History Awesome / GUNDAM

[[AC:{{Gundam 0080}}]]

[[AC:[[{{ptitleexh6mkl0fnye}} Char's Counterattack]]]]

* Shiro Amada gets nearly a minute of pure awesome, when in Episode 8 he [[spoiler: [[DodgeTheBullet dodges not one, but two rounds]], '''at point blank range''', from a '''ZAKU'S MACHINE GUN''', and then proceeds to [[ShootTheBullet shoot down two anti-personnel flechette grenades]]]].

* These moments pale, however, when compared to the first episode, in which Shiro destroys a Zaku with a ''Ball''.

* [[PowerUpScream UNIVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERSE!]] Enough said.

* Whilst taking place in the same timeframe as the original series, this series also has some awesome moments. This troper believes that the one that trumps all other moments in the series is summarized in {{Two Words}}: Norris Packard.

* For ThisTroper, the moment in which Terry's Gundam jumps to attack the first Apsalus encountered by the protagonists, can basically be summed up as "RealRobot, that's a Gundam! I can die happy!"

* ''One'' Zeon tank, which are next to useless agiesnt gundams pins down ''two'' even disable one for a time.

* The second episode of ''The Hidden One Year War'' featured the failed prototype YMT-05. It's moment came when it manages to take out six stolen Zakus singlehandedly. The panic that ensued when it changes to a half tank, half mobile suit form was also priceless. Sadly, it ended with the death of the test pilot as well.
* ''The Hidden One Year War'': After being shamed in propaganda, [[AcePilot Major Jean Luc Duvall]] manages to pull this off, along with a HeroicSacrifice during Zeon's escape from Odessa. He almost singlehandedly defeated the squadrons attacking the stranded escape pods, then he lured a newly arrived GM team into a race where the sheer speed of the chase blew them up. He was even able to give a FinalSpeech to the crew of the Jotunheim shortly before dying.

** Shortly after that was awesome as well, when the third Zaku burst from the ground, the camoflage netting caught on it's back made it look exactly like what TheFederation soldiers called them, {{Shinigami}}. And then, the Lieutenant draws his pistol and starts shooting at it knowing full well he was going to die.

* ThisTroper is pissed off that you guys have not mentioned one of Char's ''biggest'' CMOA's ever: his actions during the Dakar reunion, where [[spoiler: he verbally whoops the Titans's collective asses, shows their atrocities to the whole world and reveals his identity in a ''really'' epic speech]]

* Another [=CMoA=] for a [[FacelessGoons faceless grunt]], the pilot of the Stark Jegan, a souped-up grunt, who actually manages to last more than two seconds against the aforementioned Kshatriya, and was actually managing to hold his own in close combat until she got the drop on him by firing her thrusters in his face. This also counts as a CMoA for her, too

* Japanese ''Gundam'' fandom managed to flesh out the vague references in the original ''MobileSuitGundam'' and create a proper UC timeline, which was adopted by Sunrise.

** The second one? After Amuro disables the Big Zam, Dozle still hasn't given up. He picks up a machine gun, steps out of the Big Zam and [[{{Determinator}} ''starts shooting at the Gundam.'']]

