Z Gundam
Encyclopedia
The MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam, designed by Kazumi Fujita
, is a fictional weapon
of the anime Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
from the Universal Century
timeline of the Gundam
metaseries. Its popularity has led to many variations, upgrades, redesigns and influenced later design works such as the Zeta Plus and the Wing Gundam. It is also the only mobile suit having a real, pilotable, down-scaled, 7-metre-tall, hydraulically controlled model built.
The name "Zeta Gundam" is the eponymous Gundam in which the suit appears, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, which is the sequel of Mobile Suit Gundam
. The suit is first deployed mid-series as a reinforcement suit. It was piloted by the series' main character Kamille Bidan until the end of the series. The Zeta Gundam also became the starting mobile suit of the main character Judau Ashta of the sequel Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ
before he switched to the more powerful and eponymous mobile suit of that series, MSZ-010 ZZ Gundam.
story was given in Gundam Sentinel
Special edition Gundam Wars III in which Zeta Gundam is the fourth Greek alphabet Gundams designed by the fictional company Anaheim Electronics
. Where the series started from the alphabet Gamma in the fictional alloy Gundarium gamma use for the series, the improved third version of Lunar titanium named after the first Gundam.
game series, which is famous for featuring different mecha
of many anime franchise together in one mixed story. Inside the Gundam franchise, it has been featured in the PlayStation
game Gundam Battle Assault (Gundam: The Battle Master 2 in Japan), the PS2 game Mobile Suit Z Gundam: AEUG vs. Titans and PSP
's Gundam Battle series. It is also one of the featured units in the March 2007 release of the PS3 and Xbox 360
game Dynasty Warriors: Gundam
, a spin-off series of the Koei game Dynasty Warriors
. Three variant units are also featured in Episode 9 of Gundam Evolve
. In the SD Gundam manga
Double Zeta Kun kokoniari(ダブルゼ－タくんここにあリ, Little Double Zeta is here), Zeta Chan is the main female character, a girl version of Zeta with only the V antenna and the name recognizable.
" mode more aerodynamically suited for long-distance flight or atmospheric re-entry. The shield on the left hand serves as both the nose and the heat shield of the flight unit while the legs become the main thrusters. The concept of the unit is a tail binder which serves as the fifth limb of the unit, thus aiding in AMBAC motion.
Its transformation concept at the time was one of the most complex and detailed designs, rivaled only by the earlier The Super Dimension Fortress Macross
's revolutionary VF-1 Valkyrie
variable fighters.
Argama for field testing against the growing power of the enemy the Titans. One unique feature of the unit was that it employed a bio-sensor system which allowed a brief surge of unusual power and made the Zeta Gundam nearly invincible against any attacks on occasions.
The most prolific weapons of the Zeta Gundam would be its Hyper-Mega-Launcher. Both the Zeta Gundam's Hyper-Mega-Launcher and beam rifle feature the "beam sabre mode", which allowed the ranged weapons to double act as extended beam sabres for close quarter combat.
, it is portrayed as a battle-worn unit in the beginning of Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ
when the main character Judau Ashta is seen stealing it from the hangar of the Argama. In a scene, the Zeta Gundam's head was destroyed and replaced with a head of an MS-06 Zaku II
in a rush. However, when Judau received the ZZ Gundam
as a reinforcement, the Zeta Gundam is still used as part of Argamas "Gundam Team", piloted mainly by Roux Louka. The Zeta Gundam eventually suffered heavy damage at the hands of Neo Zeon's NZ-000 Quin Mantha piloted by Ple Two
and Glemy Toto near the conclusion of the first Neo Zeon movement, and had to be abandoned.
teenager, incorporating innovations in that time such as the "movable frame" concept extracted by the AEUG from the Titans' RX-178 Gundam Mk-II
project, and the Gundarium gamma alloy used in the RMS-099 Rick Dias. This mobile suit is also one of the first variable-form Gundams televised, capable of transforming into a fighter form called the Waverider. The transformation ability and the suit's great speed is the Ζ's signature quality, as its transformation is fluid and integrated into its combat style often giving it grace unrivaled by most mecha.
In the story of Gundam Sentinel
, when S Gundam Booster Unit approaches the Base of Pezun, a commander replied there should not be Mobile Suits like the Zeta Gundam everywhere that have such high acceleration of a Mobile Armour but of the size of a Mobile Suit.
s. Some official equipment choices from the Perfect Grade model manual includes Gundam Sentinel Z Plus equipments as standard equipments, like the wave shooter shield option as opposed to the wave rider shield and arm mount grenade pod switched to dummy balloon pods (used for creating dummy balloons). As of March 2008, Jumbo Grade Z Gundam is the largest retail model kit with 565mm of height.
game (Game Boy
), the Zeta Gundam was portrayed as a 2.5-headed super deformed
unit working on its own without a pilot like the other mechas in the same game. In later series, the pilot system was introduced and it is default to be piloted by its original pilot Kamille, yet it is possible to change the pilot.
in the later stages of the Gryps Conflict. Some deny this as merely propaganda similar to the story of the MSZ-006 A1 since the Zeta Plus A1 in question was stated as Amuro Type but the Master Grade model confirmed it was only tuned to fit Amuro's piloting skills, while it was only used for training new pilots for the A1 type Zeta Plus.
