What makes a Gundam a Gundam?

[Arvis Taljik]

So we can all say with certainty that Gundams in general are made to out-perform their "grunt suit" counterparts, and some Gundams even border on the immortal and indestructible.

My question is this; across all the various Gundam series, what is it that makes a Gundam truly a Gundam?

Is it as simple as ramping up the reactor output, making sure it has two sensor eyes vice a mono-eye or visor, and slapping a V-fin on the forehead? Is "Gundam" simply a name that's placed on the primary suits of a given series simply to distinguish them from everything else? What about mobile suits that would seem to meet all the requirements for being designated a Gundam, but are never referred to as such?

Opinions, comments, or ideas?

[RGM-79G GM Command]

Like in all the threads from before like this, the simple answer is, it has Gundam in the name. There isn't really a set standard in any universe, with the possible exception being CE (G has a standard of sorts as well, but I assume you didn't mean that series.), but then I don't know if any MP units use that OS or not.

Don't forget that there are several MP units as good as/better than the Gundams from their series. And then there are things like the Gun-EZ and the Astray as MP units, which look like a "typical" Gundam, whereas the F91 and Victory Gundam are (limited) mass production units. There is also the Hyaku Shiki and Atkatsuki thing, both "look like" a Gundam, but only one is a Gundam.

[Dark Duel]

There are two things that are required for a mobile suit to be a Gundam:

1: Any combination of certain specific character traits, including:
A. A V-shaped antenna mounted on the head; There are exceptions to this, such as the Ez-8 and Turn-A Gundams.
B. A protruding "chin" at the bottom of the faceplate
C. A set of small vents, usually two, on the faceplate. This last one is the most commonly-omitted characteristic, and there are countless examples of Gundams that lack this feature.

2: Most importantly: Bandai/Sunrise SAYS it's a Gundam. If Bandai/Sunrise don't specifically identify a MS as a Gundam, then it isn't one no matter how much it might look like one

For example, the Astray prototypes in Seed side story materials are identified as "Gundam Astray [Color] Frame". - They are Gundams.
The production-model MBF-M1 Astray, and its successor the MVF-M11C Murasame, both meet all the above physical criteria, yet neither of them is officially called "Gundam". Ergo, neither the M1 Astray nor the Murasame are Gundams.

[Enileph]

*cough* Well then according to that... many of the 00 are not Gundam... they are considered to be "beyond gundam" ... think Bandai mentioned that when someone complains about the lack of the keyword "gundam" on the CCG of the newer 00 Gundam variants.

Then again, Gundam is just a name... I think the codename of Rick Dias was once Gamma Gundam or something, and we have the famous disguised GP-04. EX-8 was a Gundam(so-called) to start with, so that makes sense, but how about GM-head? Is it still a gundam? Most would call it a [Ground Use] Gundam (GM Head).

The weird Zeta with Zaku head config in that episode is called Z-Zaku by most. So I guess the definition is mostly on the head. Exception maybe GT-4, Gundam-Head aqua GM (forgot official name, not too good with EFSF side MS) and Katana... both have Gundam like features, and are not considered gundam.

Now... That would be easy to classify them via "head" in UC. But in Seed there are so many V-Fin units around... and that makes it much harder.

[Dark Duel]

The Zeta ZAKU and "GM Head" are impromptu field modifications of existing Gundams, so they remain Gundams. And in the case of the former, it appeared only once IIRC before its head was replaced with the correct one.

The Rick Dias and Gerbera Tetra are not Gundams, even if the former was supposed to be one and the latter was built based on one. They look nothing like Gundams, and their name does not include the word "Gundam".
As to the AD, AFAIK the only ones to be identified as transcending even the name "Gundam" are the 00-Raiser and, presumably, 00-QAN[T].

[Amadi Akintunde]

The Striker Custom looks like a Gundam but is not a Gundam.

[Enileph]

The Zeta ZAKU and "GM Head" are impromptu field modifications of existing Gundams, so they remain Gundams. And in the case of the former, it appeared only once IIRC before its head was replaced with the correct one.

