Gundam Universal Century Watch Order: What Order to Watch the Original Timeline

Figuring out the correct watch order for Gundam’s Universal Century can be tough for new fans. The franchise has multiple timelines and alternate universes and isn’t shy to retcon a few facts here and there.

So, if you’re trying to find the best order to watch the Gundam Universal Century timeline, you can rely on our list to guide you. You can follow it to watch only the essentials needed to understand the overarching plot or dive into the full breadth of Gundam UC and all it has to offer.

Gundam Universal Century Watch Order

We’ve only listed full-length animated works below (anime series, films, OVAs, and ONAs). So, we didn’t include shorts like Gundam Evolve or Twilight Axis.

Essential titles are bolded, but all Universal Century works are worth checking out.

1. Mobile Suit Gundam Episode 1-15 (Alternative: Mobile Suit Gundam I, Mobile Suit Gundam II: Soldiers of Sorrow, and Mobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space)
2. Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan’s Island
3. Mobile Suit Gundam Episodes 16-43
4. Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin
5. Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO: The Hidden One Year War
6. Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO: Apocalypse 0079
7. Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO 2: The Gravity Front
8. Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team (Alternative: Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team – Miller’s Report)
9. Mobile Suit Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance
10. Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket
11. Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory (Alternative: Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory – The Afterglow of Zeon)
12. Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (Alternative: Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation – Heir to the Stars, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation II – Lovers, and Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation III – Love Is the Pulse of the Stars)
13. Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ
14. Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack
15. Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn (Alternative: Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn RE:0096)
16. Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative
17. Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway
18. Mobile Suit Gundam F91
19. Mobile Suit Victory Gundam
20. G-Saviour

1. Mobile Suit Gundam

• Release Year: 1979
• Type: Anime Series
• Episode Count: 43

Mobile Suit Gundam started the Real Robot genre and is a must-watch for anyone interested in the history of anime (and Japanese pop culture in general). It went on to influence hundreds of productions and established an iconic franchise known worldwide.

The 43-episode series follows teen Amuro Ray, who discovers the RX-78 Gundam during a Zeon attack on his space colony home. Amuro manages to fend off the attack and escape aboard the Earth Federation’s newest warship, the White Base. Throughout the series, Amuro continues to clash against ace Zeon pilot Char Aznoble against the background of the One Year War.

However, if your experience with anime is limited to the 2000s, you might find this 1979 production a little jarring. Production on the series was tight on time and money, and quality varies wildly throughout (more on that below). Some serious scenes lose their gravitas due to poor animation. I think getting all 43 episodes of Amuro Ray and the White Base crew’s journey is essential for thoroughly enjoying the Universal Century timeline. Still, you can take a shortcut to experience the essentials.

After the original run of Mobile Suit Gundam, the anime was condensed into three compilation movies: Mobile Suit Gundam The Movie, Mobile Suit Gundam II: Soldiers of Sorrow, and Mobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space. While you’ll miss out on a lot, watching these films will familiarize you enough to move on to the next series.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan’s Island

• Release Year: 2022
• Type: Anime Movie
• Runtime: 1 hour, 48 minutes

During the original run of Mobile Suit Gundam, art director and character designer Yoshikazu Yasuhiko was hospitalized, which led to the outsourcing of episode 15, Cucuruz Doan’s Island. The studio that produced the artwork and animation for the episode made several major mistakes, which led to series creator Yoshiyuki Tomino removing it from the worldwide release of Mobile Suit Gundam.

However, Tomino still liked the story shown in episode 15 and revived it as a feature-length film in 2022. It’s worth pausing your watch of the anime after seeing the original episode 15 to appreciate Tomino’s vision for it and the work that went into improving it.

2. Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin

• Release Year: 2015
• Type: OVA
• Episode count: 6

The Origin is a modern retelling and expansion of the backstory leading up to the One Year War. Based on Yoshikazu Yasuhiko’s manga, the OVA focuses on the young lives of Char Aznable (born Casval Rem Deikun) and his sister Artesia amid the rise of the Principality of Zeon. Across six hour-long episodes, it chronicles the political intrigue following Zeon Zum Deikun’s death, the Zabi family’s rise to power, and pivotal events like the Battle of Loum that ignited the war. The production values are top-notch, blending dramatic character moments with impressive battle sequences, like Char’s legendary exploits that earned him the title Red Comet.