Two additional Zeta Gundam units appear in Episode 9 of the CG series Gundam Evolve
, alongside Amuro Ray's unit — this brings the total number of Zeta units to four.
All three units can be equipped with a (colour-matched) single-stage booster system, allowing them to make orbit otherwise unassisted.
. The detailed transformation design served as the first TMS in real life (although renewed and retconed by the Z Plus design later on), and the concept served as the basics of various mobile suit designs later in other Gundam series, including a simplified transformation of XXXG-01W Wing Gundam according to the model instruction manual of Wing Gundam.
.
Originally designed as a successor to the Ζeta Gundam and was even featured in various Super Robot Wars
video games as a secret unit. It uses a simplified frame similar to that of the MSA-005 Methuss instead of the Ζeta Gundam's. ZII's mobile armour mode lacks the waverider's ability of atmospheric re-entry and flight on Earth but has higher acceleration and maneuverability. This design was rejected by the AEUG.
The concept was used in Mobile Suit Gundam UC's mass production unit RGZ-95 ReZEL(Refine Zeta gundam Escort Leader), a further redevelopment of the RGZ-91 ReGZ(Refine Gundam Zeta) that appeared in Char's Counter Attack.
and Anaheim Electronics
. All of the Ζ Plus designs are by Katoki Hajime and Masahiki Asano based on the MSZ-006 Ζeta Gundam. However, the Ζeta Gundam was also a painfully complicated and expensive mobile suit and the Earth Federation did not want to mass-produce it as it was.
After the Gryps Conflict ended the Earth Federation wanted the design of the Ζeta Gundam to be reworked, so that it was more streamlined, less complex, and, most importantly, cheaper to manufacture, but so that it would still retain all of the major strengths of the original unit. The Ζ Plus line of mobile suits was the answer to the Federation's requests.
the supposedly earlier model, the MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam, due to its transformation system being more realistic and easier to recreate in model kits. The Perfect Grade model of the Zeta Gundam actually contains information about a wave shooter shield which is not included in the original design but is borrowed from the Z Plus series. Despite sharing no parts with the earlier models, the Master Grade V2.0 model of the Zeta Gundam also received several touches and improvements from the earlier Master Grade Z Plus kits.
There were two color schemes of the Ζ Plus A1. The main color scheme was a neutral light gray and blue, however there was also a unit which featured a rusty orange and white color scheme and an "A" emblem on its left shoulder, the personal insignia of Amuro Ray
. This orange Ζ Plus A1 was rumored to have been piloted by ace pilot Amuro Ray. It was never confirmed whether Amuro Ray actually test-piloted the Ζ Plus A1, and the rumor may have just been a marketing scheme concocted by Anaheim Electronics to get the Federation more interested in the unit to drum up sales and used by the anti-federation forces Karaba as a training unit as to improve moral of the pilots. While this period of the Universal Century is very vague and enthusiastically explored by fans, it is known for certain now that Amuro piloted a model of the Ζ Gundam during the Gryps Conflict and first Neo Zeon movement. This suit however, was the MSZ-006-3, a suit much closer related to the original Ζ than the Ζ Plus line (it was the rumoured 'Zeta Gundam Unit 3', with the only difference is its colour scheme).
.
Two Ζ Plus C1's would be built and sent to the Earth Federation's Taskforce Alpha, which was tasked with putting a stop to the New Desides. One of the Taskforce Alpha Ζ Plus C1's would be destroyed and the other was heavily damaged, rendering it inoperable.
.
s on the shield's nosecone to help alleviate aerodynamically induced stress on the airframe, longer more sweeping wings to provide superior lift and mount weapons, and a longer tailcone similar to more modern aircraft also helped with flight stability. The Ζ Plus D could carry an assortment of guided missiles, or free-falling bombs on its wings, as well as a variety of ordnance. Anaheim Electronics had originally planned to sell this unit to the Karaba Air Force, which was put under Federation management after the Titan collapse. The unit would ultimately not be sold, but several would serve as test units for Karaba in a non-combat capacity.
Kazumi Fujita
is a Japanese mecha designer, who has worked on several noted anime series and video games, notably Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, Gaogaigar Final, and Quo Vadis 2. He designed the Zeta Gundam, winning heated competition between Kunio Okawara, Mamoru Nagano and himself to design a finalized Zeta Gundam...
