Line #12 Manga/GundamSentinel


1	[[quoteright:325:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gundam_sentinel_logotype.png]]
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3	''Gundam Sentinel'' is a photonovel series, one of many ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' side-stories taking place in the Universal Century timeline. Written by veteran Masaya Takahashi, it takes place during the final phase of ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam'' and the early stages of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ'' in Universal Century 0088. The story shows the efforts of TheFederation to stop an insurrection by elite Federation officers, former [[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Titans]] calling themselves the "New Desides". "Task Force Alpha", formed by a conglomerate of Federation soldiers, [[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Anti-Earth Union Group and Karaba]] veterans, equipped with some of the most advanced [[AMechByAnyOtherName mobile suits]] of the era, is sent to quell the uprising.
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5	What's noteworthy about ''Sentinel'' is the debut of prolific mechanical designer Hajime Katoki, the artist behind other iconic Gundams in the franchise such as the [[Anime/MobileSuitVictoryGundam V2 Assault Buster Gundam]], [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamWingEndlessWaltz Wing Gundam Zero Custom]] and the [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamUnicorn Gundam Unicorn]]. ''Sentinel'' is regarded as one of the most well known ''Gundam'' side-stories to have been published, and is usually noted by fans for having one of the most mature plots in the franchise.
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8	!!Tropes associated with the ''Gundam Sentinel'' are:
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10	* AceCustom: Three Z-Plus A1 units were decked out in white and orange demonstration colors (versus the standard gray with blue trim), one of which is said to belong to Amuro himself.
11	* AliceAllusion: "ALICE" is the artificial intelligence installed in the MSA-0011 S Gundam, and "she" gradually gains self-awareness over the story.
12	* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: [[spoiler:The narration over ALICE's HeroicSacrifice implies she may have done so rather than cease to exist.]]
13	* BenevolentAI: ALICE, as despite being a combat AI who is trapped in a borderline AndIMustScream situation for her entire existence, [[spoiler:she becomes genuinely heroic and sacrifices herself to save her pilots.]]
14	* {{BFG}}, WaveMotionGun: FA-010A FAZZ's "Hyper Mega Beam Launcher", MSZ-006A1 Z Plus and S Gundam's "Beam Smartguns". The AMA-100 Z'od-iacok, a [[AMechByAnyOtherName mobile armor]] over 200 meters in length, splits down the middle to reveal an absurdly huge beam cannon.
15	* {{BFS}}: The story takes place during the brief surge of popularity for the giant beam sabers pioneered by the ZZ Gundam, which could also be used as heavy-duty beam cannons when 'sheathed'. Several suits have them mounted, including the FAZZ team, the S/EX-S Gundam, and the Gundam Mk. V (the last of which gets particularly good use out of them thanks to its extreme mobility).
16	* BigBad: Brave Cod, the leader of the New Desides, is the main antagonist leading their rebellion. After he's killed, [[DragonAscendant Tosh Cray]] takes his place.
17	* CallForward: The Gundam Mk. V was created as the predecessor to the Doven Wolf from ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ''. Though out of universe it was designed much later, in-universe it's a SuperPrototype whose design was simplified and mass-produced by Neo Zeon after ''Sentinel's'' ending.
18	* CivilWar: The New Decides are Titans remnants and sympathizers, who're later joined by the Tenth Divisional Fleet that was supposed to assist Task Force Alpha.
19	* CombiningMecha: The S Gundam has a core fighter system and two other flying components, much like the [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ ZZ Gundam]].
20	* CyberCyclops: The Xeku Eins deployed by the New Decides have a Zeon inspired mono-eye.
21	* DecoyProtagonist: Ryo Roots is TheHero, but ALICE gets much more CharacterDevelopment [[spoiler:and is the one who actually saves the day]].
22	* EliteMooks: ''Sentinel'' gives us the "Zeta Plus" family, limited mass-production versions of the venerable Zeta Gundam.
23	* EvilFormerFriend: Tosh Cray used to be a close friend to Task Force Alpha's commander Stole Mannings. [[spoiler: It's telling that he tried to stop the Zod-Iacock from firing at Stole's Nero Trainer, to no avail.]]
24	* TheFederation: Actually proactive for once!
25	* FaceHeelTurn: The Tenth Divisional Fleet; said fleet commander, Admiral Brian Aeno, chooses to help the New Desides after a New Desides representative approaches and convinces him to turn {{Heel}}, instead.
