A distinct aspect of the Gundam franchise is that model kits are an important part of the franchise's merchandise. While these kits are mostly for Mobile Suits from various series, there are many models based suits not found in any of the anime series.
Most of these model kits are based on Mobile Suits from the Gundam Expanded Universe or Variations Design Books. These Mobile Suits go from simply variants of existing suits, suits considered in-universe, or even representing potential Mobile Suits considered for a series. While there many non-anime models to pick from, these articles examine 10 of them. These 10 non-anime models were selected because they are the most interesting and it is a shame that they did not appear in any Gundam anime.
10 Guncannon II
The Original Mobile Suits Variation design book showcases various Mobile Suits utilized in the One Year War that did not show up in the original Mobile Suit Gundam due to budget, time, or developmental changes. While some of the MSV suits showed up as cameos in Zeta Gundam, some cool designs did not make the jump.
One of the best MSV designs not to make the jump is the Guncannon II. The design represented an upgraded version of the Guncannon from the original series used during the final phase of the One Year War. The design's coolness comes from both its jet-black coloring and cooler visor. The design also replaces the original two artillery cannons with a single beam cannon.
9 Casval's Gundam
Some Mobile Suit designs used for model are not just Mobile Suits that canonical exist off-screen but ones from more traditional alternate timelines. Many of these types of designs are from the video game, Gihern's Greed, that allows the player to reach different conclusions of the One Year War.
One of the coolest models from this game has to be Casval's Gundam. This design is not only cool because it gives the iconic Gundam design a red coloration, but it also has a neat backstory. That backstory is that Gundam is used by Char's in a timeline where Zeon won the One Year War and Char decide to enact his vengeance upon Zeon's rulers.
8 Hyaku Shiki Kai
Some suits from the Variations design books are ones that were considered potential mid-series upgrades for various characters' Mobile Suits. In this case, the design is for an upgrade for Char Azanble's Hyaku Shiki from Zeta Gundam.
The Hyaku Shiki Kai is a good example of Variation designs taking a pre-existing Mobile Suit from the anime and making it even more cool looking. In the Hyaku Shiki Kai's case, it was done by making the design more organic looking along with giving the suit an even more regal appearance with a crown-like head.
7 Nu Gundam Double Fin Funnel Type
Some Variation designs not only improved Mobile Suit designs by making them look cooler, some fixed pre-existing aesthetic problems with a Mobile Suit. The Nu Gundam Double Fin Funnel Type from Char's Counterattack Mobile Suit Variations is a great example of this as most designs based on Nu Gundam tends to use it as a base more than the original.
In the case of the Nu Gundam, its design featuring one set of Fin Funnels that makes it stand out as very as asymmetrical among the various Gundam Mobile Suits. The Double Fin Funnel Type solves this problem by giving it a second pair of Fin Funnel. The only reason is what not used in Char's Counterattack is that two pairs of Fin Funnels made it impossible to fit any place to store a Beam Saber.
6 Vigna Ghina II
It is a very well known fact among Gundam fans that Gundam F91 movie was originally supposed to be a full-length TV series. This cutting down of Gundam F91 not only made the movie's pacing very strange in places but prevented the appearance of a bunch of cool Mobile Suit designs.
One of the cooler designs left on the cutting room floor would be the Vigna Ghina II. Intended to be the Mobile Suit used by Dorel Ronah toward the end of F91 series, the design is cool for many reasons. The primary reason is that the Vigna Ghina II serves as a great-looking villainous mirror of the Gundam F91.
5 Gunbarrel Dagger
The Dagger series of Mobile Suits from Gundam SEED MSV serve as a more direct mass-produced version of the Strike Gundam. The Dagger most noticeably copied the Strike's ability to utilized a variety of different load-outs. While most of the Dagger's load-outs are based on various Gundam in Gundam SEED, the coolest variation is not based on one.
The Gunbarrel Dagger is a Dagger utilizing the Gunbarrel technology seen in the Moebius Zero in the original SEED series. This loadout not only allows the Dagger to move faster in Space, but it also gives it the ability to detach the gunbarrel pods to serves as remote turrets in battle.
4 Destiny Impulse Gundam R
Some of the coolest Mobile Suit designs are ones that combine elements from two different Mobile Suits to make single unique Mobile Suits. In this suit's case, it combines the Destiny Gundam and the Impulse Gundam from Gundam SEED Destiny to great results.
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The Destiny Impulse Gundam R from the novel series, SEED Destiny Astray R, is a modified Impulse Gundam that uses a custom loadout to emulated elements of the Destiny Gundam. This custom loadout gives the Mobile Suit not only cool looking Voltiare Lumine wings of the Destiny Gundam but also two massive beam cannons.
3 Gundam Local Type
This Mobile Suit design comes from Mobile Suit Discovery design series. The Mobile Suit Discovery is a series of designs intending to expand on the development of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin with it highlighting lost evolutionary steps in the development of Mobile Suit Technology.
The Gundam Local Type serves as a missing link between the Gundam prototype and the Gundam Ground Type from 08th MS Team. The design of the Local Type is neat not just because it takes the classic Gundam design and makes it a bit more grounded in design. The design also has some cool variants like the North American Type that gives the design a jet black paint job with a heavier loadout.
2 Gundam Avalanche Exia
The Variation series for Gundam OO is unique in that each design featured in it has a short story showing the design in action. Many of the designs feature in OOV are previously unseen load-outs for the main Gundams from Gundam OO.
In Gundam Avalanche Exia's case, its the Gundam Exia equipped with a high mobility add-on to allowing to better combat high-speed mobile suit and aircraft. The design is also pretty cool in that it takes the Exia's quick swordman design and gives it a neat knight-like appearance.
1 GM Striker
The Harmony of Gundam design series was done to create new designs for a bunch of video games in production around 2006 that would focus on the period around the One Year War. One of the most popular designs from this series would the GM Striker.
The GM Striker seeks to take the ever-present GM mobile suit design and makes it a dangerous mobile suit to face on the battlefield. This transformation was done by giving the suit armor plating and a beam trident weapon. These differences from a regular GM give the suit a cool distinct design but also makes a dangerous suit to confront in close-range combat.
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