In the 2000s, Gundam had made it back to relevance thanks to all the Gundam series of the '90s. Shows like Gundam Wing made Gundam important not just in Japan but in the West. Still, every decade brings new challenges. To remain relevant, Sunrise decided to try a reboot of the original Gundam.
While Gundam SEED was a massive hit in Japan, it didn't fare quite as well in the States. Still, there were plenty of other Gundam projects that came out this decade. While SEED was more polarizing, near the end of the decade, they created a series beloved by Gundam fans everywhere.
8 Superior Defender Gundam Force Misses The Fun Of SD Gundam
Superior Defender Gundam Force was meant to be the next big SD Gundam title. The series was set in the land of Neotopia, where the Gundam Force fought against enemies known as the Dark Axis. The Gundam Force work with Shute, a young boy who's the first to discover the Dark Axis, in their battle to protect their home of Neotopia.
This series has a few funny gags to it, but the CGI is terrible. It's from an era before animators took CGI as seriously as they do now, and it shows. Watching the Gundam's "mouths" move is enough to cut this show off, but the non-existent backgrounds and the poor animation aren't going to help.
7 Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny Features Gundam's Most Unlikable Protagonist
People give the Gundam SEED franchise a lot of criticism, but the original Gundam SEED is a decent anime with a massive fanbase in Japan. SEED Destiny can't be let off the hook, though. The series is meant to be a remake of Gundam Zeta, but unfortunately, Sunrise learned the hard way just what a challenge that is.
The lead protagonist of SEED Destiny, Shinn Asuka, is completely unlikable. He wants revenge on the Earth forces because he believes they were responsible for ruining his life, which is a reasonable goal, but he never goes about his goals the right way. The best thing SEED Destiny has going for it is its animation and mecha designs, which are some of the best in Gundam history.
6 Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation Makes Unnecessary Changes
For Gundam's 25th anniversary, Bandai decided to create a series of compilation movies for Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, the sequel to the original series. The compilation films are frequently done in anime, but rarely have they gone as wrong as Zeta Gundam: A New Translation.
The trilogy was meant to remaster the Zeta television series and add new footage, but they ended up changing the plot of Zeta Gundam as well. By the end of A New Translation, the story is so drastically different the remaining events of Universal Century are impossible. Though they're an entertaining watch, the films are confirmed as non-canon.
5 Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO 2 Focuses On The Earth Federation
Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO 2 moves the focus of these OVAs from the Zeon forces to the Federation. But instead of having a viewpoint character the entire time, IGLOO 2 shifts viewpoints in every episode. The goal is to focus on the side of the One Year War that most people never saw, as it doesn't focus on any "main" characters.
There are no ace pilots like Amuro Ray or Bright Noa to be found. Instead, they're all grunt soldiers. Depending on the viewer, this setup is either exactly what they want out of a Gundam series, or something they don't want anything to do with.
4 Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO Spotlights The Zeon Military For Once
Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO was meant to be a series of OVAs that went back to the One Year War. The series focuses on Lieutenant Oliver May, a member of the Zeon forces aboard the Jotunheim ship. Oliver works as a weapon tester for the Zeon that's hoping to bring an end to the One Year War.
MS IGLOO is a solid series that manages to keep things short while showing a side of the war that people weren't used to and displaying prototype suits that never saw real combat. The biggest fault with MS IGLOO is its CGI, which isn't bad, but doesn't look as good as Sunrise's 2D animation.
3 Mobile Suit Gundam SEED C.E. 73: Stargazer Offers A Glimpse Into Other Parts Of SEED
Gundam SEED's universe is surprisingly under-utilized given how popular the series is in Japan. Still, at least with Stargazer, SEED fans got to see something different. A series of three fifteen-minute shorts, Stargazer takes place between episodes of SEED Destiny.
The protagonist is Sven Cal Bayan, who's a member of Earth's Natural forces fighting against the Coordinators. Though Stargazer is short, it tells a complete story that even people who don't enjoy SEED would find a way to enjoy.
2 Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Has A Passionate Fanbase For A Reason
Taking place in Cosmic Era 0071, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED's story is about the war between natural humans from Earth and the Coordinators, which are genetically-altered humans that were forced into space. Protagonist Kira Yamato is a Coordinator living a normal life until his world is turned upside down after the organization ZAFT attacks his colony and steals a set of Gundams.
Kira finds his way into the last Gundam and begins working with the Earth Alliance to fight against ZAFT, effectively establishing himself as a great mecha anime protagonist. A soft remake of the original Mobile Suit Gundam, SEED is the most polarizing Gundam series. It's not bad, but its self-righteous protagonists make it off-putting to a number of viewers.
1 Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Revitalized Gundam In The West
After a few years of dormancy in the West as SEED never quite took off, Gundam 00 brought the franchise back to prominence. Gundam 00 takes place in the far future, where an organization known as Celestial Being appears with one goal: no more war. Boasting mobile suits with superior capabilities to every global power, the world is forced to react to this strange new organization.
In some ways, Gundam 00 feels like Gundam Wing done "right." Despite Gundam Wing having some great episodes, the writing was often a little thin. Gundam 00 relies on a similar formula where a collection of pretty boys with advanced mobile suits battle against oppressive armies but has a more compelling plot. The overall quality is solid enough to make the show a hit.