Mobile Suit Gundam Wing

**New Mobile Report Gundam Wing** (alternatively referred to as **Mobile Suit Gundam Wing** or simply **Gundam Wing**) was a 49 episode anime broadcast in Japan beginning in 1995 and later broadcast in the United States in 2000 on Cartoon Network's Toonami programming block. It is the second series in the *Gundam* franchise to take place in an alternate continuity from the original *Mobile Suit Gundam* series, following *G Gundam*. It was also the first *Gundam* series to air on American television.

*Gundam Wing* premiered on Toonami on Monday, March 6, 2000 at 5:30 PM EST. In the promos leading up to the broadcast, Peter Cullen narrated the back story, evoking memories of *Voltron's* opening credits. It was broadcast in two formats; an edited version shown in the daytime and an uncut version aired at night on Toonami's Midnight Run.[2]

Examples of the edits included the removal of blood, profanity, and the word "kill" being replaced by the word "destroy". (This was extended to the character Duo's nickname, "The God of Death", being changed to "The Great Destroyer", forcing the alteration of two episode titles.) The uncut Midnight Run version was a first for Cartoon Network, which at the time had never shown an unedited anime.

While the series was a modest success in Japan during its original run, *Gundam Wing* became a greater success in the U.S. through its run on Toonami and was widely credited with single-handedly popularizing the *Gundam* franchise as a whole among Western audiences; as well as contributing to the rise in popularity of anime in the U.S. that *Pokemon* and *Dragon Ball Z* had started during the late 1990s.

## Plot

In the distant future, Mankind has colonized space (with clusters of space colonies at each of the five Earth-Moon Lagrange points), and down on Earth the nations have been unified as the United Earth Sphere Alliance. However, the Alliance oppresses the space colonies with its military power, backed by the secret society known as the Organization of the Zodiac (more commonly referred to as OZ). The colonies desire a peaceful resolution to the situation, joining together in a movement headed by the pacifist Heero Yuy. In the year After Colony 175, Yuy is shot dead by an OZ assassin; silencing the colonies' efforts for peace with Earth. The assassination also prompts five disaffected OZ engineers to turn rogue after the completion of the prototype mobile suit Tallgeese.

The story of *Gundam Wing* begins in the year After Colony 195, with the start of **Operation Meteor**, the five rogue engineers' plan for revenge against the OZ organization. The operation involves five teenage boys who have each been chosen and trained by one of the rogue engineers, then sent to Earth independently in extremely advanced mobile suits known as "Gundams"; each designed by one of the five engineers, and based on both the Tallgeese prototype and the engineers' first collaborative Gundam design known as Wing Zero. Their mobile suits are called Gundams because they are constructed from a rare and astonishingly durable material known as Gundanium Alloy, which can only be created in outer space.

The five Gundam pilots — Heero Yuy (an alias, not to be confused with the assassinated leader), Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner and Chang Wufei — are each ordered to use their powerful mobile suits to destroy OZ before they fulfill their secret plan to overthrow the Alliance from the inside and conquer both Earth and the colonies. Though they are initially unaware of each other's existence, once the Gundam pilots realize that they have the same objective of destroying OZ (and in some cases the same mission) they band together to help each other in restoring freedom to the colonies.

## Characters

### **Main Characters**

**Heero Yuy** — The 15-year-old pilot of the Wing Gundam and (later) the Wing Gundam Zero, as well as the main protagonist of the series. The boy known as Heero is the most serious and grim of the Gundam pilots. His true name is unknown, but for Operation Meteor he has been code-named after the martyred leader of the space colonies. Raised by the scientist Doctor J in the L1 colony cluster, Heero has been trained since childhood to be a ruthless battle machine, equally proficient in mobile suit piloting, personal combat, demolitions and computer hacking. Though Heero's upbringing hasn't yet managed to squeeze all the compassion out of him, he is nonetheless callous towards ally and enemy alike, recklessly careless with his own life and generally a cold-blooded character. Over the course of the series, however, he comes to appreciate the support of his fellow Gundam pilots and the emotional support of Relena Peacecraft, whom he vows to protect from any danger (even though, ironically enough, he originally threatened to kill her when she learned of his mission).