[[AC:GundamSeedDestiny]]
* FLAWLESS. FUCKING. VICTORY.
** [[YourMileageMayVary Your Mileage]] [[strike:May]] [[YourMileageMayVary WILL Vary]]. See the Discussion page.
* Shinn Asuka's own moment comes right at the end of the very first episode of ''GundamSEEDDestiny''.
* For those who don't like Kira, it was when he stabbed Freedom with Impulse's {{BFS}}. At the ''SuperRobotWars Z'' promo, this got one of the biggest cheers of the preview.
** Pretty much that entire episode is a Crowning Moment of Awesome for Shinn. Mini-[=CMoAs=] include throwing his Gundam's shield in order to bounce a beam off it and hit the Freedom from an unexpected angle, ''splitting his mobile suit '''in half''''' to avoid a saber strike by Kira, and when Kira does his signature move of chopping off the enemy's head and gun/sword arm, Shinn simply detaches the chest flyer, has it ''ram'' the Freedom, and then ''blows it up.'' Finally, there's the simple fact that Shinn pretty much ''called out'' the show's resident GodModeSue.
--->'''Shinn:''' "I'm the one who's going to defeat you! Here! Today!"
*** Bandai themselves acknowledged this [=CMoA=] in ''Gundam Vs Gundam'', where all the Impulse's attacks come from this episode - the shield bank-shot, the [[GetterRobo Open Get]] evasion move, the Chest Flyer bomb, '''all''' reproduced faithfully.
* Those of us who did like Kira on the other hand and didn't think he was a GodModeSue (and thought that Shinn needed to grow up a bit) have to look elsewhere for the latter's CrowningMomentOfAwesome. I will always believe that Shinn (and the rest of the ZAFT team) got their [=CMoA=] during the Battle at Heaven's Base. It's one of the few times in series where Shinn is one hundred percent, no questions asked in the right (face it: it's tough not to be in the right when you're fighting Blue Cosmos, a group that's somewhere between the Nazis and the KKK). And what happens? He, Rey and Luna go after five Destroys. Luna takes one out on her first flight in the Impulse. Shinn and Rey take down two apiece, and Shinn in the process, finally settles the score with Sting, probably the least sympathetic and most genuinely evil member of the Extended. And on top of it, we get to see [[CompleteMonster Djibril's]] face as he realises that it's all over. Beautiful, just beautiful.
* This troper firmly believes that Shinn's true [=CMoA=] comes in episode 12. A massive mobile armor has apparently disabled Shinn's mobile suit, has blocked everything the ''[[CoolShip Minerva]]'' can throw at it, and is now moving in for the kill, backed by an entire fleet. It looks like the ''Minerva'' is pretty much boned...until Shinn wakes up. Flying into an UnstoppableRage, Shinn rejoins the battle, destroys the mobile armor and proceeds to sink six of the enemy ships, ''using only '''swords.'''''
* Right after Kira acquires the Strike Freedom and launches from the Eternal, he faces a few ships and numerous mobile suits. He proceeds to defeat and disarm 25 of them without taking any damage. In two minutes.
** Another Strike Freedom CMOA was Kira's move during his fight with Shin in the Destiny at ORB. Shin readies his {{BFS}}, and goes to bisect Kira's MS Vertically, and [[BarehandedBladeBlock Kira CATCHES it, with his HANDS]]. {{Badass}} Indeed.
*** This troper feels obligated to point out that the Astray Manga's Rondo Gina Sahaku one-ups Kira[[hottip:*:Though, in fairness, Ghina catches a ''metal'' blade, while Kira catches a ''plasma'' blade.]] by pulling that move twice: The first time while piloting A GRUNT. The second time is even more awesome, as he [[spoiler:catches the Red Frame's blade IN BETWEEN TWO FINGERS, then uses the bottom edge of his shield to break the blade clean in two.]]
* After Murrue gives Neo Roanoke the Skygrasper to leave, Neo shows up in the battle and gives Mu's old catch phrase of making the Impossible Possible
** In fact you can pretty much just say everything Neo does after his HeelFaceTurn; his first meeting with Murrue ends with him giving her a pimp pickup line.
*** In particular using the Akatsuki to block the Minerva's Positron Blaster cannon, in a repeat of Mu's HeroicSacrifice... Minus the sacrifice part this time.
**** And even before his HeelFaceTurn Neo gets some amazing moments. Taking on Shinn and Rey at once? In just a Mobile Armour? And not only surviving, but ''fighting them to a draw?'' The Neo persona may be pure evil, but there's no denying how ''BadAss'' he is!
* Lacus gets one in episode 43 when she interupts Meer, who is pretending to be Lacus and making a broadcast that had interupted Cagalli's broadcast about the war with Logos. The look on Durandal's face when he sees the real Lacus is priceless.
** Meer's own CrowningMomentOfAwesome overlaps with TearJerker, [[spoiler: when she saves Lacus's life by TakingTheBullet meant for her]].
* Stellar is mainly known for being childlike, but it's worth remembering that when she isn't acting [[MoeMoe adorable]], she's a {{Tykebomb}} SuperSoldier. The best example of this has to be the first episode, where she leaps into a group of six ZAFT soldiers, holding a knife in one hand and a submachine gun in the other. She's killed five of her opponents by the time the first one's body ''hits the ground.''
** In episode 31, Stellar gains her full pedigree as WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds when she's given the Destroy Gundam. A massive ZAFT force, including dozens of mobile suits and a land battleship, sortie and lob everything they have at her. Stellar brings up the DeflectorShields and all their railgun slugs, [[MacrossMissileMassacre missiles]] and [[BeamSpam particle beams]] splatter against the barrier like snowballs. Stellar's turn: she fires one shot with the Destroy's [[WaveMotionGun big guns]], atomizing the battleship, the ZAFT mobile suits ''and a large chunk of the city behind them.''
* Meyrin Hawke has a more subtle but effective one when she {{indy ploy}}s Athrun's escapade, resorting even to a ModestyTowel to make sure her idol and friend wouldn't be caught in her house.
* During the battle to prevent Junius 7 from being [[ColonyDrop dropped on Earth]], Yzak, Dearka, and Athrun manage to severely tear up Chaos, Abyss, and Gaia with their [=ZAKUs=], putting the other characters who were fighting them to shame.
* How did Cagalli prove that her {{Chickification}} days were [[HesBack a thing of the past]]? By going to Yuna, the main culprit, and ''socking him on the face''. WELCOME BACK!
** And to get there, she goes on a rampage through the ZAFT lines, survives [[TheBerserker Shinn]] (well, she stays alive long enough for [[BigDamnHeroes Kira to get there]]) and essentially turns the battle around ''by herself''. Goodbye to TheLoad, hello ActionGirl. Did we mention that she's a BadassNormal to boot?
* Athrun launching in the Infinite Justice for the first time. He helps Kira and Cagalli protect Orb from ZAFT, including the crew of the Minerva. The kicker? [[spoiler: He had a ''bigass chest wound'' at the time. Hell, he even passed out when he landed!]]
* Pretty much anything Gilbert Durandel does in the series is awesome, but his personal CMOA would probably be calling out LOGOS on international television. After spending episode after episode getting angrier and angrier at Djibril its just awesome to see how Durandel's speech nearly gives him epilepsy.

