Anime / SD Gundam World Heroes

Spoilers for SD Gundam World Sangoku Soketsuden will be unmarked! You have been warned!

SD Gundam World Heroes (SDガンダムワールド ヒーローズ) is the second entry of the SD Gundam World series and sequel to SD Gundam World Sangoku Soketsuden.

As it turns out, the country-eh, world of Sangoku Soketsuden (Also known as "Kingdom World") isn't the only one. There are many worlds out there on this planet, each with their own hero destined to protect them. One of these worlds, Neo World, gets an unexpected visitor in Wukong Impulse Gundam, as he crash-lands into the city via meteor, interrupting Zhao Yun 00 Gundam’s vacation there. While taken down by Neo World’s protector Sergeant Verde Buster Gundam, Wukong then travels to Kingdom World. Once Zhao Yun returns there to warn everyone, Liu Bei Unicorn Gundam and the rest of Dragon’s Watch deal with Wukong, with him seemingly losing his memories in the aftermath.

After all that, the Transmission Gate receives a message from a mysterious figure named Sanzang, who warns everyone of a Black Star who destroyed his planet and is coming for theirs, and they must collect the five OOPARTS, AKA Haros, and take them to the pyramid in Regina World in order to counteract it. Joined once again by both Blue Wing Corporation and Red Tiger, both Liu Bei Unicorn Gundam and Zhuge Liang Freedom Gundam set out across the globe to find the other Haros, with Wukong Impulse Gundam joining along the way. But how does Wukong fit into all of this, and what will he think of the various heroes across the various worlds?

The show started airing on April 8, 2021, and has a weekly schedule with new episodes every Thursday, rather than the monthly schedule Sangoku Soketsuden had. It also has a Carddass series, SD Gundam World Heroes Battle Mission Card, which shadowdropped on June 26, 2021 after being teased to release in that same year some months prior.

Not to be confused with World Heroes, a Fighting Game series by ADK, or A World Of Heroes, a Play-by-Post roleplay hosted on TV Tropes.

Tropes associated with SD Gundam World Heroes are:

