The new Gundam show could be hiding its wild twist in plain sight

Today Bandai released another new look Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuXthe next major entry in the venerable mecha franchise born from an unprecedented partnership between the studio and Neon Genesis Evangelion power Khara. But in the small flashes of new images there are some very interesting looks at a new character that seem to give a better idea of ​​what the new show is about… and the character might not be so new at all.

The new trailer for the release of the theatrical compilation of GQuuuuuuXthe opening episodes, The beginning— set to hit Japanese theaters next week on January 17th — gives us a few more looks at the series’ main characters, as well as the titular mobile suit. But a new character stands out: an old gentleman with blue-white hair, wearing an olive suit and some a lot intriguing stylization on his shirt and collar. The uniform has distinct parallels to the formal military attire of one of the primary factions in the original Mobile Suit Gundam and its successors – the secessionist space colony Zeon – and between this and the design of man, there is certainly an evocation of a particular and intriguing character from the 1979 classic: Challia Bull, an important figure in Gundamthe first explorations of one of his the most fascinating concepts, new types.

◤《This notice》 released◢

“Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuuX -Beginning-” Theatrical Early Release
7 days left until release on Friday January 17th!
Everyone, please watch at the theater!

director:#Kazuya Tsurumaki
Theme Song:#Kenshi Yonezu「#Plasma」

▼ Theater informationhttps://t.co/6b1RjC8iIt#KenshiYonezu#GQuuuuuuuX #Sieg Ax pic.twitter.com/tSnxdapjsv

— Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuuX (@G_GQuuuuuuuX) January 9, 2025

Introduced in the 39th episode of the original series “The Newtype: Challia Bull”, Bull is a former Zeon officer summoned by the principality’s military commander Ghiren Zabi to be tested as one of the fabled newtypes. Believed to be a natural evolution of humans after their migration into space – having developed enhanced extrasensory perception and, in some cases, latent psionic abilities – the new types were a late addition to the narrative of the original. Gundam. The word itself is only first uttered a handful of episodes before Bull’s introduction, as many parties begin to believe that Gundamthe main protagonist and antagonist of Amuro Ray and Char Aznable (like the latter’s mysterious consort, Lalah Sune), could be one of the first new types to develop as the war between the Earth Federation and Zeon rages on.

But the exploration of the idea was short-lived: Bull is killed in a battle with Amuro in the same episode in which he was introduced, and Gundam he himself finished only a handful of episodes later, his future at the moment uncertain It was only in successor material later GundamThe future of the franchise is assured that the concept of the new type has been explored more and more, until it has become a defining stone of narratives in its beloved primary continuity, the “Universal Century” – the setting of the first. Gundam and his direct successors Zeta and ZZ Gundamas well as a litany of other shows and films from the franchise – both as it explores humanity’s ability to better evolve self-knowledge away from the struggles of interstellar conflict, and the tragedy of the exploitation of new types in the hands of military powers. ruling class to perpetuate the cycles of that conflict.

Gundam as a franchise is no stranger to UC’s echo elements in the myriad of alternate, often unconnected, universes that exists throughout the series. Many shows in the series are often in conversation with ideas previously explored in the Universal Century, such as the concept of the new type and the space evolution of humanity, or offer their own versions of its history despite not being in the same continuity, as After the Gundam X War o Gundam SEEDor even recent ones Witch of Mercury. As many borrow elements of design language from them either just for aesthetic parallels or to connect them distantly to the events of those primary series. GQuuuuuuXfor the little we’ve seen of it, it’s no exception: the main suit wields an ax weapon not unlike the “heat hawk” wielded by Zakus in the original. GundamAnd in this new trailer and in the trailer before it, there was a mobile one-eyed police suit that borrows a lot of design language from the Zaku itself. So it wouldn’t be as well Wondering if this mysterious figure was a new character meant to be a parallel to Challia Bull in design or character, as Gundam you love a Char CloneThematic and design parallels of one of their most beloved figures, through various iterations of the franchise.

But there is also an intriguing possibility raised by this parallel – this figure could actually be a form of Bull himself, rather than just a stand-in. By the time GQuuuuuuX was first revealed, a first Italian-language version of the series’ promotional website was released (and then quickly retreated) a brief synopsis of the plot for the series that teased that the show itself is not an alternative Gundam universe, but an alternative timeline: a version of the events of the Universal Century where Zeon defeats the Earth Federation in the One Year War. If it is in the end what GQuuuuuuX is doing, so there is a distinct chance that this character is a version of Bull who survives his encounter with Amuro, and that GQuuuuuuX He could have even more to say about his role in the awakening of newtypism in this version of the narrative rather than leaving him to his fate hastily from the original series.

Gundam The timeline is vast and complex, but the series has never tried to do anything like an alternate timeline like this (there have been various games and manga that explore the idea, but never one of the primary anime) . It would be appropriate for a show announced for the 45th anniversary of the series in 2025 to be the one that tackles the re-imagining of the Universal Century like this – and if it is, can’t wait to see what opportunity he takes with the characters of the original series, like Challia Bull or otherwise, as he traces his own spin on this beloved story.

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