[[AC:GundamSEED]]
* Kira Yamato's CrowningMomentOfAwesome comes after he acquires Freedom.
** He gets one earlier than that. During episode 21, while fighting [=BuCUEs=] (canine-esque mobile suits) he ''throws a beam saber'' into one's ''eye'' and then ''kicks the head'' off another.
** Some fans even argue that he gets three other CMoA's. All three times being when he has to reprogram the X-105 Strike's Operating System... In the middle of a battle. While being fired upon.
*** The first of the above-mentioned are in the beginning, when Kira takes over the X-105 Strike and can't control it, because the OS is messed up. He reprograms the OS in less than 2 minutes and goes on to kick ZAFT-ass in a Mobile Suit he's completely unfamiliar with.
**** To reiterate: He reprogrammed an entire OS, probably as large as Windows 7 if not larger , in less than 2 minutes. Even if he IS the Ultimate Coordinator, it is still highly improbable that a teenager who has no experience in programming Mobile Suit OS's can reprogram it in such a short time.
*** The other two times, he does it first while being stuck in the sand, and later while being submerged in water. Both times surrounded by lots of ZAFT Mobile Suits intent on killing him.
* During a desert battle, Cagalli and several other members of [[LaResistance the Desert Dawn]] are cornered by a [=BuCUE=]. Resistance leader Sahib Ashman rushes to their aid, ''[[GunsAkimbo Rocket Launchers Akimbo.]]''
* Mu La Flaga repeatedly fighting HumongousMecha and BiggerStick HumongousMecha in either his Moebius Zero mobile armor - which, while exponentially better than the production model Moebius mobile armors to the point that Mu is the only living OMNI pilot who can fly it, is still pretty puny by comparison to even a standard mobile suit - or ''a simple fighter jet.''
** During episode 5, Kira's mobile suit runs out of power. He could recharge the power by going back to the ''Archangel'' and getting another Striker pack, but he gets captured by a ZAFT Gundam. So what does Mu do? He dives in with his mobile armor, blasts the Gundam enough to get it to drop Kira, and has the ''Archangel'' load the replacement Striker pack onto the launch catapult and '''shoot''' it out to Kira. "Making the Impossible Possible" indeed.
* The culmination of Episode 49 in the series features two back to back CrowningMomentOfAwesome as [[SergeantRock Natarle]] finally rises up against Muruta Azrael on the ''Dominion'', [[spoiler:Mu La Flaga]]'s HeroicSacrifice to save the ''[[CoolShip Archangel]]'', and [[TheCaptain Murrue]]'s destruction of the ''Dominion''. "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhs0_mdRhuA Fire, Murrue Ramius!]]"
** Episode 49 also sees a small but noble one from FallenPrincess (and recovering former {{Yandere}}) Flay Allster, now one of the ''Dominion's'' BridgeBunnies. Upon hearing that Azrael wants the ''Archangel'' destroyed, [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight Flay decides to screw authority]] and tries to warn her former shipmates. If this doesn't seem awesome, recall that Flay is really just a teenage girl in way over her head, and Azrael is in the middle of a huge VillainousBreakdown and threatening to '''shoot''' people who disobey him.
*** And that Azrael, as soon as he hears Flay's broadcast, grabs the kid by the arm and bitchslaps her around in mid gravity, while ''still'' screaming his head off. Seeing him [[KickTheDog abuse her bridge bunny for doing the right thing]] is what finally gives Natarle the HeroicResolve to screw Azrael's authority, send all of the bridge bunnies away ''and'' pull the aforementioned [=CMOA=]s.
* And then there's MagnificentBastard [[BigBad Rau Le Creuset]] in episodes 49 and 50. Kira and Athrun have been kicking ass using massive gunships attached to their mobile suits. Then Kira decides to attack Rau...who proceeds to tear Kira's gunship to pieces without getting scratched.
