Summary
Every major Gundam series has their own set of unique and iconic mobile suits. Sure, the main Gundam may receive most of the spotlight, but the other Gundams that appear alongside it also have different things that make them so distinct and memorable.
That being said, looking back onevery major Gundam seriesand the different kinds of Gundams that appear in each and every one of those series, none of them have a better lineup thanGundam 00. Dare we say thatGundam 00has the best Gundam lineups in the long history of the franchise. And here are the reasons why.
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Highly Specialized Gundams
Most of the time, the Gundams that appear in a series, especially the main Gundam, are designed to be a jack of all trades. Which makes sense when you think about it, after all, they are the most advanced mobile suits in the universe, so it’s only natural that there’s not that many of them out in the wild.
Not only that, the jack-of-all-trade nature also means they can handle all kinds of situations with little to no support from others. From RX-78-2 in the originalMobile Suit Gundamand all the way to Gundam Aerial inThe Witch from Mercury, that is precisely what happens to most of the Gundams in various major series,
Gundam 00, however, takes an entirely different approach. All four Gundams in this series are developed at the same time, and are meant to specialize in different fields. After all, an indiscriminate armed intervention can’t be done by one mobile suit, no matter how advanced it may be. So it makes sense to create a highly specialized group of Gundams that can take on any mission and execute all kinds of military tactics.
Excluding upgrades and different versions of the same Gundam,Gundam 00has a lineup of four Gundams. A gundam thatspecialized in close-quarter combat, Gundam Exia. A gundam that specialized in high-mobility and aerial combat, Gundam Kyrios. A gundam that specialized in stealth and long-range attack, Gundam Dynames. And finally, a Gundam that specializes in heavy artillery, Gundam Virtue. Together, they can tackle any mission and intervene in all kinds of war and armed conflicts.
Utilitarian Design
Every major Gundam series has their own distinct style of Gundam. Some have strange designs, such as the Gundams inMobile Fighter G Gundam, while others look sleek and modern, such as the Gundams inThe Witch from Mercury. And when you look at the franchise as a whole, the design usually leans more towards style, rather than practicality or real-life usage.
After all, there’s little to no practical reason for the Wing Gundam Zero to have real feather-like wings other than to make it look majestic. This approach of style-first can be seen in almost every major Gundam series. And there’s nothing inherently wrong about it, because we as fans also want to see some amazing and mind-blowing Gundam designs.
Gundam 00, however, takes an entirely different approach. Because the design of the Gundams follows the “highly-specialized” nature of the Gundam itself. This means an utilitarian approach that emphasizes practical use rather than style. Make no mistake, they still look striking and aesthetically pleasing, but it’s clear that the designers of these Gundams focus more on the machine’s combat roles and abilities, rather than simply making them look cool.
The Gundams of Gundam 00
Continuing from the previous section, that is the reason why Exia has a much more compact body, limbs, and joints, which allows it to be much more agile and flexible, thus making it the perfect close-range fighter. And in place of the standard backpack and skirt armor, Exia is equipped with lots of melee weapons instead. Meanwhile, Kyrios is by far the slimmest Gundam in the series because it needs to be lightweight in order to fulfill its role as the high-mobility mobile suit. Kyrios’s aerodynamic design also allowed it to have extreme flight maneuverability.
Moving on, as a long-range specialist, Dynames is mainly equipped withan ultra long-range sniper rifleand several giant shields that can cover its whole body. This design allowed Dynames to be protected whenever it hunkers down in order to take a proper aim of its target. Last but not least, Gundam Virtue has a massive body and limbs that enable it to carry missiles, cannons, and lots of other armaments. This bulky design may hinder its movement, but the massive firepower that it has is more than make up for it.
So as you can see, unlike the general-purpose Gundams from the other major series,the Gundams inGundam 00(Exia, Dynames, Kyrios, and Virtue) hold a very distinct and specific roles that enabled them to be highly effective in their job, which is to intervene in any kind of war or armed conflicts. Furthermore, their designs and abilities also reflect their specific roles and specializations. This utilitarian and tactical approach is the reason whyGundam 00has the best Gundam lineups in the history of the franchise.
