie, resulting in a rather rushed story.
** ''Mobile Suit Gundam F90'' (1990 manga): A prequel to ''F91'', the story is put in motion when a faction of Zeon that has been hiding on Mars for decades steals a prototype Gundam unit and the Federation sends the legendary 13th Autonomous Corps to retrieve it.
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** ''[[Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam]]: Ghost'' (2011-?? manga): Set during the last part of ''Victory'', as Zanscare prepares to use the Angel Halo. Focuses on a revived Crossbone Vanguard who are trying to sabotage Zanscare's efforts, in particular a bioweapon called "Angel's Call", which Zanscare plans on integrating with Angel Halo.
* ''Gaia Gear'' (1987-1991 novel series): A far-future sequel to the Universal Century, set in the early UC 0200s and centering on a "memory clone" of Char who leads the rebels of Metatron against Manhunter, a Titans-like entity. Originally written before ''F91'' and ''Victory'', their creation pushed ''Gaia Gear'' into [[Alternate Continuity]] (though ''[[Gundam Unicorn]]'' did feature a [[Continuity Nod]] with the appearance of the Manhunters).
* ''G-Saviour'' (2000 live action movie): Originally intended for Gundam's Big Bang Project ([[Milestone Celebration|the 20th anniversary]]) in 1999. Besides being set in the UC 0200s, it has extremely little to do with ''Gundam'' overall; this, combined with the poor production qualities, has resulted in fans and Sunrise alike trying to pretend it never happened<ref>to quote a Sunrise rep from a panel at Otakon 2010: "[[Crowning Moment of Funny|We don't like to talk about G-Saviour]]"</ref> (but not officially [[Canon Discontinuity|disbarring it from canon]]). It also got a video game set in the same era but with its own plot, actual [[Continuity Nod|Continuity Nods]], and decent gamplay, making it much better received than the film.
==
* ''Gundam: Reconguista in G'' (2014 TV series): Set even further into the future of the Universal Century timeline, this marks Tomino's first series in years since ''[[Turn A Gundam]].''
* ''[[Mobile Fighter G Gundam]]'' (1994 TV series): A shamelessly [[Super Robot]] series [[Mix and Match]]'d with a [[Fighting Series]], G Gundam was an intentional break after the dark ''[[Mobile Suit Victory Gundam]]''. Set in FC 60. In this universe, war is avoided by establishing [[Tournament Arc|Gundam Fights]], championship battles that determine the country that leads the human race. The fight that occurs this year is rendered unique in that it deals with a [[Government Conspiracy]] and the monstrous Dark Gundam. Notable in being the first [[Alternate Universe]] series and that Yoshiyuki Tomino set aside the directors duties and allowed someone else to work on a Gundam series.
** ''Choukyuu! Mobile Fighter G Gundam'' (2010 manga): Essentially a retelling of the original anime, with some slight alterations to the plot (portraying Domon as a more comical [[Idiot Hero]], for example).
▲== After Colony (AC) ==
* ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam Wing]]'' (1995 TV series): Set in AC 195, five Gundams are sent to Earth from the space colonies to fight for independence from the Earth Sphere Alliance. Sides change frequently even among the Gundam pilots as the politics and manipulations grow more and more complicated. Notable for being [[Gateway Series|the first Gundam series released in English]] and was [[Killer App|a megahit]] on [[Cartoon Network]], helping to bring the other franchise members into English adaptations. The uncut version shown late night also helped inspire the [[Adult Swim]] programming block.
** ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam Wing Endless Waltz]]'' (1997 OVA, recut into movie in 1999): Takes place a year after the end of ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam Wing|Gundam Wing]]'', when the Gundam pilots try [[Technical Pacifist|something completely different]] against a new enemy. Features completely redesigned Gundams, despite them [[Retcon|nominally being the same machines]].