** Rau gets another [=CMoA=] at Mendel, when he doesn't just ''fight'' Mu's Strike Gundam with a [=GuAIZ=], he ''beats'' him with it, simultaneously demonstrating the [=GuAIZ=]'s power and his own badassery.
** One earlier than that (and this one kind of a Crowning Moment of Evil): during episode 37, [[FallenPrincess Fllay]] has Rau at gunpoint, and has a pretty good chance of killing him. Rau proceeds to utterly destroy the poor girl's sense of purpose and leaves her unable to do ''anything'', [[HannibalLecture without so much as rising from his chair.]]
* Dearka has a few. In the medical bay, his hands tied behind his back he is attacked by two angry women, the first with a knife and the second with a gun, both intent on killing him for different reasons. He survives with nothing more than a cut above his hairline.
** Later in a cell he sees the first attacker, who he had teased about her boyfriend dying. He asks about how he died and finally concludes "It's not me."
** [[spoiler:"Huh? Buster?"]]
* Dearka's friend Yzak gets a truly epic one near the end. [[ActionGirl Cagalli]] is ambushed by SuperSoldier Shani Andras, who sends a beam of hot plasma at her. Cagalli's about to be toast, when Yzak throws his own mobile suit in front of hers and takes the beam on his shield. Said BigDamnHeroes moment would probably be plenty awesome by itself, but then he draws a beam saber and ''charges the enemy Gundam head-on.'' Shani opens fire again, blowing Yzak's shield into a million pieces and engulfing his Gundam in a huge explosion. Cue a moment of horrified silence...followed by the Duel ''bursting'' OutOfTheInferno ''DualWielding beam sabers.'' Before Shani can say "holy shit", Yzak chops the arms off his Gundam with one saber and rams the other through his cockpit. [[BadAss Bad. Ass.]]
** It's then followed up an episode later, as Yzak and Dearka are under attack by the Raider Gundam, their own mobile suits heavily damaged and out of weapons. The Duel grabs the Buster's [[{{BFG}} boom stick]], Yzak yelling "GIVE ME THIS!" and uses the last of his energy to shoot down the Raider whilst barely avoiding the Raider's own beam cannon. Cue power down.
* [[{{Serenade}} This Troper]] hasn't even seen a lot of Gundam Seed, but she firmly believes that any scene that involves the D.R.A.G.O.O.N. system wins.
* For [[{{lotuschan}} this troper]] , Lacus and the Clyne Faction HIJACKING A WARSHIP was epic win.
* Freedom versus Providence. The final battle is just freaking ''epic.'' Rau shredding Kira's gunship, Kira's[[BewareTheNiceOnes ...reaction]] to Rau's gut-punching KickTheDog moment, heck even [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome the background music]] is awesome.
** This is later followed up when the heavily damaged Freedom charges Rau, ignoring the incoming fire blowing parts of it off. It stabs Providence right where it hurts and then [[OutrunTheFireball narrowly escapes being vaporized by a blast of intense gamma radiation.]]
* It is this troper's opinion that Athrun [[spoiler:ripping off Tolle Koenig's head BY THROWING HIS SHIELD at the Skygrasper counts as a [=CMoA=] for him.]] Actually, pretty much all of that episode is one massive [=CMoA=] for Athrun, as [[spoiler:he handily kicks Kira's arse all over the place - with the latter only being saved from total annihilation by the Aegis's battery conveniently running out.]]
** That episode could really be a Crowning Moment for the ''series itself''. Up until this point, Kira and Athrun have been holding back against one another due to their friendship. In episode 30, the gloves ''come '''off,''''' and we see what they can both really do when they're out for blood.
** [[spoiler:[[HeelFaceTurn "This is ZAFT Special Forces Agent Athrun Zala! Do you read me, Freedom...or should I say, Kira Yamato?"]]]]