, is a fictional weapon
Mobile weapons
In the Gundam terminology, the terms normal suit and astrosuit are used to refer to normal astronaut spacesuits, so as to avoid confusion with mobile suits....
of the anime Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
is a television anime, part of the Gundam series and a sequel to the original Mobile Suit Gundam. The show was created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, with character designs by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, while the series' mechanical designs is split amongst Kunio Okawara, Mamoru Nagano, and Kazumi Fujita...
from the Universal Century
Universal Century
is the original timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The official English name U.C. is often used instead in recent production like MS Igloo and Master Grade model instructions and official pages is the original timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The official English name U.C....
timeline of the Gundam
Gundam
The is a metaseries of anime created by Sunrise studios that features giant robots called "Mobile Suits" ; usually the protagonist's MS will carry the name Gundam....
metaseries. Its popularity has led to many variations, upgrades, redesigns and influenced later design works such as the Zeta Plus and the Wing Gundam. It is also the only mobile suit having a real, pilotable, down-scaled, 7-metre-tall, hydraulically controlled model built.
The name "Zeta Gundam" is the eponymous Gundam in which the suit appears, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, which is the sequel of Mobile Suit Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam
is a televised anime series, created by Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcasting Network on April 7, 1979, and lasted until January 26, 1980, spanning 43 episodes...
. The suit is first deployed mid-series as a reinforcement suit. It was piloted by the series' main character Kamille Bidan until the end of the series. The Zeta Gundam also became the starting mobile suit of the main character Judau Ashta of the sequel Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ
Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ
is a TV series aired on Japanese TV from 1986–1987, was the third Gundam series, and a direct follow up to Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. Director Yoshiyuki Tomino returned to lead the series, and he assembled a new team consisting of character designer Hiroyuki Kitazume, who had been one of Zeta...
before he switched to the more powerful and eponymous mobile suit of that series, MSZ-010 ZZ Gundam.
Name
Zeta Gundam, written as Z Gundam (Ζガンダム) in most media is named after the Greek alphabet ζ(capitalized). A retconRetcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
story was given in Gundam Sentinel
Gundam Sentinel
is a novel set in the Universal Century timeline of the Gundam universe, originally serialized in Model Graphix magazine between September 1987 and August 1988. Gundam Sentinel became a cult hit, due to its super-detailed mechanical designs and an intricate story by veteran writer Masaya Takahashi...
Special edition Gundam Wars III in which Zeta Gundam is the fourth Greek alphabet Gundams designed by the fictional company Anaheim Electronics
Anaheim Electronics
Anaheim Electronics is a fictional civilian company that appeared in the Universal Century timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The company appeared first in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam as the main financier, supplier, and manufacturer of the faction AEUG...
. Where the series started from the alphabet Gamma in the fictional alloy Gundarium gamma use for the series, the improved third version of Lunar titanium named after the first Gundam.
Appearances
Other than the two main TV series of the Gundam Franchise, the unit has also appeared in most of the Super Robot WarsSuper Robot Wars
is a series of tactical role-playing video games produced by Banpresto, which is now a Japanese division of Namco Bandai. The main feature of the franchise is having a story that crosses over several popular mecha anime, manga and video games, allowing characters and mecha from different titles to...
game series, which is famous for featuring different mecha
Mecha
A mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
of many anime franchise together in one mixed story. Inside the Gundam franchise, it has been featured in the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
game Gundam Battle Assault (Gundam: The Battle Master 2 in Japan), the PS2 game Mobile Suit Z Gundam: AEUG vs. Titans and PSP
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
's Gundam Battle series. It is also one of the featured units in the March 2007 release of the PS3 and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
game Dynasty Warriors: Gundam
Dynasty Warriors: Gundam
On the first day of its release, Gundam Musou sold over a 100,000 copies, making it the first PS3 title to do so on its first day. Also, the game sold about 70 percent of its 170,000 -180,000 launch day shipments, making it rank third in overall sales — after Ridge Racer 7 and Mobile Suit Gundam:...
, a spin-off series of the Koei game Dynasty Warriors
Dynasty Warriors
is a series of tactical action video games created by Omega Force and Koei. The award-winning series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, based loosely around the Chinese classical novel of the same name. The first game titled Dynasty Warriors,...
. Three variant units are also featured in Episode 9 of Gundam Evolve
Gundam Evolve
, also known as Mobile Suit Gundam Evolve, is a series of short films set in the different timelines of the Gundam series. Originally there were only five Evolve episodes, produced from 2001 to 2003, Bandai started to create new Evolve episodes in 2004...
. In the SD Gundam manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
Double Zeta Kun kokoniari(ダブルゼ－タくんここにあリ, Little Double Zeta is here), Zeta Chan is the main female character, a girl version of Zeta with only the V antenna and the name recognizable.
