* ActingForTwo: Quite a few principal actors performed a number of supporting characters in addition to their primary roles. For example:
** Creator/KanetoShiozawa voiced both M'Quve and Cameron Bloom. In the original series, they even get to briefly interact, with [[spoiler:Cameron calling M'Quve out on his bullshit before leaving.]]
** Katz Hawin and Mirai Yashima are both played by Fuyumi Shiraishi.
** Sayla Mass, Kikka Kitamoto and Haro are voiced by Creator/YouInoue.
** Rumiko Ukai voices Frau Bow and Letz Cofan.
** Kiyonobu Suzuki plays Hayato Kobayashi and Oscar Dublin.
** Lahla Sune and Icelina Eschonbach are voiced by Creator/KeikoHan.
* AdaptationOverdosed: The original series eventually came with a novelization by Tomino that differed on numerous parts while still maintaining the same approximate story structure. Then there was the compilation movies, which also had some minor and major differences. Other works also explore [[HeroOfAnotherStory different facets of the One Year War separate from the specific adventures of the White Base crew]]. Years later, ''Manga/MobileSuitGundamTheOrigin'' would be yet another retelling of the same events.
* CreatorBacklash:
** The more goofy, MerchandiseDriven designs from the original TV version (such as the G-Fighter) were not popular with the staff, as they rightly felt they didn't fit within the more realistic world they were going for. However, they had to concede that it was a necessary evil in order to keep the show going. Once the movies were greenlit, most of these were removed in favor of more realistic designs.
** Tomino largely regrets infamously killing Amuro off in the novelization of the show, as he had not expected the show would ever be popular and didn't think there would ever be a sequel of any kind.
* EnforcedMethodActing: There's a rumor that during production for the remake movie, Toru Furuya was beaten up to prepare him for the scene where Bright slaps Amuro for refusing to pilot the Gundam. As a result, his lines have much more emotion behind them than they did in the original TV show.
* FountainOfExpies:
** Char Aznable has been [[CharClone oft-imitated]], both in the ''Gundam'' franchise itself and in other shows.
** Char's sister, Sayla Mass, would later inspire [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamF91 Cecily Fairchild]], [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing Relena]] [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamWingEndlessWaltz Darlian]], and [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED Cagalli Yu]][[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny la Athha]] (who was [[CompositeCharacter also based on]] Relena).
** Gihren Zabi has led to [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ Glemmy Toto]], [[Anime/MobileSuitVictoryGundam Fonse Kagatie]], [[Anime/AfterWarGundamX Siedel Rasso]], [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED Patrick Zala]], and [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamAGE Flit Asuno]] and all owe something to him.
** Amuro also has a few in the form of [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED Kira Yamato]], the aforementioned Flit Asuno, and [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamUnicorn Banagher Links]].
* HeAlsoDid: While working on this show, Yoshiyuki Tomino was also working as a storyboard artist on a show that couldn't have been more different: the ''Anime/WorldMasterpieceTheater'' adaptation of ''Literature/AnneOfGreenGables'', directed by Creator/IsaoTakahata. Yes, he'd done shows like ''Anime/HeidiGirlOfTheAlps'' in the past, but that was also before he did ''Anime/Zambot3'' and ''Anime/Daitarn3''.
** After the end of ''Mobile Suit Gundam'', Tomino even helped in directing the last four episodes of ''Anime/TheUltraman'', the show's airing itself coincided with ''MSG'' while sharing the same studio, Sunrise.
* InspirationForTheWork: The idea of Mobile Suits were inspired by the Power Suits of ''Literature/StarshipTroopers''.
* LateExportForYou: One of the more infamous cases, as it caused its entire franchise to struggle to get a footing in America. After the success of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' on Creator/{{Toonami}}, Sunrise pushed for them to air the original series next as part of an effort to get the fledgling American ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' fanbase to treat its Universal Century setting as the "center" of the series the way the Japanese fandom does. The problem with this was that the original series aired in 1979, and this was more than twenty years later in 2001 (compare to ''Wing'' having only been five years old when it got dubbed), so on top of being [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks too different]] for the tastes of ''Wing''[='=]s fans it also had to deal with being noticeably dated, and Creator/CartoonNetwork ultimately used the September 11th attacks as an excuse to pull it off the air, despite that there were only four episodes left at that point.