As a prequel, The Origin can be enjoyed on its own, though its impact is greatest if you’re already familiar with the original 1979 series. It provides valuable context to Char’s motivations and the backdrop of the One Year War which makes it a must-see for Universal Century enthusiasts.

For viewers, it’s worth noting that the 2019 TV edit titled The Origin: Advent of the Red Comet is merely a re-cut of the OVAs into 13 episodes with no significant new footage. I recommend watching the OVAs in release order for the intended cinematic experience and pacing.

3. Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO

• Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO: The Hidden One Year War
  • Release Year: 2004
  • Type: OVA
  • Episode Count: 3
• Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO: Apocalypse 0079
  • Release Year: 2006
  • Type: OVA
  • Episode Count: 3
• Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO 2: Gravity Front
  • Release Year: 2008
  • Type: OVA
  • Episode Count: 3

The project is split into three parts: The Hidden One Year War (2004) and Apocalypse 0079 (2006) follow a Zeon engineering unit aboard the Jotunheim as they test prototype weapons during the war, while MS IGLOO 2: The Gravity Front (2008) switches focus to Earth Federation soldiers fighting a desperate ground war. Across these nine episodes, about 30 minutes each, viewers witness the other side of famous battles – experimental mobile tanks, mega cannons, and amphibious suits that often ended up as historical footnotes. The tone is notably somber. Many episodes play out like war documentaries, complete with narration, as we see one-off prototype units and their pilots face almost inevitable doom. This approach underscores Gundam’s recurring theme that war spares no one, not even the engineers and test pilots working in the shadows.

What makes MS IGLOO stand out is its early 2000s CGI animation. At the time, it was a novel departure from traditional hand-drawn anime. The mechanical designs, supervised by veteran Yutaka Izubuchi, look detailed and fare well in 3D, giving space battles and explosions a realistic flair. However, the human character models and their animations can feel dated or stiff by today’s standards, which some viewers might find distracting. Despite that, the storytelling remains compelling and gives a fuller picture of the struggles on both sides of the lines during the One Year War.

4. Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team

• Release Year: 1996
• Type: OVA
• Episode Count: 12

Widely cherished by fans, The 08th MS Team brings the Gundam conflict down to Southeast Asia’s humid, muddy jungles. This 12-episode saga, released sporadically over three years, follows Ensign Shiro Amada and his squad of Earth Federation soldiers in a grueling ground war far from the space battles of the Gundam saga. As the commander of the 08th Mobile Suit Team, Shiro leads a squad of RX-79[G] Gundam Ground Types in skirmishes against Zeon’s guerilla forces. The series emphasizes the day-to-day camaraderie and struggles of regular soldiers – faulty equipment, ambushes, protecting villagers caught in the crossfire – giving it a gritty, grunt’s-eye view realism rarely seen elsewhere in the franchise. Notably, Shiro develops a forbidden bond with Aina Sahalin, a Zeon test pilot whose brother is behind a feared mobile armor project. Their star-crossed romance lends the story an emotional core as both grapple with loyalty to their country versus their personal feelings.

The animation quality, especially in the mecha battles, is excellent – mobile suits lumber through dense jungle or urban rubble with weight and believability, and fights often play out like realistic military encounters at close range. Because of its realism and self-contained story, this OVA is often recommended as an entry point for Gundam newcomers. Overall, The 08th MS Team remains a high point in the Universal Century lineup, celebrated for its balance of intense action, character development, and the message that the smallest acts of humanity can shine amidst the ugliness of war.

5. Mobile Suit Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance

• Release Year: 2024
• Type: ONA
• Episode Count: 6

Requiem for Vengeance is kind of like a Zeon counterpart to The 08th MS Team. It’s an ambitious mini-series created using Unreal Engine 5 to render its animation. The story is set in the late One Year War on the European front – a theater rarely seen in Gundam anime. The protagonist is Iria Solari, a Zeon mobile suit pilot and leader of the Red Wolves squadron, who is fighting a desperate defensive battle as the Earth Federation pushes into Europe. When a powerful new Federation Gundam, the mysterious Gundam EX, appears on the battlefield, Iria’s campaign becomes a fight for survival and revenge. The series blends themes of vengeance and compassion, and in keeping with Gundam tradition, not everything is black-and-white. Despite being a Zeon soldier, Iria is portrayed sympathetically, and the narrative asks viewers to consider the human cost for both sides.