Concept
The Zeta Gundam is a transformable type mobile suit, which can change from its normal humanoid outlook to a "waveriderWaverider
A waverider is a hypersonic aircraft design that improves its supersonic lift-to-drag ratio by using the shock waves being generated by its own flight as a lifting surface. To date the only aircraft to use the technique is the Mach 3 supersonic XB-70 Valkyrie, which was waverider-like with its...
" mode more aerodynamically suited for long-distance flight or atmospheric re-entry. The shield on the left hand serves as both the nose and the heat shield of the flight unit while the legs become the main thrusters. The concept of the unit is a tail binder which serves as the fifth limb of the unit, thus aiding in AMBAC motion.
Its transformation concept at the time was one of the most complex and detailed designs, rivaled only by the earlier The Super Dimension Fortress Macross
The Super Dimension Fortress Macross
is an anime television series. According to story creator Shoji Kawamori, it depicts "a love triangle against the backdrop of great battles" during the first Human-alien war....
's revolutionary VF-1 Valkyrie
VF-1 Valkyrie
This article is about a fictional vehicle; for the fighter squadron see VF-1.In the fictional Macross Japanese anime series and its English adaptation Robotech, the first mass-produced variable fighter or veritech fighter is called the VF-1 Valkyrie.-Background:The VF-1 was created by the...
variable fighters.
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
In the original story, the Zeta Gundam is a conceptual design raised by Kamille. Anaheim Electronics, the main sponsor of the Anti-Earth Union Group incorporated the idea into production, and later transferred the newly made unit to AEUG's flagshipFlagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
Argama for field testing against the growing power of the enemy the Titans. One unique feature of the unit was that it employed a bio-sensor system which allowed a brief surge of unusual power and made the Zeta Gundam nearly invincible against any attacks on occasions.
The most prolific weapons of the Zeta Gundam would be its Hyper-Mega-Launcher. Both the Zeta Gundam's Hyper-Mega-Launcher and beam rifle feature the "beam sabre mode", which allowed the ranged weapons to double act as extended beam sabres for close quarter combat.
Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ
Although the unit was seen receiving minimal damage in the end of ZetaMobile Suit Zeta Gundam
is a television anime, part of the Gundam series and a sequel to the original Mobile Suit Gundam. The show was created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, with character designs by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, while the series' mechanical designs is split amongst Kunio Okawara, Mamoru Nagano, and Kazumi Fujita...
, it is portrayed as a battle-worn unit in the beginning of Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ
Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ
is a TV series aired on Japanese TV from 1986–1987, was the third Gundam series, and a direct follow up to Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. Director Yoshiyuki Tomino returned to lead the series, and he assembled a new team consisting of character designer Hiroyuki Kitazume, who had been one of Zeta...
when the main character Judau Ashta is seen stealing it from the hangar of the Argama. In a scene, the Zeta Gundam's head was destroyed and replaced with a head of an MS-06 Zaku II
MS-06 Zaku II
The MS-06 Zaku II is a mobile suit from the Mobile Suit Gundam metaverse. It is redesigned by Kunio Okawara based upon the earlier draft by the series director Yoshiyuki Tomino, in which only the name was kept. The Zaku II has seen various redesigns and variants for hundreds of pieces of...
in a rush. However, when Judau received the ZZ Gundam
ZZ Gundam
The MSZ-010 ΖΖ Gundam , designed by Makoto Kobayashi, is a fictional weapon from the Universal Century timeline of the anime Gundam metaseries. Its popularity has led to many variations, upgrades, redesigns and influenced later design works such as S Gundam...
as a reinforcement, the Zeta Gundam is still used as part of Argamas "Gundam Team", piloted mainly by Roux Louka. The Zeta Gundam eventually suffered heavy damage at the hands of Neo Zeon's NZ-000 Quin Mantha piloted by Ple Two
Elpeo Ple
is a fictional character who appears in Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ. She is an artificially enhanced Newtype, who first appears fighting for Neo-Zeon under Glemy Toto. She pilots the AMX-004-2 Qubeley Mk.II. Her name is a pun on the title of a Japanese hentai magazine, Lemon People, which was popularly...
and Glemy Toto near the conclusion of the first Neo Zeon movement, and had to be abandoned.
