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Warning: Contains spoilers for Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX episode #9.TheGundamfranchise is bigger than ever thanks to its latest show,Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX. Not only is it made by Studio Khara ofNeon Genesis Evangelionfame, but the story itself has been one of the most engagingGundamstories in years, thanks to its strong character and narrative writing, all of which is complemented by consistently gorgeous 2D and 3D visuals, as well.
There’s no denying thatMobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuXis big, and it just got bigger than anyone could have imagined. Episode #9 received a lot of hype for being the formal introduction of theGQuuuuuuXtimeline’s version of Lalah Sune, and as big as that was,Lalah Sune’s appearance inMobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuXled to a reveal that completely changed both the anime and theGundamfranchise as a whole. There’s no telling what this means forGundamas a whole, but whatever the case,GQuuuuuuXhas never been as exciting as it is now.
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Completely Changes The Franchise With A Multiverse Twist
Mobile Suit Gundam’s Biggest Twist Explained
When Lalah Sune first appeared inGQuuuuuuXepisode #9, she spoke about having dreams of falling in love with Char and Amuro and Char ultimately being killed by Amuro, a clear reference to the events of the original Universal Century timeline. All of that could have been chalked up to Lalah’s Newtype powers, but then the episode ended with the reveal of what the fabled Rose of Sharon was: the Elmeth, a Mobile Armor that never went into production in the current timeline, andan alternate version of Lalah Sune who traveled to the current timeline from an alternate universe.
The alternate version of Lalah Sune being in the Elmeth references how Lalah originally died piloting it to protect Char, although the fact that the Elmeth isn’t destroyed implies that this Lalah isn’t from the original timeline and instead from a slightly different version of it. All of that is a moot point, however, aseverything that happened with Lalah Sune inMobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuXepisode #9 formally establishes a multiverse within theGundamfranchise, a notable change from nearly every anime existing in a separate continuity.
Mobile Suit Gundam’s Big Twist Copies The Best Part Of Evangelion’s Magnum Opus
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Pulls Out Another Major Evangelion Inspiration
GQuuuuuuXformally establishing aGundammultiverse is huge, and what makes it even better is how it takes after Hideaki Anno’smagnum opus,Rebuild of Evangelion. WhiletheRebuild of Evangeliontetralogywas framed as a remake of the original anime, it was eventually revealed that it was actually the latest instance of reality resetting after everyone’s deaths, making every adaptation ofEvangelionequally canon.Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuXandRebuild of Evangelionare both stories framed as alternate takes on older works while secretly establishing a multiverse, and with Anno’s involvement, it’s hard not to see that as intentional.
All of that, of course, will only be toGQuuuuuuX’s benefit.Rebuild of Evangelionmasterfully used its multiverse elements for meta commentary on the largerEvangelionfranchise to bring the franchise, as a whole, to an end, and whileGundamwon’t be ending anytime soon,the similarities betweenMobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuXandRebuild of Evangelionimplies thatGQuuuuuuXwill also use its multiverse plot for engaging and thoughtful meta commentary. Kazuya Tsurumaki, who directedRebuild of Evangelion, is also directingGQuuuuuuX, and with how muchMobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuXalready takes afterEvangelion, that idea is all but assured.
What Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX’s Big Twist Means For The Gundam Franchise
Everything About Gundam Might Change Forever
IfGundam’s anime officially exist within an interconnected multiverse, that, of course, could mean big things for the franchise. For starters, back in 2000,Turn A Gundamrevealed that everyGundamanime took place in the same universe and would eventually be destroyed by the Moonlight Butterfly, a reveal nearly unanimously disliked, butMobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuXrevealing that there’s a multiverse within theGundamfranchise effectively kills the idea of every show taking place in the same universe as posited byTurn A Gundam. It’s unclear if that was intentional, but nevertheless, it’s nothing but great to see.
More toGQuuuuuuX, specifically, the twist sets up big possibilities for the finale. With episode #9 establishing the existence of the multiverse, not only does it mean that other characters from the original Universe Century timeline can show up inGQuuuuuuX, butMobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX’s establishing of the multiverse can allow for characters fromeveryGundamanimeto appear in the last few episodes. That sort of fanservice would be an amazing way to cap off the series, and with how great the writing has been so far, it would surely be a sight to behold.
Will Future Gundam Stories Use GQuuuuuuX’s Massive Twist?
How Much Will Gundam’s Big Twist Really Change Things?
Gundam’s big multiverse reveal also has major implications for the franchise, going forward. With the multiverse now a fully defined concept inGundam, there’s no reason to leave it to justGQuuuuuuX, so whenever the nextGundamanime comes out,the multiverse can become a recurring concept inGundamanime to allow older characters to interact with new ones. That sort of writing is common in any franchise that uses the multiverse, and there’s plenty of room for that in theGundamfranchise, as well.
That might not be for the best, however. A common criticism with multiverse stories is that they’ve become a cheap way of pandering to the audience without putting any real effort into the story, with Marvel and DC’s recent multiverse stories being some of the biggest offenders. With that in mind,Gundamcontinually using the multiverse in the future could run the risk of repeating the common issues with multiverse stories, so it would probably be best for futureGundamstories to not use it too much, if at all.
None of that should be a problem forGQuuuuuuX, of course.GQuuuuuuXhas been an amazing series so far thanks in large part to how tight the writing is, and even with its recent twist being as massive as it is,Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuXshould be plenty capable of getting the most out of its multiverse twistand paving the way for its use in futureGundamanime. This massive twist adds more excitement toGundamthan ever, and even if it only shows up inMobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, it will be great to watch it play out.
