History Anime / Gundam

[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Gundam.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:The face that launched a thousand spinoffs.]]
->''"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 ''Franchise/StarTrek''. In 1979, a planned 52-episode series got cut down to 43 due to low {{ratings}}, ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' (''Kidou Senshi Gundam'' in Japanese) became easily one of the two most well-known and long-running series of the HumongousMecha genre (the other most well-known being ''{{Macross}}'') Created by YoshiyukiTomino, it's a veritable merchandising empire encompassing manga and video game tie-ins, plastic models and toys, ([[http://aeug.blogspot.com/2007_05_01_archive.html#2850537631007634108 theme park rides]] and [[http://aeug.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html#7388144419372959180 race team sponsorships]]). The comparisons to ''Franchise/StarTrek'' line up in the rousing success of reruns, movies and the sequel series ''[[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Zeta Gundam]]'', which solidified its status as a franchise, and where a western show would have a {{Trekkie}}, a Japanese show is likely to include a ''Gundam'' fanatic. Theme-wise, however, the franchise could be considered an antithesis of what Roddenberry's work represented; if there are strange new worlds to see, expect them to either host space-fascists or simply blow up.

Gundam effectively invented the RealRobot genre, depicting [[AMechByAnyOtherName 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 SuperRobot roots remain in the Gundams themselves -- unique mobile suits (typically {{Super Prototype}}s or AceCustom 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}}s; to date, there are eight different Gundam universes, each identified by the name of [[AlternateCalendar the calendar they use]]:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Universal Century (UC)]]
[[AC:The One Year War]]
* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' (1979 TV series, recut in 1981 and 1982 into three {{Compilation Movie}}s): In UC 0079, [[TheEmpire the Principality of Zeon]] fights a war of "independence"[[hottip:*: More like conquest of the Earth and other colonies.]] against [[TheFederation the Earth Federation]], the initial skirmishes killing off half the human population. The story follows the [[RagTagBunchOfMisfits refugee crew]] of the Earth Federation ship the ''White Base'' (and its load of SuperPrototype 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 RealRobot 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}}s.
** ''MobileSuitGundamMSIGLOO'' (2004-2009 CGI OVA): Covers the One Year War, first from the POV of a Zeon WideEyedIdealist engineer who's always in charge of testing new [[AwesomeButImpractical prototypes]], and then from the POV of a Federation battalion as they fight Zeon on Earth.
** ''MobileSuitGundamThe08thMSTeam'' (1996 12-episode OVA, 1998 compilation movie): A sort of [[LowerDeckEpisode Lower Deck Series]] counterpart to Anime/MobileSuitGundam, it follows the eponymous 08th MS Team, a textbook example of TheSquad (only with mobile suits), with nary a Newtype in sight.
** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam0080WarInThePocket'' (1989 OVA): Set in a theoretically neutral space colony near the end of the One Year War, it features an eleven year old boy and tells the story of his brief but tragic involvement in the war, driving home its [[AnAesop moral]] that WarIsHell with [[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped unforgiving intensity]].
** ''MobileSuitGundam0083StardustMemory'' (1991 OVA, 1992 compilation movie): Set in UC 0083, featuring {{The Remnant}}s of Zeon {{Gundamjack}}ing a [[NuclearOption nuclear-armed]] Gundam. Also serves as a series-long RetCon to explain the political situation at the beginning of ''[[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Zeta Gundam]]''. Generally counted as a One Year War series, despite taking place after the OYW.
** ''Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story: The Blue Destiny'' (1996-7 SegaSaturn game, has novel and manga adaptations): Late in the One Year War, Federation pilot Yuu Kajima leads a "guinea pig team" that tests out new technologies before they hit full production. During one sortie, his team is attacked by a [[TheBerserker berserk]] blue GM, which Yuu barely drives off. This gets him assigned as the official pilot of the machine, Blue Destiny 1, and draws him into a conflict with "The Paladin of Zeon", AcePilot Nimbus Schtarzen, over the mysterious EXAM System used by the Blue Destiny units and Nimbus' Efreet Kai.
** ''Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story 0079: Rise from the Ashes'' (1999 SegaDreamcast game): Follows the exploits of the White Dingo Team, a Federation combat group much in the vein of the 08th MS Team, as they fight to retake Australia from the Zeon forces.
** ''Mobile Suit Gundam 0079: Zeonic Front'' (2001 {{PlayStation 2}} game): Described as ''RainbowSix'' [[XMeetsY meets]] ''Gundam'', this strategic action game focuses on the Midnight Fenrir Team, a Zeon special forces unit that operates just off to the side of the events of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' and crosses swords with Federation pilot Lt. Agar and Gundam Unit 6 "Mudrock".
** ''Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story: From Place Beyond the Blaze'' (2003 manga, also called ''Space, To the End of A Flash''): A spinoff of the OriginalGeneration plot from the {{PlayStation 2}} game ''Encounters in Space'', this awkwardly-titled manga focuses on the White Base's sister ship ''Thoroughbred'' and its two main pilots, veteran Luce Kassel and rookie Ford Romfellow, pilots of Gundam Units 4 and 5.
** ''Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Deleted Affair: Portrait of a Young Comet'' (2001-9 manga): Taking place after the One Year War, this manga focuses on Char Aznable's life on the asteroid base Axis up to his return to the Earth Sphere in UC 0083. It also details a young Haman Karn, and her rise to power as well as her relationship with Char. Fixes a couple plot holes from the ''MSG'' movies (e.g. M'Quve's [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse disappearance]]) and serves as a bridge to both ''Gundam 0083'' and ''Zeta Gundam''.
** ''Mobile Suit Gundam Battlefield Record U.C. 0081 -The Wrath of Varuna-'' (2009 Playstation 3 game with a manga adaption): Side story set just after the one year war, it focuses on an elite Federation unit known as the Phantom Sweep Corps, led by Hugues Courand, assigned to hunt down Zeon remnants. However an elite Zeon force, called the Invisible Knights, led by Erik Blanke, stands against them. Had an animated OVA prequel (the only video game to get such), called ''Mobile Suit Gundam Battlefield Record: Avant-Title''.
** ''Mobile Suit Gundam The Plot to Assassinate Gihren'' (2007-2010 manga): An unusual Gundam, in that it doesn't focus on massive battles between mobile suits, but is a detective story, following Leopold Fieseler, a detective with the Zeon Public Peace Department/Zeon Public Safety Department who is tasked with investigating various terrorist attacks against the Principality of Zeon during the One Year War. What he discovers is a plot to assassinate Ghiren Zabi by the anti-Zeon group, called Valkyrie (an obvious throw back to the name of the operation that almost killed Adolf Hitler).
** ''Mobile Suit Gundam: We're Federation Hooligans!!'' (2007 manga): This oddly named five volume manga follows a federation special unit in December 0079 called Nemesis. Is tied into the infamous critically panned ''Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire''. It had a sequel, called...
** ''Mobile Suit Gundam: Katana'' (2009 Graphic Novel): An adaptation of the arcade game ''Mobile Suit Gundam: Bonds of the Battlefield'', the plot, set in 0084, follows LtCol Ittou Tsurugi, the new captain of the Federation's special forces unit BGST (Barghest). operating about concurrent with Zeta Gundam.