Gundam Sentinel
In Gundam Sentinel, most of the background story of the unit was told. The MSZ-006 Ζeta Gundam (Zeta Gundam, codename: "ζ Gundam") is the fourth mobile suit built by Anaheim Electronics as the culmination of the Project Ζ according to the Gundam Sentinel list of Anaheim Gundams. The design served as the first TMS in real life, and the concept served as the basics of various mobile suit designs later in other Gundam series, including a simplified transformation of the XXXG-01W Wing Gundam according to the model instruction manual of the Wing Gundam.Fictional development history
Originally, three prototypes, called MSZ-006-X1, MSZ-006-X2 and MSZ-006-X3, were built. While these machines can transform, there is too much metal fatigue on the frame. This problem was corrected by Kamille Bidan, a NewtypeNewtype
A Newtype is theorized to be the next stage of human evolution in the fictional Gundam universe. This minor but groundbreaking metamorphosis is usually expressed as a heightened mental awareness, the result of an evolutionary adaptation to life in space....
teenager, incorporating innovations in that time such as the "movable frame" concept extracted by the AEUG from the Titans' RX-178 Gundam Mk-II
RX-178 Gundam Mk-II
The RX-178 Gundam Mark-II is a fictional mobile suit from the Universal Century Gundam anime series. A collaborative design created by Kunio Okawara, Mamoru Nagano, and Kazumi Fujita, it is featured prominently as protagonist Kamille Bidan's mobile suit in the first half of Mobile Suit Zeta...
project, and the Gundarium gamma alloy used in the RMS-099 Rick Dias. This mobile suit is also one of the first variable-form Gundams televised, capable of transforming into a fighter form called the Waverider. The transformation ability and the suit's great speed is the Ζ's signature quality, as its transformation is fluid and integrated into its combat style often giving it grace unrivaled by most mecha.
In the story of Gundam Sentinel
Gundam Sentinel
is a novel set in the Universal Century timeline of the Gundam universe, originally serialized in Model Graphix magazine between September 1987 and August 1988. Gundam Sentinel became a cult hit, due to its super-detailed mechanical designs and an intricate story by veteran writer Masaya Takahashi...
, when S Gundam Booster Unit approaches the Base of Pezun, a commander replied there should not be Mobile Suits like the Zeta Gundam everywhere that have such high acceleration of a Mobile Armour but of the size of a Mobile Suit.
Modelling
In the Model history of Zeta Gundam, various variations, weapons and equipments are designed and built of the Zeta Gundam Model kits and garage kitGarage kit
A garage kit or resin kit is an assembly scale model kit most commonly cast in polyurethane resin. They are often figures portraying humans or other living creatures. In Japan, kits often depict anime characters, and in the United States depictions of movie monsters are common...
s. Some official equipment choices from the Perfect Grade model manual includes Gundam Sentinel Z Plus equipments as standard equipments, like the wave shooter shield option as opposed to the wave rider shield and arm mount grenade pod switched to dummy balloon pods (used for creating dummy balloons). As of March 2008, Jumbo Grade Z Gundam is the largest retail model kit with 565mm of height.
Super Robot Wars
In the first Super Robot WarsSuper Robot Wars
is a series of tactical role-playing video games produced by Banpresto, which is now a Japanese division of Namco Bandai. The main feature of the franchise is having a story that crosses over several popular mecha anime, manga and video games, allowing characters and mecha from different titles to...
game (Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
), the Zeta Gundam was portrayed as a 2.5-headed super deformed
Super deformed
Super deformed or SD is a specific style of Japanese caricature where characters are drawn in an exaggerated way, typically small and chubby, with stubby limbs and oversized heads, to make them resemble small children...
unit working on its own without a pilot like the other mechas in the same game. In later series, the pilot system was introduced and it is default to be piloted by its original pilot Kamille, yet it is possible to change the pilot.
Green Divers and Gundam Evolve
Another Ζeta Gundam, designated MSZ-006-3, was piloted by Karaba ace Amuro RayAmuro Ray
is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Char's Counterattack, voiced by Tōru Furuya , Brad Swaile , Michael Lindsay and Matthew Erickson is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile...
in the later stages of the Gryps Conflict. Some deny this as merely propaganda similar to the story of the MSZ-006 A1 since the Zeta Plus A1 in question was stated as Amuro Type but the Master Grade model confirmed it was only tuned to fit Amuro's piloting skills, while it was only used for training new pilots for the A1 type Zeta Plus.
Two additional Zeta Gundam units appear in Episode 9 of the CG series Gundam Evolve
Gundam Evolve
, also known as Mobile Suit Gundam Evolve, is a series of short films set in the different timelines of the Gundam series. Originally there were only five Evolve episodes, produced from 2001 to 2003, Bandai started to create new Evolve episodes in 2004...
, alongside Amuro Ray's unit — this brings the total number of Zeta units to four.
- "White Zeta" (Zeta Gundam 3A Type) — Thought to be Amuro Ray's Zeta unit (codename "White Unicorn"). By all appearances it is a standard unmodified Zeta unit, aside from its purple striping on white colour scheme. However, according to the description of Gundam Ace, its mobility was improved to match up the pilot's control.
