Organization of the Zodiac (OZ) – MechaBay

The Organization of the Zodiac (OZ), formally known as the Special Mobile Suit unit (SMS) within the United Earth Sphere Alliance military, was the military wing of the Romefeller Foundation in the After Colony era. Operating initially as a special forces or black operations division of the Alliance military, OZ eventually staged a coup d’état in AC 195 that overthrew the Alliance and established the Earth Sphere Unified Nation. Led by Treize Khushrenada from AC 193, OZ became the primary antagonist faced by the five Gundam pilots of Operation Meteor.

Overview

OZ operated as an elite military organisation within the United Earth Sphere Alliance, officially designated as the Special Mobile Suit unit but more commonly known as “Specials” (スペシャルズ, Supesharuzu). Its members were the finest pilots and officers in the Alliance military, operating advanced mobile suits like the OZ-00MS Tallgeese and forming the vanguard of Alliance military operations.

However, OZ’s true allegiance was to the Romefeller Foundation, the secretive organisation of European aristocrats that manipulated world affairs. OZ served as Romefeller’s military instrument, positioning itself within the Alliance military structure to influence Earth’s military policy whilst preparing for eventual direct control.

The organisation maintained its own rank structure separate from the Alliance military, with ranks tied to European nobility titles. This aristocratic system reflected Romefeller’s influence and created an elite culture within OZ that distinguished its members from regular Alliance personnel. Ranks ranged from Special Sergeant (Sir) through various lieutenant and colonel grades (Baron, Baronet, Knight, Viscount, Count, Marquess) up to Senior Special Colonel (Duke).

History

Origins and early operations

The Organization of the Zodiac was established before AC 175 as the military wing of the Romefeller Foundation. According to Episode Zero and Frozen Teardrop, the original leader of OZ was General Chilias Catalonia, son of Duke Dermail and father of Dorothy Catalonia. He was replaced by Treize Khushrenada in AC 193 after dying in battle.

OZ operated as a division of the Alliance military, serving as a special forces or black operations group. Officially known as the Special Mobile Suit unit, OZ operated advanced mobile suits and recruited the most skilled pilots. This elite status allowed OZ to gradually increase its influence within the Alliance military structure, positioning Romefeller to eventually seize direct control.

In AC 175, OZ played a role in developing the OZ-00MS Tallgeese, the first armed mobile suit, which was created by five scientists and Mike Howard. The Tallgeese served as the prototype for all subsequent mobile suits, though its dangerous performance characteristics led to its mothballing and the development of the mass-production OZ-06MS Leo.

Rise to prominence

As unrest in the space colonies increased and their calls for independence from Earth became more forceful, the Alliance became increasingly militaristic. OZ’s influence grew commensurately, becoming a larger portion of the Alliance’s military force. With this increased influence, Treize Khushrenada was able to gain the support of the colonies, which believed that OZ would allow colonial independence—a belief that would prove tragically mistaken.

OZ developed advanced mobile suits including the OZ-07AMS Aries for aerial combat and the OZ-12SMS Taurus for space operations. The organisation also pioneered mobile doll technology, creating autonomous mobile suits that could fight without human pilots. This technological advancement would later create internal divisions within OZ.

Coup d’état and takeover

In AC 195, when the five Gundams of Operation Meteor attacked Alliance bases, OZ used this as justification to stage a successful coup d’état against the United Earth Sphere Alliance. OZ sleeper agents embedded throughout the Alliance military simultaneously executed Alliance loyalists at bases across Earth and space, whilst OZ forces seized control of key installations.

The coup left Earth in a loose confederation of nations held together by the Romefeller Foundation, with OZ serving as the primary military force. However, the colonies’ hopes of independence were soon dashed as OZ began enforcing Romefeller’s will upon both Earth and the space colonies, proving even more oppressive than the Alliance had been.

War against the Gundams

OZ became the primary target of the five Gundams, which had been sent by the colonies to gain final independence from Earth. The Gundams inflicted heavy losses on OZ forces, requiring most of OZ’s strength to be redirected from space back to Earth to defend military installations and leaders. Despite these losses, OZ survived through superior numbers and the gradual introduction of mobile doll technology.

Notable OZ operations during this period included the capture and forced reconstruction of the damaged Gundam Deathscythe and the development of specialized anti-Gundam units including the OZ-13MSX1 Vayeate and OZ-13MSX2 Mercurius. OZ also captured Gundam pilots at various points, though none remained imprisoned for long.

Internal division: Treize Faction

By the time the Gundams returned to space, automated mobile suits known as mobile dolls were becoming widespread throughout OZ. Treize Khushrenada held the philosophical position that without humans on the battlefield, there would be no more honour in combat. He openly expressed his disapproval of the mobile doll programme at a meeting of the Romefeller Foundation.

For this opposition, Treize was summarily relieved of command and placed under house arrest. Several OZ officers loyal to Treize created a splinter group within OZ initially known as the Treize Faction. The group ultimately began operating outside of OZ and was deemed an enemy of the Romefeller Foundation, creating a three-way conflict between the Romefeller-controlled OZ, the Treize Faction, and the Gundam pilots.

