Start Gundam with Mobile Suit Gundam (1979) and stay in the Universal Century: Zeta, ZZ, Char's Counterattack, then Unicorn. The alternate universes (Wing, SEED, 00, Iron-Blooded Orphans, The Witch from Mercury) each stand alone and are good entry points too.
- Titles
- 27
- Films
- 7
- Series
- 20
- Watch time
- 322 hours
- Box office
- $62 million
- Avg IMDb
- 7.2
Gundam shows in release order
Here is every Gundam title in the order it came out, 1979 to 2025: 7 films and 20 series. Optional entries are marked; you can skip them on a first watch.
Gundam timeline: shows in chronological order
The same titles in story order, by when they take place, with the year or era each one is set in.
Release or chronological: which order is best?
Release order and story order disagree on 26 titles here. In release order you start with Mobile Suit Gundam (1979); in story order you start with Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, set in UC 0068, which came out 36 years later.
First time through, watch in release order. That is how the twists, returning characters and callbacks were built to land, and later entries assume you have seen the earlier ones. On a rewatch, try story order. It turns Gundam into one continuous story and makes the prequels play as setup instead of backstory.
Gundam also runs 11 separate continuities: Future Century, After Colony, After War, Correct Century, Cosmic Era, Anno Domini, Advanced Generation, Regild Century, Post Disaster, Ad Stella, and GQuuuuuuX. Each has its own line on the timeline, so you can watch them on their own without breaking the main story.
Where to start
Start with Mobile Suit Gundam and go in release order, skipping the 4 optional titles on the first pass.
The essentials are 23 titles and about 307 hours, 5% less than the full run.
The three highest rated: Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (8), Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket (8), and Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (8).
Every Gundam title, explained
One entry per title in release order: what it is about, why it matters to the bigger story, who is in it and how it did.
No. 01 · 1979 · Series · 17h 55m · 2nd in story order
Mobile Suit Gundam
What would you do if you suddenly found yourself in the middle of a war? Teenager Amuro Ray sees his life shattered when war comes to his home. During the chaos, Amuro finds himself inside the mobile suit Gundam, the Earth Federation's new secret weapon, and he somehow gets it to work. Amuro and the other refugees flee their homeland on the warship White Base. This group of children and inexperienced soldiers will change the outcome of the war.
Why it matters: Amuro Ray and the One Year War; where Gundam starts.
- Starring
- Toru Furuya, Shuichi Ikeda, and Hirotaka Suzuoki
- Creator
- Yoshiyuki Tomino
- Scores
- IMDb 7.9
- Episodes
- 43
No. 02 · 1985 · Series · 20h · 7th in story order
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
Universal Century 0087, 7 years have passed since the end of the One Year War between the Earth Federation and the Principality of Zeon. The Earth Federation has created an elite task force, known as the Titans, who are responsible for hunting the remaining Zeon forces. However, the power-hungry Titans have spurred the creation of a rebellious faction called the Anti-Earth Union Group (AEUG).
Why it matters: Seven years later; the Titans rise.
- Starring
- Nobuo Tobita, Shuichi Ikeda, and Miyuki Matsuoka
- Scores
- IMDb 8
- Episodes
- 50
No. 03 · 1986 · Series · 19h 35m · 8th in story order
Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ
The year is Universal Century 0088. Directly after the end of the Gryps War, Haman Karn and her army of Zeon remnants on the asteroid Axis begin their quest of reviving the lost empire of the Zabi's, and proclaim themselves as the Neo-Zeon. With the Earth Federation as hapless as ever, only the Anti-Earth Union Group (AEUG) is able oppose the plans of Neo-Zeon. In need of all the help it can get after being decimated in the previous war and losing many of its key members, the AEUG ship Argama enlists the aid of a young junk collector from the Side 1 colony of Shangri-La named Judau Ashta to pilot its newest mobile suit, the ZZ Gundam.
Why it matters: Picks up right after Zeta.
- Starring
- Kazuki Yao, Hirotaka Suzuoki, and Masami Kikuchi
- Creator
- Yoshiyuki Tomino
- Scores
- IMDb 6.7
- Episodes
- 47
No. 04 · 1988 · Film · 2h · 9th in story order
Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack
In UC 0093, the Federation has recovered from its defeat and has created a new anti-colonial special forces unit to deal with rebel forces: Londo Bell. Elsewhere in space, Char Aznable reappears out of self-imposed hiding with a declaration that he now commands his own Neo-Zeon movement, and intends to force the emigration of Earth's inhabitants to space by bringing about an apocalypse.