* LifeImitatesArt: Two months after the ColonyDrop episode aired, parts of Skylab fell on UsefulNotes/{{Australia}} - though the results were thankfully nowhere near as devastating.
* MissingEpisode: Episode 15, "Kukuruz Doan's Island", was removed from the US release and all other foreign releases except for the original 80s Italian dub by request of Yoshiyuki Tomino himself. While most rumors claim it's due to the horrendous OffModel animation, Tomino himself said it was due to an issue [[YouKnowWhatYouDid between himself and a certain member of the staff]], but he's not willing to elaborate any further as long as that other person is still alive (all he's said so far is that said staff member "knows what he did"; it also served as the only episode of the series to be handled by Anime Friend, who retreated back to Creator/TatsunokoProduction until their closure). Note that this doesn't stop Doan and his island from popping up in video games like ''G Generation'' and ''Extreme Vs.'', and even having his own spin-off to the ''Origin'' manga. There would even be a ''movie'' adaptation of the episode in 2022!
* NoExportForYou:
** Depending on whether Madman licenses by the series or franchise, this could be the case in Australia. Their staff seem to find it too dated to be worth releasing.
** Bandai of America has had fun with this: the movie compilations are only available in Japanese with subtitles. Meanwhile, due to Bandai of Japan not wanting the US [=DVDs=] imported into Japan (where Mobile Suit Gundam had not come out yet on DVD) refusing to give Bandai of America the Japanese audio tracks, resulting in a English dub only release in the states. Only later did the series is get a bilingual release, which eventually went out-of-print. Creator/NozomiEntertainment eventually released their own version on DVD and Blu-ray, which includes both the English and Japanese versions for the series (the movies are still sub-only), and the subbed version of the series and movies often get released on the official [=GundamInfo=] [=YouTube=] channel.
* TheOtherDarrin:
** After Creator/HirotakaSuzuoki died, Creator/KenNarita voiced Bright Noa for all later appearances of the character, starting with ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamUnicorn''.
** The TV series was dubbed by the Vancouver-based [[Creator/TheOceanGroup Ocean Studios]], whilst the movies were dubbed in California (under the direction of Doug Stone, who also voiced Gihren in the movie dub). The TV series actors, in this case, are the replacement voices, as the films were dubbed a few years before. In particular, to date, Char has been portrayed by four different actors in English, Michael Kopsa originally being the only one to ever reprise the role (in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamCharsCounterattack'') until Keith Silverstein voiced Char in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamUnicorn'' and ''Manga/MobileSuitGundamTheOrigin''. Oddly appropriate for a guy who changes identities so often.
* ReferencedBy: The ''Anime/JapanAnimatorExpo'' would dedicate its fifth short to showcasing the animation of series and movie animators Yoshikazu Yasuhiko and Ichiro Itano.
* ScrewedByTheNetwork:
** In its original run in Japan, low ratings got the show's episode numbers cut from 52 to 43 episodes. And the production staff was lucky to get four more episodes to close up the series.
** In America, it didn't do too much better on Creator/{{Toonami}}. Low ratings (and 9/11) also led to early cancellation. It would later be shown on Creator/AdultSwim's Action block in 2002 (when it was mostly comprised of former Toonami shows), but they skipped an episode and pulled it before it could finish its run.
* SelfAdaptation: Series creator Creator/YoshiyukiTomino also wrote the ''Literature/MobileSuitGundam'' novel adaptation.
* StudioHop: The North American home video rights were handled by Creator/BandaiEntertainment. After Bandai closed down, the rights were picked up by Creator/NozomiEntertainment.
* TrollingCreator: "The Zakrello is the strongest machine in the One Year War." - Creator/YoshiyukiTomino
** [[spoiler: For those not in the know, Amuro manages to destroy the Zakrello in about a minute. Afterwards Char says he's not bothered about the destruction of a suit he didn't even know existed.]]
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The early preproduction notes and the planned 52 episode version include a lot of weird stuff that never made it into the final product, including:
** The Gundam was originally going to be a more stylized red and black robot with a blank, GM-like face called the Gunboy, but this was changed at Clover's request into the more grounded, samurai-like design we all know and love. The Guntank, by contrast, was much sillier looking, with its cannons sticking out of its chest and big, pipe-like arms with humanoid hands. Oddly enough, the Guncannon's early designs look about the same, except that it was supposed to be painted white.