• Artificial Human: Well, Aritificial Gundam. Wukong, Wujing, and Bajie were Humanoids created to protect Sanzang and Qiongqi's home planet. Sima Yi used this fact to combine the three into one mind, creating the perfect weapon for his and Qiongqi's cause.
• Ascended Meme: Kira Yamato was nicknamed "Jesus Yamato" in the West due to his Invincible Hero status and constant preaching. In Episode 22, Sanzang, based on Kira's Strike Freedom Gundam, who was previously thought dead, arrives to save the heroes, using a golden holy barrier.
• Big Damn Heroes:
  • Sanzang saves everyone in Episode 22 just as Qiongqi is about to slaughter them all.
  • Nobunaga appears in Episode 24 in order to get everyone into space, though subverted since his efforts end up not mattering in the end.
• Book Ends: The final scene references the starts for both Sangoku Soketsuden and Heroes with Dragon's Watch watching the city border like in the former, and Wukong falling from the sky like the latter.
• Call a Rabbit a "Smeerp": All of the countries on the planet of the SD Gundam World series are referred to as "worlds" here. This gets confusing when characters also refer to the planet as "the world".
• Collapsing Lair: Sun Jian Gundam Astray, Sun Quan Gundam Astray, Benjamin V2 Gundam and Edward Second V all go undersea to reach Almalechal Palace in the Demon's Trench, in order to find the Haro resting there. Once they retrieve the Haro, the ocean starts leaking into the trench, sinking the palace. Not to worry, though, as the group gets saved by Asparas.
• Darkest Hour: Episode 22 has Qiongqi Strike Freedom Gundam prey upon the heroes' weaknesses, allowing him to corrupt the Haros. This allows him to not only negate the only thing they could use to stop him, but allows him activate the Dark Star, accelerate it towards Earth, and fully encapsulate Wukong under his control. To make matters worse, all of Caesar Legend's army now wear Dark Masks, putting them under Sima Yi's control. Dark Sanzang won without having to lift a finger.
• Detonation Moon: Episode 24. Wukong is forced to destroy Qiongqi and his Kill Sat moon with him, turning the "moon" into a permanent crescent moon.
• Dub Name Change: All of the Journey to the West-based characters use their Japanese names (Sanzo, Goku, Gojo, and Hakkai) in the original, but international versions use the Chinese names (Sanzang, Wukong, Wujing, and Bajie) instead, likely to downplay the connection to Dragon Ball, since the source material isn't as well known in Western territories.
• Exactly What It Says on the Tin: Each of the words' names fall into this:
  • Kingdom World is based on Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
  • Neo World is based on the most recent and thus newest time period. It's also based on the United States and historically North and South America were inaccurately known as "the new world".
  • Pirate World revolves around the concept of Pirates.
  • Warrior World's central attraction is a coliseum where Roman-style gladiators fight, though why it's not called "Gladiator World" instead is anyone's guess.
  • "Musha" is a Japanese word for "warrior" that generally refers to samurai and samurai are fighting for control of Musha World, also Musha World is based on the Musha Gundam sub-sub-franchise.
  • Knight World is based on the Arthurian legends, which are full of knights and like Musha World, it is based on the Knight Gundam sub-sub-franchise.
  • "Regina" is Latin for "Queen" and Regina World is ruled by a queen.
• Fantasy Kitchen Sink: Heroes shows that the SD Gundam World series takes place in one, with a vast multitude of worlds unique to it. And most of the worlds utilized elements previously used by the SD Gundam sub-franchise as a whole to varying extents.
  • Kingdom World - The world of Sangoku Soketsuden, a Romance of the Three Kingdoms-themed world similar to BB Senshi Sangokuden.
  • Neo World - An urban-themed world based off of the SD Command Chronicles series.
  • Pirate World - A pirate-themed world. While many SD Gundam works have had pirate characters before, there's never been an SD Gundam work themed solely around pirates.
  • Musha World - A Sengoku Period-themed world. While the name of the world itself calls back to the SD Sengokuden series, the fact the characters have their names feature the names of the figures they're based on harkens more specifically to the short-lived SD Sengokuden Bushin Kourin Hen toyline.
  • Knight World - A Medieval European Fantasy-themed world based off of the SD Gundam Gaiden series.
  • Regina World - An Ancient Egypt-themed world. While there's never been an SD Gundam work themed solely on Egyptian history or mythology, Shin Gundam Force GREAT PANCRACION did have Egyptian-themed characters like Holy God Amon Ra Gundam and Sky God Horus Gundam.
• Four Lines, All Waiting: Currently, the story is divided into the following;
  • Liu Bei Unicorn Gundam, Zhuge Liang Freedom Gundam, and Wukong Impulse Gundam are all heading for Knights World, in order to ask its king Arthur Gundam Mk-III about the Haro in his possession.
  • Sun Jiang Gundam Astray and Sun Quan Gundam Astray are joined by Benjamin V2 Gundam and Edward Second V in Pirate World to search for the Haro located there.
  • Zhao Yun 00 Gundam returns to Neo World after leaving from his vacation there at the beginning of the series due to Wukong, in order to find the Haro located there.
  • Cao Cao Wing Gundam, in his journey of self-reflection after what he did at the end of Sangoku Soketsuden, ends up in Musha World.
• Giant Enemy Crab: Once they surface in the Demon's Trench, Sun Jiang Gundam Astray, Sun Quan Gundam Astray, Benjamin V2 Gundam, and Edward Second V all end up fighting a bunch of crabs that are also based on the MA-06 Val Walo. Naturally, the last one they fight is one of these, and it takes the combined efforts of Sun Jiang and Sun Quan to finish it off.
• Gold and White Are Divine:
  • Sanzang Freedom Gundam is the Big Good of the show and is clad mostly in white with gold trimmings.
