This is a list of fictional nations and factions of the Universal Century (UC) timeline of the fictional Gundam anime metaseries.
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The Earth Federation is loosely based on the United Nations, with a Security Council and General Assembly, but is not a successor to that organization. The Federation is a global government formed by a "rich men's club" of wealthy nations. Only a few nations are ever mentioned in passing; however, none continue to exist since the adoption of the Universal Century calendar. Places are mentioned by what landmass or region they are in, such as New York City (some sources list this location as New Yark) and Odessa are mentioned to be located in North America and Central Asia, respectively, but not the United States or Ukraine. While Japan, Australia, and Ireland are mentioned, these names refer to their respective landmasses and localities. The only exception to this is the language and nationality of characters, which could be more based on their predecessors' former homeland before emigrating to the space colonies.
The Titans are an elite counter-insurgency group formed by the Earth Federation in response to the disastrous events from Operation Stardust, where the Federation loses a third of its fleet during its naval review to a tactical nuclear attack perpetrated by radical Principality of Zeon loyalists. The Federation government decides to form an elite special operation unit whose sole purpose is to hunt down renegade Zeon supporters and anti-Federation insurgents. Proposed and founded by Jamitov Hymem, who uses the events of Operation Stardust to argue the safety of the Earth is paramount over the civil rights of its citizens, he essentially creates a fascist military force that has the ability to act outside the limit of the Federation's supervision. As time passes, more people line up to join the Titans, inspired by the group's "elite" status and their success in repelling anti-Federation movements.
The citizens of the Federation start to resent the Titans' methodology, and on July 31, U.C. 0085, a massive protest is held in Side 1's 30 Bunch (the 30th colony in the area) against the Titans' actions, but the demonstration soon turns into chaos, rioting breaking throughout the colony. After repeated failed attempts by Federation colonial forces to suppress the riots, the Titans are dispatched to put it to an end. Shutting off the colony's air supply, they proceed to pump the whole colony cylinder (about 20 miles (32 km) long and 4 miles (6.4 km) wide) with a lethal nerve gas called G3, killing the entire populace.
Due to the Titans' effective political censorship, most Federation council members are uninformed of the 30 Bunch Incident; the Federation military knew little about the events, apart from Side 1 being dubbed a "cursed sector". Any reference to the incident becomes taboo, even amongst the Titans (many new recruits, such as Emma Sheen, had no knowledge about it at all). Despite the extreme scarcity of witnesses, the incident is known to some well-informed individuals who openly resents the Titans, such as Commodore Blex Forer of the Earth Federation Space Force, who goes on to form the Anti-Earth Union Group (AEUG). Many more dissident Federation citizens and soldiers on Earth and in space formed the Karaba resistance movement. As the AEUG and Karaba begins to pose a serious threat to the Titans, Jamitov manages to convince the Federation council the Titans need for more power to deal with these "terrorist" insurgencies. The council willingly gives the Titans the resources they need, even the authority over some regular Federation military. Instead of resolving the issue, this only widens hostilities, ultimately resulting in the Gryps Conflict.
Unfortunately, the Titans' repressive policies are exposed to the public, when AEUG members and their Karaba allies seize the Federation's Congress Building in Dakar, televising to the world of the Titans' multiple atrocities. The Titans fleet is crippled at the end of the Gryps Conflict by the AEUG, using the Gryps Colony Laser the Titans constructed. Although most members of the Titans are killed, remnants regroup into a rebel group called New Desides and is eventually annihilated by the Earth Federation's Task Force Alpha in late U.C. 0087, as narrated in the novel Gundam Sentinel.
The Titans seem to have been based somewhat on the Schutzstaffel. Most notable are their black uniforms, elite recruiting procedures, and their horrible callousness towards human lives, which coincides with the subtle Nazi undertones in the Principality of Zeon in Mobile Suit Gundam. Also coincidental is that for an anti-spacenoid organization, the Titans seem to be very influenced by the late Principality, from basing their mobile suits on Zeon technology (namely the RMS-106 HiZack, which is directly influenced from Zeon's trademark Zakus) to practicing many of their forms of genocide, such as gassing colonies and the use of colony lasers. Even the Titans uniform possesses similarities to its Zeon counterpart, namely the ornate golden lining. Higher-ranking officer uniforms have a purple texture that looks suspiciously similar to a Zeon officer's cape.
In addition to the shared characteristics of the SS and Zeon, the group may be based on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Whereas the Titans are formed to fight Zeon remnants and any opposition to the Earth, NATO's original role was preventing the growth of the Soviet Union and communism in general in the West. Also, the Titans' policy and practice could be considered a futuristic, and by far, more brutal form of McCarthyism.