- "Yellow Zeta" (Zeta Gundam 3B Type) — Thought to be piloted by former ZeonZeonIn the television anime Mobile Suit Gundam universe, Zeon can refer to the Republic of Zeon, the Principality of Zeon or Neo Zeon. It is also referred to as the Duchy of Zeon or the Zeon Dukedom...
ace Shin Matsunaga (codename "Grey Wolf"). For the most part the unit itself has the appearance of a standard Zeta, except for two differences: The tail binder, instead of lying down the back in mobile suit mode, splits into two horizontal airfoils behind the head; and the thrusters on the lower leg have three small exhausts in place of the standard two. Its shield is considerably wider, covering a greater portion of the unit's underside in waverider mode, and includes two built in rapid-fire beam guns. The shield no longer serves as the unit's nose — instead, an oversized heavy beam gun is mounted in its place, which detaches and is hand-carried in mobile suit mode. The unit is equipped with the same beam-deflection coating as the MSN-00100 Hyaku Shiki, which gives it its yellow colour. - "Red Zeta" (Zeta Gundam 3C Type) — Piloted by Yurii Ajissah (Codename "Red Snake"). The most radically different of the three, Red Zeta's armour sports a heavily "spiked" look. This is especially noticeable in the tail binder, which is spiked and points upwards in mobile suit mode. Its rifle also bears spikes. These spikes may serve as the rule of an antenna which contribute to the special psycommu system on the Red Zeta — the Psyco Neutralizer.
The Red Zeta's most radical feature is its cockpit. Equipped with, what at first glance is, a standard panoramic cockpit & linear seat, the seat and manual controls can retract leaving the pilot free-standing (or floating, in zero-g environments), their head in a hollow transparent hemispherical device, and a number of cables attach from the seat into the back of the pilot's flight suit. In this mode, the movements of the unit follow the pilot's own movements (similar to the Mobile Trace System from G Gundam). It is unclear if this requires a Newtype pilot. It is implied that this system allows the pilot to psychically interfere with other Newtype weaponry.
All three units can be equipped with a (colour-matched) single-stage booster system, allowing them to make orbit otherwise unassisted.
Double Zeta Kun kokoniari
Zeta Chan is portrayed in Double Zeta Kun kokoniari as a Mobile Suit Girl unlike most of the suits in the story which are still super deformed mobile suits (with the exception of Gouf, the school girl and her elder sister Kampfer, the police). She can pull out a Gundam Hammer (Chained hammer) out of nowhere when Ashimaar kun said something embarrassing her or peep into her dress (saying mobile suits should not have panties).Characteristics
Zeta Gundam is one of the few Gundams with a white coloured chin. It is also different in shape, with a sharp shaped chin. The unit also featured wings and heat shield for atmospheric reentryAtmospheric reentry
Atmospheric entry is the movement of human-made or natural objects as they enter the atmosphere of a celestial body from outer space—in the case of Earth from an altitude above the Kármán Line,...
. The detailed transformation design served as the first TMS in real life (although renewed and retconed by the Z Plus design later on), and the concept served as the basics of various mobile suit designs later in other Gundam series, including a simplified transformation of XXXG-01W Wing Gundam according to the model instruction manual of Wing Gundam.
Design competition
Mechanical designers including Mamoru Nagano (永野護), Kazumi Fujita ( 藤田 一己) and Kunio Okawara (大河原 邦男) all designed their own version of the Zeta Gundam before the show aired. In fact, dozens of designs were offered to the producer at the time. Kazumi Fujita's design won the competition yet still received various clean ups from antenna idea from Kondo Kazuhisa (近藤和久) and frank armour transformation idea from Kunio. A few designs were used instead for other mechanical designs in the show like Nagano's Hyakushiki and 村上克司's Psyco Gundam. Another handful of designs were shown in Mobile Suit Gundam MS Encyclopeida(機動戦士ガンダム MS大辞典).Variants
The three Prototype Zeta Gundams, Mass Production Type Zeta Gundam and ZII appear as part of Zeta Gundam Mobile Suit Variations, designed by Kazumi FujitaKazumi Fujita
is a Japanese mecha designer, who has worked on several noted anime series and video games, notably Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, Gaogaigar Final, and Quo Vadis 2. He designed the Zeta Gundam, winning heated competition between Kunio Okawara, Mamoru Nagano and himself to design a finalized Zeta Gundam...
.