[[AC:GundamWing]]
* This troper had the privilege of attending the US premiere of ''GundamWing: [[TheMovie Endless Waltz]]'', and if the audience's cheers were any indication, both Heero and Relena got their moments near the end of the film. Relena's moment was [[ArmorPiercingSlap slapping]] [[EnfanteTerrible Mariemaia Kushrenada]], then [[GetAHoldOfYourselfMan verbally slapping her around some more]] and then delivering a RousingSpeech [[DoNotAdjustYourSet broadcasted worldwide]] where she encourages people to peacefully resist to the Bartons, while Heero's was this exchange minutes earlier:
--->'''[[TheStoic Heero]]:''' Let me confirm: your shelter is secure?
--->'''Dekim:''' What?!
--->'''Heero:''' I'm asking if your shelter is shielded.
--->'''Mariemaia:''' [[TemptingFate Of course! See for yourself just how powerless you are!]]
--->'''Heero:''' Roger that. (fires {{BFG}}.) '''[[EarthShatteringKaboom BOOM]]'''
--->'''All the Bad Guy:'''[[OhCrap ...!]]
** I actually think Relena's real first Crowning Moment came in the school ball episode. [[spoiler: Heero has her at gunpoint at school, but Relena barely blinks an eyelid and basically tells him: "You'd like to kill me, Heero? Try it. But let me warn you, it would be stupid to do so when everyone's at school and enjoying themselves... Shall we dance, instead?" She utterly and completely ''pwns'' him and even ropes the cold assassin into dancing with her. That requires balls, er, boobs.]]
** Then, when Relena was "forced" to join [[WarForFunAndProfit Romefeller Foundation]] [[HostageSituation for the safety or Sanc Kingdom.]] Everyone thought that they had the RebelliousPrincess under their thumb, and could finally use her for publicity and whatsnot. [[spoiler:And [[ShootTheDog Heero was ready to shoot her]] for this.]] Then, Relena showed her [[TheHighQueen High Queen in training]] ID and [[PatrickStewartSpeech calmly made a speech about how they should abdicate war and promoting peace.]] [[spoiler:''In her first appearance in public,'' and knowing full well that Heero was ready to kill her right there. No wonder [[SmugSnake that the one who had her for this]] was [[OhCrap completely dejected]], and most members of Romefeller, touched by her speech, [[HeelFaceTurn decides to stop their effort toward war.]]]]
** Also, Relena gets one that overlaps with TearJerker and CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming in the end of the series, [[spoiler: when she refuses to kill Lady Une as punishment for her father's death, [[CryCute driving until then either bitchy or serene Une to tears]].]]
* This Troper wants to add the scene of Zechs reappearance after his assumed death. "Zechs Marquise?! I thought you were dead!" "That's right, I was. But I found that I cannot quietly sleep in my grave, while Treize's spirit is still roaming among us."
** Addendum: "This is Wind. I'm destroying MO3."
* The ''GundamWing'' TV series' CrowningMomentOfAwesome has to be the first appearance of the Gundam Wing Zero, blowing up an ''entire space colony'' in one shot.
* The Series has more [=CMoA=] than can possily be listed, but of particular note is the final episode when Heero [[spoiler:fires his BFG at the giant space fortress hurtling towards earth as he begins to burn in the upper atmosphere while yelling "I will... I will... I will survive!" Not to mention when he appears moments later flying away from the massive blast in his jet mode in ultra dramatic style]]
* Fan-favorite Duo Maxwell ''finally'' got his own CMOA late in the series when he was faced with two Gundam-class machines, each using AI based on his friends Heero and Trowa. He manages to take both of them down at the same time with little effort, pausing only to coolly comment "Maybe next time you should use '''my''' data."
* Also in the final arc of the series, there's a scene where Trowa is infiltrating the space fortress Libra. A pair of enemy soldiers emerge from a nearby hallway and start shooting at him. Trowa performs an incredible acrobatic jump, landing on a high catwalk a distance away...and then ''bows'' to the guys who just tried to kill him before running off.
* The entire setup of the Antarctica duel: Zechs is mad that OZ messed up his fair fight with Heero, so he defies orders to secretly rebuild the Gundam, has Noin locate the pilot, then brings him to a secluded base just so they can have their one-on-one uninterrupted. The fight itself is decently cool, but the real [=CMoA=] comes when OZ, having discovered Zechs' treachery, sends literally hundreds of mobile suits to capture everyone at the base. In order to buy time for everyone (including Heero, Trowa, and Relena) to get away safely, he charges '''the entire OZ fleet''' solo, crying "Glory to the colonies!"