** ''Episode Zero'' (1997 manga): A series of vignettes focusing on key moments in the childhoods of the Gundam Pilots and Relena that helped make them who they are in the series. Since it was penned by the show's head writer, and [[Word of God]] said that it just barely missed being animated due to scheduling conflicts (the two episodes it would have made up became [[Clip Show|Clip Shows]] instead), ''Episode Zero'' is more or less considered canon.
** ''Gundam Wing Dual Story: G-Unit'', aka ''The Last Outpost'' [[Market-Based Title|in America]] (1997 manga): A sidestory beginning roughly halfway through the TV series, ''G-Unit'' focuses on the Asteroid Belt colony MO-V that's developed its own modular Gundams with a special [[Super Mode]]. This draws the attention of OZ's black ops division Prize, which begins a months-long siege of the colony. Not to be confused with [[
** ''Battlefield of Pacifists'' (1997 manga): One of the three [[Interquel]] manga, focusing on rumors of a lost OZ mobile doll plant and the race between OZ remnants and a supposed pacifist group to get their hands on it while the Gundam Team works to find and destroy it.
** ''Blind Target'' (1998 radio drama and manga): The second [[Interquel]], focusing on a shadowy rebel group attempting to stir up war once more, and the efforts of the Gundam pilots to stop them.
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** ''Frozen Teardrop'' (2010 novel): A sequel written by the series' head writer Katsuyuki Sumisawa and serialized in Gundam Ace Magazine. Set some time after the end of the series in the date "MC 0022", it focuses on the new generation of Preventers, who revive a [[Human Popsicle|frozen]] Heero in order to battle a new enemy based out of Mars. Includes [[Flash Back|Flash Backs]] to the era before the original anime, showing what the generation before Heero's did and how it shaped the future conflicts. Was not at all well received by fans, in the English speaking world, at least, due to numerous improbable plot twists on par with a stereotypical [[Soap Opera]].
** ''Gundam Wing Endless Waltz: The Glory of Losers'' (2010 manga): Primarily an [[External Retcon]] of the television series, using the ''Endless Waltz''-styled versions of the Gundams and adding plot elements from the other sidestories like ''Episode Zero'' and ''Frozen Teardrop''.
* ''[[After War Gundam X]]'' (1996 TV series)
▲== After War (AW) ==
▲* ''[[After War Gundam X]]'' (1996 TV series), has not been released in English. It deals with a variation of the UC timeline, set in a dystopian future [[After the End]]; 15 years prior to the series, the war between Earth and the Space Colonies got out of hand and the two factions [[Colony Drop|Colony Dropped]] each other into near-oblivion. While everyone fights just to survive, a group of [[Disaster Scavengers]] attempts to protect [[Psychic Powers|Newtypes]] from the rest of the world and [[Person of Mass Destruction|protect the rest of the world from them]]. It was canceled early like the original series, but that was attributed to poor scheduling rather then lack of quality.
** ''After War Gundam X: Under the Moonlight'' (2004-5 manga): A sequel set nine years after the anime's end, it focuses on Rick Aller, a Vulture pilot who, during a salvage competition, uncovers a black Gundam X whose cockpit contains the mysterious Newtype, Kai. In an [[Irony|ironic]] twist, the story's runaway popularity netted it an unexpected extension.
|-|Correct Century (CC)=
▲== Correct Century (CC) ==
* ''[[Turn A Gundam]]'' (1999 TV series, 2002 compilation movies): The technologically advanced people of the Moon decide to return to live on Earth, which upsets the [[Days of Future Past|agrarian]] locals, who were there first. Violent conflict results, despite the wishes of leaders of both sides of the conflict, with the Moonrace's mobile suits pitted against the local milita's recently-excavated relics of the mysterious Black History. [[Yoshiyuki Tomino]] returns as director, but the mecha designs were (in)famously done by American Syd Mead, the man responsible for the visual design of works such as Blade Runner and Aliens. Fans regard it as one of the best in the franchise, notably avoiding the [[Downer Ending]] "[[Kill'Em All]]" for which Tomino was famous.
