Gundam canon – MechaBay

How do we determine what is canon in the Gundam universe?

With so many stories told in animated series or shorts, in print and in games, it is inevitable that discrepancies will occur, especially when there are different creative teams working within the same universe. Here at MechaBay, we define canon as whatever is considered Gundam Official.

Our articles are written from the in-universe perspective using the most canon information, and then we fill the gaps with less canon. We avoid non-canon references as best as we can.

Gundam Official

What this means is, Gundam anime has the highest priority when it comes to determining what is Gundam Official. If a series has both an anime and a non-anime release, the anime will always be considered official regardless of whether it came before or after the non-anime release. If a series is first published as a light novel or manga and an anime is subsequently released, the characters and events in the anime will be considered Gundam Official.

This doesn’t mean that non-anime stories and characters are considered non-canon. If a particular story only exists in manga or novel form, that will be Gundam Official until an anime is made. However, the caveat is that all these have to be produced under Sunrise supervision. These are considered semi-official.

There are too many Gundam spinoffs, especially in manga and games. Some of these are licensed from Sunrise but not created with input from Sunrise. These are considered unofficial by Sunrise, hence MechaBay regards these as non-canon.

Sunrise’s official stance

According to interviews with Sunrise staff, the studio classifies Gundam works using a “white and black” system: “white” works are considered official, whilst “black” works are not. The “white list” includes all animated content (TV series, movies, OVAs, ONAs), whilst the “black list” encompasses everything else (manga, novels, games, model kit stories).

This approach differs from Western concepts of canon, as Japanese media traditionally doesn’t maintain rigid canonical hierarchies like those found in franchises such as Star Wars. Instead, Sunrise’s system provides a clear but flexible framework for determining official status within the Gundam franchise.

MechaBay’s approach largely aligns with this system, prioritising animated content whilst acknowledging the value of non-animated works in expanding the Gundam universe. This means that beloved works such as Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam manga remain “black works” despite their quality and fan popularity, simply because they exist in non-animated form.

MechaBay canon

Building on Sunrise’s “white works” classification, MechaBay uses a hierarchical approach that prioritises animated content whilst incorporating other media to provide comprehensive coverage of the Gundam universe.

We use the following to determine what storylines are canon:

Anime series, OVAs and ONAs (highest priority - “white works”)
Compilation movies – usually condensed or corrected versions of the anime series
Manga and light novels (semi-official - potential “black works” that may become official)
Games (lowest priority - typically “black works”)

Discrepancies will be pointed out in the Behind the Scenes section of each article, often explaining why certain popular “black works” are not given priority over “white works” in our main narrative.

If something was considered canon based on a lower ranked media, and a new media released is ranked higher, the new media will be considered more canon.

For example, the Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn novel was canon when it first came out. When the Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn OVA series was released, priority is given to the animated series. Thus, the OVA series was considered more canon than the novel and when discrepancies or conflicts occurred, we give preference to the OVA.

When the Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn RE:0096 anime series was released, it displaced the OVA series as being more canon, since full anime series are given greater priority than OVA or ONA series.

For our lists of characters, mecha, factions, and other topics for each timeline, we showcase “black works” alongside “white works” in cases where there are no “more canon” releases for the former.

Special cases & ambiguous works

Some works fall into grey areas within the “white and black” system:

Promotional shorts such as Gundam Evolve are animated (“white”) but were created as promotional material, leading to debates about their canonical status
Model kit stories and MSV (Mobile Suit Variations) lines often introduce designs and specifications that later appear in animated works
Compilation movies may contradict their source TV series, creating questions about which version takes priority

In these cases, MechaBay notes the ambiguity in our Behind the Scenes sections and explains our reasoning for the approach taken.

Practical implications

This classification system helps explain several aspects of Gundam continuity:

Why high-quality manga like Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam (written by Tomino Yoshiyuki himself) are treated as secondary sources
Why video games, no matter how well-produced, rarely influence the main timeline
Why certain popular characters or mobile suits from non-animated works don’t appear in our main narrative sections
Why animated works sometimes contradict beloved manga or novel storylines

Understanding this system helps readers appreciate why MechaBay prioritises certain sources over others, and why our Behind the Scenes sections often discuss alternative versions of events from “black works”.

Why canon matters

Understanding the concept of canon is important for several reasons, though it’s worth noting that its significance varies depending on perspective and purpose.

For encyclopedic reference

Canon provides a framework for encyclopedic sites like MechaBay to:

Maintain consistency across thousands of articles by using the same source hierarchy
Provide reliable information that readers can trust as “official”
Make editorial decisions about what belongs in main articles versus Behind the Scenes sections
Respect creator intent by prioritising works that Sunrise considers authoritative

For fan discussion

Canon creates common ground for fans to:

Engage in meaningful debates about characters and events using shared reference points
Analyse storylines without constantly debating which version of events to use
Understand character relationships and historical events within a coherent framework
Appreciate the intended narrative as envisioned by the original creators

Limitations and alternatives

However, canon is not the only measure of value:

Quality storytelling exists regardless of official status—some non-canon works like Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam are critically acclaimed
Personal enjoyment doesn’t depend on canonical authority—fans can appreciate any version they prefer
Cultural differences mean that Japanese media traditionally has looser continuity concepts than Western franchises
Creative exploration sometimes requires moving beyond official constraints

The MechaBay approach

Our canon system serves as a tool for organisation, not a judgment of quality. We aim to:

Provide clear, authoritative information in our main articles
Acknowledge alternative versions and beloved non-canon works in Behind the Scenes sections
Explain our reasoning when making editorial decisions
Respect both official continuity and fan preferences

Canon is not a weapon for gatekeeping. Whilst some fans use knowledge of what is canon as an attempt to appear more knowledgeable about the franchise, the goal of determining what is “more canon” is to help us create a better view of continuity, rather than to gatekeep or beat back newcomers. Every fan’s journey into Gundam is valid, whether they start with the original series, discover it through Gundam Wing, or fall in love with Iron-Blooded Orphans. Canon knowledge should enhance understanding and appreciation, not create barriers between fans.

Ultimately, canon helps us maintain consistency and reliability whilst still celebrating the rich diversity of Gundam storytelling across all media.

Conclusion

While we try to ensure that MechaBay provides the most updated information, we might be a little slow in catching up with changes due to a release of an anime production. We are most likely working on new articles so we appreciate any help with noticing areas in existing articles that require updates.

The “white and black” classification system reflects the unique nature of Japanese media production and Sunrise’s approach to managing the expansive Gundam universe. By understanding this system, readers can better appreciate both the official storylines we present and the rich alternative content discussed in our Behind the Scenes sections.