26	* FunWithAcronyms: MSA-0011(Ext) '''Ex'''traordinary '''S'''uperior (Ex-S) Gundam, but that can't compare to "'''A'''dvance '''L'''ogistic & '''I'''nconsequence '''C'''ognizing '''E'''quipment" (ALICE).
27	* GreaterScopeVillain: Neo-Zeon, who secretly supports the New Desides against Task Force Alpha and even gives them [[spoiler: the mobile armor called Zod-Iacock.]]
28	* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:ALICE ejects the 3-person core fighter to save her pilots, then shoots down the New Desides shuttle and the remaining Z'oon with a single shot. Then S Gundam explodes in Earth's atmosphere.]]
29	* HumongousMecha: It's part of the Franchise/{{Gundam}} series, so yeah.
30	* {{Interquel}}: Although ''Gundam ZZ'' has already started by the time ''Gundam Sentinel'' begins.
31	* LightningBruiser: The ORX-013 Gundam Mk-V is so fast it nearly kills New Desides AcePilot Brave Cod the first time he uses it. That aside, the mobile suit allows Brave to become a OneManArmy, single-handily wiping out over a dozen Task Force Alpha mobile suits, ''including'' their three FAZZ units, before Ryu and ALICE in the Ex-S Gundam finally bring him down.
32	* MechaExpansionPack: This story is the one that really introduces the concept into the franchise. The S Gundam has a booster variant, the Ex-S Gundam is basically a stronger S, and the "Deep Striker Gundam" is the S with so many boosters, fuel tanks, guns, shield generators, and sensor packs added on, it barely looks humanoid and recognizable. The FAZZ is this to the MSZ-010 ZZ Gundam, alongside a Zeta Plus variant with heavy boosters attached.
33	** In fact, the FAZZ has so much extra armor and weaponry that it can no longer transform/combine. Accounts differ on whether the core ZZ Gundam is still able to split up after jettisoning its armor or if it's custom-built as one piece for added stability.
34	** On the opposite side, the RMS-141 Xeku Eins has at least 3 different mission configurations.
35	* {{Portmanteau}}: Overlaps with PunnyName; in Universal Century, space colonies are grouped into clusters called "Sides" - hence, New Desides come from the words "'''de'''cision" and "dis'''sid'''ent".
36	** The Ex-S ("excess") Gundam, which set a new gold standard in ridiculously overbuilt mechanical designs.
37	* ShoutOut: All members of New Desides are based on UsefulNotes/TheShinsengumi.
38	* SuperPrototype: Played with - the FAZZ and Zeta Plus are essentially production versions of the ZZ Gundam and Zeta Gundam, respectively.
39	** The FAZZ was made as a testbed for the ZZ's "Full Armor" parts, before [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ Judau Ashta]] got them in that series. In a subversion, the parts do work as planned, but because the unit itself was gutted for cost purposes (leaving out the Full Armor parts' "Anti-Beam Coating", for example), it's considered an inferior unit to the ZZ. The fact all three are destroyed by Brave Cod says something about this.
40	** The Zeta Plus, on the other hand, saw considerable service (mostly out of the spotlight) as a good, useful unit. The main S Gundam pilots even use them as training units, since they weren't given access to it at the time.
41	** And then there's the S (Superior) Gundam and it's MidSeasonUpgrade, the Ex-S [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin (Extraordinary Superior)]] Gundam, which both Katoki and Takahashi seemed to consider a LightningBruiser GameBreaker. Game depictions range from "very useful" to "better than the [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamCharsCounterattack Nu Gundam]]".
42	* ThemeNaming: Most of the characters are named after historical figures from the Bakamatsu period of Japanese history. The naming tends to follow a specific pattern - the first name is translated directly into English while the surname is an English homophone of a portion of the original Japanese name (for example, Isami Kondo -> Brave Cod; ''Ryo''ma Saka''moto'' -> Ryo Roots ("moto" means "base" or "root" in Japanese)).
43	* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Played with; the only active female character is ALICE, and even then she's merely an AI without a humanoid appearance.
44	* TransformingMecha: With the series's proximity to ''Zeta'' and ''ZZ'' this was a given.
45	** The Ex-S transforms into a massive spacecraft. As the model kits reveal, this is done by linking the two fighters formed by the S Gundam with all the excess boosters, similar to the G-Fortress mode of the Gundam ZZ.
46	** The "Zeta Plus" Mobile Suits, based on the Zeta Gundam, transform to waverider modes as well.
47	** Averted with the FAZZ which, though based on the transforming ZZ Gundam, had the combining transforming gimmick jettisoned for better performance as a standard MS.

Context Manga / GundamSentinel