* Heero's WorldOfCardboardSpeech in ''Endless Waltz'' is pretty important [[CharacterDevelopment character-wise]], but it intersects with the [=CMoA=] when, late in the movie, we see that it worked, and on ''[[ArrogantKungFuGuy Chang Wu Fei]]'' of all people.
** Also qualifies as a TearJerker, since [[spoiler: it features his genuine guilt upon having killed [[DeadLittleSister the girl and her dog]]. "How many times...? How many times will I have to kill that little girl and her dog ''again''?]]
* In the same vein as the above, the movie-only scene in ''Endless Waltz'' where RichBitch Dorothy Catalonia shows how much she's grown in the past year by going to the streets and using precision jibes to make the complacent civilians realize exactly what Relena was trying to tell them.
-->'''Civilian:''' Hey lady, you're talking to the man who shot down five mobile dolls in the last war!
-->'''Dorothy:''' "Man"? The only men I know are either dead and buried, or the ones fighting out there! ''(points at a giant TV which shows the Gundams in combat)''
* Quatre's CMOA comes in the series when [[spoiler: he goes after the maddened Trowa who's using the Wing Zero and is driven mad by the Zero System. He knows ''too horrifyingly well'' the effects of the System, yet he doesn't hesitate to try de-brainwashing Trowa before he blows up the colony he wants to protect. And ''he succeeds''.]]
** He gets another late in the series when he manages to master the ZERO System on only his second usage of it AND gets the other Gundam Pilots to drop their "I work alone" attitudes in order to execute precision strategies, thwarting Dorothy and White Fang's own use of the System. Heero may be the protagonist, but Quatre is hands-down the Wing Team's leader.
*** For this troper, being of Middle Eastern descent, the fact that Quatre is supposed to be Arab, and defying every damn stereotype about the culture is a huge crowner for him and every Arab anime fan who wants to be a hero.
* Otto [[spoiler: piloting the Tallgeese in a HeroicSacrifice.]]
* Treize CMOA: Taking the whole Federation by letting the [[LaResistance Gundam Pilots]] [[NiceJobBreakingItHero "do their job"]].
** Defeating Wu Fei in a sword fight, making the ArrogantKungfuGuy [[HeroicBSOD having it hard]].
*** Which is then flipped on its head when Treize reveals during his duel with Wufei, who accuses him of being heartless, giving him a ShutUpHannibal by counting off the names of everyone who ever died for him. Seconds later he jumps Wufei, only to be fatally stabbed. Cue TearJerker moment as Wufei gives a manly cry "I didn't think I'd win..."
* Treize challenge Zechs [[HonorBeforeReason to a duel of honour]]. Zechs response: "NO. [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismAndCynism There's no honor in war]]." Then [[CombatPragmatist shoots Libra's]] {{BFG}} toward Treize. Also counts as CMOA for Treize, [[spoiler: who had same goal with Zechs, ready to accept the blast, just to prove to the world how meaningless war it is]].
** Followed immediately by [[spoiler:Lady Une finally waking from her coma]], [[{{Gundamjack}} commandeering the Wing Gundam]], and making it up to space ''just in time to make a DivingSave''.
* ActionGirl Lucrezia Noin gets a more subtle one right after Heero [[SpannerInTheWorks pwns OZ]] by [[TakeAThirdOption blowing himself and his Gundam up rather than surrender]]. When Lady Une is ''very'' pissed off and about to send OZ to attack the colonies anyway, Noin remarks on that. Une is about to [[ArmorPiercingSlap bitchslap her]] into submission (which she did earlier in the episode, when Noin openly [[WhatTheHellHero called her out on the plan]]), but Noin calmly blocks her slap and says "You certainly should be more graceful, ''Lady Une''". ThisTroper was literally ''squealing'' for Noin right then, and still does whenever she watches the scene.
* Trowa uses the traveling circus act as a disguise to hide his Gundam, and reveals it during the show at a military base. Where he proceeds to destroy everything. Just as he is about to commit suicide with his SelfDestructMechanism, his sister [[{{GetAholdOfYourselfMan}} slaps him out of it.]]
* Heck. For this troper, watching Mooks scream out [[OhCrap "IT'S A GUNDAM!!"]] is both awesome and funny at the same time. The most notable example is the Deathscythe Hell's first battle where it proceeds to scare an OZ pilot shitless before wreaking havoc on all the others.
--> "The God of Death is back from Hell!"
* This troper finds it hard to believe that the following scene is absent from this list, as it's a major Crowning Moment of Awesome for Lady Une early in the series: She shoots General Septem in the face, AFTER dropping him from the plane.

