Outside its mecha and political narratives, one of the defining elements of theMobile SuitGundamfranchise has been itsexperimentation with timelines. The ability to riff off canonical ideas, themes, and principles has not only given creators immense flexibility to tell theirGundamstories 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 theGundamcreative 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 asthe Universal Century (UC) timeline. Except for a fewGundamUC series that took some artistic libertieswith timeline canon, all stories have largely adhered to their narrative boundaries. That is, until the upcomingMobile 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 theGundamfranchise’s DNA. From its inception, the creators ofGundamdemonstrated 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 wasto give creators maximum flexibility to create the stories they wanted, as long as there were key links to the coreGundamideas. 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 passion, and the moral complexity of being a hero. As long as these ideas resonated in a series with aGundamtitle, 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 theGundamstory 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 inMobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, which reinterprets Tomino’sGundamoriginal 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 recentGundam: Requiem for Vengeance, which also tells an untold One Year War battle story.
As reported byGizmodo, which based its story on reviews of the Japanese premiere of the theatrical release ofMobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Beginningand other officially released materials,GQuuuuuuXis set to upend nearly half a century ofGundamstorytelling precedent.
While the story takes place in the Universal Century (UC) timeline, it does not follow the familiar narrativein 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 subsequentGundamstories, enriching the Universal Century (UC) timeline. This pivotal event also serves as the foundation for the numerous alternateGundamtimelines and realities.
Mobile Suit Gundam: GQuuuuuuX Beginning is the a edited version of several episodes of the upcomingMobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuXtelevision anime.
InGQuuuuuuX, Zeon forces under the command of Char Aznable manage tosteal 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 theNeon Genesis Evangelionseries. AsGizmondosuggests, it should come as no surprise that the series is directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki, the former director ofRebuild Evangelion-the reboot of the originalNeon Genesus Evangelionstory.
GQuuuuuuX Opens The Door For An Even Richer Gundam Universe
The changes thatGQuuuuuuXmakes to the UC timeline can have seismic effects on theGundamfranchise. On one hand, it provides a new basis for the blossoming of story exploration and experimentation that the original UC timeline fostered. For instance,GQuuuuuuXcould 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 withGQuuuuuuX.
One of the biggest challengesGQuuuuuuXpresents for theGundamfranchise is the issue of canon confusion. In other words,Gundamfans may struggle to determine which version of the timeline is considered the “official” continuity. IfGQuuuuuuXis 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. TheGundamfranchise 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 theGundamfranchise.
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Beginningis set to come to American theaters in a limited capacity later this month on August 08, 2025.