The Londo Bell is the Earth Federation's special forces unit in during the U.C. 0090s. Commanded by veteran Bright Noa, with its mobile suit combat squads led by ace pilot Amuro Ray, the Londo Bell is designed as an elite unit to be dispatched in the event of a major insurgency. The Londo Bell's personnel is composed of ex-AEUG and ex-Karaba members, many of whom served under Bright previously. Because so many of these people fought the Titans, they do their best to carry out their missions in a far more humane and civilized manner than the Titans. Prior to the rise of the second Neo Zeon movement, this task force spends most of its time inspecting colonies for remnant Zeon supporters. Unfortunately, they fail to pick up on the new Neo Zeon threat due to the task force being greatly understaffed.
In U.C. 0093, former Zeon officer/AEUG member Char Aznable returns, after missing-in-action following the Gryps Conflict. After occupying the refugee colony Sweetwater without firing a single shot, he publicly declares himself the new leader of Neo Zeon and war against the Earth. As a countermeasure, the Federation rapidly increases the size of the Londo Bell in anticipation of the second Neo Zeon movement, which begins in March U.C. 0093. During this conflict, the Londo Bell consists of three Clop-class cruisers: the Ra Zyme, the Ra Kiem and the Ra Chutter, along with the flagship Ra Cailum. Its mobile suit squadrons consists of 18 RGM-89 Jegans, a RGZ-91 Re-GZ (Refined Gundam Zeta) and Amuro's personal unit, the RX-93 Nu Gundam. The Londo Bell saw extensive action against Char's Neo Zeon, as chronicled in the full-length animated film Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack, and were the primary Federation combatants of the war.
By U.C. 0096, as told in the on-going serial novel Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn, the Londo Bell re-commissions the AEUG's Nahel Argama battleship, the same vessel used during the first Neo Zeon movement. The Nahel Argama is equipped with 8 new RGZ-95 ReZELs and 5 Jegans. The task force's fleet size, however, is currently unknown, though it is likely larger following the second Neo Zeon movement.
Outside of the Gundam franchise, particularly in video games, Londo Bell is the name given to the combined group of playable characters and units composed of many Universal Century Gundam characters and their allies from other animated franchises, dedicated to fighting dangerous (and arguably, evil) factions in the games. Still headed by Bright, this is most prevalent in the Super Robot Wars series and is used extensively in the its Classic Timeline and some of its handheld incarnations.
The League Militaire is a rogue organization poised to defend the Earth from the invasion by the Zanscare Empire during the late U.C. 0140s to the early U.C. 0150s. Their main force consists of the mass-produced LM312V04 Victory Gundam and its variants, the LM111E02 Gun-EZ, the LM111E03 Gunblastor , and its flagship mobile suit, the LM314V21 Victory 2 Gundam, all of which are stored on either the Reinforce, Reinforce Jr. and White Ark battleships. Like the AEUG, many of its members are ex-Federation officers or currently active pilots.
The Militaire is sponsored by Anaheim Electronics and is generally of the same rag-tag structure. They are not above using captured enemy ships and mobile suits or even decades old weapons like the Alexandria-class cruisers for its small fleet. The League Militaire's primary objective is to assist (or in some cases, simply fight in place of) the Earth Federation against the Zanscare Empire. Their record of service is documented in the series Mobile Suit Victory Gundam.
The Anti-Earth Union Group (also known as the Anti-Earth Union Government) is a resistance movement formed to fight the dictator-like Titans in space. The term "anti-Earth" is actually a misnomer; the AEUG is a political faction within the Earth Federation, but more "anti-Earth elitist" than anti-Federation government. Throughout the Gryps Conflict, the AEUG attempts to wrestle the Federation government's support away from the Titans.
The AEUG is originally a political movement aiming to reform the corrupt Earth Federation government, but following the "30 Bunch Incident" in Side 1 due to the hands of the Titans, the AEUG takes up arms against the them. Composed of Federation soldiers who disown the Titans and several ex-Zeon officials posing as Federation officers, One Year War veterans Bright Noa, Henken Bekkener and Quattro Bajeena are some of the notable members of the AEUG, alongside AEUG founder Blex Forer and Newtype civilian recruit Kamille Bidan, whose piloting skills and Newtype powers is among one of the best in Universal Century history.
In U.C. 0087, the AEUG raids a Titans' military facility in their colony base in Side 2 called Green Noa 2 (also named as Gryps Two), stealing three new-concept RX-178 Gundam MK II prototypes. This enrages the Titans, and following a chain of events due to the heist, the full-scale Gryps Conflict civil war for control of the space colonies erupts between the factions.