Why it matters: Amuro and Char's final battle.
- Starring
- Toru Furuya, Shuichi Ikeda, and Fuyumi Shiraishi
- Director
- Yoshiyuki Tomino
- Box office
- $7 million
- Scores
- IMDb 7.2
No. 05 · 1989 · Series · 2h 40m · 4th in story order · optional
Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket
In the final days of the One Year War, a Zeon special forces group infiltrates a colony to gather information on a new Gundam unit. Alfred Izuhara, a 10-year-old student, befriends Zeon rookie pilot Bernie Wiseman during a brief mobile suit combat. Meanwhile, Al meets up with Christina MacKenzie, his former neighbor and babysitter. Little does he know that not only is Christina a member of the Earth Federation, she's the test pilot of the new Gundam NT-4 prototype.
Why it matters: The war seen through a child's eyes; a side story.
- Starring
- Daisuke Namikawa, Megumi Hayashibara, and Koji Tsujitani
- Scores
- IMDb 8
- Episodes
- 6
No. 06 · 1991 · Film · 1h 55m · 13th in story order
Mobile Suit Gundam F91
U.C. 0123. After a generation of peace, the Earth Federation has begun to build new space colonies to house humanity's growing population. But a new force, the aristocratic Crossbone Vanguard, plans to seize the colonies of the newly constructed Frontier Side for itself. As their home becomes a battlefield, a handful of young civilians struggle to escape the conflict. To save his friends and family, the reluctant warrior Seabook Arno becomes the pilot of a new Gundam which bears the code name F91.
Why it matters: Thirty years after Char's Counterattack.
- Starring
- Koji Tsujitani, Yumi Touma, and Miyoko Shoji
- Director
- Yoshiyuki Tomino
- Scores
- IMDb 6.4
No. 07 · 1991 · Series · 6h 30m · 6th in story order
Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory
It is the year 0083 of the Universal Century. The rebellious Principality of Zeon has been defeated in the One Year War by the Earth Federation. However, a faction of Zeon remnants led by Aguille Delaz fled from the final battle, hiding themselves away. After three long years, they attempt to rise up once more, sending Delaz’s ace pilot, Anavel Gato, to infiltrate a Federation research base to steal one of two secretly developed prototype Gundams along with its deadly nuclear warhead. Threatened by the rogue Gundam suit and seeking to retain peace, the Earth Federation mobilizes the newly developed Albion carrier to recover the stolen unit. Manned by the remaining test pilots, with rookie pilot Kou Uraki piloting the remaining prototype Gundam, the Albion and her crew are determined to stop Gato, retake the stolen Gundam, and prevent the Zeon remnants from starting another war.
Why it matters: Bridges the original and Zeta.
- Starring
- Ryo Horikawa, Akio Otsuka, and Rei Sakuma
- Scores
- IMDb 7.6
- Episodes
- 13
No. 08 · 1993 · Series · 20h 24m · 14th in story order
Mobile Suit Victory Gundam
It is the Universal Century, year 0153. The Zanscare Empire, which rules almost all of Side 2, has declared its independence from the old government, the hollow and corrupt Earth Federation. Under the justification of creating a new, space-based order, it has begun an invasion of Earth; and Point Kasarelia, the illegal residence area in Eastern Europe where Üso Ewin and Shahkti Kareen live, is no exception. As they are caught in the fighting between Zanscare and the opposing resistance organization, the League Militaire, fate draws Üso and his friends into the midst of battle.
Why it matters: The late Universal Century.
- Starring
- Daisuke Sakaguchi, Yumi Ichihara, and Tomoyuki Dan
- Scores
- IMDb 7
- Episodes
- 51
No. 09 · 1994 · Series · 19h 36m · 15th in story order
Mobile Fighter G Gundam
In the Year F.C. (Future Century) 60, much of mankind inhabits space colonies which orbit the Earth. Dominance over the colonies is decided once every four years by a large tournament in which each nation sends a single representative to fight the others with a giant robot called a Gundam. Domon Kashuu is selected to represent Neo-Japan in one of these tournaments, but he fights less to ensure his nation's victory than to find his brother, who has been blamed for the deaths of Domon's parents and the disappearance of a very dangerous weapon, the Devil Gundam (Dark Gundam).
Why it matters: Gundam Fights between nations; its own universe.
