Regild Century
Regild Century (RC) is a Gundam timeline set thousands of years after the Universal Century. It serves as the setting for Gundam Reconguista in G and depicts a world of recovery following the devastating conclusion of the Universal Century era.
According to creator Tomino Yoshiyuki, the Regild Century represents “the real end of the Universal Century” and takes place approximately 500 years after the events of ∀ Gundam in the Correct Century timeline. The world of RC 1014 is one where humanity had clustered around the last green area on Earth—the Amazon basin—and rebuilt civilisation around the Capital Tower, a massive space elevator inherited from the Universal Century era.
History
The Regild Century began after the Universal Century concluded with a series of violent space wars that left Earth wracked by starvation and ecological collapse. After the Universal Century concluded with a series of violent space wars, Earth was left wracked by starvation and ecological collapse. The space colonies that once surrounded the planet were gone, and humanity’s population was reduced by half.
Having ridden out this nightmare, the surviving people of Earth clustered around an area in the Amazon (the last green place on the planet at the time) and restored the Capital Tower, a massive space elevator from the UC era. Around this structure emerged a new religion called SU-Cordism (Space Umbilical Cord), which governed society through the distribution of energy-carrying Photon Batteries that came down from space.
The Regild Century calendar was established as humanity attempted to move forward from the dark period that ended the Universal Century. According to Yoshiyuki Tomino, there was an exhaustion of natural resources in Universal Century. The Earth was abandoned, and population was reduced by a half when the Regild Century began.
Society and religion
SU-Cordism
Around this structure a religion emerges, where energy-carrying Photon Batteries come down from space and power society, “SU-Cordism”. SU-Cordism became the dominant belief system in the Regild Century, built around the worship of the Capital Tower as a sacred structure. The religion served both to organise the recovery process and to limit technological advancement, with higher religious authorities controlling access to advanced technology.
The term “SU-Cord” became both a greeting amongst believers and a word of prayer. The religion’s principles included restrictions on unchecked technological development, reliance on Photon Batteries from space, and the enforcement of what became known as the AG-Tech Taboo—restrictions on certain advanced technologies to prevent a repeat of the Universal Century’s destructive wars.
The Kuntala
One of the most disturbing aspects of the late Universal Century that carried into the Regild Century was the existence of the Kuntala, citizens formerly considered as lower-class prior to the Regild Century. According to the anime, the Kuntala were cultivated and treated as cattle during the latter part of the Universal Century. Apparently, in order to cope with the disastrous situation in the Gundam setting such as starvation that wrecked the globe at the time, Kuntala were eaten as substitute food.
By RC 1014, referring to them as “Kuntala” is now considered derogatory. Unfortunately, despite discrimination against Kuntala being reduced in the anime, the prejudices are still apparent as those of Kuntala origin are still absent in important positions.
Geography and territories
Capital Territory
The Capital Territory was a city-state that has a land area that extends from the Caribbean Sea to the Amazon River basin in the northern part of the equatorial Eulraidan (South America) continent. It is prosperous due to the presence of the Capital Tower. They do not have a good relationship with Ameria, while maintaining a good relationship with Gondwan. They have a monopoly on photon batteries.
Capital Tower
The Capital Tower was an orbital elevator located in the centre of the Capital Territory. It has been extensively renovated based on the elevator constructed in the Universal Century. It is the only facility in the world that carries photon batteries brought from space and is considered sacred. Its total length is 80,000 km. There are 144 space stations (nuts) that make up the tower.
Space territories
Beyond Earth, several space-based territories existed in the Regild Century:
Towasanga was a space colony nation located on the far side of the Moon. It owns a number of Universal Century technologies that are considered taboo on Earth.
Venus Globe was the collective term for a group of space colonies and numerous giant spherical photon batteries located in the vicinity of Venus.
Technology
The Regild Century featured several technological advances while maintaining restrictions on others:
Photon Batteries
The energy supply that everything in the Regild Century uses. They are produced by the Hermes Foundation. These served as the primary power source for all technology in the era, distributed from space through the Capital Tower.
Advanced materials
A defensive material used in the Regild Century by the YG-111 Gundam G-Self. It is both lighter and tougher than the Luna Titanium Alloy of the Universal Century, showing technological advancement despite the restrictions of the AG-Tech Taboo.