The AEUG utilizes several units during the war, among them the Gundam MK II stolen from the Titans (the other two are turned over to Anaheim Electronics for analysis and reverse engineering), the prototype transformer MSA-005 Methuss, the Federation-influenced MSA-003 Nemo and MSN-00100 Hyaku Shiki, as well as the Zeon-influenced RMS-099 Rick Dias mobile suits. The AEUG's main fleet is made up of several Salamis-class cruisers, at least five Irish-class battleships, and their flagship assault cruiser, the Argama. However, the most powerful weapon in the AEUG's arsenal is undoubtedly the transformable MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam, which becomes their symbol of defiance in a manner similar to the Federation's previous RX-78-2 Gundam during the One Year War. For the next year, the AEUG engages the Titans around the Earth Sphere, finally managing to seize the upper hand and ultimately use the Titans' Gryps Colony Laser against them, destroying/disabling nearly every remaining ship in the Titan's fleet.
Unlike other military organizations within the Universal Century, the AEUG is primarily a rag-tag group consisting of renegades and some otherwise civilian fighters. Their main military force is made of defected ships, and for a considerable time, large numbers of RGM-79R GM IIs from the Federal forces (with a different color scheme), and whatever they can steal from the Titans. Uniform code and military procedure is especially lax, with the AEUG uniform simply being the Federation tunic minus the sleeves and with a V-neck; some members continue to wear the Federal Forces uniform or simply civilian casual clothing. There also appears to be no general recruitment standard other than being physically fit and able to serve. This can be considered an anti-thesis to the highly elitist and organized standards of the Titans.
Due to Titans' activities placing numerous restrictions on trade and commerce, the AEUG and their Karaba allies activities are funded, to a large extent, by individuals and companies in the private sector (notably the lunar organizations financing Anaheim Electronics, and the Earth-based Luio Company in Hong Kong). Unfortunately, this has the side-effect of putting many non-military officials into leadership positions; although Blex, Henken, Quattro and Bright are considered the AEUG's official leaders, there is no doubt their main influence comes from Anaheim Electronics and other sponsors. The ineptness and indecisiveness of the AEUG's leadership, however, has led to more than one blunder, namely the botched assault on the Federation Jaburo basin in South America and the attempted negotiations with the Zeon remnants in the asteroid Axis.
When out on the field, the AEUG's sponsors will usually send a representative to oversee strategic movements and overall command. During the events of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, one such representative, Anaheim Electronics's Wong Lee, spends a large amount of his time aboard the Argama. Bossy and argumentative, Wong frequently clashes with the Argama's officers and crew over everything from tactical procedures to the somewhat informal atmosphere aboard the warship.
While the AEUG and the Titans are busy fighting amongst one another, the real threat to the peace of the Earth Sphere, Axis Zeon, led by Haman Karn, emerges as the eventual winner. In Mobile Suit Gundam Double Zeta, the AEUG's objectives shifts towards fighting the new Neo Zeon movement. However, the bulk of the AEUG is still recuperating from the Gryps Conflict, thus only the Argama and its skeleton crew initially sees action.
After the first Neo Zeon movement, the AEUG officially disbands, with most of its members going on to form the Federation's Londo Bell task force.
Karaba is the Earth-based resistance movement against the Titans. Although not as well-known as their AEUG space counterparts, Karaba were, nonetheless, extremely important in the Gryps Conflict. Led by Hayato Kobayashi, a former crew member of the White Base in the One Year War, Karaba operates from the Audhumla, a giant cargo aircraft (larger than many battleships) stolen from the Federation during the AEUG attack on Jaburo, becoming the resistance's mobile headquarters and flagship. The legendary ace pilot Amuro Ray and Hayato's son, Katz Kobayashi, supplements its other ranks.
Since their main benefactors are in space, Karaba is initially even more rag-tag and under-equipped than the AEUG. Aside from the Audhumla, their main force consists of second-hand AEUG mobile suits left over from the Jaburo campaign, which includes several Nemos and at least one Rick Dias. When the Titans influence in space begins to wane, Karaba manages to build up its forces to a formidable level, even fielding their own mobile suit designs, such as the MSK-008 Dijeh and MSZ-006 Zeta Plus. Karaba's most significant operations includes the attack on the Titans' headquarters atop of Mount Kilimanjaro and temporarily seizing control of the Federation Assembly building in Dakar, to allow Quattro the opportunity to denounce the Titans in front of assembly members and the entire world. As the Gryps Conflict leads back into space, Karaba mops up the Titans' activities on Earth.