-->'''Shinn:''' "I'm the one who's going to defeat you! Here! Today!"

*** This troper feels obligated to point out that the Astray Manga's Rondo Gina Sahaku one-ups Kira by pulling that move twice: The first time while piloting A GRUNT. The second time is even more awesome, as he [[spoiler:catches the Red Frame's blade IN BETWEEN TWO FINGERS, then uses the bottom edge of his shield to break the blade clean in two.]]

* In the first episode, Camille is beaten up by Titans Military Police. Later in the episode, he comes back in a stolen Gundam...
-->- '''Camille:''' Hey, Mister MP! Wanna know what it's like to be picked on by somebody bigger than you?

* Camille manages a pair of moments in the last two episodes, one being the eponimous Wave Rider Crash scene. The other is when he channels his rage into the Zeta Gundam to create ''an impenetrable barrier of anger'', and using that rage, turns his regular old Beam Saber into an InfinityPlusOneSword of extreme length, cleaving an enemy suit in half from a huge distance away.
* Obviously, Amuro needs at least one CMOA in this series: The Adhumla, the AEUG's flying command center, is under attack from a powerful Federation Asshimar suit. Unfortunately, Char and Camille are ill-equipped with shot ammo instead of bazookas. When the Asshimar is about to go in for the killing blow on the Adhumala's bridge, Amuro makes [[BigDamnHeroes his big damn hero]] entrance by flying in on a cargo plane and ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfIeRdSwFGc ramming it into the enemy suit]]'', throwing himself through the windscreen and forcing the enemy suit to retreat.

