Original subtitles

This light...This is...

Yes. This is the light that brings about the end of the world.

The scales scattered from those shining wings,

fully covered human civilization

and returned it to dust.

The civilization called Universal Century.

A white mobile suit.

That looks like a Gundam.

Is the Gundam trying to wipe out the world?

The space colonies, once plentiful, are now nowhere to be found.

Did the humans do this?

Did they choose to bury themselves

using the Gundam?

Amuro...

Is this unchangeable?

If so...

If we were destined to meet our doom,

then was there any meaning

to our existence in this world at all?

I don't know.

Lalah!

The world belongs to the living.

Only the living can answer that question.

The living...

Let's take a look once again.

At the world which we were a part of.

At the flow of the world turned by the living.

"MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM The Light of Life Chronicle U.C."

It is now 23:40 Greenwich Mean Time.

One world is about to end,

and a new one is about to be barn.

The Earth Federation government is about to hast a ceremony

at the Prime Minister's residence, "Laplace",

to usher in the birth of the new calendar era.

Mankind has set foot into a new era,

in which we shall build ourselves worlds to live in, beyond Mother Earth.

Tonight, we shall become

witnesses to history.

Let us came together in this joyous moment

and give thanks to the past,

the Anna Domini era.

Also, let us welcome in the dawn

of the Universal Century with smiling faces.

Goodbye, Anna Domini.

Hello, Universal Century!

Greetings, citizens of Earth and space.

I am the Prime Minister

of the Earth Federation, Ricardo Marcenas.

The last night of Anno Domini...

was when everything started.

All the excess people were sent to live in space colonies.

Space became the second home of the human race.

Right. "Excess people".

Truth is, in order for the chosen ones to continue living on Earth,

the Earth Federation government dumped the superfluous ones in space.

A policy to abandon their own people.

That's the origin of the Universal Century.

So, perhaps annihilation was inevitable.

But if it wasn't for that policy,

Earth would have collapsed due to the weight of the people.

You're right. That's why the then policymakers

added an article to the Charter of the Universal Century.

A prayer to the distant future.

However...

The prayer was buried.

A century later,

the truth hidden in a certain arrangement was found

when Laplace's Box was opened.

The original Charter of the Universal Century

was revealed to everyone.

But it was too late by then.

However, a prayer is just a prayer.

It's understandable that the people dumped in space

were unhappy with those who remained on Earth

and held a grudge against them.

In less than a century,

they bared their fangs at the Earth Federation

in the form of the Zeon War of Independence.

The space migrants,

also known as the Spacenoids, used a space colony,

one of their own homelands,

as a bomb and dropped it on Earth.

For a small space colony nation

to fight the Earth Federation,

I guess this was a move

that they had to take.

With this blow,

they inscribed eternal animosity

in the hearts of people on Earth.

Zeon Deikun said that

the rebirth of man would begin

with us, those who live in space!

However, the cowardly moles

of the Earth Federation presume to rule over us!

All of you have

lost fathers and sons...

...to the Federation's senseless resistance!

For a year,

the war between the Principality of Zeon and the Earth Federation continued.

At first, the Earth Federation suffered great damage.

But after more than half a year of deadlock,

they launched a counteroffensive.

The side that has suffered harsh surprise attacks

is provoked by that pain

and emerges victorious in the end.

That's an inevitability of history.

That's right. I had the same feeling too.

The white mobile suit

started to change the course of the war.

Indeed, the war situation began to change.

Many...

Too many lives were sacrificed.

I won't be beaten!

One mobile suit cannot

defeat the glory of Zeon!

As long as I live, you won't beat Zeon!

Who is that?

6... 5... 4...

3... 2... 1...

Stop fooling around.

You aren't usually this naive, my brother.

Losing the Zabi family, its leaders,

the Principality of Zeon was defeated.

As a result,

the Earth Federation got carried away.

Look back! This incident was caused by the idealists

who dreamed of peace in the Earth system!

The Delaz Fleet uprising is just one example!

Earth! To ensure this symbol of the universe is never shaken again,

we have been barn!

Earth! To return true power to its hands,

the Titans now rise!

The Titans, who excessively oppressed the Spacenoids,

gained power within the Earth Federation Forces.

They fought against the A.E.U.G., the Anti-Earth Union Group,

who disapproved of them.

Turning this colony into a base will only foster

the growth of anti-Federation groups!

Hey!

We are not the Federation Forces!

Creating animosity will come back and kill you!

It's time for the shuttle captain to shut up!

Damn!

I suppose this is also an inevitability of history.

Abandoning gods and national borders,

humanity had finally obtained

a community called the Federation government.

To them, Zeonism, which called for Spacenoid independence,

was a poison that would split the world again.

So...

They tried to control this poison

using another poison called the Titans.

But poisons are all deadly.

The Federation believed

that they could control everything in space from Earth.

Unfortunately, their arrogance

created an ugly civil war.

Fellow Federation members were killing each other.

