T5W#388-Top 5 Most Gruesome Deaths in Gundam

Beyond the awesome looking Giant Robots and flashy action scenes, Gundam, at its core, has always been about the cost and the horrors of war.  Most typical Gundam series tend to carry a very hefty body count and that’s not just talking about the principal cast and, in the case of “Kill em all” Tomino, even those characters tend to risk being brought back in pieces when they head out into battle.  Gundam certainly isn’t above showing some very disturbing and occasionally graphic demises on screen.  Seeing as how one such scene blew up the internet recently, it got me wondering what other characters, main or otherwise, have met some rather grizzly ends in battle.  So we’re back to Mobile Suit Gundam for today’s Top 5 Wednesday as I cover the Top 5 Most Gruesome Deaths in Gundam.  I’ll try not to get into too much detail for those who might be a bit squeamish and don’t worry, I wont be posting any bloody pics beyond that shot of Miorine above.

 
#5-Just Freaking Die Already Iok (Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans)

If there is one death that is both justified and necessary on this list, it’s Iok.  For the whole of Season Two, this whinny little pain in the ass complains and dramatically oversells just how valuable he thinks he is to basically everyone on the planet, but more specifically to Gallajhorn.  More often than not, many of Iok’s idiotic plans tended to get more people killed than those he was sent to actually eliminate.  And yet, Iok always thought of himself as the biggest player in his own grand tale and utterly infallible…yeah he had to go and go he did.  While the ending of IBO is a bit divisive, no one will argue seeing Iok cry like a baby as he is crushed to death by Akihiro was one of the most satisfying moments of the series.
 

#4-The Earth Alliance Pulls an Akira (Mobile Suit Gundam SEED)

The further you get into Gundam SEED, the more you begin to realize that while the Earth Federation might’ve been a bit rotten in the original Gundam series, the Earth Alliance in SEED is pure rotten to the core by the time the Archangel reaches Josh-A.  It’s hinted at and more or less confirmed later in Seed Destiny that their command structure is composed of power hungry racists.  More than that though, they don’t care who has to die to ensure their end goals.  Case in point, the battle of Josh-A turns out to be a giant trap for ZAFT and when enough of them have been lured in, the EA sets off a weapon the results in the most brutal slaughter of the series.  Soldiers and personnel on both sides inflate and explode in a pretty graphic manner due to the effects of this weapon.  It’s so horrific you wish it was just a massive nuclear explosion that would have ended things more quickly…no wonder the Archangel crew turned against them right after this.
 

#3-Slow Death by Halleluiah (Mobile Suit Gundam 00)

Celestial Being’s Gundam Meisters might possess some of the most powerful weapons ever created but, kind of like the Chosen Children of Evangelion, some of them are hardly stable candidates.  For this example, we turn to Alleluia Haptism, who happens to have a psychotic second personality he calls Halleluiah.  We know this other self takes great pleasure in killing but it’s most at its pique during a battle with the HRL that finds Alleluia briefly captured.  Halleluiah takes over and ruthlessly dispatches his would be captors but takes his time with one particular soldier.  While the guy tries to act bravely, he soon finds he’s dealing with a psychopath with a Gundam and Halleluiah slowly digs the Kyrios’ blade into the cockpit.  It’s gut wrenching and a very drawn out demise that doesn’t paint this Celestial Being pilot in the best light, even if one side is fighting against the other.
 

#2-Uso’s Mother’s Death is Still Shakti’s Fault (Mobile Suit Victory Gundam)

This one still hurts because I think it could have been prevented had Shakti not been captured for the 15 millionth time.  During a pivotal battle against the Zanscare Empire’s terrestrial invasion force, Uso Evin’s mother finds herself captured and the young Gundam pilot has to choose between saving her or the girl he really should just ditch and forget about already.  His mother makes the choice for him and the end result is Uso’s Mother losing her head via one of the Zanscare Battleships massive tires.  Gruesome as it is, the hardest hitting moment is seeing Uso standing there, surrounded by his friends, while he’s holding his mothers helmet, presumably with his Mothers head still inside (we don’t see it, thank goodness but it’s implied).  Coupled with the fact that a cease fire was announced between the Earth Federation and Zanscare Empire seconds after this tragic death, it’s a miracle this didn’t break Uso completely.  Honestly, I don’t know if things would’ve gone any other way…but I still blame Shakti because her selfish naievete is responsible for more than half the disasters in Uso’s life in Victory Gundam.

 
#1-Suletta and the Gundam Fly Swatter (Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury)

Now we come to the moment that inspired this list and the moment that shook the fandom to its core.  Just one episode earlier, we saw Suletta and Miorine reconcile after their first real fight as a “couple.”  And how do we follow up that beautiful romantic moment?  By closing out the First Season of the Series with Suletta using the palm of her Gundam’s hand to smash a Soldier into jelly like he was a tiny bug in the way.  Not only did that take the breath right out of me but the following moments where Suletta clumsily exited her Gundam and casually with a smile offered Miorine an extremely bloody hand to help her was downright chilling.  The look on Miorine’s face said it all.  How can Suletta be so casual and happy about this?  Does she even realize what she’s done?  And while yes, this clearly isn’t the first time we’ve seen a senseless death like this in Gundam but it is the most gruesome and it’s a perfect bookmark for when The Witch from Mercury returns later this year.  Cause Suletta is all kinds of messed up and Miroine needs to save her before Suletta’s mother corrupts her fragile mind more than she already has.