Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX is the latest anime series in the venerable mecha franchise, and it marks the return to the Universal Century timeline. However, GQuuuuuuX has a unique premise, making it confusing for new fans to know what Gundam series they need to watch first. Fortunately, there’s a quick way to get caught up with what you need to know within a few hours.
What Gundam series do I need to watch before GQuuuuuuX?
The Gundam franchise got a lot of new fans when The Witch From Mercury aired. However, unlike that series, which is its own self-contained story, GQuuuuuuX is part of the labyrinthine Universal Century timeline. If you want to experience all of the Universal Century stories, you’ll have to work through around 45 years of anime, manga, OVAs, light novels, art books, and more. However, only a fraction of that is needed to get the references in GQuuuuuuX.
GQuuuuuuX is set in an alternate version of the Universal Century timeline. Fortunately for newcomers, history diverges during the events that made up the very first episode of the original Mobile Suit Gundam. In this alternate history, Char Aznable steals the RX-78-2 Gundam before Amuro Ray can board it. His forces then capture the White Base, and Char uses it and the Gundam to win the One-Year War. However, he disappears in the final battle. GQuuuuuuX picks up five years after the Zeon victory.
If you managed to catch the theatrical run of Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX: The Beginning, you got a (extremely) quick rundown of the alternate One Year War. However, if you didn’t, you’ll want to watch the original Mobile Suit Gundam series at least. It’ll give you the context needed to understand some of the references made throughout GQuuuuuuX.
Fortunately, if you’re not in the mood to watch a 43-episode series, there are three Mobile Suit Gundam compilation movies you can catch instead:
- Mobile Suit Gundam I
- Mobile Suit Gundam II: Soldiers of Sorrow
- Mobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space
These movies give you an abridged version of the One-Year War, which will give you a good foundation for jumping into GQuuuuuuX or the next chronological entry in the original Universal Century timeline, The 08th MS Team.