Sensing that the power of the Federation was waning,

the remnants of Zeon

formed an army called Neo Zeon

and launched a return match against Earth. This move made perfect sense.

Glorious soldiers of Nea Zean!

Those who cast us into darkness

now lie beneath our feet.

The time has came to teach those foolish people a lesson!

We will show them the Earth Sphere now belongs to us, the Nea Zean!

Looking back in history,

no one had actually voiced their opinions.

They were only given a role

and then they spoke their assigned lines.

But they were convinced that

they were their own words.

Even the Captain...

Everyone!

So that we may forge our own path...

...and establish a government for the refugees...

I ask you to lend me your great strength for just a little longer!

When we've succeeded...

...I will then be able to join my father, Zeon!

I've seen that same light before.

A light that was even larger.

And yet, even when confronted with possibility of such magnitude,

people did not change.

To maintain the status quo,

they will sweep even possibility under the rug.

The man who was made to look like the Captain...

I can understand his despair.

That's because the people of the Universal Century

had done too much killing.

The fighting instincts that were locked up on the small Earth

were released once they reached space.

That's one way to see it

but it wasn't the only reason.

The Universal Century became a century of wars

because there was a weapon that didn't exist previously.

It gave people a push.

And that weapon was...

The mobile suit.

The mobile suit was a humanoid weapon for close combat.

The Minovsky particle,

which disabled electronic equipment like radar,

made it the star of the battlefield.

But no Zaku can go this fast!

One of them is closing in at three-times normal speed!

It's Char! The Red Comet"!

Char, the Red Comet!

Char took out five of our ships

single-handed at the Battle of Loum!

Get us out of here!

Now, let's see how good

that Federation mobile suit really is.

What?!

Nice move, Gundam,

but my control system is still operational!

Here he comes!

He used me as a springboard!

Despite being a lesser power,

Zeon was able to fight the Federation on even terms

by making full use of a discovery called the mobile suit.

"Discovery"? Not "invention"?

The mobile suit

was originally equipment for building space colonies.

So, using it as a weapon

was more like a discovery than an invention.

Solomon! I have returned!

Equipment for building space colonies...

What used to be a everyday tool

became a deadly weapon that attacked people.

That's just something that has repeatedly happened since around the Old Century.

But there was a more serious aspect

to the appearance of the mobile suit.

Fall, you crane fly.

On a battlefield where electronic equipment is useless,

pilots of flesh and blood engaged in mortal combat.

It ended the era where high-tech wars

were fought by simply pressing a button,

and brought back old-style wars

in which humans clashed with each other.

Like the old days

where knight fought knight with the fate of nations at stake.

The ability of each individual became the center of attention on the battlefield.

The roles of armies and soldiers also began to change.

Let's see...

Let's test the performance of your new Gundam.

The mobile suit

worked as tool for releasing people's fighting instincts.

In the vastness of outer space,

it also worked for those looking for an outlet

for their hearts that had withered on Earth.

Even though a space colony was even more cramped and fragile than Earth...

No, make that the wrong Gundam!

What's he...

- He wouldn't! - I think I'll shoot this one!

After finding an outlet,

people got carried away

and their emotions were unstoppable.

If you look at history,

that's often the case.

It just happened. It just worked out this way.

What should I do?

But wouldn't you say that it's because of the mobile suit

that the human race never got wiped out

despite how much they fought each other?

Indeed.

If the wars were settled using nuclear missiles,

people would have annihilated each other

before they could feel any pain.

But a fight between mobile suits

would inflict pain on people.

The younger and purer the heart,

the stronger the pain.

And those who felt the pain...

S-Stand up! Come on!

The first creation of the Federation,

which had fallen behind Zeon in mobile suit development,

was the Gundam.

I don't believe it!

Is that mobile suit carrying

a warship-class beam cannon?!

Though they were flagship models

equipped with the latest technology,

the machines called Gundams

were rarely put into regular service.

That's right.

When you were a kid,

you boarded the very first Gundam without permission.

That's twice! Even my dad never hit me!

Then he was too easy on you!

You can't be a real man without taking a few lumps!

I won't do it!

Nobody's making me pilot the Gundam ever again!

I'm going to the bridge!

Amuro, if you stay like this, you're nothing but a coward!

I thought your natural talent

would let you beat Char!

Too bad I was wrong!

Char?

Bright!

Bright!

Amuro, the Gundam has an operator's manual, right?

I'LL pilot the Gundam.

I hate people who can't take credit for what they've done!

If you can't admit that you're the only one who's...

...protected White Base

up till now, then you're not a man!

I...

Fraw Bow...

You can't pilot the Gundam.

Amuro...

I may not like it,

but I am a man.

Here I go!

That's right.

It was always the youngsters who piloted the Gundams

to fight against an immediate threat.

They weren't ordered to do so.

They were simply following their hearts.

I - - will title!

I'll live...

and stay with Aina forever!

I will not let you go!

Apally, stop! He's not our enemy!

That's right! I'm not your enemy! I'm on your side!

You don't care who gets hurt!

