The Anaheim Gundam List

[toysdream]

End-of-the-year novelty topic ahoy!

So as you probably know, in the Universal Century series, Anaheim Electronics tends to label its Gundams with Greek letters. Back in 1988, Model Graphix magazine published an Anaheim Gundam List as a supplement to its Gundam Sentinel serial, and the following year an updated version of this list was included in the Gundam Wars III book. Although this list filled in most of the gaps in Anaheim's Greek letter sequence, it hasn't aged well over the last 25 years.

One of the problems with this list is that Model Graphix filled in the gaps with original Gundams that had previously appeared in the magazine itself (plus one guest Gundam from the rival magazine Hobby Japan). None of these Model Graphix originals have been heard from since, and they don't have any kind of official status; on the other hand, more established machines from sources like the Z-MSV series aren't included in the list. So I think it's ripe for re-evaluation!


Let's take a look at the list as originally published.

Gamma: MSA-099 (RMS-099) Rick Dias
First mass production machine to use Gundarium Gamma composite.

Delta: MSN-00100 Hyaku Shiki
First to use wing binders. Included transformation system at start of project.

Epsilon: Epsy Gundam
Equipped with "Blossom" nuclear pulse propulsion system. MS itself used many Delta Gundam parts.

Zeta: MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam
First genuinely transformable mobile suit. Wave rider form had atmospheric entry capabilities.

Eta: MSZ-007 Zeta Rapier I
Enhanced development of Zeta Gundam. Highly modular backpack, and capable of transformation into wave rider.

Theta: MSZ-010 ZZ Gundam
First use of core block system since RX-78. Full armor system (enhancement parts) later designed.

Iota: MSA-0011 Superior Gundam
First to be equipped with four thermonuclear generators (one in each arm and leg) and incom. Designed from start of project to incorporate enhancement parts. Designed for functional flexibility thanks to extreme modularity.

Kappa: MSA-014 (RX-183) Sigma Gundam
A and B parts could fly independently. No core block.

Lambda: MSA-0012 (MSA-111) Lambda Gundam
Bits and psycommu control system were optional equipment. Simplified transformation system.

Mu: RX-90 (MSA-1111) Mu Gundam
Psycho-frame testbed.

Nu: RX-93 Nu Gundam
Used fin funnels and incorporated psycho-frame. No transformation or core block system.


So where does this list stand now?

Gamma: Still the Rick Dias, or a prototype version thereof.

Delta: Now the MSN-001 Delta Gundam, of which the Hyaku Shiki is a direct descendant.

Epsilon: The Epsy Gundam was a Model Graphix original that hasn't been mentioned again in 25 years, so I'd say this slot is up for grabs. This might be a good place to put the MSF-007 Gundam Mark III from the Z-MSV series.

Zeta: Still the Zeta Gundam.

Eta: The Zeta Rapier I is another forgotten Model Graphix original. This slot could perhaps be given to the MSZ-008 Zeta II from the Z-MSV series; you could argue it's not technically a Gundam, but it's at least semi-official now that it's part of the ReZEL family tree.

Theta: Still the ZZ Gundam.

Iota: Still the Superior Gundam.

Kappa: The Sigma Gundam is a largely forgotten Hobby Japan original. I'd actually suggest that the Kappa Gundam might be the mysterious Anaheim machine that was turned into Neo Zeon's AMX-107 Bawoo - after all, that's another two-part transformer.

Lambda: According to Gundam Sentinel, the MSA-007 Nero is based on the lower body of the Superior Gundam and the upper body of the Lambda Gundam. This suggests that the Lambda, and all the previous Gundams in this sequence, were actually designed before the start of Gundam ZZ. As for the "simplified transformation system," I wonder if this could be something like Re-GZ's Back Weapon System?

Mu: Based on the RX-90 model number, this would seem to date from around U.C. 0090. Thanks to the UC-MSV series, we now know that the ARX-014 Silver Bullet - and in particular, the ARX-014P type equipped with a prototype fin funnel - were used to gather data for the Nu Gundam. Apparently the recent Gundam Unicorn game included a mission set in U.C. 0092, when the fin funnel type is being tested. But the Silver Bullet doesn't have a psycho-frame, so there could easily be another testbed machine around during this timeframe...

Nu: Still the Nu Gundam.

And after the Nu comes the RX-105 Xi Gundam, which means that the Sinanju Stein, Unicorn Gundam, and Penelope are omitted entirely from this sequence. Nothing to be done about that, though!

-- Mark

[Calubin_175]

I want the Gundam Delta Kai to fit somewhere in there, but it lacks the simplified transformation system or Nero parts to be Lamda.

[toysdream]

Yeah, the Delta Kai's fin funnels seem like they'd fit that "optional bits" description, but I suppose it may be lumped under the "Delta Gundam" heading. Also, the Delta Plus - the base model for the Delta Kai - isn't completed until U.C. 0090, which would be 2-3 years after the Lambda Gundam.