[[AC:The Gryps Conflict and Neo Zeon Wars]]
* ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam'' (1985 TV series, three 2005 {{Compilation Movie}}s): 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 [[LaResistance AEUG]] and fight first against the vicious [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Titans]] and later [[TheRemnant Axis Zeon]], making it essentially one long MeleeATrois series. Comparable to ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' 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.
** ''MobileSuitGundamEcoleDuCiel'' (2001 manga): Set in UC 0085, the series follows a girl called Asuna Elmarit, generally regarded by fans as being ''Gundam''[='s=] first [[TheSmurfettePrinciple female lead]][[hottip:*:she isn't, technically]] as she goes from unsure test pilot to member of the AEUG.
** ''GundamSentinel'' (1987-8 photonovel): A story depicting events in between ''[[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Zeta Gundam]]'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ'', telling of elite officers going rogue from the Earth Federation and forming a new anti-colony force, the New Desides. In response, Task Force Alpha is sent to quell their uprising before it gets out of hand. Notable for being the series that introduced Hajime Katoki, who would become one of the franchise's most prolific mechanical designers.
** ''Advance of Zeta: Flag of the Titans'' (2002 novel): A prequel to ''Zeta Gundam'', it tells the story of the first Titans unit. There are two versions: a Dengeki Hobby serial that takes the form of a photo-novel accompanied by mechanical designs, technical information, and model photographs, and a Dengeki Daioh serial is in manga format. Each version covers the same events, but some characters and events are depicted only in the photo-novel or only in the manga. Created as a a collaborative project between the staff of Dengeki Hobby Magazine and Sunrise, it is a popular long running series.
** ''Advance of Zeta: The Traitor to Destiny'' (2010 novel): Another prequel to ''Zeta Gundam'', however this one was created with a new staff, new mecha, new characters and a new setting completely different from the previous series.
* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ'' (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 MoodWhiplash 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.
* ''MobileSuitGundamCharsCounterattack'' (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.
** ''MobileSuitGundamUnicorn'' (2007-9 novel, 2010-12 OVA): Three years after ''CharsCounterattack'', OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent Banagher Links meets a mysterious girl, and becomes pilot of the Unicorn Gundam as TheRemnant of Neo Zeon returns.
** ''Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash'' (1989 novel series): Set in UC 0105, the novel centers on Hathaway Noa, the estranged son of [[TheCaptain eternal captain]] Bright Noa as he leads an anti-Federation terrorists and suffers one hell of a DownerEnding. Though it springs from the continuity of the ''Char's Counterattack'' novels rather than the films, fans tend to count it as having happened.

[[AC: Second Universal Century]]
* ''MobileSuitGundamF91'' (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.
** ''Mobile Suit Gundam Formula 91: Formula Wars 0122'' (1991 SuperFamicon game): Essentially a sequel to ''Gundam F90'' it covers Mars Zeon's invasion of Earth.
** ''Mobile Suit Gundam Silhouette Formula 91 in UC 0123'' (1992-3 manga): Another manga tying in with the movie, though this one ends three days before it and covers separate events. It focuses on Anaheim Electronics' "Silhouette Project" (read: stealing data on the F91 and using it themselves) and their encounter with the Crossbone Vanguard, a colony of Zeon die-hards, and a corrupt Federation officer.
** ''MobileSuitCrossboneGundam'' (1994-7 manga): A continuation of the ''F91'' story written by Tomino himself; the Crossbone Vanguard, now lead by the heroes of ''F91'', have become SpacePirates and fight a shadow war against the mysterious Jupiter Empire. Has two sequels, ''Skull Heart'' (2003-4) and ''The Steel 7'' (2006-7) which wrap up the plotline and tie it into...
* ''Anime/MobileSuitVictoryGundam'' (1993 TV series): Set in UC 0153, the story deals with the elitist Zanscare Empire trying to conquer Earth in the name of their queen, while the Federation's final descent into stagnation leaves the planet's defense in the hands of a civilian militia called the League Militaire. Famous for YoshiyukiTomino going through a [[CreatorBreakdown battle with depression]] while writing this series, making it DarkerAndEdgier even than ''Zeta''.
** ''MobileSuitCrossboneGundam: 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.