**Duo Maxwell** — Duo is the 15-year-old pilot of the Gundam Deathscythe. He is an orphan of U.S. descent who was raised by the L2 colony cluster's social services program. By the age of 15, he had already been employed in field operations and as a mechanic. Duo refers to himself as "The God of Death"; a reference to the amount of death he witnessed early in his life. Despite his hardships, Duo has a cheerful outlook. At times, he finds his friends overly serious and tries to teach them to relax and enjoy themselves. Duo's light-heartedness, however, is not reflected in his fighting. As the pilot of the Deathscythe, he is a determined warrior willing to sacrifice anything for victory.

**Trowa Barton** — Trowa is the 15-year-old pilot of the Gundam Heavyarms. By revealing almost nothing about his past, the tight-lipped Trowa has earned his reputation as a man of mystery (much like Heero). Hailing from the L3 colony cluster, he masterfully brought his Gundam to Earth without detection by disguising himself as a circus clown. Although the strong, silent type, he is a warrior only by necessity and fights only when needed. However, once in battle, Trowa attacks his enemies with utter ruthlessness and deadly accuracy.

**Quatre Raberba Winner** — Quatre is the 15-year-old pilot of the Gundam Sandrock. He is the youngest child and only male in a family of 30 children. While his 29 sisters were test-tube babies, Quatre was born naturally. His father, a wealthy aristocrat and powerful political force in the L4 colony cluster, has always opposed the rule of OZ. Although his mother died giving birth to him, Quatre had a happy childhood free of strife and hardship — unlike the other Gundam pilots. As the firstborn and only male progeny, Quatre is due to inherit his father's fortune and political power when he comes of age. By joining Operation Meteor in the hopes of protecting his family and home colony, however, he goes against his father's pacifist beliefs. Although physically weak and not the most skilled of Gundam pilots, Quatre excels in creating battle strategies and tactics. Due to these skills, he has an army of mobile suit pilots called the Maganac Corps. dedicated to serve him on Earth.

**Chang WuFei** — WuFei descends from the Changs, an esteemed family of Chinese warriors, and hails from the L5 colony cluster. Due to his heritage of honor and integrity, WuFei abhors the Alliance. Although he has aligned himself with Sally Po and her rebels, he prefers to work alone. He maintains a calm and quiet temperament but is also prone to angry emotional outbursts. As evidenced in the prequel manga *Episode Zero*, when WuFei was younger he was calmer and much more cerebral, but his unwillingness to fight resulted in the death of his wife Meilan, a strong girl who took the responsibility of protecting the colony (and the newly-built Shenlong Gundam) onto herself and was killed in battle. WuFei then chose to carry out her path of justice in honor of her sacrifice. WuFei refuses to fight those he sees as weak, such as pacifists, women and children.

**Relena Peacecraft** — Although Relena is the 15-year-old pampered adoptive daughter of an Earth Alliance foreign affairs minister and the undisputed queen bee of her posh private school, she yearns for something more in her well-ordered life. Her chance encounter with the Gundam pilot Heero Yuy soon provides exactly the kind of excitement she's been longing for, and her whole life changes soon after. When Relena's foster father is assassinated by OZ, he reveals with his dying words Relena's true identity, and she decides to continue the pacifist work of her real father, King Peacecraft, by becoming a leading advocate for peace and non-violence in an increasingly chaotic world. As the daughter of King Peacecraft, Relena is one of the heirs to the Sanc Kingdom. She decides to reunite her country under the banner of non-aggression, and slowly gathers the Gundam pilots to her, attempting to convince them to share her vision for peace. It's also rather obvious throughout the series that Relena is in love with Heero, as she goes to great lengths at times just to be near him and believes that he provides her with the courage she needs to carry out her ideals.