▲== Cosmic Era (CE) ==
* ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam SEED]]'' (2002 TV series, 2004 compilation movies): In CE 71, tensions between [[Designer Babies|Coordinators]] and [[Muggles|Naturals]] have erupted into outright warfare, with the Coordinator militia ZAFT employing mobile suits for the first time. The first half of the series mirrors the plot of the original ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'' quite closely, and is even occasionally called "21st Century First Gundam". The second half diverges quite quickly, however, when the main characters decide that the Earth Alliance and ZAFT are each as bad as the other and decide to [[Take a Third Option]]. For the anime's 10th anniversary, the series has been rereleased in HD, called ''SEED HD Remaster''.
** ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Astray]]'' (2002- manga series): Set alongside the events of ''SEED'', ''Astray'' focuses primarily on junk tech Lowe Guele and mercenary Gai Murakumo, who discover two prototype Gundams in the ruins of Heliopolis and battle Orb aristocrat Rondo Gina Sahaku, who possesses the third. Notable for intersecting with the events of the series to close several [[Plot Hole]]s without resorting to actual [[Retcon]]s. ''Astray'' is a series unto itself, with an ever-expanding number of manga and photonovels that continue even as the primary ''SEED'' story has stalled.
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** ''Mobile Suit Gundam SEED C.E. 73: Stargazer'' (2006 ONA): Set in the same timeframe as ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny|Gundam SEED Destiny]]'', notable for its initial release being online (hence its being labeled an ONA, or Original Net Animation) rather than TV or DVD.
* A movie intended to conclude the Cosmic Era timeline was announced in 2005 following the end of ''SEED Destiny'', but head writer Chiaki Morosawa's ongoing battle with cancer (according to an April 2008 interview with Animage magazine, Morosawa had uterine fibroids and an ovarian cyst, and had a hysterectomy performed) has pushed it into [[Development Hell]].
▲== Anno Domini (AD) ==
AKA "the current calendar system", notable for being the only Gundam timeline to avert the [[Exty Years From Now]] of other timelines.
* ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 00]]'' (2007 TV Series, 2009-10 compilation movies): The first Gundam series to be split into two explicit seasons (of 25 episodes each), with a six month real-time (and four year in-universe) gap between them. The first season deals with the mysterious group known as Celestial Being who, armed with [[Bigger Stick|Gundams]], announce their plan to end war on planet Earth [[Well-Intentioned Extremist|by killing anyone and everyone who starts one]]. The second season deals the fallout of [[The Reveal]] at the end of the first season, with Celestial Being struggling to put their hijacked plan back on track, and the ''true'' purpose of Celestial Being coming to the fore -- and becoming another point of conflict.
** ''[[Gundam 00: Awakening of the Trailblazer|A Wakening of the Trailblazer]]'' (2010) is a movie that concludes the ''00'' timeline. Taking place two years after the end of the series, it will feature Celestial Being's plan coming into its final and most important stage: [[Arc Words|"the dialogues to come"]]. Making this movie particularly interesting is the first appearance of an extant alien species in the ''Gundam'' franchise.
** A number of manga and photonovel sidestories also exist, detailed on [[Gundam 00 Sidestories|their own page]].
* ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam AGE]]'' TV Series (2011)
▲== Advanced Generation (AG) ==
|-|Regild Century (RC)=
▲* ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam AGE]]'' TV Series (2011) The newest Gundam series, will revolve around a "Hundred Year War", with three generations of protagonists.