- Starring
- Tomokazu Seki, Yuri Amano, and Hochu Otsuka
- Scores
- IMDb 7.5
- Episodes
- 49
No. 10 · 1995 · Series · 20h 3m · 16th in story order
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
After Colony (A.C.) 195. Mankind has moved into space. Thousands of people live on giant orbiting space colonies called "Sides." However, the Earth Government, which rules the colonies, is unjust and cruel. A group of revolutionaries builds five robotic weapons called Gundams and plans to send them to Earth to begin their fight for independence. Piloted by five young men, these Gundams carry the hopes and dreams of freedom of the colonists with them as they descend to Earth to begin Operation Meteor!
Why it matters: Five teenage pilots; a classic entry point.
- Starring
- Hikaru Midorikawa, Akiko Yajima, and Toshihiko Seki
- Scores
- IMDb 8
- Episodes
- 49
No. 11 · 1996 · Series · 5h 3m · 3rd in story order · optional
Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team
Ensign Shiro Amada is transferred to Southeast Asia to take command of the 08th MS Team. In their first guerilla operation, Shiro's team is tasked with distracting the Zeon forces while Federation ground troops locate a mysterious new Zeon weapon.
Why it matters: A side story in the jungles of the One Year War.
- Starring
- Nobuyuki Hiyama, Mami Koyama, and Osamu Ichikawa
- Scores
- IMDb 7.9
- Episodes
- 12
No. 12 · 1996 · Series · 16h 15m · 17th in story order
After War Gundam X
15 years post an interstellar war's end, an orphan named Garrod makes a living stealing mobile suits, then gets enlisted for a girl's rescue mission.
Why it matters: After a war that dropped colonies on Earth.
- Starring
- Wataru Takagi, Mika Kanai, and Takumi Yamazaki
- Scores
- IMDb 7.1
- Episodes
- 39
No. 13 · 1999 · Series · 20h 50m · 18th in story order
Turn A Gundam
It is the Correct Century, two millenniums after a devastating conflict which left the world broken. Earth is now mostly uninhabitable, and thus a remnant of humanity has resided on the Moon while the Earth and its few survivors recover.
Why it matters: The far future, tying all timelines together.
- Starring
- Romi Park, Setsuji Sato, and Akio Nojima
- Creator
- Yoshiyuki Tomino
- Scores
- IMDb 7.5
- Episodes
- 50 across 2 seasons
No. 14 · 2002 · Series · 40h · 19th in story order
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED
Cosmic Era 71. Mankind has developed into two subspecies: Naturals, who reside on Earth, and Coordinators, genetically enhanced humans capable of withstanding the rigors of space who inhabit orbital colonies known as PLANTs. The story revolves around a young Coordinator named Kira Yamato, who becomes involved in the war between the two races after a neutral space colony secretly developing mobile suits for the Earth Alliance is attacked by the PLANTs' military force, ZAFT.
Why it matters: Naturals versus Coordinators; includes SEED Destiny.
- Starring
- Toshihiko Seki, Akira Ishida, and Soichiro Hoshi
- Scores
- IMDb 7.7
- Episodes
- 100 across 2 seasons
No. 15 · 2007 · Series · 20h 50m · 21st in story order
Mobile Suit Gundam 00
The year is 2307 A.D. Although fossil fuels have been depleted, humanity has obtained a new source of energy to replace them, in the form of a large-scale solar power generation system based on three huge orbital elevators. However, the benefits of this system are available only to a handful of major powers and their allies. In this world of never-ending conflict, a private armed organization appears, dedicated to the elimination of war through armed force. Its name is Celestial Being, and it is in possession of "Gundam" mobile suits.
Why it matters: Celestial Being fights to end war.
- Starring
- Mamoru Miyano, Shin-ichiro Miki, and Hiroyuki Yoshino
- Scores
- IMDb 8
- Episodes
- 50 across 2 seasons
No. 16 · 2010 · Series · 7h 19m · 10th in story order
Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn
When Banagher Links meets the mysterious Audrey Burne, he inherits the Unicorn Gundam and is swept up into the battle for space colony independence.
Why it matters: The secret of Laplace's Box.