[[AC: Third Universal Century]]
* ''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 AlternateContinuity (though ''GundamUnicorn'' did feature a ContinuityNod with the appearance of the Manhunters).
* ''G-Saviour'' (2000 live action movie, novel): Originally intended for Gundam's Big Bang Project ([[MilestoneCelebration 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[[hottip:*:to quote a Sunrise rep from a panel at Otakon 2010: "[[CrowningMomentOfFunny We don't like to talk about G-Saviour]]"]] (but not officially [[CanonDiscontinuity disbarring it from canon]]). It also got a video game set in the same era but with its own plot, actual {{Continuity Nod}}s, and decent gamplay, making it much better received than the film. There is also a novelization of movie that differs in that it provides better connections to the rest of the Universal Century and tells the story more like a conventional Gundam work.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Future Century (FC)]]
* ''Anime/MobileFighterGGundam'' (1994 TV series): A shamelessly SuperRobot series MixAndMatch'd with a FightingSeries, G Gundam was an intentional break after the dark ''Anime/MobileSuitVictoryGundam''. Set in FC 60. In this universe, war is avoided by establishing [[TournamentArc 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 GovernmentConspiracy and the monstrous Dark Gundam. Notable in being the first AlternateUniverse 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 IdiotHero, for example).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:After Colony (AC)]]
* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' (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 [[GatewaySeries the first Gundam series released in English]] and was [[KillerApp a megahit]] on CartoonNetwork, helping to bring the other franchise members into English adaptations. The uncut version shown late night also helped inspire the AdultSwim programming block.
** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWingEndlessWaltz'' (1997 OVA, recut into movie in 1999): Takes place a year after the end of ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing Gundam Wing]]'', when the Gundam pilots try [[TechnicalPacifist 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 WordOfGod said that it just barely missed being animated due to scheduling conflicts (the two episodes it would have made up became {{Clip Show}}s instead), ''Episode Zero'' is more or less considered canon.
** ''Gundam Wing Dual Story: G-Unit'', aka ''The Last Outpost'' [[MarketBasedTitle 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 SuperMode. 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 [[FiftyCent another G-Unit]].
** ''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.
** ''New Mobile Report Gundam Wing Sidestory: Tiel's Impulse'' (1998 manga): A short manga, it deals with a young girl whose quest to find her missing brother leads her to discovering Romefeller's secret plant for creating mass produced Gundams. Because it was made for a book on model customization, it's a little light on substance and all the MS are just parts swaps of existing designs.
** ''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 [[HumanPopsicle frozen]] Heero in order to battle a new enemy based out of Mars. Includes {{Flash Back}}s 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 SoapOpera.
** ''Gundam Wing Endless Waltz: The Glory of Losers'' (2010 manga): Primarily an ExternalRetcon 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''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:After War (AW)]]
* ''Anime/AfterWarGundamX'' (1996 TV series), has not been released in English. It deals with a variation of the UC timeline, set in a dystopian future AfterTheEnd; 15 years prior to the series, the war between Earth and the Space Colonies got out of hand and the two factions {{Colony Drop}}ped each other into near-oblivion. While everyone fights just to survive, a group of DisasterScavengers attempts to protect [[PsychicPowers Newtypes]] from the rest of the world and [[PersonOfMassDestruction 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.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Correct Century (CC)]]
* ''Anime/TurnAGundam'' (1999 TV series, 2002 compilation movies): The technologically advanced people of the Moon decide to return to live on Earth, which upsets the [[DaysOfFuturePast 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. YoshiyukiTomino 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 DownerEnding "KillEmAll" for which Tomino was famous.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Cosmic Era (CE)]]
* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'' (2002 TV series, 2004 compilation movies): In CE 71, tensions between [[DesignerBabies 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 ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' 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 TakeAThirdOption. For the anime's 10th anniversary, the series has been rereleased in HD, called ''SEED HD Remaster''.
** ''MobileSuitGundamSEEDAstray'' (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.
* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny'' (2004 TV series, 2006-7 compilation movies): Considered the ''[[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Zeta Gundam]]'' to ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSeed Gundam SEED]]'''s ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'', it features a combination of new and returning characters in a second round of the Natural-Coordinator conflict. In the beginning, it centers around Shinn Asuka, a former citizen of Orb who is now a Gundam pilot for [=ZAFT=]. Through the course of the series, pretty much ''everyone'' turns out to have [[GambitPileup secret devious schemes]], and about halfway through the series Kira Yamato returns and usurps the role of main character. Though successful in Japan, ''Destiny'' has a very vocal {{Hatedom}} and a truly massive BrokenBase in [[AmericansHateTingle the West]], with fan battles over the series continuing well after its conclusion.
** ''Mobile Suit Gundam SEED C.E. 73: Stargazer'' (2006 ONA): Set in the same timeframe as ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSeedDestiny 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 DevelopmentHell.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Anno Domini (AD)]]
AKA "the current calendar system", notable for being the only Gundam timeline to avert the ExtyYearsFromNow of other timelines.
* ''Anime/{{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 [[BiggerStick Gundams]], announce their plan to end war on planet Earth [[WellIntentionedExtremist by killing anyone and everyone who starts one]]. The second season deals the fallout of TheReveal 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.
** ''[[Film/Gundam00AWakeningOfTheTrailblazer 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: [[ArcWords "the dialogues to come"]]. Making this movie particularly interesting is the first appearance of an alien species in the ''Gundam'' franchise.
** A number of manga and photonovel sidestories also exist, detailed on [[Gundam00Sidestories their own page]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Advanced Generation (AG)]]
* ''MobileSuitGundamAGE'' TV Series (2011) The newest Gundam series, will revolve around a "Hundred Year War", with three generations of protagonists.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Other]]
* ''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}}'' [[XMeetsY Meets]] ''KamenRiderDecade''", a fairly accurate descriptor[[hottip:*:not at all helped by TheRival carrying around cards that look '''a lot''' like Decade's]]. The premise is also reminiscent of ''TurnAGundam,'' though where that series actually fits in is still up in the air. It features a cross-promotion with ''[[GundamVsSeries Gundam Extreme Vs.]]'', marking the first physical appearance by the game's FinalBoss ex-.
[[/folder]]

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):
* The protagonist is an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent who ends up FallingIntoTheCockpit of the newest [[SuperPrototype Gundam]] during the first episode after the series' antagonist attacks his DoomedHometown. Drawn into the ongoing war against their will, they end up helping TheFederation defeat TheEmpire.
* Otherwise, the main character is instead a [[ChildSoldiers trained-from-a-young-age]] AcePilot / OvertAgent [[ImprobableAge in his mid-teens]], and a vital part of LaResistance fighting against TheEmpire. (Whether Earth or Space are the good guys or the evil ones is a toss up depending on the series.)
* Either way, an enemy pilot will eventually become TheRival to the main character, usually an AcePilot who has more experience but is initially thwarted by the main character's BiggerStick. This rival usually takes the form of an {{Expy}} of Char Aznable, [[CharClone the original]] -- a mysterious, blond, masked man.
* Often the rival, and usually the protagonist, will eventually receive a MidSeasonUpgrade either in the form of a SuperMode or an entirely new mobile suit. In some cases, it becomes a matter of "only a Gundam can defeat a Gundam."

No overview of Gundam could be complete without mentioning Kunio Okawara, who created the original mecha designs for the first Gundam universe, and who has continued to create designs for every Gundam show since. Hajime Katoki, who began as a model customizer, is also a key Gundam designer, often creating more "realistic" versions of Okawara's designs. Other important mechanical designers include Kazumi Fujita, Junya Ishigaki, Mamoru Nagano, and others.