Requiem for Vengeance garnered a lot of attention for its animation style. The Unreal Engine workflow allows for realistic lighting and intricate mech details, and the mobile suit battles are fluid and explosively cinematic. However, the trade-off comes with the human characters. The CGI character models and facial animations received mixed reviews. Some viewers found the look jarring compared to traditional anime, noting that the show puts the robots above its characters in focus. In terms of writing, while the setup is promising, many felt the execution was thin. It’s an interesting experiment for Gundam, and it’s worth watching for the novelty and action. However, it might not hit the same emotional highs as the classic UC entries.

6. Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket

• Release Year: 1989
• Type: OVA
• Episode Count: 6

War in the Pocket was the first Gundam OVA and remains one of the most emotionally impactful. Set during the last week of the One Year War, this 6-episode story unfolds not on the battlefield but in a neutral space colony, Side 6, far from the front lines. The narrative centers on Al Izuruha, a wide-eyed 11-year-old boy who idolizes mobile suits and their pilots until the war comes to his doorstep. When a Zeon special forces team infiltrates his colony to destroy a new Gundam prototype secretly being developed there, Al befriends one of the commandos, Bernard Wiseman, a young, relatively green Zeon pilot. Bernie, in turn, has no idea that Al’s friendly neighbor, test pilot Christina Mackenzie, is piloting the Gundam he’s been sent to destroy.

In the broader UC timeline, War in the Pocket is a side story, and you don’t need any prior knowledge of Gundam to appreciate it. Yet, its exploration of war’s human cost enriches the entire saga. It’s frequently recommended as a stand-alone war anime, even to those who might not usually watch Gundam. If you’re prepared for a heartfelt, tragic story that stays with you, War in the Pocket is Gundam at its most poignant.

7. Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory

• Release Year: 1991
• Type: OVA
• Episode Count: 13

Bridging the gap between the original series and Zeta Gundam, Stardust Memory is a high-octane epilogue to the One Year War era that sets the stage for the power struggles to come. Taking place three years after the One Year War, in UC 0083, it chronicles the daring plan of Zeon remnants to strike back at the victorious Earth Federation – a plan known as Operation Stardust. When ace Zeon pilot Anavel Gato steals a nuclear-armed Gundam prototype, the RX-78 GP02A Physalis, from a Federation base, young Federation test pilot Kou Uraki gives chase in the remaining prototype Gundam, the RX-78 GP01 Zephyranthes. While the events of 0083 are a standalone story, the incident led to the formation of the Titans task force, which sets up the conflict Zeta Gundam centers around.

However, the OVA isn’t without criticisms. The plot can be convoluted, and character decisions are controversial among fans. A compilation movie, The Afterglow of Zeon, condenses the story into two hours, trimming some subplots but adding a short epilogue that explicitly links to the Titans’ rise. While the movie is a quicker way to digest the story, most prefer the full OVA for its richer detail and action. In the end, Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory is a must-watch for UC aficionados – it’s a flashy, intense slice of history that connects the One Year War and the conflicts to come.

8. Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam

• Release Year: 1985
• Type: Anime Series
• Episode Count: 50

Tomino followed up MSG with Zeta Gundam. The year is 0087, and in the eight years since the original series, the Federation established a counter-Zeon force called the Titans, which has become corrupt. The series centers around Kamille Bidan, a teen who ends up piloting Gundams for the Anti-Earth Union Group against the Titans. Lots of characters return to play a supporting role in Zeta Gundam, including Char Aznable and Amuro Ray.

Zeta Gundam is one of the darker series in the franchise and is a fan favorite for its mature themes. While the original anime didn’t shy away from character deaths and the horrors of war, things get real here, and you’ll want to prepare yourself for a gritty story.

We recommend watching the 1985 anime, but there’s also a 2005 film trilogy called Mobile Suit Gundam: A New Translation that’s worth checking out. However, unlike in the film compilation of the original Mobile Suit Gundam, the story has changed a lot, so it’s not a substitute for watching the original Zeta Gundam series.

9. Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ

• Release Year: 1986
• Type: Anime Series
• Episode Count: 47

Now it’s time for one of the more divisive entries in the franchise. Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ is the direct sequel to Zeta Gundam, but the first half of the series adopts a light-hearted humorous tone that is jarring compared to its predecessor. However, some of the hate for ZZ in the West comes from the low-quality fan subs that were produced before the official translation was released.

