The Gundam franchise has been at the forefront of the mecha genre for over thirty years. What started as a contained story about the horrors of war and the struggles of soldiers behind the wheels of super weapons who traverse land, air, and space to defeat the enemy hasexpanded into numerous showsmultiple timelines across multiple galaxies.
Gundam has risen to a worldwide phenomenon, transcending manga and anime, reaching higher with video games like Gundam Breaker 4 and even live-action films. Throughout the years, every iteration of Gundam has produced magnificently designed machines by masterful artists and animators. True weapons with world-ending powers inhabit each Gundam universe with unstoppable abilities. Here are some of the strongest Mecha in Gundam, ranked.
9Gundam Aerial
The Perfect Union Of Machine And Pilot
The Gundam Aerial is one of the most recently created Gundam models, which debuted in theMobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercuryanime that released a few years ago. The series birthed theAd Stella timeline, which was overseen by a galactic counsel of corporations that oversaw peace and acted as a universal government. The Gundam Aerial is the main machine of the series, powered by an artificial intelligence program that aids the pilot, Suletta Mercury. The Gundam Aerial has a devastating arsenal and essential equipment like beam sabers and beam rifles. However, the ability of the pilot to work alongside the AI inside the machine allows for perfect control of the Gund-Bit system, which can act as a light barrier, Funnel Lasers, Physical Bits, and an amplification module for the beam rifle. In battle, this pairing can overwhelm opponents as they face multiple tactics from a single machine.
8Hashmal
A Devastating Self-aware Weapon
Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphansis filled with weapons from the past that caused the current dystopian state of the world as it’s portrayed in the series. Mobile Weapons were weapons that led to a great calamity. Among those weapons were mobile armors that could act independently and were some of the most destructive creations in history. This was proven when an age-long lost armor called the Hashmal was awoken and nearly wiped out Tekkadon and all nearby individuals it perceived as a threat. With near impenetrable armor and a wide array of unique weaponry such as talons, missiles, and a tale blade, the Hashmal was an unpredictable powerhouse and nearly ended the story before it began.
7Big Zamm
A True Weapon Of Mass Destruction
Big Zamm is a classic mobile armor that was constructed by the Principality of Zeon during the originalMobile Suit GundamAnime in the Chaotic Century timeline. This monstrous machine was the first of its kind and was constructed over many years to be the ultimate weapon to lead Zeon into the future. Big Zamm was outfitted with unimaginable firepower from mega laser canons, beam missiles, and unstoppable physical attacks, as well as thick armor to fend off threats. Along with the ability to be mobile and flight-capable, Big Zamm was a force of nature that nearly turned the tide of the One-Year War. It took a team effort from the Earth Forces and a secret invasion of the machine to bring down the massive Mecha from within.
6Mighty Strike Freedom
An Unstoppable Machine With Endless Power
The Mighty Strike Freedom is the fifth-generation mobile suit developed for Kira Yamato that appeared in theMobile Suit Gundam Seed Freedomanimated film. In the movie’s final battle, Lacus Clyne and Kira Yamato appear with a new installation of the Freedom Gundam, which increases its destructive and defensive capabilities tenfold. Classified as the Proud Defender, this attachment harnesses the abilities of electro-magnification to create an impenetrable force field that can deflect all outside ranged attacks and a disrupter wave that can destroy an armada of battleships and mobile suits in the blink of an eye. Among the weapons of mass destruction in the Cosmic Era, the Mighty Strike Freedom is the most powerful.
5Nu Gundam
A Custom Built Weapon Made For Peace
As the One-Year War came to a close, Amuro Ray appeared on the frontline in theMobile Suit Gundam Chars Counter Attackanimated film in the newly designed Nu Gundam. Crafted from the ground up by Amuro Ray himself, the Nu Gundam was a revolutionary machine that incorporated Funnel technology and the Psychoframe cockpit, which tookadvantage of Newtype abilities. Utilizing Fin Funnels that could not only operate at long distances but cover the base unit in a beam shield, The Nu Gunda was the perfect nemesis for the newly operational Zabi Frame, piloted by Char Aznable. Like most Gundams, the Nu model was a significant threat on any battlefield, but in the hands of Amuro Ray, it was even more lethal.
4Sazabi
The Perfect Machine For The Red Comet
The Sazabi is the other side of the coin compared to the Nu Gundam piloted by Amuro Ray. After his second coming, Char Anzable spearheaded the following conflict between Earth and Neo Zeon. His flagship machine would be the Sazabi, constructed by Anaheim Electronics specifically forChar the Red Comet. The Sazabi is a sizable machine equipped with high-powered beam weaponry, including scatter funnels that Char can operate precisely thanks to the Psycho Cockpit and the Psycommu system built into the frame of the machine. Paired with Char’s piloting skills, the Sazabi is a near-perfect creation built for the frontlines of war.
3Gundam Unicorn
A Threat That Spans Across Galaxies
The Unicorn Gundamis perhaps the most dangerous machine ever made in Gundam continuity. With the series and novels revolving around its creation and abilities, there is an air of paranormal aura around it as it has abilities that outperform any machine before and after its creation. The one drawback of the Unicorn Gundam is that its level of performance is dependent on the pilot and their connection to the machine. With the right pilot, the Unicorn Gundam can achieve light-speed mobility, reality warping and manipulation, and a high level of Clairvoyance. While this all fluctuates from pilot to pilot, the Unicorn Gundam has been classified as a universe-level threat.
2Neo Zeong
A Weapon Of World-Ending Proportions
The Neo Zeong is a mobile armor created for Full Frontal, the main antagonist ofMobile Suit Gundam Unicorn. The devastating creation was a roaming extinction level, even with an arsenal of weaponry and abilities that defied physics. Specifically designed to tap into and take full advantage of the psychic abilities of Newtypes, the Neo Zeong could manipulate enemy machines, distort time and space, and leave entire civilizations in rubble in mere seconds. With high-powered beam weaponry, countless funnel weapons, and a host cockpit built for a full-sized mobile suit, even the unicorn Gundam could not face the sheer power of the unit.
1Turn A
The Most Technological Advanced Gundam In History
Canonically, the Turn A is the most advanced Gundam ever created throughout Gundam’s main timeline, the Chaotic Century. Initially designed for interstellar war, the Turn A unit was forged with exceptional technology that was lost to humanity by time and future catastrophic events. However, the Turn A stood the test of time and served as the primary unit of theMobile Suit Gundam Turn Amove. Unlike any other machine, the Turn A’s central power unit is a dead star, which grants the machine unimaginable power output. On top of this, Turn A is piloted by reading its pilot’s thought patterns, meaning it’s more of a second skin than a vehicle. Able to equip nearly any weapon and elevate its attack power, Turn A could lead the universe into the future or destroy it forever.
