Siege of Axis

The Siege of Axis (アクシズ攻防戦, Akushizu Kōbōsen) was the climactic series of engagements at the Axis asteroid fortress that concluded the First Neo Zeon War in January UC 0089. The siege featured a three-way battle between AEUG forces, Haman Karn’s loyalist Neo Zeon, and Glemy Toto’s rebel faction, culminating in Judau Ashta’s final confrontation with Haman and the war’s end.

Background

By early UC 0089, the First Neo Zeon War approached its endgame:

Neo Zeon Civil War

Glemy Toto rebelled against Haman Karn
Neo Zeon split between loyalists and rebels
Internal conflict weakened Neo Zeon militarily
AEUG positioned to exploit division

Strategic Situation

Axis remained Neo Zeon’s headquarters and symbol
Control of Axis would determine war’s outcome
Multiple factions converged for final confrontation
Winner would control post-war Earth Sphere

The Siege

Three-Way Battle

The engagement devolved into chaotic three-faction conflict:

AEUG Forces:

Nahel Argama and fleet units
Judau Ashta in ZZ Gundam
Objective: Destroy Neo Zeon and end war
Exploited Neo Zeon civil war

Haman’s Loyalists:

Remaining forces loyal to Haman Karn
Defended Axis from both AEUG and Glemy
Haman in Qubeley
Fighting for survival and Neo Zeon’s future

Glemy’s Rebels:

Rebel Neo Zeon forces under Glemy Toto
Sought to overthrow Haman and control Neo Zeon
Added chaos to already complex battle
Weakened Neo Zeon overall strength

Key Battles

Mobile Suit Combat:

Intense fighting throughout Axis asteroid
Multiple ace pilots in final confrontations
Ple Two vs. Judau
Fleet actions around asteroid

Internal Conflict:

Neo Zeon factions fighting each other
Glemy’s forces attacking Haman’s
Civil war amidst external threat
Weakened defensive capabilities

Climactic Duels

Judau vs. Haman: The war’s defining confrontation:

Final battle between Judau and Haman
ZZ Gundam vs. Qubeley
Newtype battle of wills and abilities
Judau’s determination vs. Haman’s desperation

Haman’s Death:

Defeated by Judau in final battle
Chose death rather than surrender
Died with Neo Zeon’s dream
End of Haman’s ambitions

Glemy’s Fate:

Rebel faction collapsed
Glemy killed during siege
Civil war ended with both leaders dead
Neo Zeon completely shattered

Outcome

The Siege of Axis concluded the First Neo Zeon War:

Military Victory

AEUG achieved decisive victory
Neo Zeon completely destroyed
Axis secured by Federation forces
Mobile suit forces annihilated

Political Consequences

Neo Zeon eliminated as organized force
Earth Sphere under Federation control
Spacenoid independence movement set back
Temporary peace achieved

Personal Costs

Haman Karn dead
Glemy Toto killed
Countless casualties on all sides
Judau traumatized by war’s brutality

Axis’s Fate

Asteroid damaged but intact
Would later be used by Char in UC 0093
Remained symbol of Spacenoid resistance
Strategic asset for future conflicts

Significance

The Siege of Axis represented multiple themes:

Three-Way Conflict

The battle demonstrated:

Complexity of civil wars within larger conflicts
How internal divisions doomed factions
Chaos of multi-party engagements
Difficulty of clear victories in such conditions

Cycle of Leadership

Through Haman and Glemy’s deaths:

Showed how wars consumed leaders
That military power couldn’t ensure survival
How ambitions led to destruction
Cost of pursuing military victory

Newtype Tragedy

Judau and Haman’s final battle explored:

Newtypes forced to kill each other
Special abilities used for destruction
That enhanced humans still died violently
Tragedy of potential wasted on warfare

War’s End

The siege showed:

Victories came at devastating cost
That ending wars required complete enemy defeat
How conflicts consumed all participants
Pyrrhic nature of military triumph

Legacy

Immediate Aftermath

First Neo Zeon War concluded
AEUG transitioned to peacetime
Federation reasserted control
Judau left for Jupiter (UC 0089)

Long-Term Impact

Axis would return under Char (UC 0093)
Neo Zeon remnants continued resistance
Spacenoid-Earthnoid tensions persisted
War’s lessons unlearned

Character Fates

Judau survived but left Earth Sphere
Haman’s death ended an era
Supporting characters moved forward
War’s trauma lasted lifetimes

Behind the Scenes

The Siege of Axis was created as finale for Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ, with director Tomino Yoshiyuki crafting a three-way battle emphasizing war’s chaos and tragedy. The decision to have Neo Zeon fighting itself whilst facing AEUG demonstrated how civil wars doomed movements.

Haman Karn’s death was designed as tragic rather than triumphant – showing how even formidable leaders were consumed by conflicts they helped create. Tomino wanted audiences to see Haman as tragic figure rather than pure villain.

The siege’s complexity reflected Tomino’s view that real wars lack clear sides or simple victories – that conflicts involve multiple factions with competing interests, resulting in chaos rather than clean narrative resolution.

Appearances

Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ

External links

Siege of Axis on the Gundam Wiki