History YMMV / MobileSuitZetaGundam

** Char/Quattro is an interesting case because for most of ''Zeta'' he's much more heroic than his other depictions; his positive qualities are highlighted, he receives a number of PetTheDog moments, and his relationship with Kamille humanizes him. However, once ''Char's Counterattack'' comes along he plunges into his most heinous characterization and, retroactively, much of his Quattro depiction ends up being a prolonged example of BaitTheDog. Fans who prefer a sympathetic Char latch onto his depiction here and this translated into some cases of AdaptationalHeroism for him in the video games that walk back his later characterization of a JerkWithAHeartOfJerk NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist. It's quite telling that ''Zeta'' would ultimately spawn the most sympathetic version of the CharClone with certain future shows borrowing from the Quattro persona rather than the classic one.

* MagnificentBastard: [[Characters/MobileSuitZetaGundamPaptimusScirocco Paptimus Scirocco]], "The Man from Jupiter", is an elusive mercenary and [[Characters/MobileSuitZetaGundamTitans Titans]] Lieutenant who graduates to taking over the organization. A brilliant tactician both in and out of a mobile suit, Scirocco excels at reading potential in his subordinates and outmaneuvers the [[Characters/MobileSuitZetaGundamAEUG Anti-Earth Union Group (AEUG)]] to capture the strategic stronghold of the lunar city Von Braun. Leaving the day-to-day operations of the district in the hands of his antagonistic superior, Scirocco divulges the man's schemes to the AEUG and arranges for his death to gain more dominance within the Titans for himself. [[BigBadDuumvirate Forming an alliance]] with Haman Khan of Neo-Zeon, Scirocco bolsters the strength of the Titans with the Axis military and [[TheStarscream personally assassinates the Titans leader]], Jamitov Hymem, assuming command over the syndicate and blaming Jamitov's death on Haman, [[PlayingBothSides rallying his forces to fight against her]]. Giving a former AEUG pilot he corrupted to his side an eloquent lecture on his ambitions for humanity, Scirocco engages the AEUG personally and reveals he has kept his alliance with Haman to revitalize the strength of his fleet. Even with his armada destroyed by the blast of a colony laser, Scirocco continues to fight series protagonist Kamille Bidan and, [[TakingYouWithMe in his dying moments]], [[MindRape destroys Kamille's consciousness]], unrelentingly unwilling to accept his vanquishment. Emotionally manipulative yet charming, charismatic and stylish, Scirocco proves himself to be every bit as brilliantly Machiavellian as he is mysterious, remembered as one of the most compelling and nuanced villains of the franchise.

* CompleteMonster: [[Characters/MobileSuitZetaGundamTitans The Titans]] were a haven for terrible people of all kinds, but none quite as bad as these two:
** [[SociopathicSoldier Yazan Gable]] is a [[BloodKnight warmonger]] who goes so far to admit that he joined the Titans' military so he could legally kill members of the [[Characters/MobileSuitZetaGundamAEUG Anti-Earth Union Group (AEUG)]]. He has no interest in the rules of warfare, murders solely because he is good at it, and gladly participates in the Grenada ColonyDrop, knowing it would have killed thousands of civilians and seeing it as an opportunity to shoot down anyone who tries to defend Grenada. When a superior officer tries to stop a pointless battle, Yazan takes this as a hindrance to his bloodlust and arranges for the officer to die at the hands of an AEUG pilot. When [[Characters/MobileSuitZetaGundamPaptimusScirocco Paptimus Scirocco]] betrays the Titan leadership, Yazan does so as well, out of his belief in [[IFightForTheStrongestSide fighting for the strongest military power]]. In the finale, Yazan leaves his mark on the show's tragic take on war when he goes on a savage killing spree, leaving numerous [[HeroKiller major heroic characters dead]] and even murdering some of his own allies. With a series of equally monstrous villains in the franchise influenced by him, Yazan is a blight upon his world, more of a feral predator than a man.
** [[GeneralRipper Captain Bask Om]], the second-in-command of the Titans, represents the worst of Earthnoid supremacy. Cruel and cold-hearted even as a member of the regular Earth Federation Forces, Bask showed nothing but glee when killing his own soldiers and paving the way for the Titans to become a reality during the conclusion of [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam0083StardustMemory Operation Stardust]]. In ''Zeta'' proper, he is first seen beating Bright Noa for opposing an order that risked civilian lives and has Kamille Bidan's mother, Hilda, put in a capsule in outer space without a spacesuit in order to retrieve the Gundams stolen by the AEUG, and orders one of his men to shoot at it. He is also the man responsible for the Titans' brutal treatment of Spacenoids in the first place, gassing colonies and favoring the murder of hostages to get people to go along with his plans, and being a major proponent of the use of Cyber-Newtypes, teenage {{super soldier}}s created through MindRape and a cocktail of PsychoSerum.

