Gundam has been regarded as one of the most popular anime franchises around the world for its storytelling and defined the mecha genre. The Gundam series was also tackled themes of authority, which was defined by the villains.
The protagonists of each series had to be pushed to the edge, with how powerful these villains were. The antagonists were what made the series worth investing in. These guys were influential to the series as a whole, not just by their demeanor, but also by their superiority. In our list, we rank some of our favorite villains in the Gundam franchise.
10 Gym Gingham
Gym Chingham believed that humanity can live up to its truest potential in battle. Being the leader of the armed force of the Moon, Gym comes across as a vigorous and arrogant guy who carries a katana to show off his strength.
In the Turn A series, he was the final villain in the series and one of the hardest that the protagonists had to fight. His lust for battle is what made him one of the most dangerous foes in the series. Not one single officer was able to control him because of his temper.
9 Gilbert Durandal
As the chairman of the PLANT Supreme Council, Gilbert Durandal wants nothing more than to end the conflicts between humans on Earth and the PLANTs. He’s one of those villains who you can understand what his cause is and has good intentions. All he seeks was peace and didn’t follow the same genocidal objectives as Patrick Zala and his group of followers.
His goal was to inspire his people to have a perfect world without any war. When it comes to battles, he’s always one step ahead of his enemies. Durandal would even destroy anyone who wouldn’t support his cause.
8 Graham Aker
The character of Graham Aker had the most growth in the series starting off as a soldier and ended up becoming a captain of the Overflags squadron during the second season of Mobile Suit Gundam 00. Graham was an expert pilot always looking for a challenge. After being bored with his life, he has often tried to find those who he deemed worthy of his talents.
Once Union of Solar Energy and Free Nations recruited him, Graham saw this as his calling by the stars to fight the Celestial Being. As a respectable and honorable individual, he wasn’t entirely bad. He only turned to the dark side after being defeated by his rival Setsuna, causing him to take the moniker of Mister Bushido and defeat all the Gundams.
7 Treize Khushrenada
From Gundam Wing, Treize Khushrenada is one complicated individual. He has many different sides to him so it’s hard to know what’s really in his head. He loves war, but he also mentions occasionally that he finds it unnecessary if he has to do more harm than good.
Treize regards himself as a romantic and is an aficionado in quality things. However, he also comes off as a calculating and forceful leader. His complex nature is what makes him a worthy adversary. Even his rivalry with Gundam pilot Chang Wufei has been one of the highlights of the series.
6 Shuuji Kurosu
Shuuji Kurosu was known to be undefeated in the East, hence his title of Master Asia. It was one of many names given to him, but his reputation never preceded him. This guy can even destroy mobile suits with only his bare hands.
Shuuji was a master in Gundam Fight, a fighting style that the protagonist Domon uses on the battlefield. His martial arts skills and passion is what makes him a dangerous foe in G Gundam. His high energy and enthusiasm turned this villain into a likable character. He started a lot of trouble for our heroes, but he soon redeemed himself later on when he realizes the mistake he has made.
5 Paptimus Scirocco
As one of the main antagonists on Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, Paptimus Scirocco had the intelligence and charisma to influence people to join his side. Known as ‘The Man from Jupiter," Scirocco was a member of the Federation’s own Jupiter Fleer who joined forces with the Titans. He has a powerful Newtype and is a gifted designer for the mobile suits of his group.
This sinister genius wasn’t just a skilled pilot, but he had the power of persuasion to manipulate anyone around him, especially women. He comes off as maniacal in his treacherous goals for global domination, which is why his fighting power and determination have been essential to the Titans’ cause.
4 Gihren Zabi
Gihren Zabi has been shown as a highly motivated, devious, arrogant, and quite a motivator. Being the leader of Zion, Gihren tries to overdo what his father has done and tried to make the One Year War into an all-out war. Staying in his homeland, he would give orders to his other siblings and expects them not to fail.
Even though he’s strategic, he does rely a lot on firepower and archetype robots to gain victories. He wasn’t always the smartest of villains, but his lack of empathy made him one of the most ruthless antagonists in the first series.
3 Anavel Gato
The notorious Nightmare of Solomon was the name given to antagonist Anavel Gato by his enemies. All who went against him, making Anavel one of the most fearless villains we’ve seen, feared him.
Introduced in Stardust Memory, he fights to keep Zeon’s principles alive and he leaves his opponents afraid to even go near him. His skills as a mobile suit pilot are unmatched when we see him wipe out an entire fleet with just his weapon. Even without the suit, Anavel is relentless and couldn’t be messed with. He can pretty much mop the floor with anyone standing in his way.
2 Haman Karn
Haman Zarn was introduced in two Gundam storylines as an antagonist, and only one of the only female villains to do so. She is a force to be reckoned with in the ZZ series due to her ability to lead an entire Axis militia at only sixteen. She is a heartless and cruel leader who uses manipulation and charm to get what she wants.
When it comes to the battlefield, she has a powerful Newtype and an expert pilot who once got the upper hand against Char. We get some backstory from her past revealing that she only turned out this way because of the abuse she suffered from the Federation. Her journey to redemption is what made her one of the most tragic villains we’ve seen in the franchise.
1 Char Aznable
Char Aznable is possibly one of the most iconic villains to have existed in the Gundam franchise with his famous mask. Known as the infamous Red Comet, he’s fearsome when it came to battles after seeing him destroy five battleships in a blink of an eye. He’s also a hotshot pilot and enigmatic leader who can rally an entire crowd to join his cause.
Even though he comes off as a villain through many of his appearances, he still has some humanity in him. He does care for his team and gets angry if they are mistreated. His fights with Amuro Ray have pushed both these men to the edge. This man is always at the height of his abilities, cementing him as one of our favorite antagonists in the series.