The origin of the name Gundam varies from series to series, in the first show it was simply the title given to the mobile suit. Later series in the same continuity uses the name as a [[LegacyCharacter direct reference to that first mobile suit.]] In other continuities it can stand as an [[FunWithAcronyms acronym]] or as a reference to some new technology that the mobile suit pioneers, like a super armor named "Gundanium." The Gundams themselves generally share visual characteristics from generation to generation - the design is easily distinguishable by the yellow "V-fin" on the forehead, and the primary "Hero" Gundam will be mostly white and blue with some red accents. However, what actually ''makes'' a Gundam a Gundam is pretty arbitrary (both in-universe and out), and often boils down to whether people (both in-universe and out) ''call'' it a Gundam or not.

The Gundam metaseries, particularly the original Universal Century timeline, is also notable for the remarkably consistent fictional technology; in UC, this is based on the original [[MinovskyPhysics Minovsky Particle]]. Also notable is the presence of Newtypes, who are essentially [[PsychicPowers psychics]], and can be accurately described as "[[StarWars Jedi]] in [[HumongousMecha giant robots]]". Newtypes, or something similar, appear in most Gundam shows.

Gundam also has a large number of VideoGames associated with it, notables including the ''SuperRobotWars'' series, the ''SDGundamGGeneration'' series of TurnBasedStrategy games, the GundamVsSeries, [[MobileSuitGundamClimaxUC Gundam Climax U.C.]], ''DynastyWarriorsGundam'', and semi-[[SuperDeformed SD]] styled spinoff RPG ''MSSaga''. And for SomethingCompletelyDifferent, there's ''[[SuperDeformed SD]] Gundam'', both in the form of a series of {{omake}}-style parody shorts and a full-blown series called SDGundamForce. There is also an OVA about the model kits that fund the series called ModelSuitGunplaBuildersBeginningG. Also well-represented in the RobotSpirits 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 [[http://robots.net/article/2442.html when it does.]]

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!!The ''Gundam'' franchise is the TropeNamer for:
* BrightSlap (now GetAholdOfYourselfMan)
* CharClone
* ColonyDrop
* EnsignNewbie
* {{Gundamjack}}
* MinovskyPhysics
* MobileSuitHuman
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!!''Gundam'' provides examples of the following tropes. Note that these are present in the metaseries as a whole; for specific shows, please use their individual pages.