* ''[[Gundam Reconguista in G]]'' (2014 TV Series, 2019+ movies): Set after the Universal Century and Correct Century timelines, mankind seeks to rebuild ''again'' when a conflict around Photon Batteries leads to a greater conflict.
|-|Post Disaster (PD)=
* ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam IRON-BLOODED ORPHANS]]'' (2015 TV Series): 300 years after the apocalypse, a mercenary company staffed by disposable [[Child Soldier]] orphans accepts a contract to aid a Martian rebellion. The first series to receive an English dub and broadcast while the original was still airing.
|-|Ad Stella (AS)=
* ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury]]'' (2022 TV series): AS 122 is a future where space is ruled by [[Mega Corp]]s who feud against each other in a cold war, which one woman's revenge plot looks to turn into a hot war.
|-|Gunpla-related series=
* ''[[Model Suit Gunpla Builders Beginning G]]'' (2010 OVA) A three episode OVA made to celebrate the anniversary of gunpla ('''Gun'''dam '''Pla'''stic Models). Set in a universe where people build gunpla and then fight them in virtual reality. Despite being ''even more'' of a [[Merchandise-Driven|toy commercial]] than normal, it proved popular enough to lead to
* ''[[Gundam Build Fighters]]'' (2013 Anime): An expansion of the above concept, though in its own universe. Uses a tournament fighter format as an excuse to play homage to almost every ''Gundam'' series that existed at the time (and sell toys).
* ''[[Gundam Breaker]]'' (2013 Video Game): First in a series of [[Hack and Slash]] video games released on PS3 and Vita where the player controls a gunpla in virtual reality that smashes other gunpla and uses their severed parts to create to create their own original kitbashed model. Has minimal plot.
** ''Gundam Breaker 2'' (2014 video game) Largely an improved version of the first game. Has somewhat more but still minimal plot.
** ''Gundam Breaker 3'' (2016 video game) Now on PS4 and Vita, the game has expanded to include an actual plot where the gunpla battle skills of [[Featureless Protagonist]] earn them attention of a struggling shopping center who seeks to use them to attract customers to the local stores. The first game of the series to receive an official English release, albeit as an Asian English release only unlike future works.
** ''New Gundam Breaker'' (2018 video game) Released on PS4 and, [[Porting Disaster|allegedly]], PC, ''New Gundam Breaker'' tosses out all the lessons learned of the last three games and seems to care more about highschool harem hijinks than gameplay, producing a three vs. three arena shooter that [[Game Breaking Bug|doesn't even work half the time]]. Thought to be a [[Franchise Killer]] for the main series.
** ''Gundam Breaker Mobile'' (2019 [[Allegedly Free Game|mobile game]]) A mobile spinoff to the series. Features nods and cameos from ''3'' while completely ignoring ''New''.
** ''Gundam Breaker Battlogue'' (2021 OVA) An OVA consisting of six episodes (each only a few minutes long) that brings together the cast of ''Gundam Breaker 3'' and ''Gundam Breaker Mobile'' (once more completely ignoring ''New'') to fight against a petty but talented runner up of a recent Gunpla tournament. Released for free in non-Japanese regions [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEWXBMv-w7A&list=PLJV1h9xQ7Hx8E10pELJWrAMDND3zOapLy on the franchise's official YouTube channel].
|-|Others=
* ''[[SD Gundam]]'' (1988-1993 Anime): A series of comedic shorts featuring [[Super-Deformed]] versions of the franchise's characters and (especially) mobile suits.
* ''[[MS Saga: A New Dawn]]'' (2005 video game): A jRPG that's the sole ''Gundam'' video game to take place in an original timeline of its own that isn't merely an amalgam of existing universes to facilitate crossover. The plot gleefully combines every jRPG convention with every ''Gundam'' convention to create an interesting and original plot.
* ''Gundam EXA'' (2011- manga): Set in the distant future of all Gundam universes, ''EXA'' centers on Leos Aroi, a "G-Diver" who enters archives of historical data that allow him to "travel" to any of the universes, encountering familiar characters and looking for important data. Fans have taken to calling it "''[[Gundam]]'' [[X Meets Y|Meets]] ''[[Kamen Rider Decade]]''", a fairly accurate descriptor<ref>not at all helped by [[The Rival]] carrying around cards that look '''a lot''' like Decade's</ref>. It also features a cross-promotion with ''[[Gundam vs. Series|Gundam Extreme Vs.]]'', marking the first physical appearance by the game's [[Final Boss]] ex-.
