Gundam Timelines Explained

Gundam is not one story but about a dozen separate universes, each with its own calendar. The only large connected continuity is the Universal Century (UC), which starts with Mobile Suit Gundam in 1979. Almost everything else, from Wing to SEED to Iron-Blooded Orphans, is a standalone timeline you can start without any homework.

Image: Fan art (AI-generated)

This guide explains every timeline, names the first entry of each, and tells you where the lines blur. If you want an ordered viewing plan instead, read our Gundam watch order guide. For more giant robots in general, browse the mecha anime category.

The short version: one big timeline and many separate ones

The official Gundam site splits the franchise in two. The Universal Century series form "a continuous and richly layered history," while the alternative timeline series "depict worlds separate from the Universal Century" and, in its words, "are set in independent universes, making it easy to start watching from any entry." In practice that means:

Universal Century: one shared history, told across TV series, films and OVAs for more than 45 years.
Alternate universes: each series (or small group of series) has its own setting, cast and calendar. Nothing you watch in one affects the others.
Gunpla and SD side series: hobby-driven spin-offs set in our own world or in parody worlds.

Every Gundam timeline at a glance

Timeline	Abbreviation	First entry	Year	Setting in one line
Universal Century	UC	Mobile Suit Gundam	1979	Space colonies, Earth Federation versus Zeon
Future Century	FC	Mobile Fighter G Gundam	1994	Martial-arts tournament that decides colony rule
After Colony	AC	Mobile Suit Gundam Wing	1995	Five pilots against a colony-era political order
After War	AW	After War Gundam X	1996	Post-apocalyptic Earth, fifteen years after a space war
Correct Century	CC	Turn A Gundam	1999	A far-future world re-discovering old war machines
Cosmic Era	CE	Mobile Suit Gundam SEED	2002	Genetically enhanced Coordinators versus Naturals
Anno Domini	AD	Mobile Suit Gundam 00	2007	Near-future Earth and an armed group that intervenes in wars
Advanced Generation	AG	Mobile Suit Gundam AGE	2011	One war followed across three generations
Regild Century	RG	Gundam Reconguista in G	2014	Far-future space elevator politics
Post Disaster	PD	Iron-Blooded Orphans	2015	Child soldiers and mercenary companies after a great war
Ad Stella	AS	The Witch from Mercury	2022	Corporate-run space society and school duels

Years are the first release of the first entry. Calendar names and in-universe dates come from the franchise's own materials as summarized on Wikipedia and the official site.

Universal Century: the main continuity

The Universal Century is where Gundam began, and it is by far the biggest timeline. It opens with the One Year War in UC 0079 and keeps going for more than a century of in-universe time. First entry: Mobile Suit Gundam (1979, 43 episodes).

Roughly, the UC divides into eras:

UC 0079, the One Year War: the original series, its recap films (I, II, III), plus side stories such as The 08th MS Team, 0080: War in the Pocket, Thunderbolt and The Origin (a retelling of the backstory that starts earlier, in the 0060s and 0070s). Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance (2024) and the MS IGLOO series also sit in this year.
UC 0083 to 0093, the Gryps and Neo Zeon wars: 0083: Stardust Memory, Zeta Gundam (UC 0087), Gundam ZZ (UC 0088) and Char's Counterattack (UC 0093).
UC 0096 and later: Gundam Unicorn (UC 0096), Gundam Narrative (UC 0097), Hathaway (UC 0105), F91 (UC 0123) and Victory Gundam (UC 0153).

The UC is still growing. The second Hathaway film, The Sorcery of Nymph Circe, opened in Japanese theaters in January 2026, and the third film is listed without a date. Release order and chronological order differ a lot here, so use the watch order guide linked above if you want to start.

Alternate universes, one by one

Future Century (FC)

Mobile Fighter G Gundam (1994, 49 episodes) turns the mecha war story into a worldwide fighting tournament. It was the first Gundam set outside the UC, and no other series shares its calendar.

After Colony (AC)

Gundam Wing (1995, AC 195) is the entry that made Gundam a hit with a new generation. Its sequel story, Endless Waltz (1997, AC 196), is its main sequel.

After War (AW)

After War Gundam X (1996, AW 15) takes place on a wrecked Earth fifteen years after a colony war. It borrows ideas from the UC, notably Newtypes, but is a separate universe.

Correct Century (CC) and the Turn A question

Turn A Gundam (1999, 50 episodes, set in CC 2345) is the oddest case. In the show, mobile suits from earlier eras are dug up, and a record called the Dark History hints that earlier Gundam wars are part of its past. Director Yoshiyuki Tomino reportedly said he made it to "affirmatively accept all of the Gundam series." Sources disagree on what that means: older material treats the Correct Century as its own universe, and Wikipedia reports that Sunrise-supervised materials have treated Turn A as part of the Universal Century since 2021. Treat it as the bridge, not as a settled fact.

