The Gundam franchise is filled with unforgettable and charismatic characters. The created individuals that fill the ranks of both Zeon, Earth, and even neutral factions hit a wide arc of archetypes throughout every series. While there are plenty of notable characters on both sides of the spectrum, Gundam is famous for its men behind the mobile suits.
From tyrants to war heroes, Gundam has something for all fans of the mecha genre; some are deep intellectual commandants, others battle-hungry wardens of the previous generation. Some characters shine through an entire series and leave a stronger impression than the main antagonist, allowing fans to recall their escapades. Here are the best male characters in the Gundam franchise.
10 Duo Maxwell
Duo Maxwell is a protagonist in Mobile Suit Gundam Wing; he is a smart-mouthed, sarcastic easy-going jokester. He has the most charisma out of all the other Gundam pilots in the series. Duo’s early childhood was incredibly traumatic; he grew up an orphan on the street until he was adopted by the local church in the space Coloney he was on.
Unfortunately, a rebellion erupted, the church would be destroyed during the battle, and Duo would become an orphan for a second time. Duo pilots the Deathscythe Gundam and proclaims himself the god of death, seeking to destroy the OZ organization and end the making of mobile suit weapons.
9 Gihren Zabi
Gihren Zabi served as one of the main antagonists of the original Mobile Suit Gundam anime; he was a tactical and terrifying zealot that genuinely believed in the principality of Zeon’s superiority over the rest of the universe. While Gihren was not an expert pilot or a Newtype, he was a charismatic politician that garnered complete dedication from his people and his soldiers.
Gihren's downfall was his overconfidence and lust for more power, constantly using brute force when all else failed. The zealot embodied the dark side of war and left a strong impression as a true villain of the Gundam universe.
8 Bright Noa
Bright Noa is the epitome of leadership in the Gundam franchise. He first appeared in the original Mobile Suit Gundam anime but has remained a prominent character throughout the entire universal century timeline.
Noa was thrust into being the commanding officer of the Earth Forces warship, White Base, at a young age. He was also the highest-ranking and only surviving officer after the Zeon attack. In the original series, Bright played a dedicated and loyal soldier and mentor to Amuro Ray. Still, his influence and ideology are largely favored in the entity of the Universal Century series. Recently, his son Hathaway strayed from his father's teaching and ventured out on his own journey.
7 Mu La Flaga
Mu La Flaga was a supporting character in the Mobile Suit Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny series'. In the former, he was a reliable hot-shot pilot who, from time to time, gave great wisdom to the young soldiers in his charge, such as Kira Yamato and even his commanding officer, Murrue Ramius.
La Flaga was a force on any battlefield and made it his priority to protect the entire crew of the Archangel warship while the crew protected the world from the enemy forces ready to defend them at all cost. In the final battle, La Flaga made the ultimate sacrifice and protected the Archangel from a devastating laser cannon assault; he saved the entire crew.
6 Treize Khushrenada
While there were two reincarnations of the Char Aznable archetype in the Mobile Suit Gundam Wing series, Treize was undoubtedly the character's charismatic aspect. The head of the OZ organization and a member of the royal Khushrenada family made him a paradigm politician. Treize being the master politician, expertly orchestrated battles on both sides of the line which he believed humanity needed to shed blood in order to evolve.
Treize even convinced one of the Gundam pilots to change sides and serve him in his goal to speed up humanity's trajectory toward peace. Treize's charisma and presence demanded loyalty from his comrades and respect from his enemies; there have not been many characters to rise to the impact left by his occupancy in the Gundam Wing series.
5 Shinn Asuka
Shinn Asuka served as one of the main Protagonists of Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny; he was an expert pilot given the Impulse Gundam to pilot against earth forces. Shinn's life as a soldier was filled with tragedies that taxed his mental health and pulled him into a pit of despair, bringing light to old traumas. Still, Shin fought hard to protect the things he deemed precious, rising to the task of even taking out an entire army by himself.
Unfortunately, Shinn was very malleable and easy to manipulate, which led him to be taken advantage of several times throughout the series, bringing him even lower. Nevertheless, Shinn was a master pilot and a loyal friend and left more than just a slight impression in the Gundam franchise.
4 Orga Itsuka
Orga is one of the main characters in the Iron-Blooded Orphans Gundam series. He was the leader of Tekkadon, the leading military group in the anime, and the best friend of Mikasa, the main protagonist of the show. Throughout the series, Orga, an inexperienced leader, shows great adaptability and dedication to those that serve him.
His main priority was to make a better life for the members of Tekkadon who had grown up as expendable child soldiers. However, his unwavering loyalty and ambition saw his comrades through multiple battles where all was thought to be lost.
3 Lo Fleming
In the film Mobile Suit Gundam: Thunderbolt, Lo Fleming is one of two pilots the story centers around. Lo is a rambunctious, battle-addicted pilot with a fondness for Jazz. On the battlefield, Lo relishes in battle and destroying his opposition; his daredevil personality would send him down a rabbit hole of instability as he encountered rival pilot Daryl Lorenz, someone he would encounter frequently but could never defeat.
Lo pilots the Full Armor Gundam and the Atlas Gundam in the Thunderbolt movie and its sequel. He survives being captured, escapes, and returns to his superiors, desiring vengeance and thirsty for more battles.
2 Loran Cehack
Loran Cehack is the main protagonist of Mobile Suit Gundam: Turn A; he is a bright and cheerful young boy who is immeasurably loyal to his friends. Originally, Loran was sent to earth as a scout for the moonrace in order to determine the threat level of the human race currently living on the moon.
A series of events would find him piloting an ancient Gundam of unimaginable power and fighting against all sides, hoping for the best and unable to pick a side one way or the other. Loran's will was constantly tested as he experienced war for the first time, coming a long way from the life of a simple fisherman.
1 Amuro Ray
Amuro Ray appeared in the original Mobile Suit Gundam series and is the original Gundam pilot drafted into a war against the Zeon forces. Amuro starts out as an inexperienced pilot with a severe lack of confidence and overwhelming indecisiveness. He dreads fighting, but when he witnesses the atrocities that can occur when he does nothing, his resolve is revitalized.
Armuro becomes one of, if not the most skilled pilots ever. He is a pivotal aspect of the earth forces, the Gundam franchise in general, and even the video game franchise, being all that stands between them and Char Aznable, who seeks to wipe out the earth and humanity that resides there.