TheGundamfranchise is one of the biggest franchise in anime,with a history going back to the 70s. The mecha genre as a whole owes a lot toGundamand its ability to blend exciting space robot combat with philosophical questions about war and capitalism, and it is easily one of the most influential and widespread in that sphere of anime.
TheGundamfranchise initially started with a timeline called the Universal Century, but later evolved to include alternate timelines that allowed them to explore different histories and different storylines, such as the most recent entryThe Witch from Mercury. However, the Universal Century remains an incredibly popular timeline forGundamfans, and still receives frequent entries to its timeline even when other timelines have remained standalone entries. The Universal Century has an unmistakable appeal, and there are reasons why it is still a popular setting in theGundamfranchise.
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What Is The Universal Century?
The Universal Century is the very first timeline featured within theGundamfranchise, largely featuring the constant conflict between the Federation on Earth and Zeon in Space. While Zeon was initially portrayed as the main villains in the firstMobile Suit Gundamseries, later series would show a grayer conflict between “Earthnoids” and “Spacenoids”, with neither faction being fully in the right nor fully in the wrong. The Universal Century introduced many of the themes that remain popular in futureGundamseries, such as the cruelty and futility of war and the increasing depletion of the Earth due to pollution and other environmental devastations.
Series-wise, the Universal Century is a massive timeline featuring a number of shows, movies, and OVAs. The main storyline starts with the originalMobile Suit Gundam, followed byZeta Gundam,Gundam ZZ, and the movieChar’s Counterattack. However, there are many other side stories that take place in the same world, includign stories likeWar in the Pocket,Stardust Memory,The 08th MS Team, and more,all featuring different protagonists. The most recent Universal Century project is theMobile Suit Gundam Hathawaymovies, based on the novel seriesHathaway’s Flash, proving that interest in the Universal Century remains high. Mecha fans who want to get intoGundamalready have a lot of episodes to go through just with the Universal Century alone.
Classic Characters And Iconic Mobile Suits
The Universal Century is the home of many classic characters, including the very first protagonist Amuro Ray and his iconic rival, Char Aznable. Both characters are the face of theGundamfranchise, with Char being so popular that nearly every alternate-timeline series features a character referencing him in some way. While Amuro and Char don’t appear in every Universal Century story, there is still a plethora of iconic heroes and villains that dot the world of the Universal Century. Like Char, many of these characters have influenced archetypes or are otherwise referenced in laterGundamseries.
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Possibly more iconic than the human characters are the mobile suits these characters pilot. The obvious highlight is the original RX-78-2 Gundam, which is the very first Gundam ever. Its design is so recognizablethat even life-size statues were made of it in Japan. However, there are also many other mobile suits that have become iconic with time - such as the Zaku, a common Zeon mobile suit that remained popular due to its constant reappearance and appealing design. Many mobile suits and Gundams have emerged from the Universal Century over the years, and they have continued to be extremely influential on the modern mecha landscape.
The Man Behind The Universal Century
The world ofGundam, particularly that of the Universal Century, primarily came from the mind of one man: Yoshiyuki Tomino. Yoshiyuki Tominowas the main writer and directorfor the majority of the mainline Universal Century series, making him a core part of the series' creative process. Tomino had already worked on several mecha series before includingInvincible Super Man Zambot 3andInvincible Steel Man Daitarn 3, meaning he was already a veteran mecha director before he even got toMobile Suit Gundam.
A lot of the themes and concepts thatGundamintroduces and features are ideas thought up by Tomino. Tomino wanted more realistic robot shows, and soMobile Suit Gundamquickly became one of the foremost representatives of the Real Robot genre, a mecha subgenre that features more realistic robot designs and emphasizes scientific accuracy. In addition, much of the anti-war and environmentalist discussion thatGundambrings up comes from Tomino and his own beliefs, making him inseparable fromGundam’s core messaging. Tomino’s writing and philosophy forms the core ofGundam, and fans continue to adore his work years after having drawn back from being a major part of the series franchise. The Universal Century series is essentially Tomino’s greatest legacy, and a large part of why the series is regaled to this day.