- Starring
- Koki Uchiyama, Daisuke Namikawa, and Rikiya Koyama
- Scores
- IMDb 7.7
- Episodes
- 7
No. 17 · 2010 · Film · 2h 3m · 22nd in story order
Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie: A Wakening of the Trailblazer
The year is 2314 AD, two years have passed since the defeat of the Innovades and the exposure of the A-Laws' crimes against humanity. The A-Laws have been abolished and their infrastructure integrated into the Earth Sphere Federation Army. However, the world's exposure to GN Particles has resulted in many people awakening as True Innovators. Celestial Being has returned to the shadows to rebuild and quietly observe the infantile peace. However, an abandoned probe from an expedition to Jupiter 130 years ago approaches Earth bringing a new crisis with it, one that threatens all of mankind. While Celestial Being begins their final mission to save humanity from an unimaginable threat, Gundam Meister Setsuna F. Seiei is about to discover the true purpose of his evolution as an Innovator. Aeolia Schenberg's plan has moved into its final stage...
Why it matters: Concludes Gundam 00.
- Starring
- Mamoru Miyano, Shin-ichiro Miki, and Hiroyuki Yoshino
- Director
- Seiji Mizushima
- Scores
- IMDb 6.8
No. 18 · 2011 · Series · 19h 36m · 23rd in story order
Mobile Suit Gundam AGE
Advanced Generation (A.G.) 101. The space colony Angel is attacked and destroyed by a mysterious "Unknown Enemy" with overwhelming strength. As this "UE" continues its attacks, a boy named Flit Asuno loses his mother when she is caught in the crossfire. Now in A.G. 115, Flit must fight using a new Gundam of his own creation, which evolves itself through battle. The curtain rises on an epic Gundam saga spanning 100 years and three generations.
Why it matters: A war across three generations.
- Starring
- Toshiyuki Toyonaga, Takuya Eguchi, and Hiroshi Kamiya
- Scores
- IMDb 5.5
- Episodes
- 49
No. 19 · 2014 · Series · 10h 50m · 24th in story order
Gundam Reconguista in G
The Universal Century, a history marked by space colonization and space warfare, has passed. Humanity's prosperity, which ushered in a new era known as the Regild Century (R.C.), was believed to endure alongside global peace. In RC 1014, Bellri Zenam, a pilot in training of the Capitol Guard is somehow chosen by the G-Self - a highly maneuverable Mobile Suit of unknown origin - to lead to uncover hidden truths that will shake the peace of the Regild Century era.
Why it matters: Yoshiyuki Tomino's far-future story.
- Starring
- Mark Ishii, Yu Shimamura, and Yukari Fukui
- Creator
- Yoshiyuki Tomino
- Scores
- IMDb 5.4
- Episodes
- 26
No. 20 · 2015 · Series · 5h 25m · 1st in story order · optional
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin
This is the story of how Char Aznable, the Red Comet, came to be. Zeon Zum Deikun suddenly dies, in the middle of declaring the Autonomous Republic of Munzo’s independence, and the republic falls into turmoil. His children, Casval and Artesia, escape to Earth while the House of Zabi rises to power. Living in secret, the siblings must find their place in a world preparing for war.
Why it matters: Char and Sayla's past, before the One Year War; best after the original.
- Starring
- Shuichi Ikeda, Toru Furuya, and Megumi Han
- Scores
- IMDb 7.8
- Episodes
- 13
No. 21 · 2015 · Series · 20h 50m · 25th in story order
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans
On a terraformed post-disaster Mars, a group of child security agents rebel against the adults who betrayed them and the oppressive Earth government.
Why it matters: Child soldiers on Mars.
- Starring
- Kengo Kawanishi, Yoshimasa Hosoya, and Yuka Terasaki
- Creator
- Tatsuyuki Nagai
- Scores
- IMDb 7.9
- Episodes
- 50
No. 22 · 2018 · Film · 1h 29m · 11th in story order
Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative
U.C. 0097, one year after the opening of "Laplace's Box". Despite the revelation of the Universal Century Charter that acknowledges the existence and rights of Newtypes, the framework of the world has not been greatly altered. The conflict later dubbed the "Laplace Incident" is thought to have ended with the downfall of the Neo Zeon remnants known as the Sleeves. In its final battle, two full psycho-frame mobile suits displayed power beyond human understanding. The white unicorn and the black lion were sealed away to remove this danger from people's consciousness, and they should now be completely forgotten. However, the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam 03, which disappeared two years earlier, is now about to show itself in the Earth Sphere once more. A golden phoenix… named Phenex.
Why it matters: A sequel to Unicorn.
- Starring
- Junya Enoki, Tomo Muranaka, and Ayu Matsuura
- Director
- Shunichi Yoshizawa
- Scores
- IMDb 6.1
No. 23 · 2021 · Film · 1h 36m · 12th in story order
Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway
Twelve years after Char's rebellion, Hathaway Noa leads an insurgency against Earth Federation, but meeting an enemy officer and a mysterious woman alters his fate.