During the first Neo Zeon movement, Karaba's focus shifts from fighting the Titans to fighting the Axis Zeon/Neo Zeon movement. By this point though, many of its leaders and pilots have gone to space, in order to resupplement the devastated AEUG, thus Karaba can do little to prevent Neo Zeon's warpath and invasion on Earth's surface. Despite this, they become the backbone of the resistance against Haman's conquest in the Earth Sphere and brave great sacrifices in the evacuation of Dublin, when a colony is dropped on the city.
When the war ends, Karaba disbands alongside the AEUG. However, many of its members dissolve to the Earth Federation's new Londo Bell.
Appearing in the novel Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash, Mafty is an anti-Federation terrorist cell led by Mafty Navilles Erin. Twelve years following the end of the second Neo Zeon movement, Mafty captures and pilots the prototype RX-105 Xi Ξ Gundam and attempts to attack Federation cabinet members in Adelaide from carrying out a provision that will strengthen the Federation's already growing powers. Unfortunately, Mafty is captured and sentenced to death; his execution is overseen by the Federation's Bright Noa.
The Republic of Zeon is initially founded by Zeon Zum Deikun, who declares its independence from the Earth Federation in U.C. 0058. Deikun's deputy, Degwin Sodo Zabi, assumes power after his death and renames the republic the Principality of Zeon. Under the leadership of Degwin's son, Gihren, the Principality eventually declares war on the Federation on January 3, U.C. 0079. The ensuing conflict becomes known as the One Year War, lasting until the Principality of Zeon (renamed back the Republic of Zeon) surrenders with the Treaty of Granada on January 1, U.C. 0080.
Three years later, a remnant Zeon fleet, under the command of Admiral Aiguille Delaz, soughts to resurrect the Principality with Operation Stardust. The resulting colony drop destroys much of the North American farmland. The Delaz Fleet is soon defeated, but the short-lived conflict leads to the Earth Federation's creation of the elite task force Titans, to prevent future insurrections.
After several rebellions and wars failed to take complete control of the Earth Sphere, in U.C. 0100, the Republic of Zeon officially rejoins the Earth Federation, though it, like all other Sides, regain their independence permanently during the Age of the Warring Space States Era.
The original Crossbone Vanguard is a private army of the aristocratic Ronah family. Financed by Meitzer Ronah's powerful business empire, the Buch Concern, the Crossbone Vanguard is created and commanded by Meitzer's son-in-law Carrozo "Iron Mask" Ronah, who conceals his face under a helm-like mask, since his wife Nadia (Meitzer's daughter) leaves him and runs away. The Crossbone Vanguard's main purpose is to establish an aristocracy in the new Frontier colonies at Side 4 called Cosmo Babylonia. The pilots of the Crossbone Vanguard use advanced mobile suits designed by Buch Aerodynamics (a subdivision of Buch Concern), such as the XM-01 Den'an Zon and the XM-05 Berga Giros, and are secretly and intensely tested for many years, making them far superior in combat capabilities than Earth Federation mobile units.
In U.C. 0123, the attack begins without warning. The Crossbone Vanguard invades the Frontier IV colony, completely overwhelming the unprepared and obsolete Federation colonial defense forces. At the same time, Carozzo's troops discover his daughter Berah, who is living a normal civilian life under the name Cecily Fairchild, and brings her back to serve as a political figurehead, in order to achieve popular, public support for the Crossbone Vanguard. Carrozo's plan is thwarted by Cecily herself, who defects with her new XM-07 Vigna Ghina, in order to reunite with childhood friend Seabook Arno, the pilot of the new F91 Gundam Formula 91. Carozzo is killed when Seabook destroys his mobile armor XMA-01 Rafflesia. The Crossbone Vanguard continues to hold control over the Frontier colonies, until the return of Cecily in U.C. 0125, who denounces Meitzer, resulting in a civil war between the Ronahs and their respective supporters. Due to the in-fighting and the added weight of repurcussions demanded by the Earth Federation for taking the Frontier colonies, Cosmo Babylonia ultimately collapses in U.C. 0128. Most of these events are chronicled in the feature animated film Mobile Suit Gundam F91.