  • Once Wukong fully awakens to his potential and no longer has doubts about his past, he gains similar gold and white armor, becoming Qitian Dasheng Wukong.
• Gotta Catch Them All: Our Heroes' goal is to gather all five Haros and bring them to the pyramid in Regina World, in order to counter against the Dark Star coming to destroy their planet.
• Gratuitous English:
  • Several of Sergeant Verde Buster Gundam's commands are in English. It's a lot more noticeable for him than others because he has a distinct English accent that makes his English words pop more.
  • Zhao Yun 00 Gundam's Terminator Shout-Out is made more apparent when he says "I'll be back" in English.
• Gratuitous French: Ceasar Legend Gundam, who is named after a Roman Emperor and resides in the SD Gundam equivalent of Egypt, shouts his ultimate attacks in French.
• Heroic Sacrifice: In the finale, Qitian Dasheng Wukong uses up all his power to destroy Qiongqi and the Dark Star, sacrificing his life.
• Historical Domain Character: While Sangoku Soketsuden also had these by proxy of being based off of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Heroes goes more buck-wild due to the worlds having their own varying themes, with each also having some basis of different eras.
  • In Pirate World, Benjamin V2 Gundam is based off of Benjamin Hornigold, an English pirate who operated during the tail end of the The Golden Age of Piracy and once raided a ship simply to steal their hats. His deputy, Edward Second V, is based off of the actual Hornigold's second-in-command Edward Teach or, as he's more well-known as, Blackbeard.
  • In Musha World, Nobunaga Gundam Epyon is based off of Oda Nobunaga, and once again he's portrayed as an overly-ambitious antagonist with a thirst for power and corrupted heart.
  • In Regina World, Caesar Legend Gundam and Cleopatra Qubeley are based on the real-life couple Julius Caesar and Cleopatra VII.
• Living MacGuffin: What the Haros turn out to be. Oh sure, they seem like nothing more than cute pets, but they're actually OOPARTS, objects containing immense power.
• Mask of Power: The main gimmick of this series, characters can put on special masks in order to obtain new powers. Some have more loose definitions of "mask", like Edward Second V putting on a telescope to better aim his Shoulder Cannon. There are also the ones used by Dark Mask Corps to brainwash others into joining them, though once the mask is put on, it can also be inconsistent. Saizou doesn't seem to be wearing a mask at all (though he still has the signature purple glow) and Nobunaga just has purple demon horns coming out of his eyes.
• Mythology Gag:
  • Neo World as a whole is one giant Call-Back to the SD Command Chronicles series. In fact, the major city that it takes place in is named Captain City, after a major recurring character in the SD Command Chronicles series, CAPG-78 Captain Gundam (Not to be confused with Captain Gundam from SD Gundam Force, though it could be a reference to him too since he and his home world are also based on Command Chronicles). Also, one of the buildings in its central plaza has a door shaped after General Gundam, another recurring character from the SD Command Chronicles series
  • While Sasuke Delta Gundam is based off of the MSN-001 Delta Gundam, his color palette looks closer to the title mech of the obscure Manga Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story: Hidden Shadow of G. Makes sense, as both Sasuke and the Hidden Shadow are Ninja Gundams.
  • Both Benjamin V2 Gundam and Edward Second V are based off of the Victory 2 Gundam and the Second V, respectively. Both of those are Mid-Season Upgrades to the Victory Gundam from Mobile Suit Victory Gundam, with the Second V taking the place of the Victory 2 Gundam in the novel adaptation.
  • The first episode is titled “Falling Destiny”, referring to Wukong Impulse Gundam hurtling from outer space. This is a reference to how the Impulse Gundam was the first mech piloted by Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny’s main protagonist, Shinn Asuka.
  • The ruler of the SD Gundam Gaiden series-themed world, Knight World, is Arthur Gundam Mk-III. Him being based off of the MSF-007 Gundam Mk-III is a reference to how the main protagonist of the first SD Gundam Gaiden work, Knight Gundam, is also based off of the Mk-III.
  • The town in Warrior World in Episode 3 contains numerous references to the original SD Gundam Gaiden, including a shop with both a stand with the Divine Armor and Gun-Erasers of the characters from it (Of which Zhuge Liang buys three; Knight Gundam, Fighter Guncannon, and Priest Guntank), Wukong giving Zhuge Liang an SD Gundam BB Senshi Model Kit of Knight Gundam (Specifically the older one released in November of 1989), and even a statue of Knight Gundam on a fountain.
  • Episode 3 also has Zhuge Liang expose a bunch of fraudsters hoping to scam Wukong for breaking what turns out to be a fake M'Quve Vase. M'Quve is the Zeon officer who drives the Gyan in the original Mobile Suit Gundam, and is known for collecting rare vases as well as identifying fakes.
  • During his Motive Rant in Episode 4, Nobunaga Gundam Epyon claims that he will take those who get in his way of conquering Musha World down, starting his list with Shingen and Kenshin, in reference to Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin. Him listing those two in that exact order however calls back to Takeda Shingen Gundam and Kenshin Uesugi Gundam, the first two figures of SD Sengokuden Bushin Kourin Hen which, incidentally, also had an Oda Nobunaga Gundam over a decade before SD Gundam World Heroes (Although it could also be a reference to the much older SD Sengokuden Ten to Chi To, which only had two figures based on Shingen and Kenshin, also released in that order).
  • In Episode 5 two of the traps in Almalechal Palace are references to the original Mobile Suit Gundam. One is a giant Spike Ball of Doom, which is actually the Hyper Hammer used by the titular Gundam. The other is the classic spikes-on-the-ceiling trap...except in this case, the "spikes" are actually claws of the Z'Gok.
