XXXG-01D Gundam Deathscythe – Mobile Suit Gundam Wing

The XXXG-01D Gundam Deathscythe was a stealth-specialized Gundam-type mobile suit deployed during Operation Meteor in After Colony 195. One of five Gundam units sent to Earth by the space colonies, it was piloted by Duo Maxwell and designed for close-quarters combat missions requiring infiltration and rapid strikes.

Overview

The Gundam Deathscythe was developed by Professor G in the L2 Colony Cluster as part of Operation Meteor. Designated the “masterpiece” of Professor G’s work, the mobile suit possessed outstanding stealth capabilities through a pair of Hyper Jammers that prevented detection by radar or visual sensors. Combined with the highest speed amongst the original five Gundams, the Deathscythe’s battle style revolved around approaching enemies rapidly whilst invisible, striking with its devastating beam scythe, and retreating before counter-attack.

The mobile suit’s sinister appearance—resembling the grim reaper—combined with its invisibility on sensors and the ferocity of its attacks struck great fear in its enemies. The Deathscythe was particularly effective in guerrilla operations and facility infiltration missions.

Design

Concept and development

The Gundam Deathscythe was designed and constructed by Professor G at a secret facility in the L2 Colony Cluster. Duo Maxwell, an orphan boy who worked on the Gundam’s construction, would later pilot the mobile suit. Like the Wing Gundam, the Deathscythe was derived from the XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero prototype, though it diverged significantly in specialization.

Once Duo learned the true nature of Operation Meteor, he became determined to destroy the suit. However, Professor G foiled these attempts, refusing to let him destroy such a “work of art”. Instead, the professor allowed Duo to “steal” the suit and depart for Earth, where Duo resolved to use the Deathscythe exclusively against OZ and United Earth Sphere Alliance facilities.

The mobile suit was constructed from Gundanium alloy, a rare and exceptionally durable material that could only be manufactured in outer space, giving it superior defensive capabilities compared to standard mobile suits.

Technical features

The Gundam Deathscythe’s most distinctive feature was its stealth system. A pair of Hyper Jammers mounted on its backpack scattered jamming particles that scrambled enemy radar and visual sensors, rendering the mobile suit invisible to most electronics. The Deathscythe itself was unaffected by these jamming particles, allowing it to operate normally whilst remaining undetected. This capability enabled it to infiltrate facilities and approach enemy mobile suits without being detected.

With the highest speed amongst the original five Gundams, the Deathscythe excelled at rapid strike tactics. Its combat doctrine emphasized stealth approach, devastating close-range attack, and swift retreat before enemy forces could mount an effective response.

The cockpit was a spherical capsule located in the torso, featuring a floating cockpit design with shock mitigation functions similar to the Wing Gundam’s system.

Armament

Beam Scythe

The Deathscythe’s primary weapon was its namesake beam scythe, a powerful close-combat beam weapon capable of cleaving through any armor. The power and reach of the scythe enabled it to destroy multiple targets in a single sweep. The heat and powerful magnetic field it produced could begin to disintegrate targets even as the beam blade approached.

A piston at the rear of the scythe’s head was capable of pivoting the beam emitter up to 90 degrees, and the beam emitted could take on shapes other than that of a scythe blade. The beam scythe was effective even underwater and was stored in retracted form on the mobile suit’s rear skirt when not in use.

Buster Shield

The Buster Shield served dual purposes as both defensive equipment and close-range weapon. Constructed from Gundanium alloy, the shield could be mounted on the left forearm or used as a ramming weapon. The shield could split apart at the front to emit a beam blade, transforming it into a beam weapon. Additionally, a thruster on its rear allowed the shield to be launched toward targets like a projectile.

Vulcan Guns

A pair of shell-firing armaments built into the head. Whilst possessing low offensive power, they were primarily used to restrict enemy movement and lay down suppressive fire due to their rapid-fire capability. When fired in unison with the machine cannons, they provided effective close-quarters defense.

Machine Cannons

Located on the clavicles, the pair of shell-firing weapons were capable of dealing significant damage to lightly armored mobile suits. The machine cannons served as the mobile suit’s primary anti-mobile suit weapons when the beam scythe was unavailable.

Cannon

A long-barreled, shell-firing cannon held over the shoulder when used. The Deathscythe employed this weapon for aerial bombardment from a stolen OZ jet transport, assisting the Maganac Corps in fending off invading OZ forces whilst buying time for civilians to escape.