Maybe we could imagine the Lambda as having a similar configuration, though. Come to think of it, the Gundam NT-X (from the G Generation series) has two big bits on its back as well...

-- Mark

[bilbros]

Sometimes I saw Japanese fan sites claiming that the RX-104 Odysseus Gundam (i.e. the RX-104FF Pweelope without its fligth apparatus) could be a suitable candidate for the "omicron" slot..
However, one of the greatest and still pending mysteries (which probably would be never be solved) is the identity of the first two missing places: Alpha and Beta

[toysdream]

Technically, Omicron should come after Xi, though. Perhaps, since the Penelope and Xi are so similar, they're considered part of the same project?

Alpha and Beta seem like ripe subjects for speculation! We could perhaps shoehorn the Gundam Development Project in there, but somehow that seems too obvious.

-- Mark

[Dark Duel]

[wildspeculation]Alternately, "Alpha" could be the original Gundam, and "Beta" the Gundam MkII? Since apparently, the Federation chose to pretend the Gundam Development Project never happened.
[/wildspeculation]

[yazi88]

I'm not sure about this but we also have the Silhouette Gundam from Silhouette F91.

Do the Victory and Victory 2 Gundams count as Anaheim Gundams? I was never sure if Anaheim was actually involved with the production of these Gundams.

[Kuruni]

...Maybe we could imagine the Lambda as having a similar configuration, though. Come to think of it, the Gundam NT-X (from the G Generation series) has two big bits on its back as well...

-- Mark

Glad to be able to contribute in some way . NT-X's profile in G Generation games note that it was built by Augusta, then transfer to Murasame (where it get the MRX code), (here is link to Game MSV article scan on Gundam Wiki)so we can sefely count it out.

[toysdream]

Yeah, the NT-X isn't an Anaheim machine - I just thought that was an interesting similarity. The NT-X is probably also too early, since - with the exception of the Mu, Nu, and Xi - all these machines seem to have been developed over a span of just a couple years, from about U.C. 0086 to (at latest) early 0088.

The Silhouette Gundam, Neo Gundam, and Victory series, on the other hand, are too late to be in this sequence - the last one on the list is the Xi Gundam, from U.C. 0105.

Although it's not specifically stated in Model Graphix, it seems like this whole Greek letter sequence is used mainly for the Gundams that Anaheim Electronics develops for the AEUG. (The Nu and Xi, meanwhile, were custom-designed for Amuro and Hathaway, so they could be considered spiritual successors to the AEUG Gundams.) In fact, the MSA prefix itself was originally reserved for AEUG mobile suits, so all these "MSA" entries may be AEUG projects by definition.

Does that mean the Alpha and Beta Gundams were hitherto-unseen AEUG machines? It's an interesting possibility, but I guess they could also have started with the Gamma Gundam (after Gundarium Gamma) and continued on from there...

-- Mark

[Ceiling_Squid]

Although it's not specifically stated in Model Graphix, it seems like this whole Greek letter sequence is used mainly for the Gundams that Anaheim Electronics develops for the AEUG. (The Nu and Xi, meanwhile, were custom-designed for Amuro and Hathaway, so they could be considered spiritual successors to the AEUG Gundams.) In fact, the MSA prefix itself was originally reserved for AEUG mobile suits, so all these "MSA" entries may be AEUG projects by definition.

Does that mean the Alpha and Beta Gundams were hitherto-unseen AEUG machines? It's an interesting possibility, but I guess they could also have started with the Gamma Gundam (after Gundarium Gamma) and continued on from there...

-- Mark

I could see the possibility, though I've got the idea that perhaps these two machines never existed. The Gamma Gundam was merely named after the material, after all, and perhaps they used that as a starting point for naming conventions.

Actually, maybe the best idea would be to examine the design history of the Rick Dias itself? In the same way that the failed Delta Gundam design eventually fed into the Zeta, perhaps the Alpha and Beta are failed Gamma Gundam prototypes?

There's probably zero evidence for what those actually are. The only pre-Gryps suits that even have an association with Alpha and Beta as terminology would be the Galbaldy series. And I don't think those have any meaningful link to the Gamma Gundam (in spite of the Rick Dias' Zeon roots). Would be entertaining if that was the case, though.

[yazi88]

What about GP series from 0083? Would they factor in for Alpha and Beta? They were Anaheim Gundams.

[toysdream]

There do seem to be just a handful of possibilities for the missing Alpha and Beta - I think I already mentioned the "just started with Gamma" theory raised by Ceiling_Squid, and the "started with Gundam Development Project" theory suggested by yazi88.

