Mobile Suit Gundam: How Powerful is the Unicorn Gundam?

Highlights

Unicorn Gundam is hailed as a powerful force in the Gundam franchise, piloted by the chosen Banagher Links.
Unicorn’s unique weaponry, including the Beam Magnum and Shield Funnels, make him a deadly opponent.
Through various transformations, including Destroy Mode and Luminous Crystal Mode, Unicorn becomes nearly invincible.

As a seasoned fan of the Gundam universe, I must say that the Unicorn Gundam is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating Mobile Suits to grace our screens. It’s not just a machine, but a testament to the limitless potential of human evolution and the bond between man and machine.

2010’s hit anime series “Mobile Suit Gundam: Gundam Unicorn” is a renowned addition to the Gundam series, featuring the iconic “Unicorn Gundam.” The Unicorn is operated by the compassionate protagonist, Banagher Links. Remarkably, the Unicorn selects Banagher to unleash human potential and ascend as the supreme Newtype. As Banagher navigates through this journey, he encounters the treacherous Sleeves, leftovers of Neo Zeon who aim for independence from Federation rule. Headed by Full Frontal, the Sleeves prove to be formidable adversaries, but the Unicorn is designed for such challenges.

Among fans, there’s much debate about the actual strength of Unicorn given its base form and the extent of its power when it transforms into its Awakened State. Unlike other Gundams, Unicorn surpasses its impressive arsenal in a way that can be hard to grasp.

The Unicorn’s Unique Weaponry

The Finest Tools for the Finest Machine

Mobile Suit Gundam: How Powerful is the Unicorn Gundam?

In this battle, the Unicorn carries a collection of exceptionally potent weaponry which Banagher skillfully utilizes against the Sleeves. What sets it apart is not only its remarkable adaptability, but also the fact that its custom-designed weapons make it lethal even in its standard form.

Making Use of Beam Sabers and Beam Tonfas

The Unicorn mobile suit carries two beam sabers concealed on its back, a feature common among Gundam-style mechas. However, the Unicorn’s sabers have a greater blade density compared to those used by the Federation, making it capable of effortlessly damaging robust machines like the Kshatriya. Additionally, the Unicorn has two sabers attached to its forearms. In Destroy Mode, these extend outward, transforming them into Beam Tonfas for effective close-combat situations.

The Unicorn Gundam’s Hyper Bazooka

Much like the Hyaku Shiki utilized by Quattro Bajeena, Unicorn wields a potent bazooka that discharges a spray shot, powered by beams. This formidable weapon, despite being somewhat unwieldy, proves effective against large groups of adversaries and packs quite a wallop when fired from close range.

The Unicorn Gundam’s Beam Gatling

The Unicorn’s Beam Gatling weapon can fire rapid, powerful beams capable of penetrating any standard mobile suit armor. Although seldom utilized in its base form, Banagher effectively wields it during the Full Armor and Awakened modes.

The Unicorn Gundam’s Beam Magnum

The most iconic of Unicorn’s arsenal. The Beam Magnum is the single strongest one-handed rifle in the entirety of the Universal Century. While there are powerful ranged weapons like Hyaku Shiki’s Mega Launcher or the Hi-Nu Gundam’s Hyper Mega Bazooka. The Magnum’s compact size and ease of use make it far more practical in battle. However, the Beam Magnum can only be used by the Unicorn, as its shot is filled with so much force that it damages the arm of the Delta Plus, a Gundam-like suit, when Riddhe Marcenas shoots the Beam Magnum. The Beam Magnum was purposely made for the Unicorn. Its shot is massive and travels a far distance. And it’s seen destroying a Geara Zulu by merely passing near it. It completely decimated the cockpit of the Shamblo, a massive mobile armor. Simply using the Beam Magnum makes Banagher and the Unicorn deadly to any foe in their crosshairs.

The Unicorn Gundam’s Shield Funnels

While in his Enlightened State, the Unicorn transforms the three defensive barriers from his Complete Armor Mode into Spout-like structures akin to those on the Nu Gundam. These Spouts can fire with their attached Beam Gatling and combine to create an indestructible Energy Barrier known as an I-Field.

Destroy Mode, The Beast of Possibility

Over the Rainbow: A True Newtype

In his standard appearance, the Unicorn is often depicted as a high-end GM-like figure, similar to the Jesta. However, when he detects a Newtype enemy and wishes to protect Banagher, he undergoes a transformation into the Newtype-Destroyer Mode, or NTD for short. This involves splitting his armor plating, revealing his Psycho-Frame, and altering his appearance to resemble a Gundam. During this metamorphosis, Unicorn exhibits unprecedented power within the Universal Century, gaining incredible speed, generating a continuous I-Field, and demonstrating a degree of independent thought. The NTD renders Unicorn nearly invulnerable against any mobile suit except for Full Frontal and his Sinanju or Banshee counterparts.

Entering a New Awakened State

Through aligning with Banagher’s and those around him’s wishes, the Unicorn Gundam enters an enlightened state, where its Psycho-Frame glows green and temporarily boosts its power. This form recalls the Axis Shock event during Char’s Rebellion. In this metamorphosis, Unicorn uses its shields as nozzles to discharge weapons without physical contact. It also has the ability to manipulate devices powered by Psycho-Frames, as demonstrated with the Rozen Zulu’s INCOM.

Ultimate Form: Luminous Crystal Mode

In their most powerful state, the Unicorn and Banagher transcend their individual limits, transforming into a fully realized Newtype entity. This transformation elevates Banagher’s consciousness to new heights, while the Unicorn acquires full self-awareness. The Unicorn possesses the ability to control space and exhibits telekinetic powers. By merely waving his hand, he rendered an entire army led by Rezel ineffective. In the comic book version of Mobile Suit Gundam: Unicorn, it’s revealed that when this form is utilized for time travel alongside Full Frontal and his Neo Zeong, accidental timeline fractures occur, giving rise to alternate realities such as Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, Mobile Suit Gundam 00, or Mobile Suit Gundam SEED. According to the comic, the Unicorn is responsible for all the non-Universal Century series.

In the whole Gundam series, the Unicorn stands out as an extraordinarily powerful mech. This robot surpassed its mechanical limitations and took on a life of its own, developing in tandem with its operator, Banagher Links, to a more advanced form of existence.

2024-08-21 20:03