Special equipment

Hyper Jammers

The nozzles protruding from the backpack scattered jamming particles which scrambled enemy radar and cameras, rendering the Gundam Deathscythe invisible to electronic detection. The mobile suit itself was unaffected by the jamming particles, allowing normal operation whilst maintaining stealth. This system was the cornerstone of the Deathscythe’s tactical doctrine.

Self-destruct system

The Gundam Deathscythe was built with a self-destruct system that the pilot could activate via a remote detonator in the cockpit. The system was designed to overload the mobile suit’s power systems and had sufficient explosive power to destroy several city blocks. It served as a last-resort tactic to prevent the Gundam from falling into enemy hands or could be used as a large explosive device against major targets.

Operational history

Operation Meteor

The Gundam Deathscythe was sent to Earth with Duo Maxwell to commence Operation Meteor in AC 195. Unlike the other Gundam pilots who followed the operation’s destructive agenda, Duo resolved to use the Deathscythe exclusively to destroy OZ and United Earth Sphere Alliance facilities, avoiding civilian casualties.

Shortly after arrival on Earth, the Deathscythe recovered the XXXG-01W Wing Gundam from the Pacific Ocean floor after Heero Yuy had abandoned it following atmospheric entry. Duo brought the damaged Wing Gundam to a safe location, though Heero later stole parts from the Deathscythe to repair his own mobile suit, temporarily disabling the Deathscythe.

The mobile suit participated in numerous guerrilla operations against OZ facilities, utilizing its stealth capabilities to devastating effect. The Deathscythe’s speed and invisibility made it particularly effective in hit-and-run operations.

Capture and destruction

Not long after the Gundam pilots returned to space, Duo Maxwell and his Deathscythe battled several OZ-12SMS Taurus mobile dolls. With Duo underestimating the combat capability of the mobile dolls, and the Deathscythe being unsuitable for space combat as it was designed for ground warfare, both pilot and mobile suit were overwhelmed and captured by OZ.

OZ subsequently used the damaged Deathscythe as a target in a training mission. Trowa Barton, who was disguised as an OZ mobile suit pilot to infiltrate the organization, destroyed the Gundam with a beam cannon with little hesitation to maintain his cover. The destruction of the Deathscythe was a significant loss for the Colony Liberation Organization.

Reconstruction

The wrecked Deathscythe was later recovered by the five Gundam scientists. Rather than simply repairing the damaged mobile suit, they chose to rebuild and upgrade it into the XXXG-01D2 Gundam Deathscythe Hell, addressing the original’s weaknesses in space combat whilst retaining and enhancing its stealth capabilities.

Production

Design and development

The Gundam Deathscythe was designed by Okawara Kunio for the 1995 anime series Mobile Suit Gundam Wing. The initial design followed the “nationality” trend from Mobile Fighter G Gundam, with the Deathscythe representing European design aesthetics. Early designs featured a scythe with a solid blade bearing dragon-like decorations and a large shield resembling a coffin.

The final design emphasized the mobile suit’s grim reaper imagery, with the beam scythe and dark color scheme reinforcing its role as a stealth assassin unit. The sinister appearance was intentional, designed to strike fear in enemies who managed to detect it before being destroyed.

Reception

The Gundam Deathscythe became one of the most popular mobile suits from Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, with its distinctive scythe weapon and stealth capabilities appealing to fans. The mobile suit has been featured extensively in model kit releases, including multiple High Grade versions from Bandai, with a new HGAC version released in 2021.

The cannon used by the Deathscythe in episode 11 made its video game debut as a weapon option in Mobile Suit Gundam Online, where it serves as one of the Gundam’s long-range weapon choices.

Specifications

Specification	Details
Model Number	XXXG-01D
Code Name	Gundam Deathscythe
Unit Type	Stealth close-quarters combat mobile suit
Manufacturer	Professor G
Operator	Colony Liberation Organization, G Team
Pilot	Duo Maxwell
Overall Height	16.3 metres
Weight	7.2 tonnes
Armor Material	Gundanium alloy
Power Plant	Ultracompact fusion reactor
Accommodation	Pilot only, in spherical cockpit in torso
Fixed Armament	2 × vulcan gun; 2 × machine cannon; buster shield
Hand-carried Armament	Beam scythe; cannon (optional)
Special Equipment	2 × Hyper Jammer; self-destruct system

Variants

XXXG-01DB Gundam Crazy Beast

An alternate configuration of the Gundam Deathscythe appearing in side stories.

XXXG-01DC Gundam Nightmare Centaur

An alternate configuration appearing in supplemental material.

XXXG-01DF Gundam Dark Angel