Ten years later in U.C. 0133, as told in the Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam manga, a new Crossbone Vanguard surfaces, this time in the form of space pirates. After having faked her death in U.C. 0128, Cecily, now going by her real name of Berah and Kincaid Nau, resurrects the Crossbone Vanguard and leads the group from the sleek and galleon-like warship Mother Vanguard in a secret battle against the power-hungry Jupiter Empire led by Crux Dogatie in the Jupiter Empire Wars. In reality, this new Crossbone Vanguard is simply a resistance under the guise of pirates; it is no way comparable to the original Crossbone Vanguard, besides possessing a general "pirate" theme (the Crossbone flag) and mobile suits made by the Buch Concern and supplied by the Earth Federation. The name Crossbone Vanguard is simply used to rally popular support for the group, much like the name Berah Ronah.
The Crossbone Vanguard's pilots are led by Kincaid in the XM-X1 Crossbone Gundam X-1, coincidentally made by the Federation's Strategic Naval Research Institute (SNRI), the same developers behind the original F91 Gundam. The nearly identical XM-X2 (F97) Crossbone Gundam X-2 is piloted by ace pilot Zabine Chareux, a former commander of the elite Black Vanguard Squadron of the original Crossbone Vanguard. Finally, young Newtype Tobia Arronax joins as the pilot of the XM-X3 (F97) Crossbone Gundam X-3.
After the plans of the Jupiter Empire are thwarted, Cecily and Kincaid retire from the war. The leadership of the Crossbone Vanguard is left into the hands of Tobia, who leads with the new XM-X1 (F97) Crossbone Gundam X-1 Kai Kai, the infamous "Skull Heart", against the Jupiter Empire remnants for years to come.
The Jupiter Empire are a self-proclaimed political entity composed mostly of Jovian residents from the Jupiter Energy Fleet, a vast fleet of Jupitris-class long-range deep-space transport ships and established colonies amongst asteroids. Under the leadership of Crux Dogatie, the Empire spends decades conspiring to invade and conquer the Earth Sphere, but the new Crossbone Vanguard in U.C. 0133 thwarts their attempts.
Leading a life of extreme poverty, a young Maria Pia Ammonia discovers her supernatural ability to heal people. Maria Pia Ammonia using her profits as a healer soon opens a consultation bureau at Albanian colony in Side 1 (L5). As her popularity spreads rapidly, Maria Pia Armonia begins to propagate her ideas that most social crises are caused by male leaders and advocated the establishment of a matrilineal society. A Maria group forms and petitions the Albanian colony government to form a political party while her staff publishes Maria’s teachings. In UC 0145, Maria Pia Ammonia meets Fonse Kagatie, formerly of the Jupiter Fleet and supports her politically. The Maria group becomes radical and the Gattle Party is formed as its political extension and becomes a third party in the government assembly of the Amelia colony in Side 2 (L4). In a show of force, A group of corrupt ministers are executed on the guillotine and the Gattle Party takes power in Amelia.
In UC 0149, The establishment of the Zanscare Empire is proclaimed at Side 2 (L4). The Zanscare Empire starts in U.C. 0153, when the Side 2 colonies proclaims themselves the Zanscare Empire and begins its own Earth-bound invasion with its military, the Ballistic Equipment & Space Patrol Armory (BESPA). Their opponents are the Earth Federation and the League Militaire resistance group. Their symbolic leader is Queen Maria Pia Armonia, but the actual leader is Fonse Kagatie, former leader and founder of the autonomous "Jupiter Republic Alliance". Some of the ace pilots includes Cronicle Asher, Arbeo Pippinden and eventual League Militaire defector, Katejina Loos. During the events of Mobile Suit Victory Gundam, Fonse Kagatie reveals the real purpose hidden in the war against the Earth Sphere was to purge the human race with the ultimate newtype weapon, the Angel Halo. By the end of the devastating last battle on UC 0153 June 23, nearly all key members of the Zanscare Empire had been killed including Fonse Kagatie and Maria Pia Armonia and although it is never revealed, it is speculated that the Zanscare Empire collapses soon after.
Zanscare forces have many European-inspired uniforms and ceremonies. The Empire is also very nationalistic, evidenced by the young age of some of the soldiers in the Zanscare's home colony of Amelia (it is unknown if the Zanscare enforces a draft or if they accept members of all ages, such as the Crossbone Vanguard). Due to its strong policies and extremely brutal methods, the Zanscare Empire can be considered the ultimate form of evil within the Universal Century, surpassing the Principality of Zeon and the Titans.
The Zanscare are known for their tendency to use execution as a form of punishment, most notably, the guillotine. Another method is the release of the condemned into the vacuum of space, causing the person to die through starvation or asphyxiation. It is also notable that Zanscare's own soldiers are not exempt from execution, and failure on the battlefield can result in immediate condemnation. This is most likely used to motivate other officers within Zanscare through fear and generally to keep them in line.