* TheAbridgedSeries: There are quite a few ''GundamAbridged''
* AbsentAliens: One of the hallmarks of the show is that there are no signs of extraterrestrial life, which originally made the show stand out from the pack. The only exceptions so far are ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSeed Gundam SEED]]'' mentioning a winged SpaceWhale fossil found on Jupiter in passing and ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundam00 Gundam 00]]'', which includes StarfishAliens in [[Film/Gundam00AWakeningOfTheTrailblazer the movie]].
* AerithAndBob: There are some very strangely named characters in Gundam, there are also a scattering of people with completely mundane names.
* AirborneAircraftCarrier: Most of the {{Cool Starship}}s in the series qualify as these. Particularly if you count flight-capable HumongousMecha as 'aircraft'.
* ALighterShadeOfGray: While Gundam usually goes out of its way to show that [[GreyAndGrayMorality both sides of the conflict have good and bad people]], it's generally still the case that one side has the moral high ground.
* AllThereInTheManual: There are loads of supplements like side-stories and model kit manuals. You won't miss vital information by ignoring them... usually.
* AlternateContinuity: TV series, movie trilogies, manga, video games, and novels all retell the same stories... and all slightly differently.
* AlternateUniverse: So far there's UC, FC, AW, AC, CC, CE, AD, and AG.
* AlternativeCalendar: Used for every series but ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundam00 Gundam 00]]'', largely to avoid having to set a definitive "[[ExtyYearsFromNow X years in the future]]" setting. Amusingly, the first few series (from ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' to ''CharsCounterattack'') simply filed the serial numbers off by setting them in the year "UC 00XX", where XX was the year in the 20th century that the show was released. ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'', for example, was released in 1979 and set in UC 0079.
* AnimeFirst: Most ''Gundam'' animated work has been anime first, with the two exception for ''CharsCounterattack'' and ''GundamUnicorn'', which were based on novels. See the {{Novelization}} entry below.
* AnyoneCanDie: The series was, after all, [[YoshiyukiTomino created by a man]] who was ''nicknamed'' KillEmAll.
* ArmoredCoffins: In the older series, there's no real way to escape from an exploding mobile suit. Some {{Super Prototype}}s do have ejection seats of some form (i.e. Gundam's Core Block system), but they're typically removed from mass-produced versions.
* AttackDrone: Every continuity has them in one form or another.
* TheBattlestar: Most warships have impressive firepower in addition to their mobile suit payload.
* BittersweetEnding: By far the most common sort of ending to a Gundam series. Only a handful have unambigiously happy (''[[Anime/AfterWarGundamX Gundam X]]'', ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing Gundam Wing]]: Endless Waltz'') or downer (''[[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Zeta Gundam]]'') endings.
* {{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 [[ExpandedUniverse everything else]] is "non-official". This means that the various contradictory AlternateContinuity works (namely, the TV shows and their CompilationMovie remakes) are equally "canon", while some non-animated works like ''CrossboneGundam'' 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 ContinuitySnarl below.
* CashCowFranchise: Ever notice all those model kits?
* CharClone: With the exception of the {{OVA}}s, there's at least one in every series where the original Char doesn't appear... except ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ'', where Char was originally ''intended'' to appear, but was scrapped when ''CharsCounterattack'' was given the green light.
* TheCoconutEffect: 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.
* CollateralAngst: When a protagonist's love interest dies (and [[AnyoneCanDie they do]]), the writing focuses mainly on how the protagonist feels rather than the tragedy of said love interest's life being cut short.
* ColonyDrop: The TropeNamer; Gundam series are extremely fond of dropping large objects onto targets from orbit.
* CompanionCube: Many Gundam pilots either start or come to view their Gundams this way. They may even ask their advice and then ''behave as though the Gundam has given it.''
* CombiningMecha: Comes and goes in phases. The original Gundam had the ability to separate and recombine; this was downplayed later. The CE timeline has this in spades, as the titular mecha combine with "packs" that seem expressly designed to [[MerchandiseDriven ship more plastic models]] of the mecha.
* CompilationMovie: Gundam ''loves'' these. The television series generally get compilation movie ''trilogies'', and even some of the [=OAVs=] have gotten compilation movies of their own.
* ConvectionSchmonvection: Generally averted - the bigger {{Wave Motion Gun}}s can ruin your day with even a near-miss.
* CoolHelmet: Sort of; the Gundams' iconic V crest attached to their heads.
* CoolShip: The main character usually has a ship to haul his Cool Mecha around.
* CorporalPunishment: The main character usually ends up on the wrong end of a punitive beatdown at least once, and that's not even counting the ''[[GetAholdOfYourselfMan therapeutic]]'' beatdowns he's also likely to receive.
* CrapsackWorld: The Universal Century timeline has a ''rough'' couple decades starting in UC 0079 -- the human population is cut in half over the course of a month by {{Colony Drop}}s, [[DepopulationBomb nerve gas]], and [[AtomicHate nuclear]] attacks, and the following 20 years bring multiple repeat performances of all three. It's not until post-''GundamUnicorn'' that things settle down, and then it's merely reduced to roughly one atrocity a generation instead of one every few years.
* ContinuitySnarl: By Sunrise's policy, only animated works are truly "official". However, that still makes it impossible to determine a single "real" version of events, given that the franchise's full-length TV series are usually turned into movie triologies, which are AlternateContinuity to a greater (''Zeta'''s movie trilogy retconned its entire sequel series, ''ZZ'', out of existence) or lesser (the ''Mobile Suit Gundam'' movie trilogy just removes some of the wackier SuperRobot influences and replaces shoddy animation with higher quality work) extent... and yet, they're all equally canon in Sunrise's eyes.
* CyberCyclops: The "bad guy" mobile suits tend to have a single, [[GlowingMechanicalEyes glowing camera]]; they're typically referred to as "mono-eyes".
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Usually the main character, when they're the OvertAgent type. The {{Ordinary High School Student}}s tend to have dark and troubled ''presents'' instead.
* DoomedHometown: The main character's hometown, frequently a space colony, is usually wrecked early in the series. Sometimes directly leads to FallingIntoTheCockpit.
* DownerEnding: Less common than the BittersweetEnding, but more common than the HappyEnding. See ''[[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Zeta Gundam]]'' and ''{{Gundam 0083}}''.
* DualWielding: Ever since the original series, the classic melee loadout for a Gundam has been a pair of beam sabers, and if there's a variation from this formula, it's usually because the suit in question is fitted with even ''more'' blades as well.
* EnergyWeapons: FrickinLaserBeams, {{Wave Motion Gun}}s, {{Laser Blade}}s, and everything in between.
* EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses: ''[[Anime/AfterWarGundamX Gundam X]]'' and GundamAGE are only TV series that are totally devoid of a princess (or a princess-in-exile, or the daughter of an important official, be it government or a scientist) in a major and/or supporting role.
* EvolutionaryLevels: 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}}s. ''[[Anime/AfterWarGundamX 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. ''{{Gundam 00}}'''s Innovators are the concept played completely straight. The X-Rounders of ''GundamAGE'' 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.
* ExecutiveMeddling: Part of the reason the franchise failed overseas. Sunrise chose to follow the successes of ''GundamWing'' with ''MobileSuitGundam'', whose dated animation and vastly different premise manage to kill the hype. Then they follow it with ''GGundam'', which was better received, but Bandai lost favor from toy stores as they forced them to stock merchandise that nobody wanted. By the time ''GundamSEED'' rolled around, it has neither hype or driving force from merchandise to back it up, so it was shoved into a FridayNightDeathSlot. Many fans hold the opinion that, had Sunrise exported ''[[Anime/AfterWarGundamX Gundam X]]'' rather than the One Year War series, ''Gundam'' might have actually hung on longer.
** This can partly be explained by the fact that there's a committee that decides which ''Gundam'' works to license, meaning that cult favorites like ''[[Anime/MobileSuitVictoryGundam V Gundam]]'' and ''[[Anime/AfterWarGundamX Gundam X]]'' [[NoExportForYou would probably never be exported]] even ''if'' the franchise had hung on. The committee seems dead set on the idea that if a series was unsuccessful in Japan, it couldn't possibly be successful in foreign markets. Of course, considering the [[MerchandiseDriven merchandise sales]] for Japan alone surpass those for the entire rest of the planet combined, odds are the suits aren't exactly crying themselves to sleep.
* {{Expy}}: To say the franchise is addicted to this trope is an understatement. There's [[CharClone a Char]] in ''every single series''.
* FallingIntoTheCockpit: A popular way to select new crack Gundam pilots.
* FanonDisContinuity: Contrary to popular belief, there is no official words removing ''G-Saviour'' from Universal Century. However, its existence is generally ignored by both the fans and the creators.
* TheFederation: The Earth government is usually one.
* FighterLaunchingSequence: Pretty much everyone announces their name and which mecha they're using before launching from the CoolShip.
* FiveManBand: The Universal Century was slightly more dynamic, but it came into full swing in GGundam and GundamWing.
* GatlingGood: The head gatlings, another iconic weapon for Gundam-type suits. Mostly used for dealing with small, fast threats like planes and missiles.
* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: Bright Noa, the TeamDad of the UC timeline, is the king of this trope. So much so that it was originally called the BrightSlap. Used in serveral other timelines as well.
* GiantRobotHandsSaveLives
* GlowingMechanicalEyes: Mobile suit cameras (positioned in their heads like eyes, naturally) ''always'' glow when activated.
* GreyAndGrayMorality: Gundam is notable for rarely portraying either side of a conflict as faceless, mindless evildoers -- there are good people and bad people on all sides of a conflict. That said, the protagonists' faction will usually be ALighterShadeOfGrey.