Why it matters: Bright Noa's son as a revolutionary.
- Starring
- Kensho Ono, Reina Ueda, and Junichi Suwabe
- Director
- Shukou Murase
- Box office
- $19 million
- Scores
- IMDb 6.6 · Rotten Tomatoes 86%
No. 24 · 2022 · Film · 1h 49m · 5th in story order · optional
Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan's Island
After a covert mission goes wrong, Mobile Suit pilot Amuro Ray and his comrades are stranded on a remote island. The battalion was sent to a land called the Island of No Return to clear off any enemy forces, only to find a group of children and an enemy mecha attack. Now Amuro must find a way for them all to escape this mysterious land, but not before meeting a strange man—Cucuruz Doan.
Why it matters: A film retelling a single episode of the original; optional.
- Starring
- Toru Furuya, Shunsuke Takeuchi, and Ken Narita
- Director
- Yoshikazu Yasuhiko
- Scores
- IMDb 6.8 · Rotten Tomatoes 100%
No. 25 · 2022 · Series · 9h 53m · 26th in story order
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury
A. S. (Ad Stella) 122 ― An era when a multitude of corporations have entered space and built a huge economic system. Suletta Mercury, a lone girl from the remote planet Mercury, transfers to the Asticassia School of Technology, run by the Beneritt Group which dominates the mobile suit industry.
Why it matters: A school drama with duels; a modern entry point.
- Starring
- Kana Ichinose, Lynn, and Yohei Azakami
- Scores
- IMDb 7.4
- Episodes
- 24
No. 26 · 2024 · Film · 2h 5m · 20th in story order
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom
In C.E.75, the fighting still continues. There are independence movements, and aggression by Blue Cosmos... In order to calm the situation, a global peace monitoring agency called COMPASS is established, with Lacus as its first president. As members of COMPASS, Kira and his comrades intervene into various regional battles. Then a newly established nation called Foundation proposes a joint operation against a Blue Cosmos stronghold.
Why it matters: The SEED film sequel.
- Starring
- Soichiro Hoshi, Rie Tanaka, and Akira Ishida
- Director
- Mitsuo Fukuda
- Box office
- $36 million
- Scores
- IMDb 6.5
No. 27 · 2025 · Series · 5h 4m
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX
High-school student Amate Yuzuriha lives peacefully in a space colony floating in outer space. But when she meets a war refugee named Nyaan, Amate is drawn into the illegal mobile suit dueling sport known as Clan Battle.
Why it matters: An alternate history of the One Year War.
- Starring
- Tomoyo Kurosawa, Yui Ishikawa, and Shimba Tsuchiya
- Scores
- IMDb 6.8
- Episodes
- 12
Gundam box office and budgets
The 3 Gundam films with reported numbers have grossed $62 million worldwide. The biggest is Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom at $36 million, 58% of the franchise's total on its own, followed by Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway ($19 million) and Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack ($7 million).
The best and worst rated Gundam shows
Across 27 rated titles, Gundam averages 7.2 on IMDb. The top of the list is Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam at 8, then Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket (8) and Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (8). At the bottom: Gundam Reconguista in G (5.4) and Mobile Suit Gundam AGE (5.5). Money and quality don't line up perfectly: the highest grosser, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom, is only the 23rd best rated.
- Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam8
- Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket8
- Mobile Suit Gundam Wing8
- Mobile Suit Gundam 008
- Mobile Suit Gundam7.9
- Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team7.9
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans7.9
- Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin7.8
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED7.7
- Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn7.7
Who appears in the most Gundam shows
Toru Furuya leads with 5 appearances as Amuro Ray and Amuro, ahead of Shuichi Ikeda (4) and Hirotaka Suzuoki (4). Counted from each title's top-billed cast.