** Haman receives this treatment a lot. It helps that her faction is ALighterShadeOfGrey and it's not until the sequel does she have her real moments of villainy. EvilIsSexy and she has just enough sympathetic moments for the audience to latch onto her.

** Kamille's father doesn't stay behind as he doesn't care at all about his late wife and goes ridiculously violent with Kamille. It takes none other than Char to kill the guy because things were getting worse.

* TrueArtIsAngsty: Aside for the many deaths and dark themes, it has also one of the saddest endings in the franchise and many love the series because of it.

** Katz Kobayashi wasn't exactly beloved in the previous series, but his [[TookALevelInJerkass more stubborn personality]] and many gullible moments in this series caused fans to call him one of the worst characters in the show. Some people ''cheered'' when he [[spoiler: crashed into an asteroid during the finale]]. Even the compilation films' attempts to make him more sympathetic did nothing.

** A primary component of the story is the Anti-Earth Union Group and even internal parts of the Earth Federation fighting against the Titans, who are unchecked bullies that get their sick kicks out of committing war crimes and horrific acts of suppression to keep Spacenoids in line to prevent another Zeon. Even after everything that happens to expose the Titans, destroy them from the inside-out, and bring the Federation to responsibility, [[Literature/MobileSuitGundamHathawaysFlash it will all happen again]] once the Federation's corruption seeps through the aftermath of ''Char's Counterattack'', meaning Kamille and the AEUG went through hell and a half [[spoiler:and mostly died off]] [[HistoryRepeats for nothing to be learned.]]

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Quite a few.

* {{Adorkable}}:
** Kamille isn't as immediate as most examples, but he's cute and clearly has his moments of social awkwardness, especially when people poke fun at him.
** Has shades of this when she attempts to follow Scirocco's example and politely bow in front of an audience, but Yazan has none of it and silently pushes her towards door while she's in the middle of it.

** [[SociopathicSoldier Yazan Gable]] is a [[BloodKnight warmonger]] who goes so far to admit that he joined the Titans' military so he could legally kill members of the Anti-Earth Union Group (AEUG). He has no interest in the rules of warfare, murders solely because he is good at it, and gladly participates in the Grenada ColonyDrop, knowing it would have killed thousands of civilians and seeing it as an opportunity to shoot down anyone who tries to defend Grenada. When a superior officer tries to stop a pointless battle, Yazan takes this as a hindrance to his bloodlust and arranges for the officer to die at the hands of an AEUG pilot. When [[Characters/MobileSuitZetaGundamPaptimusScirocco Paptimus Scirocco]] betrays the Titan leadership, Yazan does so as well, out of his belief in [[IFightForTheStrongestSide fighting for the strongest military power]]. In the finale, Yazan leaves his mark on the show's tragic take on war when he goes on a savage killing spree, leaving numerous [[HeroKiller major heroic characters dead]] and even murdering some of his own allies. With a series of equally monstrous villains in the franchise influenced by him, Yazan is a blight upon his world, more of a feral predator than a man.

