Mobile Suit Gundam has been around for decades and it’s become one of the most established and popular anime franchises of all time. Mobile Suit Gundam originally tells the growing story of Amuro Ray and his development as a Mobile Suit pilot, but the franchise has gradually expanded to include alternate universes and many different chronologies that are able to apply the Gundam structure to different ideas and environments.
The mech genre is still very popular in anime and even though there are lots of new series that explore it, it’s still satisfying to dig deep into the many corners of the extended Gundam universe. Amuro Ray and Kira Yamato are very popular, but there are lots of notable mobile suit pilots in the Gundam franchise.
10 Garrod Ran Is A Believable Hero That’s Easy To Root For
After War Gundam X doesn’t always get singled out as essential Gundam viewing, but it offers some fresh ideas against a surprisingly bleak universe that feels post-apocalyptic in nature. Garrod Ran, Gundam X’s hero, is another mobile suit pilot that’s more an everyday human than some legendary wunderkind.
Garrod shows significant growth throughout the run of the series, but he’s a character that lets his emotions get away from him. There are frequent bursts of flawed humanity that make Garrod an interesting protagonist to watch develop.
9 Mikazuki Augus Understands The Importance Of Morale
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans is one of the more recent additions to the franchise that’s found a real following due to its unflinching look at combat, military life, and camaraderie. Iron-Blooded Orphans focuses on the transformative nature of war and that if a squad can’t properly work together then none of them will survive.
Mikazuki Augus appreciates the importance of the collective and his lighter attitude is often essential when his team feels broken and lost. He’s not the best pilot or strongest character, but he’s still a valuable hero.
8 Judau Ashta Doesn’t Let The Horrors Of War Wear Him Down
Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ is one of the better chapters from the original Universal Century timeline. It effectively builds on the themes of the series that came before it and finds the right balance between light and dark.
This is also present in the anime’s protagonist, Judau Ashta, who is able to take war seriously, but also doesn’t let it overwhelm him or become more important than friends and family. Judau’s pleasant demeanor in addition to his extreme skills as a Newtype make him a very entertaining hero.
7 Daryl Lorenz Represents A Tragic Commitment To A Cause
Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt is a more recent OVA series that explores the hardships of war with a stunning level of clarity. Io Fleming and Daryl Lorenz both share the spotlight in Thunderbolt. They’re both tortured and very real characters, but Daryl is ultimately more complex.
Daryl has lost his legs to war, yet continues to pilot a Gundam. He continues to literally lose more of himself, but never turns his back on the very pursuit that’s made him like this. Daryl’s affection for blues music is also a simple detail, but one that makes him feel much more empathetic.
6 Domon Kasshu Fuels The God Gundam With The Power Of Love
Mobile Fighter G Gundam is a big deviation for the franchise and it turns the anime into more of a light-hearted tournament arc than a vehicle to explore politics and technology in space. G Gundam is admittedly quite silly, but it still tells an entertaining story that’s full of action and some of the most absurd mobile suits from the entire franchise. Domon Kasshu trades in stereotypes and his God Gundam is exceedingly overpowered, but he embodies an energetic attitude that’s unlike any other Gundam protagonist.
5 Loran Cehack Is A Reluctant And Fascinating Fighter
Turn A Gundam has a strong reputation as a series and it features some particularly creative mobile suit designs that don’t get too extreme. Loran Cehack is also a major reason why Turn A Gundam is so memorable, since he’s a character that’s basically forced into combat and only does so for the happiness of his girlfriend.
This perfectly represents Loran’s pacifistic and generous nature. He becomes an exceptional pilot over time, but he never loses sight of his original values and seldomly takes lives. He shows that peace can sometimes be the answer in Gundam.
4 Zechs Merquise Exudes Confidence And Cool With Every Action
Gundam Wing helped the franchise originally find its footing with audiences in North America and the standalone series is full of some excellent characters and mobile suits. Anyone from Gundam Wing would be a suitable choice here, but the series’ villainous Zechs Merquise is hard to deny.
Gundam Wing is full of smart people, but Zechs is always ahead of everyone, yet still doesn’t lose sight of himself along the way. Both of Zechs’ mobile suits are also extremely cool and more Gundam should make use of an intimidating chain-whip.
3 Uso Ewin Is A Normal Boy Who Rises To Greatness
Mobile Suit Victory Gundam is a series from the first half of the franchise that doesn’t always get the attention that it deserves. Victory Gundam takes a different approach with its protagonist, Uso Ewin, who’s just a regular boy with a passion for mobile suits. It’s this level of humanity and innocence that makes Uso so memorable.
The Victory Gundam isn’t overpowered, but Uso still becomes a better pilot over the course of the series. There’s a heartbreaking moment where Uso laments that he’s not more hardened because it’d make it easier for him to take lives.
2 Kamille Bidan Grows Into A Mature And Reliable Pilot
Kamille Bidan is an exceptional Newtype that’s the focus in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, but continues to remain relevant afterwards. Kamille is such a satisfying Gundam protagonist because he enters the anime as an ungrateful and annoying brat, but slowly grows into a proud and honorable soldier.
Most Gundam protagonists get to show character development, but Kamille is one of the most extreme examples. Despite how Kamille builds his own mobile suit at a young age and is a natural prodigy, he still works hard and doesn’t take his privilege for granted.
1 Char Aznable’s Red Comet Is Gundam’s Most Famous Figure
It’s not unusual for villains to be able to steal the spotlight away from protagonists, but Char Aznable doesn’t just dwarf Amuro Ray, but the entire Gundam franchise. Char is one of Gundam’s greatest puppet masters and he’s also a mobile pilot that’s so skilled he’s genuinely frightening. Char’s actions have permanent consequences on the Universal Century timeline and his legend inspires others long into the future. It’s perhaps debatable if Char can be called Mobile Suit Gundam’s protagonist, but the more recent Origins films do firmly put him front & center and expand on his accomplishments even further.