Overall, Gundam ZZ didn’t have the same impact as Zeta Gundam, but it’s still an enjoyable series. If you can make it through the first 10-15 episodes, you’ll see it finds its stride and gets even better toward the latter half of its run. It also partially sets the stage for Gundam Unicorn, which means you won’t want to skip it if you’re trying to get the full Universal Century experience.

10. Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack

• Release Year: 1988
• Type: Anime Movie
• Runtime: 2 hours

Char’s Counterattack pits the Amuro and Char against each other again as Char attempts to wipe life on Earth out once and for all to fulfill his twisted desire to accelerate mankind’s evolution. This movie ends the two’s rivalry and serves as the endpoint for the initial chapter of the Universal Century saga.

While most fans enjoy the movie, this is the point where the space wizardry gets a bit too much for some. It heavily focuses on newtypes and humanities evolution, so if you’re just here for the mecha, it can get a bit tedious. However, two of the most iconic machines in the franchise, the Nu Gundam and Sazabi, make their appearance here, which is not to be missed.

11. Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn

• Release Year: 2010
• Type: OVA
• Episode Count: 7

The next chapter in the Universal Century canon (at least on screen) begins with Gundam Unicorn. Once again, a teen boy stumbles upon a mobile suit and is forced to become a hero. This entry in the franchise centers around the secret “Laplace’s Box,” which hides something that the Earth Federation, Neo Zeon, and the Vist Foundation will do almost anything to obtain.

Gundam Unicorn is an excellent OVA with one of the most unfortunately named antagonists in anime history: Full Frontal. It’s also a decent place to get a taste of the franchise if you don’t want to commit to watching one of the longer series first.

12. Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative

• Release Year: 2018
• Type: Anime Movie
• Runtime: 1 Hour, 29 Minutes

The space wizardry is turned up to 11 in Gundam Narrative. A year after the conclusion of Gundam Unicorn, a rogue Unicorn-type mobile suit, the Phenex is spotted, and a Federation task force is sent to find it. The movie deals heavily with newtype abilities and references multiple series. It’s basically a final exam for the Universal Century saga.

13. Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway

• Release Year: 2021-?
• Type: Movie Trilogy

Set in UC 0105, Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway takes place twelve years after Char’s attempted rebellion. The story presents a corrupt Earth Federation that has only grown more oppressive. Haunted by his past, including Char’s final moments and the death of Quess Paraya, Hathaway employs guerrilla tactics and assassination in a bid to change the world. The film’s drama escalates when Hathaway’s terrorist activities put him on a collision course with Federation forces and a mysterious young woman named Gigi Andalucia, who seems to understand more about him than she lets on. All of this unfolds as Hathaway pilots the cutting-edge Xi Gundam, engaging in high-speed conflicts against the Federation’s own advanced prototype, the RX-104FF Penelope, over Earth’s cities and skies.

Sunrise planned Hathaway as a trilogy from the start. The remaining two films are in production, but no release dates have been announced yet. Producers have teased that upcoming chapters will up the ante in terms of character development and visual spectacle, with the story likely diverging a bit from the original novels to keep even longtime fans surprised.

14. Mobile Suit Gundam F91

• Release Year: 1991
• Type: Anime Movie
• Runtime: 1 Hour, 55 Minutes

And now for something completely different.

Gundam F91 was originally envisioned as a full-length anime series commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Gundam franchise. However, production issues caused the series to be scrapped, and the screenplays for the first 13 episodes were distilled into a movie.

When creating the concept for Gundam F91, Tomino wanted it to be accessible to new viewers, and the proposed series would have served as a soft reboot for the franchise. Since it’s set 30 years after Char’s Counterattack, you won’t see familiar faces, and the film focuses on more relatable concepts like family instead of newtypes and politics.

Despite being set in the Universal Century timeline, F91 stands on its own as far as animated productions go. The manga Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam follows an alternate take on the film’s events, but a full-fledged sequel never emerged.