MSZ-006-X Prototype Z Gundam
As mentioned above, there are three faulty prototypes of the MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam. Technically, all three units are the same machine, but each unit has a different head design.MSZ-007 Mass Production Type Ζ Gundam
Anaheim Electronics's mass production plan of the Ζeta Gundam with the transformation ability removed. It turned out to be inferior to the MSR-100S (MSR-00100S) Hyaku Shiki Kai Mass Production Type and thus mass production was halted.MSZ-008 Z II
Super Robot Wars
is a series of tactical role-playing video games produced by Banpresto, which is now a Japanese division of Namco Bandai. The main feature of the franchise is having a story that crosses over several popular mecha anime, manga and video games, allowing characters and mecha from different titles to...
video games as a secret unit. It uses a simplified frame similar to that of the MSA-005 Methuss instead of the Ζeta Gundam's. ZII's mobile armour mode lacks the waverider's ability of atmospheric re-entry and flight on Earth but has higher acceleration and maneuverability. This design was rejected by the AEUG.
The concept was used in Mobile Suit Gundam UC's mass production unit RGZ-95 ReZEL(Refine Zeta gundam Escort Leader), a further redevelopment of the RGZ-91 ReGZ(Refine Gundam Zeta) that appeared in Char's Counter Attack.
Z Plus
The MSZ-006 Ζ Plus (Zeta Plus) mobile suit series is a series of mobile suits developed by the Earth FederationEarth Federation
The is a fictional organization in the Universal Century timeline of the Gundam anime series. The name also made a reappearance outside of the Gundam series in following media.* Godzilla vs...
and Anaheim Electronics
Anaheim Electronics
Anaheim Electronics is a fictional civilian company that appeared in the Universal Century timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The company appeared first in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam as the main financier, supplier, and manufacturer of the faction AEUG...
. All of the Ζ Plus designs are by Katoki Hajime and Masahiki Asano based on the MSZ-006 Ζeta Gundam. However, the Ζeta Gundam was also a painfully complicated and expensive mobile suit and the Earth Federation did not want to mass-produce it as it was.
After the Gryps Conflict ended the Earth Federation wanted the design of the Ζeta Gundam to be reworked, so that it was more streamlined, less complex, and, most importantly, cheaper to manufacture, but so that it would still retain all of the major strengths of the original unit. The Ζ Plus line of mobile suits was the answer to the Federation's requests.
Real life
The Z Plus, although designed at first only for a semi-official series Gundam Sentinel (which later became official), got its designs to retconRetcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
the supposedly earlier model, the MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam, due to its transformation system being more realistic and easier to recreate in model kits. The Perfect Grade model of the Zeta Gundam actually contains information about a wave shooter shield which is not included in the original design but is borrowed from the Z Plus series. Despite sharing no parts with the earlier models, the Master Grade V2.0 model of the Zeta Gundam also received several touches and improvements from the earlier Master Grade Z Plus kits.
MSZ-006A1 (MSK-006) Ζ Plus A1
The MSZ-006A1 (MSK-006) Ζ Plus A1 was the first Ζ Plus unit created and was designed to operate mainly in Earth's atmosphere. It was a high-performance unit and was capable of transformation from a mobile suit into a jet-like waverider mode. It started the trend of adding on two swiveling beam cannons on the mobile suits hips which would be included in almost all of the later Ζ Plus designs. The Ζ Plus A1 also included the standard armaments of a hand-held beam rifle, two beam sabers and twin 60 mm vulcans in the head.There were two color schemes of the Ζ Plus A1. The main color scheme was a neutral light gray and blue, however there was also a unit which featured a rusty orange and white color scheme and an "A" emblem on its left shoulder, the personal insignia of Amuro Ray
Amuro Ray
is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Char's Counterattack, voiced by Tōru Furuya , Brad Swaile , Michael Lindsay and Matthew Erickson is a fictional character from the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam and its sequels, Mobile...
. This orange Ζ Plus A1 was rumored to have been piloted by ace pilot Amuro Ray. It was never confirmed whether Amuro Ray actually test-piloted the Ζ Plus A1, and the rumor may have just been a marketing scheme concocted by Anaheim Electronics to get the Federation more interested in the unit to drum up sales and used by the anti-federation forces Karaba as a training unit as to improve moral of the pilots. While this period of the Universal Century is very vague and enthusiastically explored by fans, it is known for certain now that Amuro piloted a model of the Ζ Gundam during the Gryps Conflict and first Neo Zeon movement. This suit however, was the MSZ-006-3, a suit much closer related to the original Ζ than the Ζ Plus line (it was the rumoured 'Zeta Gundam Unit 3', with the only difference is its colour scheme).