Earth Sphere Unified Nation and final battles

OZ continued its existence and served as the main military arm of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation created by the Romefeller Foundation. Former OZ soldiers who opposed Romefeller’s policies joined either the Treize Faction or the colonial rebel organisation White Fang, fragmenting OZ’s forces across multiple opposing factions.

The last major military action OZ participated in was the final battle of the war in December AC 195, in which they fought against former OZ soldiers now calling themselves White Fang. The battle culminated with the destruction of White Fang’s massive battleship Libra and the death of Treize Khushrenada. After the battle, all mobile suits were dismantled and banned from use under the post-war disarmament agreements, and OZ ceased to exist.

Organisation

Structure and hierarchy

OZ maintained its own rank structure separate from the Alliance military. Uniquely, OZ members received nobility titles according to their rank, reflecting the Romefeller Foundation’s aristocratic nature:

Rank Structure:

SMS/OZ Rank	Nobility Title	Alliance Equivalent
Senior Special Colonel (上級特佐)	Duke	Major General
Special Colonel 1st Class (一級特佐)	Marquess	Brigadier General
Special Colonel 2nd Class (二級特佐)	Count	Colonel
Special Colonel 3rd Class (准級特佐)	Viscount	Lieutenant Colonel
Senior Special Lieutenant (上級特尉)	Baron	Major
Special Lieutenant 1st Class (一級特尉)	Baronet	Senior Captain
Special Lieutenant 2nd Class (二級特尉)	Knight	Captain
Special Sergeant (特士)	Sir	Lieutenant

Notable examples included Treize Khushrenada as Duke (Senior Special Colonel), Lady Une and Zechs Merquise as Counts (Special Colonel 2nd Class), Lucrezia Noin as Baronet (Special Lieutenant 1st Class), and Otto as Knight (Special Lieutenant 2nd Class).

Notable members

Treize Khushrenada – Commander (AC 193-195)
Vingt Khushrenada – Officer
Zechs Merquise – Ace pilot (defected)
Lucrezia Noin – Instructor (defected)
Lady Une – Commander’s aide
Trant Clark – Officer
Karl Noembreux – Officer
Walker – Pilot (deceased)
Mueller – Pilot
Nichol – Officer
Aoi Clark – Agent
Seis Clark – Agent
Chilias Catalonia – Original leader (deceased)

Military

Mobile suit forces

OZ operated the most advanced mobile suit forces in the After Colony era. The organisation was responsible for developing or deploying:

Prototype and specialized units:

OZ-00MS Tallgeese – First armed mobile suit
OZ-13MS Gundam Epyon – Close-combat Gundam created by Treize
OZ-13MSX1 Vayeate – Anti-Gundam beam cannon specialist
OZ-13MSX2 Mercurius – Anti-Gundam planet defensor specialist

Mass-production units:

OZ-06MS Leo – First mass-production mobile suit, backbone of forces
OZ-07AMS Aries – Aerial combat specialist
OZ-12SMS Taurus – Space combat mobile doll
OZ-02MD Virgo – Unmanned mobile doll with Gundanium armor

OZ’s mobile suits followed a zodiac-themed naming convention, with units named after constellations including Leo (lion), Aries (ram), and Taurus (bull). This extended to non-mobile suit weaponry like the Libra space battleship, though not all OZ weapons followed this pattern.

Mobile doll programme

OZ pioneered the development of mobile doll technology—autonomous mobile suits controlled by artificial intelligence rather than human pilots. Chief Engineer Tubarov Bilmon led this programme, which aimed to eliminate human casualties (on OZ’s side) whilst maintaining military effectiveness.

The OZ-12SMS Taurus became the first mass-production mobile suit with an internal mobile doll AI system, whilst the OZ-02MD Virgo was designed specifically as an unmanned mobile doll. These units could perform maneuvers that would kill human pilots due to G-forces, giving them performance advantages.

However, the mobile doll programme created deep philosophical divisions within OZ. Treize Khushrenada believed that removing humans from the battlefield eliminated honour from combat and reduced warfare to mere calculation. His opposition to mobile dolls led to his removal from command and the internal split that created the Treize Faction.

Behind the scenes

Conception and design

The Organization of the Zodiac was created as the primary antagonist organisation for Mobile Suit Gundam Wing. The name “OZ” was a reference to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, with OZ’s symbols referencing the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion from the story.

OZ fit a trend of antagonist factions in Gundam anime having names with the letter “Z,” though it was the only Earth-based faction with this characteristic, in contrast to space factions like Zeon, Zanscare Empire, and ZAFT. The zodiac theming extended to OZ’s mobile suits and weapons, creating a consistent aesthetic and naming convention.

The concept of OZ as an elite special forces unit within a larger military allowed the series to explore themes about aristocracy, honour, and the nature of warfare. The organisation’s noble rank structure reflected its ties to the European aristocracy of the Romefeller Foundation, whilst its internal divisions over mobile doll technology provided philosophical depth to the military conflict.

Appearances

The Organization of the Zodiac appeared in the following works:

Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (anime series, episodes 1-49)
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz (OVA, flashback sequences)
New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Frozen Teardrop (novel series)
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Episode Zero (manga)
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing Endless Waltz: Glory of the Losers (manga)
SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays (video game)

External links

Organization of the Zodiac on the Gundam Wiki

Organization of the Zodiac