** [[SociopathicSoldier Yazan Gable]] is a [[BloodKnight warmonger]] who goes so far to admit that he joined the Titans' military so he could legally kill members of the Anti-Earth Union Group (AEUG). He has no interest in the rules of warfare, murders solely because he is good at it, and gladly participates in the Grenada ColonyDrop, knowing it would have killed thousands of civilians and seeing it as an opportunity to shoot down anyone who tries to defend Grenada. When a superior officer tries to stop a pointless battle, Yazan takes this as a hindrance to his bloodlust and arranges for the officer to die at the hands of an AEUG pilot. When [[MobileSuitZetaGundamPaptimusScirocco Paptimus Scirocco]] betrays the Titan leadership, Yazan does so as well, out of his belief in [[IFightForTheStrongestSide fighting for the strongest military power]]. In the finale, Yazan leaves his mark on the show's tragic take on war when he goes on a savage killing spree, leaving numerous [[HeroKiller major heroic characters dead]] and even murdering some of his own allies. With a series of equally monstrous villains in the franchise influenced by him, Yazan is a blight upon his world, more of a feral predator than a man.

** [[SociopathicSoldier Yazan Gable]] is a [[BloodKnight warmonger]] who goes so far to admit that he joined the Titans' military so he could legally kill members of the Anti-Earth Union Group (AEUG). He has no interest in the rules of warfare, murders solely because he is good at it, and gladly participates in the Grenada ColonyDrop, knowing it would have killed thousands of civilians and seeing it as an opportunity to shoot down anyone who tries to defend Grenada. When a superior officer tries to stop a pointless battle, Yazan takes this as a hindrance to his bloodlust and arranges for the officer to die at the hands of an AEUG pilot. When Paptimus Scirocco betrays the Titan leadership, Yazan does so as well, out of his belief in [[IFightForTheStrongestSide fighting for the strongest military power]]. In the finale, Yazan leaves his mark on the show's tragic take on war when he goes on a savage killing spree, leaving numerous [[HeroKiller major heroic characters dead]] and even murdering some of his own allies. With a series of equally monstrous villains in the franchise influenced by him, Yazan is a blight upon his world, more of a feral predator than a man.

* MagnificentBastard: [[DarkMessiah Paptimus Scirocco]], "The Man from Jupiter", is an elusive mercenary and [[Characters/MobileSuitZetaGundamTitans Titans]] Lieutenant who graduates to taking over the organization. A brilliant tactician both in and out of a mobile suit, Scirocco excels at reading potential in his subordinates and outmaneuvers the [[Characters/MobileSuitZetaGundamAEUG Anti-Earth Union Group (AEUG)]] to capture the strategic stronghold of the lunar city Von Braun. Leaving the day-to-day operations of the district in the hands of his antagonistic superior, Scirocco divulges the man's schemes to the AEUG and arranges for his death to gain more dominance within the Titans for himself. [[BigBadDuumvirate Forming an alliance]] with Haman Khan of Neo-Zeon, Scirocco bolsters the strength of the Titans with the Axis military and [[TheStarscream personally assassinates the Titans leader]], Jamitov Hymem, assuming command over the syndicate and blaming Jamitov's death on Haman, [[PlayingBothSides rallying his forces to fight against her]]. Giving a former AEUG pilot he corrupted to his side an eloquent lecture on his ambitions for humanity, Scirocco engages the AEUG personally and reveals he has kept his alliance with Haman to revitalize the strength of his fleet. Even with his armada destroyed by the blast of a colony laser, Scirocco continues to fight series protagonist Kamille Bidan and, [[TakingYouWithMe in his dying moments]], [[MindRape destroys Kamille's consciousness]], unrelentingly unwilling to accept his vanquishment. Emotionally manipulative yet charming, charismatic and stylish, Scirocco proves himself to be every bit as brilliantly Machiavellian as he is mysterious, remembered as one of the most compelling and nuanced villains of the franchise.

