SD Gundam The Last World (SDガンダム ザ・ラストワールド) is an SD Gundam Crossover photonovel written by Makoto Ishii and Yasushi Takamura, and one of the launch titles for Sunrise's web novel subsidiary Yatate Bunko.
In this world where all humans have disappeared, a golden Gundam named Gundam the Gold proclaims to all SD Gundams to have an all-out war in order to achieve each other's "G-Souls" in order to become more powerful.
The story is split into two arcs, called “Stages”. Stage One focuses on Sen-Pu Ninja Exia, an elite ninja who is suddenly thrusted into the battle over G-Souls while trying to figure out how to return to his own world. Stage Two focuses on Ryuutei Unicorn, a cocky god who was stripped of his power upon appearing in Tokyo and participates in the G-Soul fights to get it back.
You can read the series (in Japanese) here
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Tropes associated with SD Gundam The Last World are:
- 11th-Hour Superpower: Musha Godmaru’s G-Soul transforms Musha Mark Three into Mark Three Daishogun in order to stop Exia’s rampage.
- Ambiguous Ending: The series ends with Gundam The Gold's defeat and realization that the G-Souls are actually comrades that stand by him, that's what's known. What makes this ending ambiguous is that The Gold takes all the G-Souls off to his world in order to prevent its destruction. It is up to the reader what happens afterwards.
- Anyone Can Die: The events of the story are all one giant deathmatch, and multiple named characters bite it throughout.
- Awful Truth: Big time. The world that the series takes place in is actually a fictional space to contain collected G-Souls in and everyone with a G-Soul (that is, everyone but Gundam The Gold and Superior Dragon/Knight Gundam) are actually copies of the original characters with the skills and memories of that character written into them.
- The Berserker: Those who can't control the power of G-Souls and turn giant become this. This usually happens when someone suddenly absorbs a large amount of G-Souls, such as with Musha Alex.
- Brought Down to Normal: During Exia’s Heroic BSoD-induced rampage, Musha Mark Three barely avoids a direct hit by de-equipping his divine weapons, losing the large amount of G-Souls he collected. And then they are absorbed by Exia, turning him giant...
- Character Narrator: The EX Chapters are narrated by the character in that chapter’s title. In addition, the World Guides are actually reports written by Blue Gunvoy and Try Gunvoy.
- Combining Mecha: Throne Trinity is the ultimate technique of the Throne Siblings where they combine with each other.
- Complaining About Rescues They Don't Like: Sonshouku claims that Sen-Pu Ninja Exia’s rescue from En-Oh Ghirarga is uncalled for. She gets over it shortly afterwards.
- Crisis Crossover: The war protruding the story features many characters from different works in the SD Gundam sub-franchise. To wit, characters from SD Gundam Force, BB Senshi Sangokuden, SD Gundam Mushamaruden, SD Gundam Space Time Transfer Gun Voyage, Gundlander, SD Command Chronicles, and more are all featured in this story.
- Curb-Stomp Battle:
- Musha Mark Three’s fight with Musha Alex. The text makes note that Mark Three is able to stand up to the giant-formed Musha Alex, even in subgiant form.
- Ryuutei's fight against Captain Bloody in Stage Two. Ryuutei would've been killed by Bloody if Try Gunvoy hadn't appeared when he did.
- Darker and Edgier: Compared to most SD Gundam works. The entire series is characters fighting to the death in the ruined landscape of Tokyo.
- Deus ex Machina: Happens in Stage Two Chapter One when Try Gunvoy suddenly stops Captain Bloody and Ryuutei’s fight just before the latter is killed with the order to cooperate with investigations.
- Disappears into Light: This is what happens when people lose their G-Soul.
- Based on Ryuutei's account in Stage Two, this is what happens when people are transported to the world.
- Empty Shell: In the third chapter of the final arc, it is revealed that all the SD Gundams that appeared (with the exceptions being Superior Dragon and Gundam The Gold) are actually copies of the original with the data of their according basis written in.
- Enemy Scan: Try Gunvoy’s sure-kill technique, the Diedal Cruncher, requires this before use since it fires an enemy’s weakness at them.
- Generic Name: What’s the name of the pirate group in Stage Two? There is none. The text just says “pirates”. note
- Heroic BSoD: Sen-Pu Ninja Exia has one after Zakuto is killed that causes him to go on a rampage in subgiant form.
- Humongous Mecha: The characters turn into this using the power of G-Souls. Depending on the amount of G-Souls collected, users can become subgiant or giant.
- In addition, Red Warrior R's machine soldier, Gold Machine Solider R-Jannon, is one.
- Impeded Messenger: Gunsaber Zeta had information on Princess Relena’s whereabouts when he was killed by Musha Alex, which was why Divine Knight Wing was sent into a rage when it happened.
- In Medias Res: Stage Two starts out during the climactic battle between Ryuutei and Throne Trinity.
- In the Back: During their fight with Try Gunvoy, Pirate Elf Bullock does this to Captain Bloody in order to gain more power by using his G-Soul.
- Barbatolander dies like this after Neena does it with a kunai.