  • The Neo World police station resembles Command Gundam from SD Command Chronicles.
  • The ship Sanzang and the Impulse group are traveling in during the flashback in Episode 19 is based on White Base's escape shuttle from the end of the original Mobile Suit Gundam.
  • In the same episode, when Wukong is having a breakdown, he confuses Zhuge Liang for Sanzang. Fitting, since they're both based on the Freedom Gundam (original for the former, Strike for the latter).
  • Cao Cao Wing Gundam's new Issei Style look has both his wings on his right side, similar to Ricardo Fellini's Wing Gundam Fenice from Gundam Build Fighters.
  • Sanzang Strike Freedom Gundam's barrier is patterned after the Lightwave Shield technology from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, most famously used as the Umbrella of Artemis. And then Zhuge Liang, who is based on the Freedom Gundam, activates his own Lightwave Shield when fighting Sima Yi.
  • Qiongqi Strike Freedom Gundam's Super Mode allows him to use the DRAGOONs from his source Gundam. He also has a METEOR unit he can summon.
  • Nobunaga's Battleship Azuchi is basically the White Base if it were a Japanese castle.
  • Oddly enough, Zhuge Liang vs. Sima Yi is only a partial gag. While Kira Yamato and Shinn Asuka were enemies for most of the story, Shinn had already destroyed the original Freedom Gundam (which Zhuge is based on) by the time he gets the Destiny Gundam (which Sima Yi is based on).
• Never Trust a Trailer: The second PV trailer consisted of a brief montage of the different worlds the cast would be going to in Heroes, the last of which being called Knight World. Except it isn't Knight World, it's Warrior World, which Liu Bei's group take a detour at in Episode 3.
• Non-Standard Character Design: In a series where all mobile suits are represented by Super-Deformed variants, the Neo World museum features a regularly-proportioned Psycho Gundam Mk-II.
• Professor Guinea Pig: Zhuge Liang Freedom Gundam tries to learn about the Dark Mask he obtained by putting it on. Under its influence, he gets a power boost and grabs the Jerkass Ball to insult Liu Bei Unicorn Gundam and Wukong Impulse Gundam to their faces.
• Public Domain Character:
  • The new protagonist for Heroes, Wukong Impulse Gundam, is based off of Sun Wukong, the main protagonist of Journey to the West. Meanwhile the two other personalities inside of him, Zhu Bajie Silhouette and Sha Wujing Silhouette, are based on two of Sun Wukong's closest allies, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing. What's interesting about this is that both Journey to the West and the story the previous work Sangoku Soketsuden is based off of are both Chinese legends (Albeit the latter is more focused around History rather than Mythology).
  • Nobunaga Gundam Epyon's retainer, Sasuke Delta Gundam, is based off of legendary Japanese folktale figure Sarutobi Sasuke.
  • The king of Knight World, Arthur Gundam Mk-III, is based off of The Good King Arthur Pendragon. And of course, he pulled the Holy Sword Excalibur out from its stone.
  • Arsene Gundam X is based on the originator of the Phantom Thief trope himself, Arsène Lupin.
• Recap Episode: Episodes 12 through 16 have Cao Cao tell Sasuke his past in order to inform him about Sima Yi, resulting in a recap of the events in SD Gundam World Sangoku Soketsuden.
• Reincarnation: During the epilogue, Liu Bei sees a comet crash just outside the castle. Upon inspecting it, he finds Wukong's cloud with a little baby Wukong inside. It's unknown if Wukong has his old memories, though.
• Reused Character Design: For some reason, this show reuses Da Qiao Gundam Artemie's model for generic background characters like Anne Bonita and some showgirls in Musha World.
• Serial Escalation: SD Gundam World Sangoku Soketsuden was a Zombie Apocalypse story with a world loosely based off of Romance of the Three Kingdoms. SD Gundam World Heroes is a globe-trotting odyssey with multiple worlds that each have their own theme to them.
• Shout-Out:
  • Wukong Impulse Gundam is introduced by hurtling through space and crash-landing on another planet after his was destroyed, and acts completely feral attacking everything in sight before losing his memory makes him more docile and curious. This is similar to the origins of another character based off of Sun Wukong. In relation, his Gouen Form is similar to the Oozaru/Great Ape Transformation of the Saiyans.
  • While in his Gouen Form, Wukong Impulse Gundam climbs up the Conglomerate Building in Captain City with Sergeant Verde Buster Gundam ordering his troops via helicopter to swarm him. Hm, a giant monkey on top of a skyscraper fighting a squadron of helicopters? Where have we seen this before...?
  • Before Zhao Yun 00 Gundam leaves for Neo World, he puts on his sunglasses and says "I'll be back", in a deep voice with Gratuitous English to boot.
  • Benjamin and Edward's crewmembers are based on the Nemo, a mobile suit that shares its name with the first submarine captain in fiction.
  • The Dark Star is very clearly based on the Death Star, complete with the same type of explosion the Special Edition gave it when the latter explodes.
• Spoiler Opening: The second opening shows Qiongqi Strike Freedom Gundam several episodes before his existence was even hinted at. It also shows his METEOR unit many episodes before it debuts.
• Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Since the Etiolation Trinity were already dealt with back in Sangoku Soketsuden, the Dark Mask Corps take their place as a Hive Mind Antagonist force that corrupt innocent civilians to increase their numbers. Sima Yi Destiny Gundam is also responsible for both of them, and they both come from Trinity.
• That's No Moon: Episode 22. It's actually a ginormous Nightmare Face Haro.
• Wham Shot: The last few seconds of Episode 6 show Sima Yi Destiny Gundam entering Musha World as his first in-person appearance in Heroes.

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