Siliconera’s Best Gundam Anime Series Recommendations

Mobile Suit Gundam is one of the best anime franchises in the history of the medium. Known for its mech suits, complicated themes about war, and intense space action, there’s nothing quite like the Gundam series. But it can be quite overwhelming jumping into this series, as there are so many different shows and seasons, and not all of them are connected. Here are the best Gundam anime series you should check out.

Best Gundam Anime for Beginners: Gundam 00

If you are a pure beginner with the Gundam series, I recommend starting with a fresh standalone series. Gundam 00 represents the best of this idea, with a grounded take that feels relevant to today’s themes about war, religion, hate, racism, and more. It’s dark but often quite funny as well, balanced by some of the strongest action and characters in the series. Its animation, unlike many others, still looks fantastic today.

Best Gundam Anime for Entering the Universal Century Setting: Gundam The Origin

The heart of this franchise is the Universal Century era. This is the setting in which the original Gundam anime and many others have taken place. It’s a daunting venture to dive into the UC content, but this OVA series does an excellent job of introducing the time period with extraordinary animation.

Best Gundam Anime for Romance Fans: The Witch from Mercury

While you may like the action in this franchise, there is always a bit of romance, too. If you want one of the strongest series for romance fans, check out the most recent show, The Witch from Mercury. It tackles love in a surprising way with the two lead heroines and it only gets better the deeper into the series you get.

Best Underrated Gundam Series: The 08th MS Team

Not enough fans talk about the 1996 anime series The 08th MS Team. This is a short series, unlike most others in the franchise, and it ranks second for romance in my opinion. Better yet, it focuses on a tighter, more intimate storyline, rather than the huge Earth-shaking (literally) plots from others. If you want a bit of Romeo & Juliet theatrics alongside your mechs, check this one out.

Best Gundam Series for Mech Fans: Gundam Wing

The crux of this massive anime franchise are the titular Gundam mech suits. No other series nails the idea of how personal and unique each Gundam can be than Gundam Wing. Each character pilots a vastly unique mech, with different inspirations, origins, and weapons that reflect the excellent core characters.

Many Gundam series like The Witch from Mercury are available on Crunchyroll.