Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, the latest mainline installment in the venerable Gundam franchise, concluded its 12-episode run on June 25, 2025, with its highly anticipated season finale, titled “That’s Why I…”. The series, a joint production by Sunrise and Studio Khara, presents an alternate Universal Century timeline where the Principality of Zeon emerged victorious in the One Year War, a direct result of Char Aznable piloting the RX-78-02 White Gundam instead of Amuro Ray. This divergence sets the stage for a narrative that explores new possibilities and twists on established Gundam lore.
The Road to the Finale
GQuuuuuuX premiered as a television series on April 9, 2025, following a theatrical recompilation of its initial episodes, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX: Beginning, released in January 2025. The series centers on Amate Yuzuriha, a high school student in the Side 6 colony Izuma, who becomes embroiled in a conflict involving the missing Red Gundam and the prototype gMS-Ω GQuuuuuuX. Amate, nicknamed “Machu,” becomes the pilot of the GQuuuuuuX, navigating a world where Char Aznable vanished after Zeon’s victory, prompting a continued search by the Principality.
Throughout its run, GQuuuuuuX showcased rapid-fire pacing, eccentric characters, and visually impressive action sequences, typical of works by its creative team, which includes Hideaki Anno and Yoji Enokido. The series, despite being the shortest in the franchise’s television history (excluding movies or OVAs), aimed to be a representative work for Gundam‘s 45th and 50th anniversaries.
Key Events of the Season Finale
Episode 12, “That’s Why I…”, delivered a climactic resolution to the season’s overarching conflicts, particularly focusing on the intricate relationships and alternate realities established throughout the series. The episode saw the highly anticipated re-emergence of the original White Gundam.
A significant reveal was that the pilot of this White Gundam was Shuji, a character who had been seemingly minor, now unveiled as a transplant from the original Gundam timeline. Shuji’s objective was to destroy Machu’s universe, driven by a desire to liberate Lalah Sune from the pain of repeatedly witnessing Char’s death across various timelines. This complex multiverse plot revealed that Lalah’s powerful Newtype abilities had, in her grief, created several new universes, symbolized by various red mobile suits piloted by Char. In this timeline, Lalah herself was reimagined as “Rose of Sharon,” a living MacGuffin trapped within a ship at the bottom of the ocean.
The finale featured an intense three-way battle involving Machu’s GQuuuuuuX, Nyaan’s GFreD, and Shuji’s White Gundam, which notably grew to an enormous size, escalating the stakes dramatically. Machu, with Nyaan’s eventual assistance, confronted Shuji, ultimately incapacitating him and changing his perspective.
Another pivotal moment involved Char Aznable. Consistent with his character, Char committed another act of betrayal, manipulating the Zeon Empire to build “Yomagn’tho” for his own goals, aligning with his mysterious disappearance (Zeknova phenomenon) earlier in the timeline. The finale also saw a reunion between Char and Challia, and in a homage to the original series, Char killed Kycilia.
Themes and Reception
The ending of Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX aimed to offer a “power payoff” for veteran Gundam fans, particularly those familiar with the original 1979 series, as it was “littered with deep-cut Easter eggs and mechanical resurrections.” However, some reviewers noted that the finale felt “rushed” and that the series, with only 12 episodes, may have been “too ambitious” for the scope of its plot and character development. Concerns were raised that newcomers to the Gundam franchise might find the intricate plot and numerous references “impenetrable nonsense.”
A significant aspect of the finale was Machu’s character arc, which saw her become the first Gundam protagonist (outside of Build Fighters) with a kill count of zero, advocating for a new path for Newtype strength and demonstrating a “cycle-breaking” approach to conflict. This offered a fresh perspective, suggesting that a Gundam story could still be compelling without its protagonists being irrevocably hardened by war. Despite some criticisms regarding the rushed pacing and potential for confusion among new viewers, the finale was praised for its “beautiful fight animation” and its ability to reshape the understanding of iconic Gundam elements like Char, Newtypes, and the franchise’s legacy itself.