</tabber>
----
At its core, each Gundam series tells the story of a war between Earth and the space colonies that orbit it; it is this Earth vs. Space theme that is consistent throughout the entire Gundam metaseries. The TV series generally follow one of two basic plotlines (though the various [[OVA]]s, movies, manga, and novels mix things up a bit more):
*
*
* Either way, an enemy pilot will eventually become [[The Rival]] to the main character, usually an [[Ace Pilot]] who has more experience but is initially thwarted by the main character's [[Bigger Stick]]. This rival usually takes the form of an [[Expy]] of Char Aznable, [[Char Clone|the original]] -- a mysterious, blond, masked man.
* Often the rival, and usually the protagonist, will eventually receive a [[Mid-Season Upgrade]] either in the form of a [[Super Mode]] or an entirely new mobile suit. In some cases, it becomes a matter of "only a Gundam can defeat a Gundam."
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Gundam also has a large number of [[Video Games]] associated with it, notables including the ''[[Super Robot Wars]]'' series, the ''[[SD Gundam G Generation]]'' series of [[Turn-Based Strategy]] games, the [[Gundam vs. Series]], [[Mobile Suit Gundam Climax UC|Gundam Climax U.C.]], ''[[Dynasty Warriors: Gundam]]'', and semi-[[Super-Deformed|SD]] styled spinoff RPG ''[[MS Saga]]''. And for [[Something Completely Different]], there's ''[[Super-Deformed|SD]] Gundam'', both in the form of a series of [[Omake]]-style parody shorts and a full-blown series called [[SD Gundam Force]]. There is also an OVA about the model kits that fund the series called [[Model Suit Gunpla Builders Beginning G]]. Later, there was the [[Gundam Build Fighters]] anime, and its sequel [[Gundam Build Fighters Try]]. Also well-represented in the [[Robot Spirits]] toy line.
''Gundam'' apparently [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7029685.stm doesn't fall under the purview of the Japanese Agriculture Ministry.] Except [https://web.archive.org/web/20130831175639/http://robots.net/article/2442.html when it does.]
----
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* [[Alternate Continuity]]: TV series, movie trilogies, manga, video games, and novels all retell the same stories... and all slightly differently.
* [[Alternate Universe]]: So far there's UC, FC, AW, AC, CC, CE, AD, and AG.
* [[Alternative Calendar]]: Used for every series but ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 00|Gundam 00]]'', largely to avoid having to set a definitive "[[Exty Years From Now|X years in the future]]" setting. Amusingly, the first few series (from ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'' to ''[[
* [[Anime First]]: Most ''Gundam'' animated work has been anime first, with the two exception for ''[[
* [[Anyone Can Die]]: The series was, after all, [[Yoshiyuki Tomino|created by a man]] who was ''nicknamed'' [[Kill'Em All]].
* [[Armored Coffins]]: In the older series, there's no real way to escape from an exploding mobile suit. Some [[Super Prototype|Super Prototypes]] do have ejection seats of some form (i.e. Gundam's Core Block system), but they're typically removed from mass-produced versions.
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* [[Canon]]: ''Gundam'' has an unusual take on this, partly because the Western definition of "canon" in regards to fiction doesn't exist in Japan. All animated works are considered "official", while [[Expanded Universe|everything else]] is "non-official". This means that the various contradictory [[Alternate Continuity]] works (namely, the TV shows and their [[Compilation Movie]] remakes) are equally "canon", while some non-animated works like ''[[Crossbone Gundam]]'' are "non-canon" despite being praised for their quality and attention to not mucking up the timeline. This makes it ''completely impossible'' to come up with any kind of "one true version" of events: see [[Continuity Snarl]] below.