| Actor | Role | Titles | First and latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toru Furuya | Amuro Ray / Amuro | 5 | Mobile Suit Gundam (1979) to Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan's Island (2022) |
| Shuichi Ikeda | Char Aznable / Quattro Bajeena | 4 | Mobile Suit Gundam (1979) to Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin (2015) |
| Hirotaka Suzuoki | Bright Noa | 4 | Mobile Suit Gundam (1979) to Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack (1988) |
| Takehito Koyasu | Dwight Camry / Zechs Merquise | 4 | Mobile Suit Gundam F91 (1991) to Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom (2024) |
| Tomokazu Seki | Chris Royd / Domon Kasshu | 4 | Mobile Suit Victory Gundam (1993) to Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom (2024) |
| Hiroki Touchi | Lasse Aeon / Daguza Mackle | 4 | Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (2007) to Mobile Suit Gundam AGE (2011) |
| Shin Mori | Astonaige Medoz / Beecha Oleg | 3 | Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (1985) to Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack (1988) |
| Ai Orikasa | Michiko Izuruha / Quatre Raberba Winner | 3 | Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket (1989) to Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (1995) |
| Kotono Mitsuishi | Toniya Malme / Murrue Ramius | 3 | After War Gundam X (1996) to Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom (2024) |
| Hiroshi Kamiya | Tieria Erde / Zeheart Galette | 3 | Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (2007) to Mobile Suit Gundam AGE (2011) |
| Ayahi Takagaki | Feldt Grace / Manny Ambassada | 3 | Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (2007) to Gundam Reconguista in G (2014) |
| Fuyumi Shiraishi | Mirai Yashima | 2 | Mobile Suit Gundam (1979) to Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack (1988) |
Gundam directors and creators
7 filmmakers have directed or created Gundam; Yoshiyuki Tomino has the most, with 6.
- Yoshiyuki TominoMobile Suit Gundam (1979), Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ (1986), Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack (1988), Mobile Suit Gundam F91 (1991), Turn A Gundam (1999), and Gundam Reconguista in G (2014)
- Seiji MizushimaMobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie: A Wakening of the Trailblazer (2010)
- Tatsuyuki NagaiMobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans (2015)
- Shunichi YoshizawaMobile Suit Gundam Narrative (2018)
- Shukou MuraseMobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway (2021)
- Yoshikazu YasuhikoMobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan's Island (2022)
- Mitsuo FukudaMobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom (2024)
How long it takes to watch every Gundam show
All 27 titles add up to 322 hours: 13 hours of film and 309 hours of series, counting every episode. That is about 161 two-hour evenings, or 33 days of ten-hour binges. The essentials cut it to 307 hours. The longest film is Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom at 2h 5m.
The 4 best rated films: Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack, Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie: A Wakening of the Trailblazer, Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan's Island, and Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway.
Everything takes about 11 months; the essentials about 10 months.
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED FREEDOM ZERO is out January 15, 2027. Track what you've watched on the timeline and it counts the hours left.
Which Gundam shows can you skip?
4 titles can go without losing the main story. They are side stories, spin-offs or entries the later films ignore. Dropping them saves 15 hours.
- Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin2015 · Series · 5h 25m · optionalChar and Sayla's past, before the One Year War; best after the original.
- Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team1996 · Series · 5h 3m · optionalA side story in the jungles of the One Year War.
- Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket1989 · Series · 2h 40m · optionalThe war seen through a child's eyes; a side story.
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan's Island2022 · Film · 1h 49m · optionalA film retelling a single episode of the original; optional.
Upcoming Gundam shows
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED FREEDOM ZEROJanuary 15, 2027
Common questions
What order should I watch the Gundam shows in?
Start Gundam with Mobile Suit Gundam (1979) and stay in the Universal Century: Zeta, ZZ, Char's Counterattack, then Unicorn. The alternate universes (Wing, SEED, 00, Iron-Blooded Orphans, The Witch from Mercury) each stand alone and are good entry points too.
How many Gundam movies and shows are there?
There are 27 titles in the Gundam franchise: 7 films and 20 series, released from 1979 to 2025. 1 more is announced: Mobile Suit Gundam SEED FREEDOM ZERO.
How long does it take to watch all the Gundam shows?
About 322 hours for all 27 titles, counting every episode. The essentials only (23 titles) take about 307 hours.
What is the first Gundam title in chronological order?
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, set in UC 0068. In release order the first is Mobile Suit Gundam (1979).
Which Gundam titles can I skip?
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team, Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket, and Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan's Island. They are spin-offs, side stories or non-canon entries; the main story holds without them.
What is the next Gundam release?
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED FREEDOM ZERO, out January 15, 2027.
What is the best Gundam title?
By IMDb score, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (1985) at 8, followed by Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket at 8.
What is the highest-grossing Gundam movie?
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom (2024), with $36 million worldwide. Gundam films have made $62 million in total.
Who has appeared in the most Gundam shows?
Toru Furuya, in 5 of them as Amuro Ray.
What is the longest Gundam movie?
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom, at 2h 5m.
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