**Zechs Merquise** — The masked man known as Zechs is an ace mobile suit pilot of the Alliance's elite Specials force, which is in reality a front for the secret society OZ. Having earned the highest marks in the history of the Specials' Lake Victoria military academy, Zechs received the first two-rank promotion in the organization's history, and acquired the nickname "Lightning Count" for his exploits. He is a hero to the Specials' members and the trusted friend of their leader Treize. He also becomes the first pilot to master the original mobile suit prototype, the Tallgeese. But for all his fame, Zechs is shrewd and cautious, wary of taking unnecessary risks or underestimating his enemies. Zechs' mask hides a dark secret. He is actually the son of King Peacecraft, heir to the Sanc Kingdom and Relena's long-lost older brother, Milliardo Peacecraft. Zechs also serves as Heero's main rival throughout the series.

**Treize Khushrenada** — Treize is the aristocratic OZ Supreme Commander. Originally the leader of the Specials (the Alliance's elite Mobile Suit corps), Treize gained control of the Alliance's military through clever manipulation of Earth's ongoing power struggle with the colonies. Charismatic, intelligent, and cunning, Treize has the OZ mobile suit forces in the palm of his hand and will not hesitate to use them against the five Gundam pilots. Though he is an enemy to all the Gundam pilots, he strikes a particular rivalry with WuFei after defeating the young man in a regular sword duel and allowing him to live, which causes WuFei to obsess over the rest of the series about defeating Treize in real combat.

### **Gundams**Edit

**XXXG-01W Wing Gundam**[5] — Heero pilots the most powerful of the Gundam mobile suits sent to Earth at the start of the series (as well as the titular mobile suit of the series), the Wing Gundam. Out of the original five Gundams created for Operation Meteor, Wing is the only one capable of transforming into a high-speed aircraft (dubbed "Bird Mode"); making it perhaps the most versatile and well-balanced Gundam as well. It also bears the closest resemblance to the Wing Zero prototype design that all five Gundams were based on. Heavily equipped for combat (both long-range and short-range); Wing Gundam is armed with its signature Buster Rifle, capable of destroying multiple targets in a single shot, and a Beam Saber that can slice through any standard enemy mobile suit with ease. The Gundam is also outfitted with two 20 mm head-mounted Vulcan Guns, two 40 mm shoulder-mounted Machine Cannons, and a large shield that can also be used as a stabbing weapon due to its pointed edge. Wing is referred to as "Gundam Zero-One" by the OZ organization.

**XXXG-01D Gundam Deathscythe**[6] — The most agile and maneuverable of the five Operation Meteor Gundams, the Deathscythe is certainly a fierce opponent, but when piloted by the talented Duo, it becomes nearly unstoppable. This Gundam is outfitted with a Hyper Jammer stealth system, which enables it to sneak up on most enemies. When combined with its remarkable land speed, it is no wonder that some have given Deathscythe the same nickname as its pilot ("God of Death"). Its signature Beam Scythe weapon has struck fear into the hearts of many an adversary. The Deathscythe is also equipped with a Buster Shield that emits a small beam and can be launched at nearby enemies. Deathscythe is referred to as "Gundam Zero-Two" by OZ.

**XXXG-01H Gundam Heavyarms**[7] — Trowa pilots this Gundam, a heavy artillery juggernaut. The long list of the Heavyarms' weapons begins with its signature Beam Gatling Gun, a devastating piece of equipment that can reduce enemies to ribbons with a hail of firepower. Heavyarms also has two smaller Gatling Guns mounted inside its chest cavity. On top of that, this Gundam is armed with two Machine Cannons, Homing Missile Launchers, Micro Missile Launchers, and two Vulcan Guns. While it is obviously better suited for long-range combat, the Heavyarms is also equipped with an "Army Knife" mounted on its right forearm for more "immediate" fighting situations. True to its name, Heavyarms is the slowest of the five Operation Meteor Gundams, but its lack of speed cannot be considered a debilitating weakness in light of its tremendous arsenal. Later on, the Gundam is upgraded into the "Heavyarms Kai"; featuring space combat modifications and a double-barrel Beam Gatling Gun for even more firepower. Heavyarms is referred to as "Gundam Zero-Three" by OZ.