* [[Cash Cow Franchise]]: Ever notice all those model kits?
* [[Char Clone]]: With the exception of the [[OVA
* [[The Coconut Effect]]: Consciously averted. When Tomino wrote the original series, he decided to use particle-based weapons rather than lasers specifically because lasers would be invisible, instant-hit weapons and would kill a lot of the drama of battle.
* [[Collateral Angst]]: When a protagonist's love interest dies (and [[Anyone Can Die|they do]]), the writing focuses mainly on how the protagonist feels rather than the tragedy of said love interest's life being cut short.
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* [[Evolutionary Levels]]: Used, subverted, and played with. Newtypes from the UC timeline are initially presented as this, but they ultimately don't seem to have much effect on the world beyond a handful of ridiculously skilled [[Ace Pilot|Ace Pilots]]. ''[[After War Gundam X|Gundam X]]'' has an ending that explicitly states Newtypes are nothing of the sort, though since it's an alternate universe it's still an open question for the UC timeline. The CE timeline's Coordinators are a mixed bag -- some of them consider themselves this, but many do not. ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 00]]'''s Innovators are the concept played completely straight. The X-Rounders of ''[[Gundam AGE]]'' are still on the fence; on the one hand, both sides are trying to cultivate them, but one of the series' most powerful considers them to be an evolutionary ''throwback'' rather than advancement.
* [[Executive Meddling]]: Part of the reason the franchise failed overseas. Sunrise chose to follow the successes of ''[[Gundam Wing]]'' with ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'', whose dated animation and vastly different premise manage to kill the hype. Then they follow it with ''[[G Gundam]]'', which was better received, but Bandai lost favor from toy stores as they forced them to stock merchandise that nobody wanted. By the time ''[[Gundam Seed]]'' rolled around, it has neither hype or driving force from merchandise to back it up, so it was shoved into a [[Friday Night Death Slot]]. Many fans hold the opinion that, had Sunrise exported ''[[After War Gundam X|Gundam X]]'' rather than the One Year War series, ''Gundam'' might have actually hung on longer.
**
* [[Expy]]: To say the franchise is addicted to this trope is an understatement. There's [[Char Clone|a Char]] in ''every single series''.
* [[Falling Into the Cockpit]]: A popular way to select new crack Gundam pilots.
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** [[A Mech by Any Other Name]]: They're called "mobile suits" in general, though different timelines have variations like "mobile fighters", "mobile dolls", and "mobile bits". Non-humanoid versions are usually called "mobile armors".
* [[Iconic Characters]]: Char Aznable has been [[Char Clone|oft-imitated]], both in the ''Gundam'' franchise itself and in other shows.
* [[
* [[Info Dump]]: Happens in some spots, e.g. the introduction of the Specials in ''[[Gundam Wing]]''.
* [[Idiosyncratic Episode Naming|Idiosyncratic Series Naming]]: Almost all of the Gundam TV series (as well as ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam F91]]'', which was ''[[Executive Meddling|intended]]'' as a TV series) are named after one of the protagonist's mobile suits. The [[Odd Name Out]] is ''[[Gundam Seed]]'', which doesn't contain a Seed Gundam.
* [[Latex Space Suit]]:
* [[Long Runner]]: 30 years and counting. [[Big Name Fan]] Burke Rukes once pointed out on his old website that if one were to watch all of Gundam from [[Mobile Suit Gundam|MSG]] to [[Turn A Gundam
* [[Love Across Battlelines]]: A staple of the series, as part of the standard [[Love Hurts]] [[Aesop]].
* [[Love Hurts]]: Very, very rarely does a romance with a Gundam pilot work out for anyone.
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* [[Mask Power]]: [[The Rival]] and/or [[Char Clone]] usually wear one.