Other technologies
The Regild Century also featured various other technologies including Anti-Heat Film A thin, nearly transparent sheet designed to protect Mobile Suits while entering the atmosphere, compressed water balls for space operations, and gel curtains for maintaining atmosphere in ship hangars.
Timeline
The primary series set in the Regild Century:
| Series | Year |
|---|---|
| Gundam Reconguista in G | RC 1014 |
Series and films
Main article: Gundam series and films
The Regild Century timeline includes the following animated works:
| Title | Type | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| Gundam Reconguista in G | TV | 2 October 2014–27 March 2015 |
| Gundam Reconguista in G: Go! Core Fighter | Movie | 29 November 2019 |
| Gundam Reconguista in G: Bellri’s Fierce Charge | Movie | 21 February 2020 |
| Gundam Reconguista in G: Legacy from Space | Movie | 22 July 2021 |
| Gundam Reconguista in G: Love That Cries Out in Battle | Movie | 22 July 2022 |
| Gundam Reconguista in G: Beyond the Peril of Death | Movie | 5 August 2022 |
Development
Created for the Gundam 35th Anniversary celebration, it is the first Gundam TV series to be written and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino since Turn A Gundam in 1999 and features character designs by Kenichi Yoshida of Overman King Gainer and Eureka Seven fame. The series was the first traditional Gundam TV series to be initially released as a late night anime.
The word “Reconguista” “Reconguista” comes from the Spanish/Portuguese word “Reconquista” which means “Reconquest”. Tomino altered the spelling because he wanted a hard “G” sound.
Compilation films
A five-part film compilation series was released from 2019 to 2022. These films featured updated animation and new scenes, compiling the 26-episode television series into a more condensed narrative.
Mecha
Main article: Regild Century mecha
The mobile suits of the Regild Century featured several distinctive characteristics that set them apart from Universal Century designs. Many incorporated Photon Batteries as their primary power source and featured technology that had been refined over the millennium since the Universal Century’s end.
Notable mobile suits
YG-111 Gundam G-Self - The YG-111 G-Self, also known as the Gundam G-Self, is a one-of-a-kind prototype mobile suit built by Towasangan rebels using the ancient Rose of Hermes Blueprints. It was operable only by those with the Rayhunton Code.
GH-001 Grimoire - A mobile suit based on the Amerian Army’s Jahannam. It possesses more Photon Batteries than the regular mobile suit. Its performance is currently being evaluated while acting as mobile suits for the Pirate Corps before being adopted by the regular Amerian Army at a later point.
VGGM-Gf10 G-Lucifer - The VGGM-Gf10 G-Lucifer, also known as the Gundam G-Lucifer, is a prototype testbed mobile suit developed by Venus Globe’s G-IT Laboratory. It features a unique head with a single eye camera resembling the mobile suits once used by the Principality of Zeon.
Reception
Gundam Reconguista in G received mixed reactions from fans and critics. Commercially the series was a success. The limited-edition Blu-ray debuted 15th on the Oricon chart, with 3,864 units sold during the first week. The second volume of the Blu-ray debuted 4th on the Oricon chart, with 7,322 units sold in the first week. According to the Oricon chart, Gundam Reconguista in G ranked as the 22nd best selling anime of 2015 with 76,419 units sold in total.
However, the series was criticised for its complex narrative structure. In April 2015, Tomino responding to criticisms offered an apology to those who did not comprehend the story, stating, “If people tell me, ‘I couldn’t understand it because you aren’t good at what you do,’ then there’s nothing for me to say but ‘I’m sorry.’”
Legacy
The Regild Century represents a unique approach within the Gundam franchise as the first timeline to serve as a direct distant sequel to another established timeline. Its themes of recovery, technological restraint, and the cyclical nature of human conflict reflect both optimism for humanity’s ability to learn from past mistakes and pessimism about whether such lessons can truly prevent the repetition of history.
The timeline’s position between the Universal Century and Correct Century creates an interesting narrative bridge, showing how the disasters of the UC era led to both the technological regression seen in the Correct Century and humanity’s attempts to rebuild in a more sustainable manner.
External links
- Regild Century on the Gundam Wiki
- Gundam Reconguista in G on Wikipedia