- Involuntary Battle to the Death: The entire series is this.
- Manipulative Bastard: In Stage Two, the Throne Siblings. They used the Band of Pirates as pawns in their plan to kill Try Gunvoy because he wasn’t summoned to the world and was therefore perceived as a threat. Throne Drei took this a step further by disguising herself as Neena to provoke the Band of Pirates into fighting Try Gunvoy, managing to get Ryuutei to help her in the process.
- Mentor Occupational Hazard: Zakuto, who had been traveling alongside and helping Exia since the beginning of the series, gets offed Taking the Bullet for Sonshouku and Red Warrior R.
- Mercy Kill: Musha Alex asks to be killed after going on a rampage due power he gained from Gunsaber’s G-Souls. However, Musha Mark Three ends up killing him because he was in his giant form and wanted his G-Souls.
- Done again in Stage Two when Pirate Knight Crossbone, under the control of one of Throne Zwei's GN Fang Kunai, attacks Ryuubi. Crossbone asks Ryuubi to kill him, but the latter hesitates, leaving Ryuutei to do it.
- Misplaced Retribution: Ryuutei attacks Guncannon The Gold out of anger and frustration over being stripped of his god-like power and struggling against even weak enemies.
- Original Generation: While this is an SD Gundam crossover, characters such as Sen-Pu Ninja Exia, Gundam the Gold, and Tri Gunvoy are exclusive to this story.
- Our Souls Are Different: G-Souls are the souls of SD Gundams. Absorbing a G-Soul grants an SD Gundam great power which include gaining powerful weapons and turning into a Humongous Mecha.
- It is later revealed that the G-Souls are actually copies of the original characters with the skills, experiences, and personalities of their according base written in.
- Portent of Doom: The reason why Gundam The Gold was collecting G-Souls was to gain enough power to prevent an Unspecified Apocalypse that his sword, the Omega Zero, predicted would befall his world.
- Rescue Introduction: Neena is first met when she asks Ryuutei to save her from Captain Bloody, who is chasing after her.
- Revenge: The reason why Musha Alex was chasing Gunsaber Zeta was because of a fight the two had earlier. During this, Gunsaber killed Alex’s friend and took his G-Soul. Knowing he is out of ammo and unable to resupply, Gunsaber accepts his fate.
- Rousing Speech: While not exactly a speech, after the giant-formed Sen-Pu Ninja Exia saw Zakuto’s sword, Raikoumaru, he heard Sonshoku encouraging him to get up.Sonshouku: Hello Ninja-kun, snap out of it and wake up! If you turn into a monster, old man Zakuto will be disappointed!
- Musha Mark Three and Knight Gundam deliver one together in Stage Final Chapter Three to Sen-Pu Ninja Exia, Ryuutei Unicorn, and Divine Knight Wing after the three had found out that they are actually copies of the original heroes.
- Sensing You Are Outmatched: One of the reasons Crossbone and Ryuubi end up retreating in Stage Two Chapter Three. This is after Captain Bloody was killed and Elf Bullock turned giant to fight Try Gunvoy, so the Band of Pirates was slowly beginning to fall apart as well.
- Shout-Out: Makes several to other SD Gundam works, especially in the World Guide 4-Koma. But outside of that…
- The Stage Two Chapter 4 World Guide has one to Attack on Titan when Ryuubi Gundam yells that he will defeat the “Titan” while biting his arm. note
- Part of Neena’s character design is one to the Gundam 00 character of a similar name. Considering her true identity, this was likely done on purpose.
- In part two of the first EX arc, Red Warrior R comments about Sen-Pu Ninja Exia letting Chou-sen Qubeley join their group. Exia then realizes that her voice resembles that of a princess he met on one of his missions, a reference to Marina Ismail. Chou-sen and Marina were both voiced by Ayumi Tsunematsu.
- The Stage Two Chapter 4 World Guide
- Simultaneous Arcs: Stage One and the first EX Arc take place at the same time as Stage Two.
- Spoiler Title: While not as bad as most examples, the title for Stage One Chapter Five, Fallen Warrior -REQUIEM-, still gives the reader the idea that someone important is going to die.
- Taking the Bullet: Zakuto does this to protect Sonshouku and Red Warrior R from Strike Conrad’s attack.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: The Dark Axis Trio. The trio had seven spoken lines between them before being killed by Zakuto in the first Chapter.
- Whole Episode Flashback: The second EX Arc is this for Gundam The Gold.
- You Are Too Late: Superior Dragon, in the form of Knight Gundam appears just a bit too soon in Stage One Chapter 6 to try to stop Gundam The Gold from taking anymore G-Souls.
- Your Soul Is Mine!: Being defeated in a battle in The Last World means losing your G-Soul as well as any you may have collected. Losing your G-Soul means you disappear.
- You Remind Me of X: Musha Godmaru tries to stop Exia’s rampage because he is reminded of an old friend of his.
- Sen-Pu Ninja Exia unconsciously allowed Chou-sen to join his group because her voice resembled that of a princess he met while on a mission.