* In the final episode, during his duel against Haman, Judau reactivates the disabled Double Zeta by channeling the strength of the good men and women from the original series, ZetaGundam, and ZZ, including [[spoiler: Elpeo Puru]], Lalah Sune, Four Murasame, Katz Kobayashi, Sarah Zabiarov, and lastly Camille Bidan. He then unleashes a tremendous WaveMotionGun blast on Haman before their duel ends with a SingleStrokeBattle exchange. This leads to a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming, where Haman admits defeat as Judau asks why she didn't use as many funnels as she could've. Haman scoffs that they were conducting a duel and it wouldn't be fair, and dies with a smile on her face anyways, glad she came back if only to meet Judau.

** As long as we're talking about Judau punching people we can't forget when he punched out that obnoxious prick Wong Lee. Made even more awesome by the way it punishes Wong for the way he beat up Camille back in Zeta.

* "Take your sorrow, and turn it into anger! Zeon thirsts for the strength of its people! '''SIEG ZEON!'''" [[{{Darwinist}} Gihren Zabi]] taking the death of his little brother and turning it into a political rally; not in the final episode, but still an iconic moment for the series.

* Even the wimp [[ThePaolo Cameron]] [[DoggedNiceGuy Bloom]] gets a genuine [=CMOA=] when [[spoiler: he tries to atone for his cowardice by using his personal shuttle as escort for the White Base ''during a battle'']]. Even BigBrotherMentor Sleggar, who once hit him for disrespecting Mirai's feelings, had to recognize the guy had grown some balls

** It's then followed up an episode later, as Yzak and Dearka are under attack by the Raider Gundam, their own mobile suits heavily damaged and out of weapons. The Duel grabs the Buster's [[{{BFG}} boom stick]] Yzak yelling "GIVE ME THIS!" and uses the last of his energy to shoot down the Raider, whilst barely avoiding the Raider's own beam cannon. Cue power down.

** This is later followed up when the heavily damaged Freedom charges Rau, ignoring the incoming fire blowing parts of it off. It stabs Providence right where it hurts and is then nearly vaporized by a blast of intense Gamma Radiation.

** This troper feels that this scene counts as a minor CMoA for said third character, Marida Cruz, as after her two comrades are incapacitated, she picks up the glasses of the one whose nose is broken, hops onto his back, THEN slides his glasses back onto his nose without even looking, and jumps off of him

* A CMoA goes out to a [[FacelessGoons faceless grunt]] in the same episode, who gets out of his MS to take on the monstrously-heavily-armed Kshatriya with a bazooka, and actually survives (Technically, he attacked her with a giant flash-bang, though, which detracts from it somewhat)
** Actually, he has a name: Commander Daguza Mackle - he leads the ECOAS Special Forces team(the guys in the transforming tanks) that invaded the colony, and [[spoiler:he's briefly shown in the trailer for Episode 2 - making him a recurring character.]]
* Also, resident [[CoolOldGuy old guy]] Cardeas Vist, gets a CMoA when, while being held at gunpoint by three guys, at least one of which was a professional Special Forces operative, and unarmed himself...He proceeds to break the neck of the Special Ops guy with his bare hands, then use him as a [[HumanShield meat shield]] while he grabs the dead man's gun and shoots his buddy in the face with it.
* Another CMoA for a [[FacelessGoons faceless grunt]], the pilot of the Stark Jegan, a souped-up grunt, who actually manages to last more than two seconds against the aforementioned Kshatriya, and was actually managing to hold his own in close combat until she got the drop on him by firing her thrusters in his face. This also counts as a CMoA for her, too

* Then Char gets his own back in his last scene of the show, where he braves a CollapsingLair to deliver final vengeance for his father in [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJN4-dZBNa4 a manner most awesome]].

** The second one? After Amuro disables the Big Zam, Dozle still hasn't given up. He picks up a machine gun, steps out of the Big Zam and ''starts shooting at the Gundam.''