Outside its mecha and political narratives, one of the defining elements of the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise has been its experimentation with timelines. The ability to riff off canonical ideas, themes, and principles has not only given creators immense flexibility to tell their Gundam stories as they see fit but has also allowed the franchise to evolve, expand, and attract new fans for nearly half a century.

Despite the creative diversity and dynamism the Gundam creative model has fostered, the franchise has remained particularly protective of its original or prime timeline – the version established by Yoshiyuki Tomino’s 1979 television series classic, Mobile Suit Gundam, commonly known as the Universal Century (UC) timeline. Except for a few Gundam UC series that took some artistic liberties with timeline canon, all stories have largely adhered to their narrative boundaries. That is, until the Mobile Suit Gundam: GQuuuuuuX (pronounced “G-Kwex”) television series, which will introduce an unprecedented restructuring of the prime continuity.

In the Gundam Universe, Alternate Realities Are the Rule, Not the Exception

Alternate Timelines Are Part of Gundam's DNA

While other franchises certainly utilize alternate realities and timelines, outside isekai stories, they rarely serve as the primary driving force behind the narrative. Instead, these elements often branch off from the main plot, enhancing the story, exploring possibilities, and facilitating character development. In stark contrast, alternate realities and timelines are fundamentally ingrained in the Gundam franchise's DNA. From its inception, the creators of Gundam demonstrated remarkable foresight, recognizing that to remain viable over the years, the franchise needed to stay relevant. This relevance required a willingness to adapt and evolve, allowing the franchise to stay fresh and dynamic.

The franchise's approach to staying relevant was to give creators maximum flexibility to create the stories they wanted, as long as there were key links to the core Gundam ideas. These core ideas include mecha, the human cost of war, the dual nature of technology and the ethics of its use, the struggle for coexistence between groups who hate each other with a ion, and the moral complexity of being a hero. As long as these ideas resonated in a series with a Gundam title, other aspects of the narrative could be as wild as the creator wanted.

GQuuuuuuX Flips The Original Gundam UC Timeline

GQuuuuuuX Introduces A New Type Of Gundam

While creators were given "carte blanche" to develop their own adaptations of the Gundam story and spirit, that flexibility was generally not extended to alterations of the primary UC timeline. Creators could explore the UC timeline, but only within certain boundaries. The most significant deviations from the established UC timeline appear in Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, which reinterprets Tomino’s Gundam original 1979 television series; Mobile Suit Gundam: Thunderbolt, which tells a side story of the One Year War not covered in the original series; and Netflix’s recent Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance, which also tells an untold One Year War battle story.

As reported by Gizmodo, which based its story on reviews of the Japanese premiere of the theatrical release of Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Beginning and other officially released materials, GQuuuuuuX is set to upend nearly half a century of Gundam storytelling precedent.

While the story takes place in the Universal Century (UC) timeline, it does not follow the familiar narrative in which Earth's looming demise at the hands of Zeon aggression is reversed by the development of the iconic RX-78-2 Gundam mobile suit — an innovation that ultimately leads to Zeon's defeat and the fracturing of its alliance. In this continuity, the uneasy peace that follows the Earth Federation's victory lays the groundwork for the subsequent Gundam stories, enriching the Universal Century (UC) timeline. This pivotal event also serves as the foundation for the numerous alternate Gundam timelines and realities.

Mobile Suit Gundam: GQuuuuuuX Beginning is the a edited version of several episodes of the Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX television anime.

In GQuuuuuuX, Zeon forces under the command of Char Aznable manage to steal the RX-78-2 before Earth has a chance to deploy it. After painting and renaming it the "Red Gundam", Char uses it to help Zeon crush Earth's resistance. In other words, in this UC timeline, Zeon is in full control of Earth —and seemingly the entire universe— but tensions remain high. From Char’s personal vendetta against the Zeon leadership to the scattered remnants of Earth’s resistance, conflict still simmers beneath the surface.

As in the original Universal Century (UC) timeline, Char's mysterious disappearance at the war's conclusion hints at his eventual return, leaving only one question: which side will he align with? With Zeon in command, this timeline has undergone a profound transformation, yielding a distinctly different atmosphere. A striking illustration of this shift is evident in the iconic design of the Gundams themselves. Unlike the original UC timeline, where successive mobile suit iterations adapted the RX-78-2 Gundam's humanoid design and signature blocky-robot aesthetic, this timeline presents a divergent evolution.

The new GQuuuuuuX-era Gundam is quite different. While it retains the RX-78-2's classic red, white, and blue color scheme, its design is less blocky and robotic. Instead, this Gundam has a more human-like physique, reminiscent of the athletic, superhero-inspired designs seen in the Neon Genesis Evangelion series. As Gizmondo suggests, it should come as no surprise that the series is directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki, the former director of Rebuild Evangelion - the reboot of the original Neon Genesus Evangelion story.

GQuuuuuuX Opens The Door For An Even Richer Gundam Universe

The changes that GQuuuuuuX makes to the UC timeline can have seismic effects on the Gundam franchise. On one hand, it provides a new basis for the blossoming of story exploration and experimentation that the original UC timeline fostered. For instance, GQuuuuuuX could fundamentally rewrite one of the most popular UC timeline series, Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack. Instead of Char’s second attempt to defeat Earth's forces, it could be Amuro Ray attempting to overthrow Zeon's authority. Of course, this is all conjecture, but it is a possibility with GQuuuuuuX.

One of the biggest challenges GQuuuuuuX presents for the Gundam franchise is the issue of canon confusion. In other words, Gundam fans may struggle to determine which version of the timeline is considered the "official" continuity. If GQuuuuuuX is a full reboot, it will inevitably introduce several retcons. If it is not a reboot, then the question is how the two timelines can coexist. The Gundam franchise has largely avoided this issue in the core UC timeline by treating its alternate realities as separate entities, but in this case, the conflict is unavoidable. Resolving it will be crucial to the future of the Gundam franchise.

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Beginning is set to come to American theaters in a limited capacity later this month on February 28, 2025.

Sources: Gizmodo