From the outside, the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise can seem somewhat intimidating. With over four decades of animated content behind it (to say nothing of manga, light novels, and video games), it can be a little hard for people who aren't able to quote the Zaku II's technical specs by heart to navigate the myriad different timelines and histories that make up the expansive mecha series.
While certain Gundam stories are entirely self-contained (Like Gundam 00, Wing, and Iron Blooded Orphans), the universe that made Gundam famous is the Universal Century timeline, which contains most of Gundam's earlier animated projects. The UC story has a fairly strict chronology, with characters shared between certain anime entries, so for beginners looking to gain a foothold in Gundam; try working through this watch order.
Mobile Suit Gundam
Also known as Mobile Suit Gundam 0079, or Kidou Senshi Gundam, this is the 1979 classic that forms the bedrock of Gundam's lore, themes, and characters. While the troubled production and low budget mean that some of the show's animation is less-than-great, the vision of director Yoshiyuki Tomino shines through (assisted by some outstanding character and robot designs) making this show an all-time classic.
When it comes to the original Gundam fans have two viewing options: they can watch the original series in its entirety, or they can opt to watch the slightly abridged film trilogy that compiles the story's events. The film trilogy cuts out some of the jankier animation and some wackier robot designs, but critics argue that it omits important character moments as well.
Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team
The 08th MS Team is one of several Universal Century side stories that occur during or shortly after the One Year War from the original series. Affectionately dubbed by some as "Gundam in Vietnam," this short OVA series takes a grittier and more grounded approach to mobile suit combat than some other entries in the series.
Featuring some stellar animation and extremely memorable fight scenes, 08th MS Team is great for fans who want to see a more "modern military" approach to the typically space-focused franchise. If watching giant mecha slog through the mud alongside infantry sounds inviting, then give this a watch, but be sure to have some background from the original series first.
Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt
Set in the hazardous thunderbolt sector during the One Year War, Thunderbolt features a detachment of Federation and Zeon mobile suits locked in a battle to the death through the scraps of a ruined colony. The series' jazzy soundtrack contrasts impressively with the outright brutal depiction of the battlefields of the Universal Century.
Fans looking for a more hopeful edge to their Gundam stories might want to avoid Thunderbolt, but those with a streak for the grimdark will enjoy this -- the interiors of ships are grimy and damp and claustrophobic, the characters are all miserable, and people die violently and senselessly at a pretty astonishing rate.
Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War In The Pocket
War in the Pocket is another side story to the One Year War, but this one is much smaller in scope and character-focused than its action-oriented counterpart 08th MS Team. War in the Pocket is set towards the end of the war, and focuses on how a young boy and how his community experience the tragic effects of the ongoing conflict.
Gundam is often described as an "anti-war" story, and War in the Pocket certainly fits that label. Nobody emerges from this story unscathed, and it really drives home the message that even a war that feels distant can come to impact people in surprising ways.
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
The second major Gundam TV anime to be produced, 1985's Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam saw Tomino reprising his role as director from the original anime. In Zeta, despite the end of the war, things are not good for the Federation. An extremist military faction within the Federation government threatens to overthrow it from within, and it's up to an uncertain alliance of familiar characters to put a stop to the sinister plot.
With its constantly shifting politics and personal alliances, personalities with ambiguous goals, and unflinching approach to character deaths, some consider Zeta to be the definitive Gundam story.
Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory
Another OVA side-story, Stardust Memory acts as a sort of prequel to the events of Zeta Gundam. The story centers around the hijacking of a prototype Gundam with extreme destructive capabilities by a faction of Zeon loyalists. As is typical for a Gundam OVA, the animation is absolutely outstanding and showcases some of the series' most exciting space combat scenes.
Stardust Memory is best viewed after completing Zeta, because much of the dramatic tension in the story comes from the audience's prior knowledge of what will happen to the Earth Federation should the antagonist's goals come to fruition.
Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ
A direct sequel to Zeta Gundam, ZZ ("Double Zeta") is among the most controversial entries in the franchise. Zeta Gundam has a reputation as being substantially dark; full of betrayal and death, which made it contrast heavily with ZZ which takes on a much more lighthearted and comical tone for most of its runtime.
Detractors claim that ZZ is tonally dissonant from the rest of the series, but fans of ZZ argue that it's essential viewing to fully understand the motivations of Char Aznable -- one of the series' most prominent characters.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack
Notable for being Gundam's first feature-length theatrical release, Char's Counterattack is the movie that brings the rivalry between Char and Amuro, the Federation and Zeon, to a climactic finish. In some respects it can be considered the final entry in the original Gundam saga -- everything set up in the original anime was leading up to this.
Featuring some of the best mobile suit designs in the franchise and some truly beautiful scenes, Char's Counterattack brings the story of the characters that fans know and love Gundam for to a definitive close.
Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn
Set in UC0096, three years after the events of Char's Counterattack, Gundam Unicorn is mostly interested in showing the audience that despite the official end of the war, its scars live on among the inhabitants of the Earth Sphere.
Unicorn is a big-budget OVA series, and the production values come through marvelously. Featuring arresting mecha designs from Hajime Katoki, a rousing soundtrack from Hiroyuki Sawano (whose work is easily recognizable from hits like Attack on Titan), and all-around incredible animation and mecha action; Unicorn is essential viewing for any fan of UC Gundam.
Turn A Gundam
Turn A Gundam is an interesting entry in the franchise to discuss because, although it isn't literally connected to any of the other entries in the Universal Century timeline by canon, it is closely connected to the history of Gundam through metaphor and through the series' running themes. Taking up a much more laid-back and somber approach to the classic Gundam war story, Turn A feels something like a concluding argument to the messages Gundam has been trying to convey.
Therefore, while it's technically possible to view Turn A at any point in the Gundam timeline, audiences who experience it with a good amount of franchise experience behind them will likely find the show's concluding episodes and overall tone more resonant, making Turn A an excellent capstone on the Gundam experience.