When people think about Mobile Suit Gundam, they don’t typically think about the human characters. It’s no secret that the mobile suits and the mechas are the stars of the franchise. The average person will likely recognize the iconic RX-78-2 Mobile Suit Gundam over a human character like Amuro Ray. Nonetheless, there is one human character that many would recognize, and that would be Char Aznable. He is the original rival character from the very first Gundam anime, endearing himself to Japanese pop culture with his iconic clothing and Red Zaku suit.
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Char’s presence in the franchise is so large that nearly every proceeding Gundam anime would feature a character wearing a similar style mask to Char. Unfortunately, Char’s shadow looms so large that it sometimes overshadows most of the other human characters. The Gundam franchise features many great characters, and we believe they deserve the spotlight just as much as Char. So, here are the ten best characters in the Gundam franchise that aren’t Char (and Amuro, to spice things up).
10) Amate Yuzuriha/Machu
While we initially labeled Machu as one of the series’ best protagonists, her character arc fell more flat than we were expecting. Machu, who served as the protagonist of Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, was a nice throwback to the more angst-filled protagonists of classic Gundam. She would do unlikable things for petty reasons and had communication issues with her mother. However, her character motivation primarily boils down to wanting to impress a boy, which isn’t the most compelling narrative in the franchise. Nonetheless, we still love the little tomato head for her attitude and amazing facial reactions.
9) Asemu Asuno
Mobile Suit Gundam AGE is not a good series. The anime featured many problematic story decisions, with inconsistent character motivations and a poor portrayal of women. Fortunately, the one bright spot in AGE is Asemu Asuno and his part of the story. The series is split into three generations of Gundam pilots, with Asemu being the second generation. He lacked X-Rounder abilities, a keen sixth sense that gives mobile suit pilots superhuman agility and reflexes, which his father had. Nevertheless, Asemu learned to compensate for his lack of X-Rounder and became one of the best pilots in the show. His rivalry with Zeheart is one of the best aspects of Gundam AGE, making Asemu the diamond of a rough anime series.
8) Emma Sheen
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam is filled with angsty characters making irrational decisions. Yet among them is Emma Sheen, a former Titans officer turned AEUG pilot. Whereas nearly every other character in the series is weighed down by emotional burden, Emma remained cool, collected, and always in the moral right. When she discovered the corruption of the Titans, she quickly switched sides and became one of the main hero pilots of Zeta. Her devastating death in the final episode hit the hardest as we came to know her so well over the course of 50 episodes. She remains a favorite among fans, and we only wish the character lived to be part of future installments.
7) Four Murasame
Four Murasame was enigmatic from the get-go in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. Her personality was both cold and aloof, showing that she keeps things to herself. She only appears in two arcs in the Zeta Gundam, but she makes a huge impact. Her piloting the Psycho Gundam and causing mayhem in Hong Kong is one of the franchise’s high points, and her whirlwind romance with Kamille is one of Gundam’s most tragic love stories. Her design is striking and incredibly 80s, endearing her to be one of Gundam’s most iconic human characters.
6) Kamille Bidan
Kamille Bidan, protagonist of Zeta Gundam, can be annoying. He is overtly aggressive and is constantly pushing back against authority. He has a natural distrust of most adults because of his parents’ loveless marriage, and is very sensitive about being mistaken for a girl. However, underneath Kamille’s more grating personality traits is a deeply complex character. His personality and beliefs align with his personal background, and his growing maturity throughout Zeta Gundam is one of the most compelling character arcs in the franchise. Kamille’s fate in the final episode of the show is truly haunting, underscoring that there are no true winners in war. At least the character received a much-deserved happy ending at the climax of ZZ Gundam.
5) Haman Karn
The moment Haman Karn first appeared in Zeta Gundam, she instantly took command of the scene. She is blunt, ruthless, and, most importantly, calculating. She and her remnants of the Principality of Zeon appear at the halfway mark of the series, serving as a third faction of the ongoing war between the Titans and the AEUG. Haman added a welcome dose of political drama and moral greyness to Zeta Gundam, with both heroes and villains fighting to get Haman on their side. Her rise as the primary antagonist in ZZ Gundam was earned, and she continues to be one of the most recognizable human characters in the entire franchise. Gundam needs more villains like Haman again.
4) Domon Kasshu
Domon Kasshu is the loudmouth and intense protagonist of Mobile Fighter G Gundam. He is short-tempered and aggressive, yet oddly showcases moments of wisdom throughout the show. His learning to control his emotions and find inner peace is the narrative throughline of the entire show. Domon is unique among Gundam protagonists in that he is older than most of them. He is 20 at the start of the series, older than the traditional teen leads of the previous Gundam entries. Yet he is still young enough to be naive about certain things in the world and has plenty of room to grow as a person. His iconic catch-phrases and angry outbursts have earned him a spot in fans’ hearts.
3) Suletta Mercury
Suletta Mercury is nice, awkward, and socially inept, yet can squash you like a bug in Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury. Whereas most other Gundam protagonists are overwhelmed with angst and drama, Suletta is almost dangerously naive and innocent. She fully believes in everything her mother tells her and is loyal to her friends, almost to a fault. Suletta matures throughout the show, defying her mother and fighting for what she thinks is right. Yet Suletta retains her positive attitude, making her one of the most likable protagonists in the franchise. Her romantic relationship with Miorine is one of the franchise’s most cherished romances, delivering Gundam’s first queer relationship. Their romance drew in a new audience to the franchise, making The Witch from Mercury one of the most financially successful installments in the series.
2) Sayla Mass
If Amuro Ray is the lead protagonist of the original Mobile Suit Gundam, and Char is the secondary protagonist, then Sayla Mass is the tritagonist. For a franchise that has struggled with female representation, it’s honestly outstanding how Gundam initially knocked it out of the park. Sayla was competent, sincere, and deeply flawed, featuring complex emotions that sell her as a complicated human being. The secret sister of Char, who chose to fight for the Earth Federation, Sayla becomes one of the few characters to pilot the titular Gundam mobile suit. Unfortunately, the character is never featured prominently after the original show, but her legacy looms large throughout the franchise. Her surprise, last-minute appearance at the end of Gundam GQuuuuuuX was one of the highlights of the ending.
1) Prospera
The problem with Char is that he’s a tough act to follow. He is such an iconic figure not only in Gundam, but in anime in general. Nearly every other villain fails to match the same impact as Char. That is, until the franchise introduced Prospera in Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury. Prospera is initially introduced as a kind-hearted mother and pilot for the Vanadis research. When it was decreed that GUND technology would be illegal, the Mobile Suit Development Council had the entire Vandadis research wiped out, with Prospera and her daughter as the only survivors.
Prospera’s backstory is shown in the prologue episode, with the rest of the series taking place many years later. Propsera’s main goal is purely revenge, becoming the main antagonist of the anime. She is both theatrical yet collected, conveying a personality that is hard to read. Her Japanese and English voice performances are the strongest in the entire franchise, perfectly showcasing the character’s complexity. She may want to see the universe burn, but it’s hard not to be on her side. Prospera is, in many ways, the true successor to Char’s legacy in the Gundam franchise.
Agreed with our lists? Did we leave anyone out? Comment below for who’s your favorite human Gundam character!
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Image courtesy of 2th Century Studios -
image courtesy of 20th Century Studios