The Rick Dias and Gerbera Tetra are not Gundams, even if the former was supposed to be one and the latter was built based on one. They look nothing like Gundams, and their name does not include the word "Gundam".
As to the AD, AFAIK the only ones to be identified as transcending even the name "Gundam" are the 00-Raiser and, presumably, 00-QAN[T].

Hence my point!

With the exception of 00-Raiser, you have to somewhat look like a gundam, and then be considered one by the organization you are in. (00-Raiser an exception)

BD1 was a modified [Ground Use] Gundam with a GM Head, but is not considered a gundam. While the originally Hazel is just a GM Quel with a swapped Gundam Head for looks, but is considered to be a gundam anyways. So performance (even when compared to MS of the era) is not always a good indication. Hack! V Gundam is a MP unit (high performance with small production run maybe, but still).

Technically you don't have to be strictly MS even, like the Psycho Gundam series. (Obviously ignoring things like B-Gundam which is a Ball, doublefake unit 1 and other oddball things)

So Gundam just a name afterall!

Yes, its a name that inspires both awe and fear to both friends and enemies alike. Perhaps thats part of a Gundam's Power! (well, unless you are in Seed where Gundam is Dime a Dozen, or in the middle of a Gundam Fight, where Gundams are expacted for the most part, or dueling each other with your gunpla while your gf dress hers up as a cute little bear, etc.)

[ShadowCell]

So we're back to "It's a Gundam if it's called a Gundam, except for when it's not."

[Calubin_175]

Other exceptions include the Zeta Plus and ZII as these two are not revolutionary proof of concept prototypes or Flagship machines in the UC universe. Abbreviated Gundam derivatives such as the RGM and RGZ series are not Gundams either. The Hyakushiki failed to become a Gundam because it did not deliver the new concept of transformation for the Anahiem/AEUG side. Its original design was the Delta Gundam but it was not realized hence the Zeta took the Gundam title instead. This is just my theory. However, both the Double Zeta and S bear Gundam titles and they were extremely similar in design which were pretty much concurrent projects. They still have their own unique traits though, with the he Hi-mega cannon and Alice system/incom respectively.

The Rick Dias was a potential Gundam, but perhaps the Zeonic engineers just didn't like the idea of naming it that way. It was pretty much state of the art and the Gundam Mk-II equivalent for the AEUG side. Since the Titans have the Gundam Mk-II already, it was better to avoid announcing a new flag ship unit called the Gamma Gundam.

The V Gundam by contrast was both a proof of concept prototype and a limited mass production model, while the Gun-EZ is another abbreviated Gundam derivative.

[Meteoid]

Remember the very first Gundam wasn't a Gundam, that was just it's name in the same way that Zaku or Exia is a name. The series (And what would eventually become a franchise) was also named for it so they just named every subsequent series "Gundam", because that's how franchises work. As such each series has to have a mobile suit called Gundam in it so as not to confuse people, there's no mythology or special reason for having broadly similar suits being called Gundams across the whole franchise other than because the first one looked like that.

As for what makes a Gundam a Gundam as everyone else said, it's all in the name. So Zeta Gundam is a Gundam but Hyaku-Shiki is not. Simple as.

[Arvis Taljik]

Hopefully this isn't too divergent on the original topic...

But let's take this away from the "official" metaseries as whole and look at everyone that creates Gundam fanon and customs.

If someone was to create their own mobile suit model/art/picture/various other multimedia, then what would that mobile suit design need to include in order for most other fans to consentually call it a "Gundam"? (In other words, an RX-121-1 with a GM head wouldn't really be considered a Gundam yes? Conversely, slapping a Gundam head on a GM Quell does make it a Gundam.) ((Is it all in the head then?!?!? ))

[JEFFPIATT]

Remember the very first Gundam wasn't a Gundam, that was just it's name in the same way that Zaku or Exia is a name. The series (And what would eventually become a franchise) was also named for it so they just named every subsequent series "Gundam", because that's how franchises work. As such each series has to have a mobile suit called Gundam in it so as not to confuse people, there's no mythology or special reason for having broadly similar suits being called Gundams across the whole franchise other than because the first one looked like that.

