How to watch Gundam in order
Over 40 years of anime in one fell swoop.
Created by Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino, the Gundam franchise is not only renowned by most of the world but also has origins dating back to the late 1970s, giving it an impressive and, let's be honest, vintage sheen that appeals to any anime viewer. When it comes to the OGs of anime, you'll no doubt first think of Gundam.
Given how long the Gundam franchise has been around, it's only natural that it comes with a plethora of spin-offs, sequels, prequels, and everything in between. With so many different iterations and storylines, it’s easy to see why you might feel lost when trying to figure out where to start.
Alongside film and TV adaptations, Gundam has also been serialised in manga, novels, and collectible figurines. The latest news around Gundam is that of its live-action adaptation, with Bandai Namco dropping its partnership with streaming service Netflix to go with Legendary Pictures instead – meaning a full, theatrical release of a Gundam movie is on the way.
With an exciting movie on the way, it makes sense to get into the series so you can fully enjoy it. The trouble with that is simple: Gundam can often come across as a confusing franchise. With numerous adaptations featuring different names and characters, where to begin is not an easy task.
To simplify your Gundam watch order, we've got just the guide to help you navigate the options. There are over 50 animated franchise versions to work with, but we've compiled the entirety into a cohesive timeline.
Here’s how to watch the complete Gundam franchise in order, from release to chronological.
How to watch Gundam in release order
With so much going on and so many different elements to consider, viewers might simply want to watch Gundam in the order in which it was released.
The order for watching the Gundam franchise by release date looks something like this:
- Mobile Suit Gundam (1979 – 1980)
- Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (1985 – 1986)
- Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ (1986 – 1987)
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack (1988)
- Mobile Suit Gundam F91 (1991)
- Victory Gundam (1993)
- Mobile Suit V Gundam (1993 – 1994)
- Mobile Fighter G Gundam (1994 – 1995)
- Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (1995 – 1996)
- After War Gundam X (1996)
- Turn A Gundam (1999)
- Gundam SEED (2002 – 2003)
- Gundam SEED Destiny (2004 – 2005)
- Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (2007 – 2009)
- Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn (2010)
- Gundam Reconguista in G (2014 – 2015)
- Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin (2015 – 2018)
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans (2015 – 2017)
- Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt (2015 – 2017)
- Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury (2022)
How to watch Gundam in chronological order
The franchise takes place across the Universal Century timeline for the original Gundam series, which then grew to include the added spin-offs and OVAs we’re including in this list.
It follows the tensions between the Earth Federation’s Amuro Ray and Char Aznable, which later lead to all-out war. Essentially, this is the core timeline of the Gundam franchise.
Watching Gundam according to the chronology of the Universal Century timeline follows this order:
- Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin (2015-2018)
- Mobile Suit Gundam (1979)
- Mobile Suit Gundam: The Movie Trilogy (1981-1982)
- Advent Of The Red Comet (2019)
- The 08th MS Team (1996 – 1999)
- MS IGLOO (2004 – 2008)
- 0080: War In The Pocket (1989)
- Thunderbolt (2016)
- 0083: Stardust Memory (1991)
- Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (1985)
- Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation (2005-2006)
- Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ (1986)
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack (1988)
- Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn (2010)
- Mobile Suit Gundam Twilight Axis (2017)
- Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative (2018)
- Gundam Hathaway (2021)
- Mobile Suit Gundam: F91 (1991)
- Victory Gundam (1993)
You might have noticed that Gundam: The Witch from Mercury (2022) isn't included in this. The reason for this is that the anime series isn't part of any existing Gundam timeline, so it can be missed entirely if you choose.
How to watch non-Universal Century timeline Gundam
Unsurprisingly, there are plenty of Gundam anime series outside the UC timeline, branching into other narratives like the After Colony/Mars Century timeline, the Cosmic Era, Anno Domini, and the Advanced Generation.
If you were to add these to your watchlist, the order of how to watch them would look like this:
After Colony/Mars:
- New Mobile Report Gundam Wing (1995 – 1996)
- Operation Meteor (1996) [Compilation OVA]
- New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz (1997)
Cosmic Era
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED (2002 – 2003)
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Astray (2003)
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny (2004 – 2005)
- Mobile Suit Gundam SEED C.E. 73: STARGAZER (2006)
Anno Domini
- Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (2007 – 2009)
- Mobile Suit Gundam 00 The Movie - Awakening of the Trailblazer (2010)
Advanced Generation
- Mobile Suit Gundam AGE (2012)
- Mobile Suit Gundam AGE: Memory of Eden (2013)
What is a Gundam?
In short, a Gundam is an advanced, high-performance mobile suit that appears in every version of the franchise.
Gundam suits are thought to be more powerful than standard production mobile suits, and each features the best equipment and technology available at the time of airing. If you're struggling to picture them, think of familiar franchises such as Pacific Rim and Transformers.
At the same time, the meaning of Gundam can vary depending on the timeline that’s being featured. In earlier years, Gundam was used as an acronym, but more recent anime shows have decided not to include this.
How to watch Gundam in the UK
The Gundam Universal Century timeline can be found on Netflix, Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Disney Plus. The Gundam anime is also available to buy on Amazon.
You can catch Gundam on Crunchyroll. Sign up to Crunchyroll from $7.99 per month with a 14-day free trial.
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