* MagnificentBastard: [[DarkMessiah Paptimus Scirocco]], "The Man from Jupiter", is an elusive mercenary and [[Characters/MobileSuitZetaGundamTitans Titans]] Lieutenant who graduates to taking over the organization. A brilliant tactician both in and out of a mobile suit, Scirocco excels at reading potential in his subordinates and outmaneuvers the [[Characters/MobileSuitZetaGundamAEUG Anti-Earth Union Group (AEUG)]] to capture the strategic stronghold of the lunar city Von Braun. Leaving the day-to-day operations of the district in the hands of his antagonistic superior, Scirocco divulges the man's schemes to the AEUG and arranges for his death to gain more dominance within the Titans for himself. [[BigBadDuumvirate Forming an alliance]] with Haman Khan of Neo-Zeon, Scirocco bolsters the strength of the Titans with the Axis military and [[TheStarscream personally assassinates the Titans leader]], Jamitov Hymem, assuming command over the syndicate and blaming Jamitov's death on Haman, [[PlayingBothSides rallying his forces to fight against her]]. Giving a former AEUG pilot he corrupted to his side an eloquent lecture on his ambitions for humanity, Scirocco engages the AEUG personally and reveals he has kept his alliance with Haman to revitalize the strength of his fleet. Even with his armada destroyed by the blast of a colony laser, Scirocco continues to fight series protagonist Kamille Bidan and, [[TakingYouWithMe in his dying moments]], [[MindRape destroys Kamille's consciousness]], unrelentingly unwilling to accept his vanquishment. Emotionally manipulative yet charming, charismatic and stylish, Scirocco proves himself to be every bit as brilliantly Machiavellian as he is mysterious.

* CompleteMonster: The Titans were a haven for terrible people of all kinds, but none quite as bad as these two:

* MagnificentBastard: [[DarkMessiah Paptimus Scirocco]], "The Man from Jupiter", is an elusive mercenary and Titans Lieutenant who graduates to taking over the organization. A brilliant tactician both in and out of a mobile suit, Scirocco excels at reading potential in his subordinates and outmaneuvers the Anti-Earth Union Group (AEUG) to capture the strategic stronghold of the lunar city Von Braun. Leaving the day-to-day operations of the district in the hands of his antagonistic superior, Scirocco divulges the man's schemes to the AEUG and arranges for his death to gain more dominance within the Titans for himself. [[BigBadDuumvirate Forming an alliance]] with Haman Khan of Neo-Zeon, Scirocco bolsters the strength of the Titans with the Axis military and [[TheStarscream personally assassinates the Titans leader]], Jamitov Hymem, assuming command over the syndicate and blaming Jamitov's death on Haman, [[PlayingBothSides rallying his forces to fight against her]]. Giving a former AEUG pilot he corrupted to his side an eloquent lecture on his ambitions for humanity, Scirocco engages the AEUG personally and reveals he has kept his alliance with Haman to revitalize the strength of his fleet. Even with his armada destroyed by the blast of a colony laser, Scirocco continues to fight series protagonist Kamille Bidan and, [[TakingYouWithMe in his dying moments]], [[MindRape destroys Kamille's consciousness]], unrelentingly unwilling to accept his vanquishment. Emotionally manipulative yet charming, charismatic and stylish, Scirocco proves himself to be every bit as brilliantly Machiavellian as he is mysterious.

*** After Episode 50, it becomes [[spoiler:[[BlackComedy KAMILLE IS A VEGETABLE'S NAME!]]]]

* TastesLikeDiabetes: The ending of the ''A New Translation'' trilogy, for some.

* NeverLiveItDown: Kamille calling himself an autistic child and having a girl's name.

*** After Episode 50, it becomes [[spoiler:[[BlackComedy KAMILLE IS A VEGETABLE'S NAME!]]]

* FoeYay: Between Haman and Char.

* EndingAversion: The compilation movies change the ending to make them incompatible with later Universal Century works. As such, many find them hard to recommend watching over the regular series.