As for what makes a Gundam a Gundam as everyone else said, it's all in the name. So Zeta Gundam is a Gundam but Hyaku-Shiki is not. Simple as.

The RX-78 was actually named gundam in series. During the OYO era the Gundams shown are are built from the same frame with revisions for specific purposes. The RX-79 is a gundam because it used parts meant for the RX-78. the gundams built from zeta onward were prototypes built to resemble the RX-78-2 gundam in it's honor. the only Mobile suit to not be named gundam at construction was the F91. The Shiki and rick dais were planed as gundam units until the actual production units came out.

[J-Lead]

Hopefully this isn't too divergent on the original topic...

But let's take this away from the "official" metaseries as whole and look at everyone that creates Gundam fanon and customs.

If someone was to create their own mobile suit model/art/picture/various other multimedia, then what would that mobile suit design need to include in order for most other fans to consentually call it a "Gundam"? (In other words, an RX-121-1 with a GM head wouldn't really be considered a Gundam yes? Conversely, slapping a Gundam head on a GM Quell does make it a Gundam.) ((Is it all in the head then?!?!? ))

The problem with this is that Gundam fanon or what one or many individuals amongst the fanbase consider to be qualifications for Gundamhood is completely irrelevant and should be disregarded.

The ONLY distinction in terms of what is a Gundam and what isn't is the word "Gundam" itself. After all, when it comes down to it, the word "Gundam" is just that; a word. It's a namesake at best. There is nothing that dictates what a mobile suit must feature in order to be worthy of such a title other than the title itself.

It just happens that, due to Amuro's exploits in the RX-78-2 Gundam, mobile suit development bureaus such as the one(s) that built the RX-78-3 through 7, Anaheim Electronics, and the SNRI often try to replicate it's fearsome image and infamous namesake by building mobile suits in that very image and calling it "Gundam," which contributes further to people's notions of what a Gundam is and looks like. The very nature of the TR-1 Hazel's existence is evidence enough of this.

In other words, in the Universal Century, there is a lot of history and symbolism behind the name "Gundam," as well as an image that is often associated with the word (both in and our of universe,) but when it comes down to it, it's just a name.

So I guess that means if someone were to want to make a design that qualifies as a Gundam, all they have to do is put Gundam in the title. It could be a 17 meter tall MS with chocolate armor. It may clash with fan conceptions of what a Gundam should be, but if the artist or whoever wanted to call it a Gundam, then tough titties; it's considered a Gundam.

Spoiler

ironically, that very example is further evidence that fanon should be disregarded.

the only Mobile suit to not be named gundam at construction was the F91.

Which always struck me as odd, since it's predecessor, the F90, was called "Gundam" from the start.

[Strike Zero]

The ONLY distinction in terms of what is a Gundam and what isn't is the word "Gundam" itself.

Here's a thought: what about the 00 Raiser? Is it a "Gundam," or a "Raiser"?

[J-Lead]

Funny thing, I think they actually went so far as to say that 00-Raiser "transcends" Gundam, whatever the hell that means, so I guess not.

[JEFFPIATT]

Hopefully this isn't too divergent on the original topic...

But let's take this away from the "official" metaseries as whole and look at everyone that creates Gundam fanon and customs.

If someone was to create their own mobile suit model/art/picture/various other multimedia, then what would that mobile suit design need to include in order for most other fans to consentually call it a "Gundam"? (In other words, an RX-121-1 with a GM head wouldn't really be considered a Gundam yes? Conversely, slapping a Gundam head on a GM Quell does make it a Gundam.) ((Is it all in the head then?!?!? ))

The problem with this is that Gundam fanon or what one or many individuals amongst the fanbase consider to be qualifications for Gundamhood is completely irrelevant and should be disregarded.

The ONLY distinction in terms of what is a Gundam and what isn't is the word "Gundam" itself. After all, when it comes down to it, the word "Gundam" is just that; a word. It's a namesake at best. There is nothing that dictates what a mobile suit must feature in order to be worthy of such a title other than the title itself.

