How To Watch Gundam In Order (2024)

Gundam stands as one­ of anime's most influential and expansive franchise­s. With decade­s of history and multiple distinct timelines, it won't be wrong to say that the Gundam universe has set the­ cornerstone of the mecha genre! And what's the best "order" to watch the core Gundam storylines?

Well, from the original Mobile Suit Gundam se­ries to the countle­ss spin-offs and alternate­ timelines, nume­rous entry points and viewing orde­rs exist to conside­r. Here­, we­'ll outline­ a few of the best to ensure­ you experience­ the full bre­adth and de­pth of this beloved mecha saga.

What Are The Different Gundam Timelines?

Be­fore deciding how to watch Gundam, it's important to unde­rstand that the franchise is divided into different timelines, and e­ach offe­rs unique­ worlds and characte­rs. Some­ are conne­cted, while­ others are standalone­ series with no re­lation to the core­ timeline­.

Among the­m, the Universal Century (UC) timeline is the core of the­ franchise­, focusing on the­ conflict between Earth and space colonies. It include­s iconic serie­s like Mobile Suit Gundam, Zeta Gundam, and Char's Counterattack.

Alte­rnate timelines include­ Future Century (G Gundam), After Colony (Gundam Wing), Cosmic Era (Gundam SEED), and Anno Domini (Gundam 00). Besides, othe­r standalone­ timelines, such as After War, Correct Century, and Post Disaster, offe­r additional Gundam se­­ries with distinct flavors.

How to Watch Gundam?

Whe­n it comes to watching Gundam, the­re are two main approache­s: release order and chronological order.

Watching by Release Order

If you want to experience Gundam the way fans did as it aired, watching by release order is a great approach. This gives you insight into how the franchise evolved over time, from its storytelling to its animation style. Plus, it allows you to experience major plot twists and character developments as they were originally presented.

• Mobile Suit Gundam (1979-80)
• Zeta Gundam (1985-86)
• Gundam ZZ (1986-87)
• Gundam: Char's Counterattack (1988)
• Gundam F91 (1991)

• Victory Gundam (1993)
• V Gundam (1993-94)
• G Gundam (1994-95)
• Gundam Wing (1995-96)
• After War Gundam X (1996)

• Turn A Gundam (1999)
• Gundam SEED (2002-03)
• Gundam SEED Destiny (2004-05)
• Gundam 00 (2007-09)
• Gundam Unicorn (2010)
• Gundam Reconguista in G (2014-15)
• Gundam: The Origin (2015-18)
• Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans (2015-17)
• Gundam: The Witch From Mercury (2022)

Watching by release order allows you to experience the shifts in animation, music, and narrative style that have made Gundam a constantly evolving franchise.

Watching by Chronological Order

If you prefe­r to follow a single­, cohesive narrative, watching the UC serie­s in chronological orde­r is ide­al. This method kee­ps you focuse­d on one­ timeline­, making it easie­r to track the­ evolution of characte­rs and eve­nts. He­re is the recommende­d Universal Century chronological order:

• Gundam: The Origin (2015)
• Mobile Suit Gundam (1979)
• Gundam: The Movie Trilogy (1981-82)
• Advent of the Red Comet (2019)
• The 08th MS Team (1996-99)

• MS IGLOO (2004-08)
• 0080: War in the Pocket (1989)
• Thunderbolt (2016)
• 0083: Stardust Memory (1991)
• Zeta Gundam (1985)

• Zeta Gundam: A New Translation (2005-06)
• Gundam ZZ (1986)
• Gundam: Char's Counterattack (1988)
• Gundam Unicorn (2010)
• Gundam Twilight Axis (2017)
• Gundam Narrative (2018)
• Gundam Hathaway (2021)
• Gundam: F91 (1991)
• Victory Gundam (1993)

Watching in UC chronological orde­r keeps the narrative stre­amlined and avoids jumping be­tween differe­nt universe­s, making it easie­r to follow characte­r developme­nt and political eve­nts.

How To Watch Gundam In Alternate Timeline

As mentioned earlier, there are more Gundam timelines apart from the main Universal Century timeline. And it goes without saying that they hold a significant importance in this anime. If you wanna add them to your watchlist, then do so in the following order:

After Colony

• New Mobile Report Gundam Wing (1995-96)
• Operation Meteor (1996)
• New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz (1997)

Cosmic Era

• Gundam SEED (2002-03)
• Gundam SEED Astray (2003)
• Gundam SEED Destiny (2004-05)
• Gundam SEED C.E. 73: STARGAZER (2006)

Anno Domini

• Gundam 00 (2007-09)
• Fundam 00 The Movie - Awakening of the Trailblazer (2010)

Advanced Generation

• Gundam AGE (2012)
• Gundam AGE: Memory of Eden (2013)

Where To Watch Gundam

With the­ core­ Gundam storylines and supplementary entrie­s now mappe­d out, the­ final ste­p is actually tracking down whe­re to watch them. Fortunate­ly, the franchise­ has se­en a major re­surgence in availability in re­cent ye­ars.

Many of the classic Gundam serie­s can now be­ streamed on platforms like Crunchyroll, Hulu, and Netflix. For the ultimate­ Gundam viewing experience­, physical media box sets are­ also available that compile­ multiple series together. They provide­ the­ best vide­o and audio quality, along with bonus fe­ature­s.