The latter theory raises the question of how many slots the Gundam Development Project would take up, though. Are all 3-4 of these counted as "Beta"? Did the Rick Dias inherit the "Gamma" slot from the Gundam GP02A? Are the GP01 and GP03 variations of the same type, or should they get different Greek letters? Do we include the Gundam GP04G, or the unofficial Gundam GP00? This theory raises more questions than it answers.

It's interesting to speculate about the possibility of pre-Rick Dias AEUG Gundams, though. As I mentioned, this list seems to be mainly for AEUG machines - the Gamma through Lambda all seem to have been developed for the AEUG - so it's possible that the Alpha and Beta were very early AEUG prototypes. The consensus is that Anaheim began developing Gundams for the AEUG in the middle of U.C. 0085, so there's plenty of time for them to produce weird prototypes.

Since the Rick Dias is supposedly derived from the Gundam GP02A, it's possible that they might have updated some of the other machines from the GP series as AEUG candidates, too. The Gundam GP04G/Gerbera Tetra is perhaps a good possibility; it was retained by Anaheim for its own research, so you'd think they'd do something with that data, and it was supposedly developed by the same ex-Zeonic engineers who made the GP02A.


EDIT: Oh, and I just had another thought about the mysterious Lambda Gundam. According to the Sentinel list, it has a simplified (単純化) transformation system. The one other machine that's described that way in the Japanese sources is the MSZ-008 Zeta II.

Now, there's no indication of optional bits or psycommu equipment for the Zeta II, and its upper body doesn't look anything like that of the Nero, so this seems like a poor fit. But if we're looking for an example of what a "simplified" Zeta-type transformation would look like, then the Methuss-style transformation of the Zeta II is probably our best guide.

-- Mark

[T.V.]

Eta: The Zeta Rapier I is another forgotten Model Graphix original. This slot could perhaps be given to the MSZ-008 Zeta II from the Z-MSV series; you could argue it's not technically a Gundam, but it's at least semi-official now that it's part of the ReZEL family tree.

Theta: Still the ZZ Gundam.

Iota: Still the Superior Gundam.

Kappa: The Sigma Gundam is a largely forgotten Hobby Japan original. I'd actually suggest that the Kappa Gundam might be the mysterious Anaheim machine that was turned into Neo Zeon's AMX-107 Bawoo - after all, that's another two-part transformer.

Lambda: According to Gundam Sentinel, the MSA-007 Nero is based on the lower body of the Superior Gundam and the upper body of the Lambda Gundam. This suggests that the Lambda, and all the previous Gundams in this sequence, were actually designed before the start of Gundam ZZ. As for the "simplified transformation system," I wonder if this could be something like Re-GZ's Back Weapon System?

Could the Anaheim machine the Bawoo is based on be the MSZ-009 Prototype ZZ Gundam from M-MSV?
It splits into two parts, has no core(fighter) and has a simplified transformation system.

Could the MSZ-009 then concievably be the Eta Gundam? It would be logical if it's the Eta since it's the direct predecessor of the MSZ-010 ZZ (Theta) Gundam, but I don't know wether your sources state on which (greek symbol named) machine the Bawoo was based.

Then also, could the Lamba Gundam be the MSZ-013 Mass Production ZZ Gundam from M-MSV?

[toysdream]

It seems a bit redundant to let the Prototype ZZ fill up one of the extra slots - especially when we have Z-MSV machines that we need to find homes for - but it's definitely one of Anaheim's two-part transformers. Aside from the basic fact that it separates, though, the Prototype ZZ really doesn't resemble the Bawoo at all.

Although it's widely speculated that the Bawoo is based on a Zeta-series Anaheim machine, there really aren't a lot of details (official or unofficial) on what that base machine was like. There was a pretty awesome custom model build in Model Graphix Vol.196, though - labeled as the "MSZ-007-R", it combined elements of the Bawoo and Kazumi Fujita's souped-up Zeta Gundam redesign...

As for the Lambda, the Mass Produced ZZ from M-MSV doesn't match any aspect of the description - it doesn't transform, has no psycommu system or bits, and doesn't resemble the Nero at all.

-- Mark

[MythSearcher]

Just a bit of speculation and personal preference:

The "simplified transformation" of Lambda might as well be used for Z Plus, since in Sentinel, Z Plus was already considered a simplified version from Zeta. If not, then the Methus, Z II, ReZEL line transformation is another possibility.

The Mu and Nu, just my little hypothesis here.
The Nu Gundam we see in show was actually using most of the parts and frame of Mu Gundam, since it was not finished but needed to be scrambled anyway, so they strapped the Nu Gundam's Fin Funnel to Mu and did some quick modifications and call it Nu Gundam.
The complete version, Hi-Nu, is the actual Nu Gundam as it was planned.

[AmuroNT1]

I admit this is just idle speculation, but what's the point in theorizing without a little guess work?