* [[Mecha-Mooks]]: Dozens of variants in the franchise, usually limited to two or three examples per series. The bad guys usually have one that's influenced by the original Zaku II from ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'', with the "[[Gas Mask Mooks|gas mask]]" face and its iconic [[Cyber Cyclops|mono-eye]]. In fact, the word "Zaku" is even derived from "zako" which means "mook" in Japanese.
* [[Mega Crossover]]: The [[Gundam Fighter]] Flash game, with over 80 Gundam characters from various shows.
* [[Melee a Trois]]: First introduced in ''Zeta Gundam''.
* [[Milestone Celebration]]: Happens regularly at the 10 year marks.
* [[Military Brat]]: Nearly all series have characters that are children of military personnel.
* [[Minovsky Physics]]: Yet another [[Trope Namer]], in the UC Timeline, but implemented in
* [[Merchandise-Driven]]: Much, ''much'' more money is made on Gundam modeling kits than the anime itself.
* [[Moe Anthropomorphism]]: MS Girl is originator of Mecha Musume.
* [[Mythology Gag]]: While there are often indirect references to the original series in any given show, they often take this an step further by using the ''sound effects'' of the original series; this can range from the White Base's alert klaxon, to various booster/vernier sounds, to the classic "Pfeeew!" of the RX-78-2's beam rifle.
* [[Novelization]]: All of anime series except ''[[After War Gundam X|Gundam X]]'' has at least one. ''Beltochika's Children'' is rather amusing case, it was originally Tomino's rejected plot of [[
* [[Nuclear Option]]: Notable for averting the [[Nuclear Weapons Taboo]]. The UC and CE timelines, in particular, are fond of throwing nukes around. UC generally treats them as dangerous and powerful weapons but not necessarily evil incarnate (the ''good guys'' use ''illegally obtained'' nuclear missiles on at least one occasion), while CE is rather less forgiving.
* [[Phlebotinum Girl]]: Ubiquitous. In fact, the proposed name for the trope was "Newtype Girl".
* [[Pink Means Feminine]]: Which is why so many female pilots, from [[Zeta Gundam]] all the way through to [[Gundam AGE]], have pink mobile suits (or, at least, suits with pink highlights).
* [[Poor Communication Kills]]: Does it ever.
* [[Psychic Children]]: Pretty much every ''[[Gundam]]'' universe, with the exceptions of ''[[G Gundam]]'', ''[[Gundam Wing]]'' and ''[[Turn A Gundam
* [[Psychic Powers]]: Newtypes and their various [[Expy|Expies]] from other timelines.
* [[Real Robot]]: It invented the genre, though it's always been stuck somewhere between the [[Real Robot]] and [[Super Robot]] styles.
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* [[Screwed by the Network]]: Numerous examples, both in Japan and abroad. ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'' was cut from a planned 52 episodes to only 39, and the staff had to beg to get an extention up to 43 in order to wrap up the series; ''[[After War Gundam X|Gundam X]]'' was left to rot in a [[Friday Night Death Slot]] and eventually cut from 49 to 39 episodes.
* [[Sensor Suspense]]: Tends to do this by having stuff suddenly appear immediately before they come under attack. The [[Bridge Bunnies]] suddenly yelling "Heat source detected!" out of the blue usually means bad things are about to happen.
▲* [[Series Franchise]]
* [[Series Mascot]]: Aside from the Gundams themselves, there are the Haros.
* [[Sliding Scale of Gender Inequality]]: Tends to hover between "Male Superiority" and "Men are More Equal".
* [[Signature Device]]: Gundams
* [[So Last Season]]: The [[Fan Nickname|Mid-Series Upgrade]] has been a staple since [[Zeta Gundam]], and even [[Mobile Suit Gundam]] had a limited version of it.
* [[Space Friction]]: The aversion of this is why mobile suits have limbs. The series is not 100% consistent on remembering this however.