*** Even after the Gundam's design was finalized, its paintjob went through numerous revisions. The Zeon characters constantly referring to it as "The White Mobile Suit" and "White Devil," despite it being equal parts blue and red. This is an artifact of Tomino's earlier production plans, where the Gundam would be primarily white with more subtle color highlights, to better reflect it as a military project (the idea would seem to be resurrected in the far future with the [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamUnicorn Unicorn Gundam]]). There were also plans for an olive drab version known as the "Real Type" colors, before pressure from the sponsors cemented for the more {{Toyetic}} bright, primary colors of the finished product (which later sourcebooks explain away as "Demo" or "Parade Colors" intended to ensure maximum visibility when showing the new prototype's capabilities off to the brass).
** Miharu was originally going to be a very different character, the only element surviving into the finished series being that she was still a redhead. In the original plot outline, Miharu ''Zabi'' was the youngest child of Degwin Zabi, a naive but sweet girl totally at odds with her warlike siblings. This version of the character was later retooled into Dozle's daughter, Princess Mineva in ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam''.
** A character named [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C390BFGUcAAGFu6?format=jpg&name=4096x4096 Hachijou Shima]] was supposed to appear and was dropped, in her place was Sayla Mass. Amuro's name was also different, originally named Azuma Hongo.
** Char was supposed to pilot a Dom (which he does in the novelization instead of the Gelgoog, which was cut out) and even the Gundam itself in addition to the other suits he uses.
** The battle of A Baoa Qu went quite a bit differently, featuring numerous new mobile suits that were eventually rolled into the MSV model kit line ''MSX'' (which, at one point, was going to become the basis for a proposed sequel before ''Zeta'' got made). The stand-out moment has to be when the Gundam is destroyed not in a final duel with Char, but by the [[http://www.mahq.net/mecha/gundam/ms-x/ms-12.htm MS-12 Gigan]], Zeon's goofy response to the Guntank -- and it wasn't even in the hands of a named character, to boot.
*** One major part of this would have included Degwin Zabi (who doesn't get killed by the Solar Ray in this version) breaking down in front of Sayla and begging her forgiveness for killing her father. The final version leaves the question of whether Zeon Deikun was assassinated or died of a heart attack [[RiddleForTheAges more open-ended]], unless you consider ''Manga/MobileSuitGundamTheOrigin'' canon to the series.
*** This version would have provided additional characterization for Sayla, as Degwin would have asked her to kill him, so as to end the fighting but she refuses, saying she's not vengeful, like her brother, Char.
** Another massive AbortedArc from the original 52 episode outline of the series was the Newtypes. Originally, they would have dominated the last 1/3rd of the series and given a more complete introduction, including being mentioned early on in the series, as opposed to just the last seven episodes of the series. In particular, there would be multiple Zeon Newtypes and one of which would end up being responsible for Lalah's death; as she would be executed once her friendship with Amuro was discovered, setting Char up for his RoaringRampageOfRevenge during the battle of A Baoa Qu.
** Perhaps most infamously, in the original draft of the series (pre-dating the original 52 episode outline), Amuro was going to be a DecoyProtagonist who dies about half-way through the story. The White Base would then go into an EnemyMine alliance with Char. This original concept was used as the basis for the Novel Adaptations.
*** Interestingly, said concept was only used because Tomino didn't know how popular the series would become, thinking that the series cancellation was the end of it. He's stated that had he known how popular Gundam would've become, he would've had Amuro live.
** On the other hand, we were saved from Char's arc being a ShaggyDogStory. Originally he was supposed to betray Kycilia and end up working directly for Ghiren. While this fits his M.O. up until this point, he actually starts [[BecomingTheMask earnestly fighting on Ghiren's behalf]], since by this point it's very obvious that the Zeon are going to lose. The series ends with Char chiding himself for not finishing off the Zabi's when he had the chance.
** Creator/ShuichiIkeda, Char's voice actor, actually auditioned for Amuro but felt he's unsuited for the role because Amuro is young. But after seeing Char's character design, he auditioned for him instead and the rest is history. Amusing in retrospect considering Char is only 3 years older than Amuro.
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