15. Mobile Suit Victory Gundam

• Release Year: 1993
• Type: Anime Series
• Episode Count: 51

Victory Gundam is the bleak climax of the Universal Century’s animated timeline, set over 70 years after the One Year War. By UC 0153, the Earth Federation has weakened, and a new spaceborne empire, the Zanscare Empire, seeks to dominate the Earth sphere. Caught in this struggle is Uso Ewin, a 13-year-old boy who finds himself piloting the new Victory Gundam as he’s swept into the war. Uso joins the League Militaire, a civilian resistance group fighting to protect Earth from Zanscare’s invading forces. Across 51 episodes, Victory Gundam chronicles a grueling guerrilla war spanning Earth’s surface and its orbit. As the conflict intensifies, the series does not shy away from depicting the horrors inflicted on soldiers and civilians alike – Victory earned a reputation for its high body count and tragic scenes, underscoring the idea that by this point, war has only gotten more cruel and senseless.

Reception to Victory Gundam has long been mixed. Some fans find its relentlessly dark story and occasional weirdness hard to digest, while others appreciate it as an uncompromising vision of war’s futility, seeing it as a cult classic. Notably, Tomino himself has expressed displeasure with how it turned out, which perhaps contributed to its somewhat fragmented storytelling. For new Gundam viewers, Victory is usually not the first recommendation – it sits at the end of the UC timeline and doesn’t hold back on spoilers for past conflicts. But for those who have traveled through the Universal Century, Victory Gundam offers a grim, introspective look at how far humanity has, or hasn’t, come after a century of war. It’s a sobering finale for the UC saga, earning respect for its ambition and the depth of its anti-war message, even as it warns that in Gundam’s future, peace is still a distant dream.

16. G-Saviour

• Release Year: 2000
• Type: Live-Action Movie
• Runtime: 1 Hour, 33 Minutes

An outlier in the Gundam canon, G-Saviour is a Canadian-produced live-action movie that stands as a curious experiment for the franchise’s 20th anniversary. Set in UC 0223, about 150 years after Amuro and Char’s time, it portrays a future where the Earth Federation has collapsed and governing power has shifted to the Congress of Settlement Nations, or CONSENT. Space colonies are now independent settlements in this era, and humanity faces a severe food and resource crisis.

G-Saviour diverges from franchise norms. The word Gundam is never actually mentioned on screen, and the politics are distilled into a fairly generic sci-fi rebellion story. The mobile suits, renamed GSUs in the film, do appear, but only sparingly. Being a live-action project from 1999–2000, the production bears the hallmarks of a made-for-TV sci-fi film of its era. The CGI was decent for its time but modest by today’s standards, and the overall visual design of the suits and sets is a far cry from the detailed animation Gundam is known for. The movie’s tone is straightforward and somewhat Hollywood-styled, with familiar tropes: a reluctant hero, a damsel scientist, a one-note villain, and a hopeful ending.

For the average viewer, G-Saviour is mostly recommended for Gundam completionists or those morbidly curious about the franchise’s lone live-action outing before the upcoming Hollywood adaptation. It’s a 90-minute slice of late-90s sci-fi cheese with a Gundam coat of paint.

Alternate Timelines

While most of the animated Universal Century entries are canon, two are set outside the established continuity.

Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt

• Release Year: 2015
• Type: ONA
• Episode Count: 8

For a grittier, hard-hitting take on the late One Year War, check out Gundam Thunderbolt. Set in the debris-filled region known as the Thunderbolt Sector. The story follows two ace pilots: Federation Lieutenant Io Fleming, who operates the Full Armor Gundam, and Zeon sniper Daryl Lorenz, pilot of the Psycho Zaku. Their cat-and-mouse conflict is intensely personal and exceptionally brutal, depicting the physical and psychological toll of war. Also, the jazz soundtrack gives the series a unique feel not found elsewhere in the franchise.

Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt’s canonicity is in question. No one has officially declared it non-canon, but the Gunpla from the series are the only ones labeled “Another Universal Century.” Additionally, comments from the series creator may indicate he considers it to be in a separate timeline.

However, Thunderbolt isn’t complete. The ONA only covers volumes 1-7 of a now 25 volume manga (which is still running). While Sunrise hasn’t said that there won’t be any more Thunderbolt anime, it also hasn’t said that there would be either (though it’s looking less likely with each passing year).

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX

• Release Year: 2025
• Type: Anime Series
• Episode Count: 12

The latest Gundam series is set in an alternate Universal Century where Char found the RX-78-2 Gundam and commandeered it before Amuro could. With the Gundam and the captured White Base, Zeon was able to win the One Year War. GQuuuuuuX picks up seven years later in UC 0085 on an independent space colony.

Since the series is still airing, we’ll hold our analysis for now!