* {{Gundamjack}}: Obviously, the TropeNamer. Good way to kick off the events of a given series.
* HeroesPreferSwords: Whilst their enemies often get more exotic melee weapons, the hero's suit ''will'' have a beam sabre or two.
* HeroicSacrifice: From both throwaway and major characters; a side effect of AnyoneCanDie.
* HumongousMecha: Obviously.
** AMechByAnyOtherName: 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".
* IconicCharacters: Char Aznable has been [[CharClone oft-imitated]], both in the ''Gundam'' franchise itself and in other shows.
* InfoDump: Happens in some spots, e.g. the introduction of the Specials in ''GundamWing''.
* [[IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming Idiosyncratic Series Naming]]: Almost all of the Gundam TV series (as well as ''GundamF91'', which was ''[[ExecutiveMeddling intended]]'' as a TV series) are named after one of the protagonist's mobile suits. The OddNameOut is ''GundamSeed'', which doesn't contain a Seed Gundam.
* LatexSpaceSuit: For use by both males and females, though only pilots; other crew get bulkier, more conventional space suits.
* LongRunner: 30 years and counting. BigNameFan Burke Rukes once pointed out on his old website that if one were to watch all of Gundam from [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam MSG]] to [[Anime/TurnAGundam Turn A]], it would take about a week, and that was ''without'' counting work, sleep, and bathroom/meal breaks. And mind you, this was long before ''[[GundamSeed SEED]]'', ''[[GundamSeedDestiny Destiny]]'', ''[[{{Gundam 00}} 00]]'', and ''[[GundamAge AGE]]'' came out.
* LoveAcrossBattlelines: A staple of the series, as part of the standard LoveHurts {{Aesop}}.
* LoveHurts: Very, very rarely does a romance with a Gundam pilot work out for anyone.
* LoveTriangle: Almost all series have this!
* MadeOfIndestructium: Gundams are typically made of this; in UC it's named "Gundarium" in honor of the Gundam which was the first to use it[[hottip:*:it was initially named "Lunar Titanium" in the original series, as it was an artificial alloy of Titanium discovered by Lunar scientists]]; in AC it's called "Gundanium" and the Gundams are named after ''it''; and in AD the Gundams use "GN Composite Armor", which is just normal armor reinforced with AppliedPhlebotinum.
* MadeOfExplodium: Frequently what mook mecha are made out of. HandWaved in UC with MinovskyPhysics, but GundamWing (and it's classic MechaMook the Leo) are most infamous for it.
* {{Magitek}}: Newtype technology, designed to augment and be augmented by a pilot's PsychicPowers.
* MaskPower: TheRival and/or CharClone usually wear one.
* MechaMooks: 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 ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'', with the "[[GasMaskMooks gas mask]]" face and its iconic [[CyberCyclops mono-eye]]. In fact, the word "Zaku" is even derived from "zako" which means "mook" in Japanese.
* MegaCorp: Anaheim Electronics from the UC Timeline is a quintessential example.
* MegaCrossover: The GundamFighter Flash game, with over 80 Gundam characters from various shows.
* MeleeATrois: First introduced in ''Zeta Gundam''.
* MilestoneCelebration: Happens regularly at the 10 year marks.
* MilitaryBrat: Nearly all series have characters that are children of military personnel.
* MinovskyPhysics: Yet another TropeNamer, in the UC Timeline, but implemented in really every timeline more or less.
* MerchandiseDriven: Much, ''much'' more money is made on Gundam modeling kits than the anime itself.
* MoeAnthropomorphism: MS Girl is originator of Mecha Musume.
* MythologyGag: 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 ''[[Anime/AfterWarGundamX Gundam X]]'' has at least one. ''Beltochika's Children'' is rather amusing case, it was originally Tomino's rejected plot of CharsCounterattack which, in turn, is adaption of Tomino's novel ''Hi-Streamer''. In other word, it's novelization of TheFilmOfTheBook, with all three by same author!
* NuclearOption: Notable for averting the NuclearWeaponsTaboo. 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.
* PhlebotinumGirl: Ubiquitous. In fact, the proposed name for the trope was "Newtype Girl".
* PinkMeansFeminine: Which is why so many female pilots, from ZetaGundam all the way through to GundamAGE, have pink mobile suits (or, at least, suits with pink highlights).
* PoorCommunicationKills: Does it ever.
* PsychicChildren: Pretty much every ''{{Gundam}}'' universe, with the exceptions of ''GGundam'', ''GundamWing'' and ''Anime/TurnAGundam'' prominently feature many youngsters with psychic powers of one kind or another, most of whom end up getting turned into as ChildSoldiers because of them.
* PsychicPowers: Newtypes and their various [[{{Expy}} Expies]] from other timelines.
* RealRobot: It invented the genre, though it's always been stuck somewhere between the RealRobot and SuperRobot styles.
* RecurringElement: Haro.
* RedBaron: It's usually the enemy {{Ace Pilot}}s that get awesome nicknames (starting with Char as the Red Comet), but occasionally allies do as well. Oddly, the main character almost never gets this treatment.
* RetCon: Between all the AlternateContinuity versions and {{OVA}}s, they're inevitable. They're usually not too bad, but exceptions (such as ''{{Gundam 0083}}'''s ColonyDrop) do occur.
* SayMyName: It's not a Gundam series if it doesn't have this.
* ScrewedByTheNetwork: Numerous examples, both in Japan and abroad. ''MobileSuitGundam'' 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; ''[[Anime/AfterWarGundamX Gundam X]]'' was left to rot in a FridayNightDeathSlot and eventually cut from 49 to 39 episodes.
* SensorSuspense: Tends to do this by having stuff suddenly appear immediately before they come under attack. The BridgeBunnies suddenly yelling "Heat source detected!" out of the blue usually means bad things are about to happen.
* SeriesFranchise
* SeriesMascot: Aside from the Gundams themselves, there are the Haros.
* SlidingScaleOfGenderInequality: Tends to hover between "Male Superiority" and "Men are More Equal".
* SoLastSeason: The [[FanNickname Mid-Series Upgrade]] has been a staple since ZetaGundam, and even MobileSuitGundam had a limited version of it.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: 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 "Quattro Vagina", due to the katakana used in his name.
* StandardSciFiHistory: Many series features Stage 1: Exploration and Colonization of Space. And then jump right into Stage 2: World War changing the world.
* StealthPun: BigNameFan Mark Simmons observed that SNRI, the rival to Anaheim Electronics, was created shortly after '''S'''u'''nri'''se bought the rights to ''Gundam''.
* StockFootage: 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}}s. ''Anime/MobileSuitVictoryGundam'', ''Anime/TurnAGundam'', and ''{{Gundam 00}}'' are also notable for largely avoiding it. There are some scenes reused (as in, you could count them on one hand), but much of the time it's a two-second clip that's only reused once, or it's just a split-second explosion to change scenes.
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Partially subverted. Every series has female pilots, but they're almost always outnumbered by male ones, and (with the exception of the manga ''EcoleDuCiel''), they're never the main character. Well, it is {{Shonen}}, after all...
* SuperPrototype: Just about anything with the word "Gundam" in its name, and a lot without it.
* SuperweaponSurprise: 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 BiggerStick mobile suits that catch the other side by surprise too! More typical examples also appear in most timelines, as well.
* SwordFight: Only with HumongousMecha and {{Laser Blade}}s!
** Save for the iconic fencing duel between [[MobileSuitGundam Amuro and Char]]. Then [[TurnAGundam Loran and Gym]] have a sword duel as well!
* TallDarkAndBishoujo: There's at least two in a series. She's always an important female character, usually the main character's (possible or {{canon}}) LoveInterest, TheBaroness or the TeamMom.
* TelepathicSpacemen: Newtypes from the Universal Century and Innovators from Anno Domini.
* TransformingMecha: Varies between series, with some series chock-full of such mecha, and others devoid of them. ZetaGundam springs to mind as the Gundam series with the most TransformingMecha, which includes the title mech.
* TranslationConvention: In Japan, the Army and Navy use the [[CommonRanks exact same ranking system]], which has caused a good deal of confusion over what to use in the US dubs -- for example, is [[{{Gundam0083}} 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 ''{{The 08th MS Team}}'') use Army ranks.
* UnstoppableRage: 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.
* VillainousValour: It's not uncommon to see highly courageous behaviour from Gundam adversaries, whether ordinary mooks or major villains.
* TheWarOfEarthlyAggression: The most recurring theme in the series, and the one that generates most conflict overall.
* WarriorTherapist: TheRival tends to be one, resulting in [[TalkingIsAFreeAction philosophical debates]] during running mecha battles.
* WaveMotionGun: There's always at least one, whether mounted on a suit, a ship, or a space station.
* WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer: In the Universal Century, [[TheRemnant Neo Zeon]]'s default answer to any sufficiently serious problem is [[ColonyDrop 'ram Axis into it']]. Sometimes, 'it' even extends to [[EnemyCivilWar 'other people from Neo Zeon']].
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Most of the antagonists of a series are usually -- or at least can be argued to be -- this.
* WhiteHairedPrettyBoy: Char [[CharClone and his clones]], for the most part.
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: Most cyber newtypes and their alternate universe expies are not known for rationality or mental stability.
* WorldHalfFull: ''[[Anime/MobileFighterGGundam G Gundam]]'', ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing Gundam Wing]]'', ''[[Anime/AfterWarGundamX Gundam X]]'', ''Anime/TurnAGundam'', ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSeed Gundam SEED]]'', and ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundam00 Gundam 00]].'' Subverted with a vengeance in ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamAGE Gundam AGE]]''.
* {{Yandere}}: Started to appear in ''[[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Zeta Gundam]]''.
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** ''Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story: From Place Beyond the Blaze'' (2003 manga): A spinoff of the OriginalGeneration plot from the {{PlayStation 2}} game ''Encounters in Space'', this awkwardly-titled manga focuses on the White Base's sister ship ''Thoroughbred'' and its two main pilots, veteran Luce Kassel and rookie Ford Romfellow, pilots of Gundam Units 4 and 5.

