Now Bandai has released a slightly new look at the Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuXthe next major entry in the venerable mecha franchise born from an unprecedented partnership between the studio and Neon Genesis Evangelion powerhouse Khara. But within the small flashes of new images are some very interesting glimpses of a new character that seem to give us a better idea of ​​what the new show will be… and the character may not be very new.

The new trailer for the theatrical compilation release of GQuuuuuuXopening stages, The Beginning—set to hit Japanese theaters next week on January 17—gives us a few more looks at the series’ main characters, as well as the titular mobile suit. But a new character came to the fore: an old man with blue-white hair, wearing an olive suit and some. kindness interesting stylization of his shirt and collar. The uniform bears a distinct resemblance to the formal military wear of one of the main factions of the original Mobile Suit Gundam and its successors—the secessionist space colony Zeon—and between that and the human design, there’s the evocation of a particular, fascinating character from the 1979 classic: Challia Bull, a key figure in GundamThe first explorations of one of them most interesting concepts, new types.

◤《This announcement》 is released◢

Theatrical advance version “Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning-“
7 days until release on Friday, January 17th!
Everyone, please see it in the theater!

director:#Kazuya Tsurumaki
Theme song:#Kenshi Yonezu「# Plasma」

▼Theatre informationhttps://t.co/6b1RjC8iIt#KenshiYonezu#GQuuuuuuX # Sieg Ax pic.twitter.com/tSnxdapjsv

— Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuuX (@G_GQuuuuuuuX) January 9, 2025

Introduced in the 39th episode of original series “The Newtype: Challia Bull,” Bull is a senior Zeon officer summoned by the principality’s military commander Ghiren Zabi to be tested as one of the legendary newtypes. Believed to be a natural evolution of humans after their migration into space—which developed extrasensory enhanced perception skills and, in some cases, latent psionic abilities—the new types are a a late addition to the narrative of the original. Gundam. The word itself was first uttered some period before Bull’s introduction, as various parties began to believe that GundamAmuro Ray’s main protagonist and antagonist and Char Aznable (as well as the latter’s mysterious wife, Lalah Sune), will be some of the first new types as the war between the Earth Federation and Zeon continues.

But exploring the idea didn’t last long: Bull was killed in a fight with Amuro in the same episode he was introduced, and Gundam itself only ended a few episodes later, in this coming in time uncertainty. It’s only in the next material after that GundamThe future as a franchise is ensured that the new type concept is further explored, until it becomes an important basis in the narratives of his beloved main continuity, the “Universal Century” – the situation of the first Gundam and its direct successors Zeta and ZZ Gundamas well as a litany of other movies and shows from the franchise—both how it explores humanity’s ability to develop a better understanding of itself from the struggles of interstellar conflict, and the tragedy to take advantage of the new type of military power in the hands of the ruling class continue the cycles in that conflict.

Gundam as a franchise is no stranger to echoing UC elements in multiple, often unconnected, alternate universes that available throughout the series. Many movies in the series often talk about ideas that were first explored in the Universal Century, such as the concept of a new type and evolution of spaceships, or offer their own versions of the story even though not in the same continuity, as. After War Gundam X or SEED of the Gundamor even recently Witch From Mercury. As many borrowed elements of the design language from them only for the aesthetic parallel or to connect themselves far from the events of the main series. GQuuuuuuXfor as little as we’ve seen of it, there’s no exception: the main suit uses an ax weapon unlike the “heat hawk” used by Zakus in the original Gundamand in both this new trailer and the first announcement footage there is a mono-eyed police mobile suit that borrows a lot of design language from Zaku himself as well. So no ALSO wonder if this mysterious figure is a new character intended to be similar to Challia Bull in any design or character-like how Gundam loves himself a Char Clonethematic and design parallel to one of its most expensive figures, in various iterations of the franchise.

But there is also an interesting possibility raised by this parallel – this figure could be a form of the Bull itself, rather than a stand-in. When GQuuuuuuX first revealed, an early Italian-language version of the series’ promotional website released (and then quickly retracted) a brief plot synopsis for the series teased that the show itself is not an alternative Gundam universe, but an alternative timeline: a version of the events of the Universal Century in which Zeon defeats the Earth Federation in the One Year War. If that is the end what GQuuuuuuX did, then there was a distinct chance that this character was a version of Bull that survived his encounter with Amuro, and that GQuuuuuuX perhaps there is more to say about his role in the awakening of the new type in this version of the narrative instead of leaving him to his easily determined fate from the original series.

Gundam The chronology is vast and complex, but the series has never tried to do something like an alternate timeline like this (there are various games and manga that explore the idea, but none of the main anime entries). It’s fitting for a show announced for the series’ 45th anniversary in 2025 that it’s one that focuses on reimagining the Universal Century like this—and if it happens, we can’t wait to see what opportunity do the characters from the original series need, like Challia Bull or otherwise, as it charts its own spin on this beloved story.

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