* [[Spell My Name with an "S"]]: Whoo boy. Too many examples to list, but common to a greater or lesser extent in basically every series. The most infamous examples are probably the Principality (Duchy/Archduchy/Grand Duchy) of Zeon (Zion/Jion) and Mu (Muu/Mwu -- though thankfully no Moo) la (ra) Flaga (Fllaga/Fraga). And then there is Quattro Bajeena, whose name has on at least one occasion been translated as "[[Octopussy|Quattro Vagina]]", due to the katakana used in his name.
* [[Standard Sci Fi History]]: Many series features Stage 1: Exploration and Colonization of Space. And then jump right into Stage 2: World War changing the world.
* [[Stealth Pun]]: [[Big Name Fan]] Mark Simmons observed that SNRI, the rival to Anaheim Electronics, was created shortly after '''S'''u'''nri'''se bought the rights to ''Gundam''.
* [[Stock Footage]]: And plenty of it. More of a problem for some series than others (the CE timeline was particularly infamous for indulging in it), and generally less of an issues in the movies and [[OVA|OVAs]]. ''[[Mobile Suit Victory Gundam]]'', ''[[Turn A Gundam
* [[The Smurfette Principle]]: Partially subverted. Every series has female pilots, but they're almost always outnumbered by male ones, and (with the exception of the manga ''[[Ecole Du Ciel]]''), they're never the main character. Well, it is [[Shonen]], after all...
* [[Super Prototype]]: Just about anything with the word "Gundam" in its name, and a lot without it.
* [[Superweapon Surprise]]: In the UC timeline, and the CE that mirrors it, mobile suits are these, with the subversion that they're used to ''attack'' instead of defend. The first Gundams in both universes are this ''again'', in that they're [[Bigger Stick]] mobile suits that catch the other side by surprise too! More typical examples also appear in most timelines, as well.
* [[Sword Fight]]: Only with [[Humongous Mecha]] and [[Laser Blade|Laser Blades]]!
**
* [[Tall, Dark and Bishoujo]]: There's at least two in a series. She's always an important female character, usually the main character's (possible or [[Canon]]) [[Love Interest]], [[The Baroness]] or the [[Team Mom]].
* [[Telepathic Spacemen]]: Newtypes from the Universal Century and Innovators from Anno Domini.
* [[Transforming Mecha]]: Varies between series, with some series chock-full of such mecha, and others devoid of them. [[Zeta Gundam]] springs to mind as the Gundam series with the most [[Transforming Mecha]], which includes the title mech.
* [[Translation Convention]]: Most series have their in-world written text be in English ([[Translation Train Wreck|really bad English]] in the earlier ones), suggesting everyone is actually speaking English despite being voice by a bunch of Japanese people.
▲* [[Translation Convention]]: In Japan, the Army and Navy use the [[Common Ranks|exact same ranking system]], which has caused a good deal of confusion over what to use in the US dubs -- for example, is [[Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory|Kou Uraki]] an Ensign or 2nd Lieutenant? Typically, this is handled by treating the Space Forces as a Navy, and the rare few series that focus on ground combat forces (like ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team]]'') use Army ranks.
* [[Unstoppable Rage]]: In the Universal Century, Newtypes' psychic abilities are boosted by strong emotions, and an angry Newtype pilot is pretty much the scariest adversary you could ever hope (not) to face.
* [[Villainous Valour]]: It's not uncommon to see highly courageous behaviour from Gundam adversaries, whether ordinary mooks or major villains.
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* [[White-Haired Pretty Boy]]: Char [[Char Clone|and his clones]], for the most part.
* [[With Great Power Comes Great Insanity]]: Most cyber newtypes and their alternate universe expies are not known for rationality or mental stability.
* [[World Half Full]]: ''[[Mobile Fighter G Gundam|G Gundam]]'', ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam Wing|Gundam Wing]]'', ''[[After War Gundam X|Gundam X]]'', ''[[Turn A Gundam
* [[Yandere]]: Started to appear in ''[[Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam|Zeta Gundam]]''.
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