* ''G-Saviour'' (2000 live action movie): Originally intended for Gundam's Big Bang Project ([[MilestoneCelebration 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[[hottip:*:to quote a Sunrise rep from a panel at Otakon 2010: "[[CrowningMomentOfFunny We don't like to talk about G-Saviour]]"]] (but not officially [[CanonDiscontinuity disbarring it from canon]]). It also got a video game set in the same era but with its own plot, actual {{Continuity Nod}}s, and decent gamplay, making it much better received than the film.

** ''Mobile Suit Gundam Silhouette Formula 91 in UC 0123'' (1992-3 manga): Another manga tying in with the movie, though this one is happening concurrently with it and covers separate events. It focuses on Anaheim Electronics' "Silhouette Project" (read: stealing data on the F91 and using it themselves) and their encounter with the Crossbone Vanguard, a colony of Zeon die-hards, and a corrupt Federation officer.

** ''Mobile Suit Gundam Battlefield Record U.C. 0081 -The Wrath of Varuna-'' (2009 Playstation 3 game with a manga adaption) Side story set just after the one year war, it focuses on an elite Federation unit known as the Phantom Sweep Corps, led by Hugues Courand, assigned to hunt down Zeon remnants. However an elite Zeon force, called the Invisible Knights, led by Erik Blanke, stands against them. Had an animated OVA prequel (the only video game to get such), called ''Mobile Suit Gundam Battlefield Record: Avant-Title''.

* ''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}}'' [[XMeetsY Meets]] ''KamenRiderDecade''", a fairly accurate descriptor[[hottip:*:not at all helped by TheRival carrying around cards that look '''a lot''' like Decade's]]. It also features a cross-promotion with ''[[GundamVsSeries Gundam Extreme Vs.]]'', marking the first physical appearance by the game's FinalBoss ex-.

* EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses: ''[[Anime/AfterWarGundamX Gundam X]]'' is only TV series that total devoid of a princess (or a princess-in-exile, or the daughter of an important official, be it government or a scientist) in a major and/or supporting role.

The franchise bearing the name '''Gundam''' can be considered the {{anime}} equivalent of ''Franchise/StarTrek''. In 1979, a planned 52-episode series got cut down to 43 due to low {{ratings}}, ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' (''Kidou Senshi Gundam'' in Japanese) became easily one of the two most well-known and long-running series of the HumongousMecha genre (the other most well-known being ''{{Macross}}'') Created by YoshiyukiTomino, it's a veritable merchandising empire encompassing manga and video game tie-ins, plastic models and toys, ([[http://aeug.blogspot.com/2007_05_01_archive.html#2850537631007634108 theme park rides]] and [[http://aeug.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html#7388144419372959180 race team sponsorships]]). The comparisons to StarTrek line up in the rousing success of reruns, movies and the sequel series ''[[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Zeta Gundam]]'', which solidified its status as a franchise, and where a western show would have a {{Trekkie}}, a Japanese show is likely to include a ''Gundam'' fanatic. Theme-wise, however, the franchise could be considered an antithesis of what Roddenberry's work represented; if there are strange new worlds to see, expect them to either host space-fascists or simply blow up.

* ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam'' (1985 TV series, three 2005 {{Compilation Movie}}s): 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 [[LaResistance AEUG]] and fight first against the vicious [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Titans]] and later [[TheRemnant Axis Zeon]], making it essentially one long MeleeATrois series. Comparable to StarTrekTheNextGeneration 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.

* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny'' (2004 TV series, 2006-7 compilation movies): Considered the ''[[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Zeta Gundam]]'' to ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSeed Gundam SEED]]'''s ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'', it features a combination of new and returning characters in a second round of the Natural-Coordinator conflict. In the beginning, it centers around Shinn Asuka, a former citizen of Orb who is now a Gundam pilot for [=ZAFT=]. Through the course of the series, pretty much ''everyone'' turns out to have [[GambitPileup secret devious schemes]], and about halfway through the series Kira Yamato returns and ([[YourMileageMayVary according to some]]) usurps the role of main character. Though successful in Japan, ''Destiny'' has a very vocal {{Hatedom}} and a truly massive BrokenBase in [[AmericansHateTingle the West]], with fan battles over the series continuing well after its conclusion.

* EvolutionaryLevels: 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}}s. ''[[Anime/AfterWarGundamX 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. ''{{Gundam 00}}'''s Innovators are the concept played completely straight.

* CollateralAngst: [[spoiler:When the Newtype and/or enemy love interest dies, the writing focuses mainly on how the protagonist feels rather than the tragedy of said love interest's life being cut short.]]

* ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'' (2002 TV series, 2004 compilation movies): In CE 71, tensions between [[DesignerBabies 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 ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' 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 TakeAThirdOption.

* A movie intended to conclude the Cosmic Era timeline was announced in 2005 following the end of ''SEED Destiny'', but the head writer's ongoing battle with cancer has pushed it into DevelopmentHell.

* StuffedIntoTheFridge: [[spoiler:Often, the protagonist befriends or falls in love with a female character who is a Newtype (or one of their [[{{Expy}} AU expies]], working for the enemy, or both. Then she dies, giving the hero plenty of angst and maybe a thirst for revenge.]]

* EvolutionaryLevels: 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}}s. The CE timeline's Coordinators are a mixed bag -- some of them consider themselves this, but many do not. ''{{Gundam 00}}'''s Innovators are the concept played completely straight.

** This can partly be explained by the fact that there's a committee that decides which ''Gundam'' works to license, meaning that cult favorites like ''[[Anime/MobileSuitVictoryGundam V Gundam]]'' and ''[[Anime/AfterWarGundamX Gundam X]]'' [[NoExportForYou would probably never be exported]] even ''if'' the franchise had hung on. Of course, considering the [[MerchandiseDriven merchandise sales]] for Japan alone surpass those for the entire rest of the planet combined, odds are the suits aren't exactly crying themselves to sleep.

* {{BFS}}: The [[LaserBlade beam sabre]], default melee weapon for mobile suits across the franchise.

* FoeYay: TheHero and TheBigBad / TheRival are prone to this.

** ''Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz'' (1997 OVA, recut into movie in 1999): Takes place a year after the end of ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing Gundam Wing]]'', when the Gundam pilots try [[TechnicalPacifist something completely different]] against a new enemy. Features completely redesigned Gundams, despite them [[{{Retcon}} nominally being the same machines]].

* ContinuitySnarl: By Sunrise's policy, only animated works are truly "official". However, that still makes it impossible to determine a single "real" version of events, given that the franchise's full-length TV series are usually turned into movie triologies, which are AlternateContinuity to a greater (''Zeta'''s movie trilogy retconned its entire sequel series, ''ZZ'', out of existence) or lesser (the ''Mobile Suit Gundam'' movie trilogy just removes some of the wackier SuperRobot influences and replaces shoddy animation with higher quality work) extent... and yet, they're all equally canon in Sunrise's eyes.

* PsychicChildren: Pretty much every ''{{Gundam}}'' universe, with the exceptions of ''GGundam'', ''GundamWing'' and ''TurnAGundam'' prominently feature many youngsters with psychic powers of one kind or another, most of whom end up getting turned into as ChildSoldiers because of them.

The franchise bearing the name '''Gundam''' can be considered the {{anime}} equivalent of ''StarTrek''. In 1979, a planned 52-episode series got cut down to 43 due to low {{ratings}}, ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' (''Kidou Senshi Gundam'' in Japanese) became easily one of the two most well-known and long-running series of the HumongousMecha genre (the other most well-known being ''{{Macross}}'') Created by YoshiyukiTomino, it's a veritable merchandising empire encompassing manga and video game tie-ins, plastic models and toys, ([[http://aeug.blogspot.com/2007_05_01_archive.html#2850537631007634108 theme park rides]] and [[http://aeug.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html#7388144419372959180 race team sponsorships]]). The comparisons to StarTrek line up in the rousing success of reruns, movies and the sequel series ''[[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Zeta Gundam]]'', which solidified its status as a franchise, and where a western show would have a {{Trekkie}}, a Japanese show is likely to include a ''Gundam'' fanatic. Theme-wise, however, the franchise could be considered an antithesis of what Roddenberry's work represented; if there are strange new worlds to see, expect them to either host space-fascists or simply blow up.

* {{Novelization}}: All of anime series except ''{{Gundam X}}'' has at least one. ''Beltochika's Children'' is rather amusing case, it was originally Tomino's rejected plot of CharsCounterattack which, in turn, is adaption of Tomino's novel ''Hi-Streamer''. In other word, it's novelization of TheFilmOfTheBook, with all three by same author!

* ExecutiveMeddling: Part of the reason the franchise failed overseas. Sunrise chose to follow the successes of ''GundamWing'' with ''MobileSuitGundam'', whose dated animation and vastly different premise manage to kill the hype. Then they follow it with ''GGundam'', which was better received, but Bandai lost favor from toy stores as they forced them to stock merchandise that nobody wanted. By the time ''GundamSEED'' rolled around, it has neither hype or driving force from merchandise to back it up, so it was shoved into a FridayNightDeathSlot. Many fans hold the opinion that, had Sunrise exported ''GundamX'' rather than the One Year War series, ''Gundam'' might have actually hung on longer.

* ScrewedByTheNetwork: Numerous examples, both in Japan and abroad. ''MobileSuitGundam'' 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; ''GundamX'' was left to rot in a FridayNightDeathSlot and eventually cut from 49 to 39 episodes.

* ALighterShadeOfGray: The various Gundam-verses typically strive for GrayAndGreyMorality, but even so one side usually tends to be slightly more "good" than the other. This has only fuelled cases of RootingForTheEmpire, as sometimes ''both'' sides can be argued as being the lighter side.
** Case in point, in the Universal Century series, we have the ostensibly corrupt and tyrannical Federation against Zeon, who are fighting for freedom and independence... and started the very first war by being the ones who struck first. Which they did by flooding a neutral colony with nerve gas and then dropping the whole thing onto Earth, obliterating an entire city.