It's been said that the Marasai was going to be an AEUG machine before the Titans started leaning on Anaheim and the design was thrown to them as appeasement. Has it ever been stated that the Marasai design was the same from start to finish, or is it possible that its AEUG precursor could be the "Alpha" or Beta"?

[MythSearcher]

I admit this is just idle speculation, but what's the point in theorizing without a little guess work?

It's been said that the Marasai was going to be an AEUG machine before the Titans started leaning on Anaheim and the design was thrown to them as appeasement. Has it ever been stated that the Marasai design was the same from start to finish, or is it possible that its AEUG precursor could be the "Alpha" or Beta"?

That is less possible since they start at Gamma after Gundarium Gamma, thus they don't have Alpha and Beta.

So technically RX-78 is Alpha? (Lunar Titanium being Gundarium Alpha)

[yazi88]

I admit this is just idle speculation, but what's the point in theorizing without a little guess work?

It's been said that the Marasai was going to be an AEUG machine before the Titans started leaning on Anaheim and the design was thrown to them as appeasement. Has it ever been stated that the Marasai design was the same from start to finish, or is it possible that its AEUG precursor could be the "Alpha" or Beta"?

We also have the Marasai prototype already established in the Titans Test from Advance of Zeta, so it seems rather unlikely for that.

[toysdream]

The "simplified transformation" of Lambda might as well be used for Z Plus, since in Sentinel, Z Plus was already considered a simplified version from Zeta. If not, then the Methus, Z II, ReZEL line transformation is another possibility.

I don't recall seeing the Z Plus transformation system described as "simplified" until fairly recently, but it's characterized that way in the Master Grade kit manual, so that's a possibility. Actually, the idea of a Z Plus with optional bits starts to sound a bit like the Gundam Delta Kai, albeit a couple of years earlier. But it wouldn't resemble the upper body of the Nero...

The Mu and Nu, just my little hypothesis here.
The Nu Gundam we see in show was actually using most of the parts and frame of Mu Gundam, since it was not finished but needed to be scrambled anyway, so they strapped the Nu Gundam's Fin Funnel to Mu and did some quick modifications and call it Nu Gundam.
The complete version, Hi-Nu, is the actual Nu Gundam as it was planned.

The Nu definitely seems to have been a rush job - according to the official timeline, it was created in just over two months. And the fact there's no proper attachment point for the fin funnels does seem suspicious.


AmuroNT1 suggests that the Marasai could fit into this sequence someplace. I guess that depends on whether you consider it a spinoff of an experimental prototype (like the Rick Dias) or something that was designed from the beginning for mass production (like the Nemo and Nero). Since I'm now toying with the idea of a Gerbera-based prototype Gundam, I wonder if it would be possible to position the Marasai as a spinoff of that...

It may not come as a shock that I've been sketching some ideas for these "missing link" machines, so I may start posting some of them in the new year. A midway point between the Gerbera and the Marasai is certainly an interesting art prompt!

The back story that Advance of Zeta provides for the Marasai - that it's a minor refinement of the RX-107 Rosette previously tested by the Titans - doesn't seem very convincing to me, so I'm prepared to imagine other possibilities.


EDIT: Just took a look at the mecha designs for the Marasai and the Gerbera Tetra, and wow, they don't have anything in common. Except for the head, which maybe Anaheim keeps in stock as an "emergency Zeonic camouflage" part.

-- Mark

[Gelgoog Jager]

It's been a while everyone. Just to throw my two cents on the matter:

-Even MS with physical similarities might not necessarily be connected: I previously proposed a relation between the Gaza C and the Rcik Dias based on their shared features (fixed mono eye sensor, cokcpit in the head). Although any potential connection bewteen the Galbaldy Beta and the Rick Dias might not indicate that the former is its Anaheim predecessor, at the very least both MS share the protuding rear skirt thrusters and blocky exterior.

-A physical relationship between MS might not be necessary at all, after all we have the Hizack and Nemo, the former which is basically considered an EF MS with the exterior of a Zaku, and the later a Zeon MS with the exterior of a GM. Taking this into account, its entirely possible that both machines do are related, but while the Rick Dias was given a blocky exterior similar to a GM or Galbaldy Beta, the Marasai was simply given an exterior more similar to Zeon MS. Let's not forget about the MSK-008 Dijeh, which is said to be closely related to the Rick Dias, but has a radically different exterior.

-Also, I think that any potential comaprison between the Gerbera Tetra and any other MS should take into account also the Gerbera Gundam and the Gerbera Tetra Kai, the later which looks as lot more realistic rush job to modifiy an EF MS into a Zeon unit (retaining some sections of the original frame). I could even imagine the Gebera Tetra Kai's wing binders/thrusters being some leftover from the conversion of the Zephyrantes into its space-only Full Burnern configuration.