Cosmic Era (CE)

Gundam SEED (2002, CE 71 and 72) and SEED Destiny (CE 73 and 74) anchor this line, with the side story Stargazer and the film SEED Freedom (2024, CE 75). A further film, SEED Freedom Zero (CE 74), is listed for 2027.

Anno Domini (AD)

Gundam 00 (2007, AD 2307) continues with Second Season and the film A Wakening of the Trailblazer (2010, AD 2314). It uses the real-world Anno Domini calendar label, but nothing links it to other Gundam worlds. Some fan guides list it under the Cosmic Era by mistake.

Advanced Generation (AG)

Mobile Suit Gundam AGE (2011, AG 115 to 164, 49 episodes) follows one conflict across three generations of a family. It has a single TV series and a recap OVA.

Regild Century (RG)

Gundam Reconguista in G (2014, RG 1014, 26 episodes) is set in a far future that, according to Tomino, comes hundreds to thousands of years after Turn A. Its five recap movies ran from 2019 to 2022, including Movie IV. This is the one alternate calendar that is explicitly placed after the others.

Post Disaster (PD)

Iron-Blooded Orphans (2015, PD 323 and 325) and its second season form a self-contained 50-episode story. A 2025 compilation movie is set in PD 323.

Ad Stella (AS)

The Witch from Mercury started with a prologue set in AS 101 (Prologue, 2022), and the TV story is set in AS 122, continuing in Season 2 (2023). It is the newest numbered calendar.

Our Century and the Gunpla series

The Build series, such as Gundam Build Fighters, Build Fighters Try and Build Divers Re:RISE, are set in "our century," where Gundam is a model kit hobby and a game. They are not part of any war chronicle. SD Gundam parody series sit outside every calendar.

GQuuuuuuX: a new kind of branch

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX (2025, 12 episodes) does not start a new calendar. It is an alternate-history version of the Universal Century. Char Aznable takes the White Gundam during the attack on Side 7, Zeon wins the One Year War, and the story picks up in UC 0085. Its film-length prelude, Beginning, premiered on January 17, 2025, and the TV series ran from April 9 to June 25, 2025. It is easiest to enjoy if you know the original series, but it works as its own story.

Upcoming timeline changes

Wikipedia lists two projects for 2027 that touch the map: SEED Freedom Zero (CE 74) and a TV series, Mobile Suit Gundam RG: XARX-ZERO, set in a calendar it calls After Apocalypse (AA 45). These are announcements, so details can change.

Do the timelines connect?

Officially, mostly no. Fan guides sometimes say that Regild Century is linked to the Universal Century through Turn A, and creators have encouraged fans to form their own theories. A 2015 event quote has Tomino encouraging fans to create their own complete history of Gundam. Unless a title says otherwise, assume separate worlds. That is also why it is safe to start with whichever series interests you.

Which timeline should you start with?

Want the classic saga: start the Universal Century with the 1979 series or the recap films.
Want a political drama: Wing (After Colony).
Want something modern and dark: Iron-Blooded Orphans (Post Disaster).
Want a short, recent entry: The Witch from Mercury (Ad Stella) or GQuuuuuuX.

More on the genre at our mecha hub, and for the order of the UC titles, see the watch order guide.

Questions people ask

How many timelines are there in Gundam?

Eleven numbered calendars appear in the main list above: Universal Century, Future Century, After Colony, After War, Correct Century, Cosmic Era, Anno Domini, Advanced Generation, Regild Century, Post Disaster and Ad Stella. Gunpla series and SD Gundam add more settings, and RG: XARX-ZERO is announced with a twelfth, After Apocalypse.

What is the main Gundam timeline?

The Universal Century. It began with Mobile Suit Gundam in 1979 and is the one continuous history shared by dozens of titles.

Is Gundam Wing in the Universal Century?

No. Wing is the first entry of the After Colony timeline (AC 195), a separate universe.

Is Gundam SEED connected to the Universal Century?

No. It starts the Cosmic Era, which has its own history, and is not tied to the UC.

Is GQuuuuuuX canon?

It is an official alternate-history take on the Universal Century, so it sits beside the main UC rather than inside it. It does not overwrite the original series.

Which Gundam timeline is the newest?

By calendar, Ad Stella (The Witch from Mercury, 2022 and 2023) is the newest numbered one. By release, GQuuuuuuX (2025) and the Hathaway sequel (2026) are more recent.