It just happens that, due to Amuro's exploits in the RX-78-2 Gundam, mobile suit development bureaus such as the one(s) that built the RX-78-3 through 7, Anaheim Electronics, and the SNRI often try to replicate it's fearsome image and infamous namesake by building mobile suits in that very image and calling it "Gundam," which contributes further to people's notions of what a Gundam is and looks like. The very nature of the TR-1 Hazel's existence is evidence enough of this.

In other words, in the Universal Century, there is a lot of history and symbolism behind the name "Gundam," as well as an image that is often associated with the word (both in and our of universe,) but when it comes down to it, it's just a name.

So I guess that means if someone were to want to make a design that qualifies as a Gundam, all they have to do is put Gundam in the title. It could be a 17 meter tall MS with chocolate armor. It may clash with fan conceptions of what a Gundam should be, but if the artist or whoever wanted to call it a Gundam, then tough titties; it's considered a Gundam.

Spoiler

ironically, that very example is further evidence that fanon should be disregarded.

the only Mobile suit to not be named gundam at construction was the F91.

Which always struck me as odd, since it's predecessor, the F90, was called "Gundam" from the start.

the dialog makes it sound like it was not named beyond a model code when the parts reached space ark once they put the helmet on the suit and it closed the faceplate the Commander gave it the codename gundam after the units fielded during the first UC But i got the feeling that SNRI intended to name it Gundam or they would not have given it that head style. maybe they did not want to jinx it's MP potential since the last Three gundams never made it to mass production like the first unit. SNRI did rebuild there way through project V making there MS.

[RGM-79G GM Command]

Another thing is that sometimes in universe (UC only that I'm aware of.) a Mobile Suit is called a Gundam for no reason other than to make it easier to sell to the Federation, because the word Gundam means something to them even that late in the universe, and still has standing in Victory, I can't remember exactly what units but I'm pretty sure that it was the F90 series.

[Arsarcana]

Funny thing, I think they actually went so far as to say that 00-Raiser "transcends" Gundam, whatever the hell that means, so I guess not.

Of course, Ian called the 00Q 'The Gundam Setsuna desired' or words to that effect despite it not officlally bearing the name. Might have just been him using the term casually since it looks like every other machine CB has been calling a Gundam for the past decade or two.

Really though, it does ultimately come down to 'The creators call it one'. You can try to articulate a policy for a given universe but they all have exceptions and odd cases. The only absolutely accurate classification internal to a given universe comes from Turn A: It's a Gundam if Corin says so. He had a 100% accuracy rate on Gundam identification and it squared with the official word on the subject.

[Kenji]

Bandai as arbiter aside, I think y'all have pretty much hit the nail on the head regarding the classification of UC Gundams. It's an attempt to call back the prestige of the infamous white mobile suit and its psychological effectiveness on anti-Federal movements. Hell, one of the things I really enjoy about UC is the weight of history behind the Gundam, as seen in the reactions of Marida Cruz and Chronicle Asher.

In the AD continuity, "Gundam" seems to have been intended to be synonymous with a "weaponized GN Drive." Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't GN supposed to mean "Gundam Nucleus?" I don't remember if that's from a novelization, official sidestory, or if it's just fanon. The Federation's GN suits are specifically not called Gundams, it seems, rather than the other way around.

In Future Century, "Gundam" seems to mean participants in the Gundam Fight. Dunno which term came first. AC Gundams are based on construction materials, CE Gundams are based on OS, and the AW continuity probably follows the same rules as the UC.

Am I missing anything?

[Gatx]

In AD, "Gundam" has a similar symbolic meaning. Though, correct me if I'm wrong, at some point I got the impression that the Innovator's suits were "Gundam type" suits. It might also just be an aesthetic rather than specs and power. Masurao and Susanoo are on par with any Gundam but they're not considered as such. When Setsuna fights Ribbons, his mobile suit also very powerful, but it isn't until it transforms, revealing it's V-fin and chin, that Setsuna calls it a Gundam (it even uses the fake GN drives rather than the real ones, which until then were one of the distinguishing features of a Gundam in 00) Then, during the 00 movie, when Graham and the Brave squad joins the final battle, he comments on the assimilated mobile suits, saying that the enemy is a Gundam type, which is notable in that the GN-X series at that point has incorporated the V-fin aesthetic.