**XXXG-01SR Gundam Sandrock**[8] — Quatre's Gundam may have been designed with desert combat in mind, but it makes for an intimidating opponent just about anywhere. Only the Gundam Deathscythe surpasses its speed and maneuverability. Sandrock is armed with its signature dual Heat Blades (or Shotels), which can also be attached to its shield to form the "Cross Crusher". Like Deathscythe, the Sandrock is equipped with a Hyper Jammer system for covert or subversive tactics. Later on, the Gundam is upgraded into the "Sandrock Kai"; featuring space combat modifications and a Beam Machine Gun for extra long-range weaponry. Sandock is referred to as "Gundam Zero-Four" by OZ.

**XXXG-01S Shenlong Gundam**[9] — When building the Shenlong, Master O created this Gundam to complement WuFei's martial arts training; allowing WuFei to use his skills when piloting the Shenlong. In order to do this, the Gundam was built for speed and easy maneuverability. Shenlong's signature weapons are its "Dragon Fang" (found on the right arm) that serves as a flamethrower, and the javelin-like Beam Glaive. Shenlong is referred to as "Gundam Zero-Five" by OZ.

**XXXG-01D2 Gundam Deathscythe Hell**[10] — An upgraded version of Duo's Gundam Deathscythe, the Deathscythe Hell features even greater speed than its predecessor. Its main weapon, the Twin Beam Scythe, is an updated version of the Beam Scythe; featuring two blades of deadly energy instead of one. Deathscythe Hell's stealth system has also been updated from the original, equipped with a more powerful Hyper Jammer. In addition, this Gundam has been outfitted with an "Active Cloak"; a pair of menacing black wings that can be retracted to provide an extra layer of armor in close combat.

**XXXG-01S2 Altron Gundam**[11] — An upgraded version of WuFei's Shenlong Gundam, the Altron has more firepower and greater maneuverability than its predecessor. Altron's main weapon is its Twin Beam Trident, an updated version of the Beam Glaive, but it also carries a flamethrower-equipped "Dragon Claw" on each arm and Beam Cannons on a back-mounted "Stinger Tail".

**XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero**[12] — Essentially an updated version of Heero's Wing Gundam, the power of Wing Zero is truly staggering. In fact, the files that ultimately led to the creation of this Gundam were lost for a number of years, probably due to fear of its awesome might, until Quatre discovers them during the series. Though the designs for Wing Zero inspired the creation of the five Operation Meteor Gundams, there is one key difference in its operational controls; it is powered by a brain wave-activated system called the ZERO System (an acronym for "Zoning & Emotional Range Omitted"). This unique technology, similar to that found in the Gundam Epyon, can drive a pilot to a mental breakdown if not treated with extreme caution. Wing Zero is armed with its signature Twin Buster Rifle, easily twice as powerful as the Wing Gundam's single version of the same weapon and capable of destroying an entire space colony (as well as being able to separate into two halves for firing in two directions at once). Also like the Wing Gundam, it is armed with a Beam Saber for close combat and can transform into a high-speed aircraft (dubbed "Neo Bird Mode"). Overall, Wing Zero is the most formidable of all Gundams, matched only perhaps by the Epyon. Wing Zero is also notably the only Gundam to have been used by all five Gundam pilots at least once during the series (as well as Zechs), though Heero ultimately becomes its regular pilot towards the end of the series.

**OZ-13MS Gundam Epyon**[13] — Treize created this Gundam specifically for his friend Zechs, top pilot of OZ (though it is initially piloted by Heero briefly before he exchanges it with Zechs for the Wing Zero). This powerful Gundam is the only mobile suit capable of competing with the Wing Zero. Like Wing Zero, the Epyon is operated by a ZERO System and is capable of transforming into a flight mode. When transformed for flight, Epyon resembles a frightening two-headed dragon and can navigate the skies with an amazing degree of precision. Though it lacks long-range weapons (due to Treize's preference for dueling), the Epyon is equipped with an extendable Heat Rod and a gigantic Beam Sword that can cut through even an entire space fortress.

## External Links

* Gundam Wiki
* Wikipedia