COMPLETE 2025 Gundam Watch Order for Beginners

Summary

• Gundam is an anime series that focuses on the war that is happening between the Earth Federation and the Principality of Zeon.
• This Gundam watch order guide will help newcomers to the franchise who want to explore Gundam’s vast lore.
• Gundam is set in the Universal Century timeline, while the Alternate Universe was created to explore more within the other movies that are not included in the main franchise. 

Gundam is an anime series that focuses on the war that is happening between the Earth Federation and the Principality of Zeon. This classic anime has been loved by generations, therefore making it an easy ‘must-watch’ for many fans. However, this franchise is massive, with 23 anime seasons and additional films and OVAs. If you don’t know where to start, here’s a complete and beginner-friendly Gundam watch order list in 2025.

Gundam Watch Order Overview

Watching Gundam installments in order of release is basically the ‘normal’ way you can go about it. However, you can arguably get a better experience by watching them according to two separate timelines. The Universal Century and Alternate Universe are two timelines, telling stories that are different from one another. Getting them mixed up may result in confusion about the story and character names. 

In making these lists, we focused more on accessibility, clarity on the story’s lore, and for the watcher’s enjoyment. This Gundam watch order guide will cover both the Universal Century and Alternative Universe Timelines.

Universal Century Timeline

This timeline is all about the rivalry between the Earth’s Federation, Amuro Ray, and Char Aznable. The reason behind this was the profound impact their separate ideals hold. 

Newer installments of the franchise generally tell stories of events that happened between the older shows. For this reason, watching Gundam in order of release isn’t always the best option. When starting the series, this is our recommended Gundam watch order that will help newcomers easily piece the story together.

• Mobile Suit Gundam (TV Series, 1979)
• Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin (OVA, 2015)
• Mobile Suit Gundam: Advent of the Red Comet (Anime, 2019)
• Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team (OVA, 1996-1999)
• Mobile Suit Gundam: MS IGLOO (OVA Series, 2004-2008)
• Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket (OVA, 1989)
• Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory (OVA, 1991)
• Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (Anime, 1985)
• Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ (Anime, 1986)
• Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack (OVA, 1988)
• Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn (OVA, 2010)
• Mobile Suit Gundam Twilight Axis (ONA, 2017)
• Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative (OVA, 2018)
• Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway (OVA, 2021)
• Mobile Suit Gundam F91 (OVA, 1991)
• Mobile Suit Victory Gundam (Anime, 1993)

Alternate Universe Timeline

This list consists of the shows that aren’t included in the main franchise, thus following an Alternate Universe Timeline. Watching these shows would not ruin your experience; this is more so the added stories of what is happening in the background that isn’t usually picked up in the spotlight

Cosmic Era

• Mobile Suit Gundam SEED (2002–2003, Anime TV Show)
• Mobile Suit Gundam SEED: After-Phase Between the Stars (2004, OVA)
• Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny (2004–2005, Anime TV Show)
• Mobile Suit Gundam SEED C.E. 73: Stargazer (2006, ONA)
• Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom (2024, Movie)

Present Day

• Gundam Build Fighters (2013-2014, Anime TV Show)
• Gundam Build Fighters: GM’s Counterattack (2017, ONA)
• Gundam Build Fighters Try (2014-2015, Anime TV Show)
• Gundam Build Fighters Try: Island Wars (2016, OVA)
• Gundam Build Fighters Battlogue (2017, ONA)
• Gundam Build Divers: Prologue (2017, ONA)
• Gundam Build Divers (2017, ONA)
• Gundam Build Divers Re: Rise (2019-2020, ONA)
• Gundam Build Divers: Battlogue (2020, ONA)
• Gundam Build Metaverse (2023, ONA)

Future Colony

• Mobile Fighter G Gundam (1994–1995, Anime TV Show)

After Colony

• Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (1995–1996, Anime TV Show)
• Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz (1997, OVA)

After War

• After War Gundam X (1996, Anime TV Show)

Anno Domini

• Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (2007–2009, Anime TV Show)
• Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie: Awakening of the Trailblazer (2010, Movie)

Advanced Generation

• Mobile Suit Gundam AGE (2011–2012, Anime TV Show)

Post-Disaster

• Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans (2015–2017, Anime TV Show)
• Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans: Urðr-Hunt (TBA)

Ad Stella

• Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury: Prologue (2022–2023, Anime TV Show)
• Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury (2022–2023, Anime TV Show)

Conclusion

This Gundam Watch Order will help understand the story more as well as how it has evolved from the very beginning up to its current franchise. The lore will be intense and full of surprises, especially for a newcomer who was intrigued by the upcoming Gundam show called ‘Gundam: The Witch from Mercury’. The franchise will be a lot to take in, but it is recommended that starting with the Universe Century will be best because it is where everything started.