MSZ-006A1B Ζ Plus A1B
The MSZ-006A1B Ζ Plus was designed to operate mainly in its waverider mode, unlike most other Ζ Plus units. The A1B Ζ Plus functioned as an atmospheric fightercraft, capable of high-speed dogfighting maneuvers. For better flight within Earth's atmosphere the A1B Ζ Plus had longer, more sweeping, wings to provide superior lift, as well providing more surface area to mount weaponry. A longer tailcone similar to more modern aircraft also helped with flight stability. The A1B Ζ Plus could carry an assortment of guided missiles on its wings and undercarriage, and it featured a heavy Gatling gun in its shield nosecone for use in dogfights.MSZ-006A2 Ζ Plus A2
Although it was a slight improvement, the MSZ-006A2 Ζ Plus A2 was almost identical to the original Ζ Plus A1 in both performance and looks. The only major difference between the two units was that the Ζ Plus A2 featured a powerful high mega launcher mounted on its forehead similar to that of the MSZ-010 ΖΖ GundamZZ Gundam
The MSZ-010 ΖΖ Gundam , designed by Makoto Kobayashi, is a fictional weapon from the Universal Century timeline of the anime Gundam metaseries. Its popularity has led to many variations, upgrades, redesigns and influenced later design works such as S Gundam...
.
MSZ-006B Ζ Plus B
The MSZ-006B Ζ Plus B was another of the Ζ Plus units, but this one was modified for use in space. Like all of the other Ζ Plus designs the Ζ Plus B could transform into a waverider mode. The Ζ Plus B was much more streamlined than previous Ζ Plus units. The barrels of the hip beam cannons were shortened to make them more aerodynamic, and the shield that functioned as the nosecone in waverider mode was rounded significantly.MSZ-006C1 Ζ Plus C1
The MSZ-006C1 Ζ Plus C1 was created when the Ζ Plus A1 was modified for use in space. The two units were quite similar in many aspects, but the Z C1 had different front skirt armor, and it featured four locations to mount additional external fuel and propellant tanks on the underside of the wing binders. The shield of the Ζ Plus C1 was also extensively modified to allow it to carry a highly accurate beam smartgun.Two Ζ Plus C1's would be built and sent to the Earth Federation's Taskforce Alpha, which was tasked with putting a stop to the New Desides. One of the Taskforce Alpha Ζ Plus C1's would be destroyed and the other was heavily damaged, rendering it inoperable.
MSZ-006C1[Bst] Ζ Plus "Humming Bird"
The MSZ-006C1[Bst] Ζ Plus "Humming Bird" is a Gundam Sentinel mobile suit variation. and was an incredibly high speed unit. It achieved such high speed by removing the units legs and mounting two large twin booster engines in their place. Another two large engines were also mounted over the units shoulders, each with two beam cannons on them. The Ζ Plus Hummingbird also featured the two hip-mounted swiveling beam cannons and a large beam smartgun from the MSA-0011 S GundamMSA-0011 S Gundam
The MSA-0011 S Gundam is a prototype transformable mobile suit that appears in the Gundam novel Gundam Sentinel. It is not only piloted by the protagonist, but the onboard AI, A.L.I.C.E., is also one of its pilots.- MSA-0011 S Gundam :...
.
MSZ-006C4 Ζ Plus C4
The MSZ-006C4 Ζ Plus C4 was based on the design of the Ζ Plus C1. Like the Ζ Plus C1, the Ζ Plus C4 was meant to operate mainly in space, however the Ζ Plus C4 was designed to operate better in a low Earth orbit, or in the upper atmosphere. The Ζ Plus C4 is meant to function more frequently in its waverider mode as opposed to mobile suit mode like most other Ζ Plus models. The two beam cannons that are featured on the hips of most Ζ Plus units have been removed from the Ζ Plus C4 to stabilize the waverider's flight capabilities in the atmosphere. To substitute for the loss a beam cannon was added to the Ζ Plus C4's shield, which served as the nosecone of the unit while in waverider mode. The underside of the chassis and the bottom of the wings were also built for maximum control, and to be able to better resist the shockwaves and strain on a unit undergoing atmospheric re-entry. This feature is based on (making it closer to) its predecessor, the MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam.MSZ-006D Ζ Plus D
The MSZ-006D Ζ Plus D was another Ζ Plus model designed to operate mainly in its waverider mode. The Ζ Plus D was designed as a high-altitude fighter/bomber. For better flight within the Earth's atmosphere the Ζ Plus D was given several canardCanard (aeronautics)
In aeronautics, canard is an airframe configuration of fixed-wing aircraft in which the forward surface is smaller than the rearward, the former being known as the "canard", while the latter is the main wing...
s on the shield's nosecone to help alleviate aerodynamically induced stress on the airframe, longer more sweeping wings to provide superior lift and mount weapons, and a longer tailcone similar to more modern aircraft also helped with flight stability. The Ζ Plus D could carry an assortment of guided missiles, or free-falling bombs on its wings, as well as a variety of ordnance. Anaheim Electronics had originally planned to sell this unit to the Karaba Air Force, which was put under Federation management after the Titan collapse. The unit would ultimately not be sold, but several would serve as test units for Karaba in a non-combat capacity.