Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX continues to surprise fans with the reappearance of the franchise’s mascot. Gundam GQuuuuuuX takes place in an alternate universe of the original Mobile Suit Gundam anime that premiered in 1979. Whereas the Earth Federation won in the One Year War in the original series, Gundam GQuuuuuuX has the Principality of Zeon winning the war instead. While certain events are changed or erased in the Gundam GQuuuuuuX timeline, most of the characters from the original series exist, and some of them even play key roles. Char Aznable, the main rival from the classic series, was instrumental in Zeon’s victory, whose shadow continues to influence the show.
Challia Bull, who was a one-off antagonist in the original anime, plays a prominent role in Gundam GQuuuuuuX. The new anime reintroduced Lalah Sune, a major character in the classic series, hinting at a multiverse conflict with her at the center. Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX‘s penultimate features its biggest return, when Shuji arrives back from another universe with a new mobile suit – the iconic RX-78-2 Gundam from the first Gundam anime. The penultimate episode hints that the final conflict will be against the franchise’s mascot, making it a battle between the old and the new.
Why Is The RX-78-2 Gundam so Important?
Saying the RX-78-2 Gundam is iconic is actually an understatement. The original Gundam mobile suit is one of the most recognizable giant robots in the world and the de facto face of the Gundam franchise. It’s the grandaddy that started the whole thing, becoming a symbol for Japan and anime. A version of the RX-78-2 Gundam was introduced earlier in Gundam GQuuuuuuX, yet was given a redesign to match the show’s aesthetics. It had a more slender build and a more Evangelion-inspired face, but the red, white, and blue color scheme remained intact. Char would capture the Gundam in the Gundam GQuuuuuuX timeline, leading it to Zeon’s victory. Char would paint the Gundam red, gifting it the Red Gundam nickname.
The RX-78-2 that appears in the penultimate episode has the same design as the classic series, implying it is a similar mobile suit. The original RX-78-2 from the anime was destroyed at the series finale in one final confrontation with Char. It’s unknown if the RX-78-2 is supposed to be the same one from the original anime or one from a universe similar to the classic one. The context of the penultimate episode heavily implies that Shuji brought in the RX-78-2 himself, but there is no confirmation that he is piloting it. Shuji declared he would stop the world, hinting he will be the final antagonist alongside the iconic version of the RX-78-2.
If the RX-78-2 is the final enemy mobile suit in Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, it would be a retread of the finale of Mobile Suit Gundam 00. The final antagonist of Gundam 00 piloted a robot that was visually identical to the original RX-78-2, referencing the fact that the main villain of Gundam 00 was voiced by the same actor who played the main protagonist of the original series, Amuro Ray. Furthermore, Amuro is noticeably absent in Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX. There are no references to what happened to Amuro in this alternate timeline. With only one episode to go, it’s uncertain how, or if, the series will reveal fans’ undying questions, including Amuro’s disappearance. Maybe Amuro is piloting the classic RX-78-2, leading to a protagonist versus protagonist situation.
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