Mobile Suit Gundam's central mech, the RX-78-2 Gundam, would ultimately be one of the most iconic giant robots in the history of science fiction. Designed to be a practical machine of war rather than a magical super robot as was common in '70s anime, the RX-78-2 Gundam and its pilot Amuro Ray would carve through the ranks of the Principality of Zeon, obliterating all in its path. The series' heavy story simultaneously celebrated humanity's resistance in the face of conflict and highlighted the cruel cost of war.
Because the RX-78-2 is grounded in relatively plausible science fiction, the Gundam remains one of the most technically complex mecha around. Because of this, fans can analyze the secrets and potential capabilities of this machine, and thus uncover the truly dark secrets behind this war-forged mechanical titan.
RX-78-2 Escalated the Arms Race
The RX-78-2 is far from the first Gundam in continuity, but its deadly success accelerated the production of future Gundams. Its predecessor, the RX-78-1, was the first mobile suit developed by Project V that saw the potential in close-quarters combat. The RX-78s were developed to increase speed, short-range lethality and durable defenses. The RX-78-1 was itself developed from the RX-77-2 -- more commonly known as the Guncannon.
Early iterations of the Guncannon (specifically, the RX-77-1A) were clumsy and awkward. The innovations selected to make the Guncannon more mobile and light-weight would help lead Project V to create mobile suits better equipped for close-range, fast combat. It would also force them to innovate how to create more durable, lightweight armor. It also led the Project to develop superior shields to compensate for the dense armor. Ultimately, the RX-78-2 served as the prototype for even deadlier Gundam models, such as the RGM-79 GM mass-production model and the RX-78NT-1 Gundam "Alex" from Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket, which created a mobile suit arms race.
RX-78-2 Traumatizes Pilots By Getting Close and Personal
The RX-78-2 was designed to come right up to an enemy and slaughter it in close combat, prioritizing the brutal means of martial combat. This was not the more removed mid-ranged combat model the Federation wanted. The original Guncannon model came with two heavy cannons on its shoulders, prioritizing heavy fire-power over close-range combat. Guncannons were meant to specialize in mid-range combat, while the long-range Guntank would prioritize long-range combat.
However, by creating a machine that needed to fight in close-quarters, the Earth Federation ensured that any Gundam pilot would have to personally watch their enemies die in front of them, often in the most brutal, drawn-out ways. This model of combat would naturally traumatize its pilots.
Earth Initially Rejected the RX-78 - at Its Own Bloody Peril
The proposal for the RX-78 models was initially rejected, and this proved a terrible mistake for the Earth Federation. The engineer behind the RX-78-2, Tem Ray (father of the RX-78-2's eventual pilot, Amuro Ray), proposed the RX-78 series after studying Zeon's MS-04 Bugu, a machine that appears in Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin. While the Bugu proved too expensive to mass-produce, Ray realized that Zeon intended on mobile suits that prioritized speed, dexterity and mobility over sheer raw power.
The Earth Federation refused to even entertain Ray's proposal, ultimately to its doom. In the Battle of Mare Smythii, four MS-05 Zakus and one MS-04 Bugu eradicated twelve Guncannons, proving that, though the Guncannon had superior firepower, it proved useless if the adversary could not be hit. Building Gundams became necessary, and as the war became increasingly determined by short-range combat, Gundams would ultimately turn the tide of major battles.
The RX-78-2 Sparked the One-Year War
While Zeon and the Earth Federation were already deep in combat with one another, it was the RX-78-2's development that ultimately sparked what is known as the One-Year War -- the focus of the original Mobile Suit Gundam anime. A Zeon Raid -- led by Char Aznable -- on the Earth Federation Colony Side 7 ultimately uncovered the existence of the Gundam.
Had Amuro Ray not fallen into the cockpit of the Gundam, the War would have ended before it began. Instead, the existence of the Gundam and its firepower led to the Principality of Zeon to mobilize against the new threat. This led to an arms race that accelerated the pace of the war, culminating in a military event that would shake the foundations of Zeon and the Earth Federation. All the death that followed in that conflict can be blamed in part on the existence of the Gundam itself.
The 'White Devil' Terrified Zeon
While most people refer to the RX-78-2 as a Gundam, the Zeon people had a different name for it: the White Devil. This is due to its sheer unstoppable nature. It is ironic that a machine, originally dismissed as unnecessary by the Earth Federation, would ultimately turn the tide of the war forever.
Part of the RX-78-2's terrifying legacy comes with how it managed to best all who came against it. Char Aznable was ultimately Amuro Ray's rival throughout each other's time in the military, but, while Char's conflicts with Amuro remain legendary, they're far from Amuro's only piloting accomplishments. Notably, Amuro used the RX-78-2 to defeat the significantly larger mobile suit MA-08 Big Zam. Amuro won the battle by passing into Big Zam's defensive parameter, pummeling the undercarriage of the machine until he broke through it.
In short, Zeon made the same mistake the Earth Federation did at the Battle of Mare Smythii. Ir failed to realize the sheer danger of a foe that, while physically weaker than you, can actually hit the target while remaining elusive and dexterous. The Gundam would ultimately prove to be one of the most deadly machines in the history of the UC timeline, only to be improved upon in the years following its intense rebuff of Zeon.