Gundams are proof

that nobody in this world is powerless.

That's despite wars and everything else

created by human irrationality.

So you think!

I'LL use the Gundam to push back

that worthless piece of rock!

Axis is starting to free fall to Earth!

You're underestimating Nu Gundam!

Get the hell out of here!

Jona Basta!

Narrative Gundam, here I go!

What?

A Gundam?

Darn it...

I got it...

Where's Birgit?

While possessing earth-shaking power,

the white mobile suit wasn't restricted

by the rules of the system.

That's why it became a fearful legend.

Boots is right behind you, üso!

Roger. V-Mode, dock with the base.

While it taught people

to fight against irrationality and never give in,

the legend called Gundam

fostered unnecessary ambition.

The pilots of the Gundams

were proof of the existence of Newtypes,

a new human race adapted to space.

Captain...

Garma, if you can hear me,

blame this on the misfortune of your birth!

What?! Misfortune?

Yes. Misfortune.

Char, what are you...?!

You were a good friend,

but your father is to blame!

Those who lived in space

Char... You set me up! Those who lived in space

Char... You set me up!

Char... You set me up! had their senses expanded

and became Newtypes who could understand each other.

Damn it...

To defeat the Zabi family, who twisted the Newtype theory

I am a man of the Zabi family! I will not die in vain! To defeat the Zabi family, who twisted the Newtype theory

I am a man of the Zabi family! I will not die in vain!

I am a man of the Zabi family! I will not die in vain! created by his father Zeon Deikun and used it in their war of independence.

I am a man of the Zabi family! I will not die in vain!

I am a man of the Zabi family! I will not die in vain! That was the goal

That was the goal

of Casval, also known as Char Aznable.

Glory to the Principality of Zeon!!!

It changed after his fight

with your Gundam, Amuro.

This pilot, who can put pressure on me...

Who is he?

Char!

This feeling I have... Like the one I felt before...

Lalah, meeting you

had a great impact on Char, too.

You were the perfect person

to prove the existence of Newtypes,

the reformation of humanity.

The Captain misunderstood.

Just because we stood at the threshold

didn't mean we were the real Newtypes.

That's why...

Captain, no!

What?!

Artesia...

Char, prepare to die!

Captain!

Lalah!

Lalah...

Lalah!!

People are changing. Becoming like us.

Yeah. You're right, Lalah.

Do you really believe that, Amuro?

I do. Because you and I were able to understand each other.

Perhaps, someday, people may even control time itself.

Oh, Amuro... I can see time!

This only happened between the two of us.

Yeah. It's not possible

to convey this feeling to everyone.

That's why Char was frustrated.

He tried to create a way

for everyone to become a Newtype.

For that goal,

he was once allied with us.

But...

He fostered nothing but despair...

Why are you crashing this to Earth!

Temperatures will drop and it'll become uninhabitable!

It'll cause a nuclear winter!

Those living on Earth care only about themselves.

That's why I've decided to get rid of them all.

You shouldn't punish fellow humans!

It is Char Aznable's destiny to enforce discipline, Amuro!

You're full of yourself!

I'm saying Earth isn't going to last.

The Captain wasn't the only one.

To chase after this fantasy called Newtype,

many others too...

Cyber-Newtypes.

The idea of making an artificial Newtype...

The One Year War

created lots of war orphans,

which enabled this kind of research to continue.

These orphans had no relatives nor anywhere to run.

They were basically lab rats.

Wh-Why you're...!

This can't be!

Was that white thing created

to torment me?!

Four. Is it you?

The more immature and unstable,

the easier it was for them to obtain the Newtype's senses.

The researchers sent the kids out alone based on such research data

and ended up sacrificing many of them.

Not only that,

there were kids who were designed,

created and born artificially.

One blueprint

gave birth to many of the same lives.

Like producing dolls...

Ple Twelve.

That's your name, isn't it?

Answer me.

You're to obey your master's orders.

The Mass Production Type Qubeley.

The machine you all used to pilot.

Artificially-created Newtypes.

While the body was artificial,

the heart that came with it wasn't.

Let's go back to space together!

Come with me!

Don't leave me alone!

And the Newtype senses they obtained

were the real thing.

I found you! My brother!

"If we wait for them to evolve naturally,"

"The world will collapse due to human foolishness."

"So, the research on Cyber-Newtypes is justified."

That's what the Captain said.

Men like Char said so

because those who were called Newtypes were powerless.

Even the Gundam pilots

who were as close to Newtypes as could be,

they had no power to influence the world.

A huge star is flashing on and off...

IFS big!

It's a comet, I guess.

It's sad, isn't it?

I can't shoot!

It'd be better if they'd never been born!

If it's a life of nothing but pain that's waiting, why even bother?!

What are we even here for?

What they showed us

was merely a possibility.

The Newtypes were reduced to flying aces.

Zeon's idea of "human reformation"

was completely forgotten.

People eventually grew tired of them.

What you said

isn't entirely correct.

In this era,

people witnessed a few miracles

brought about by the Newtypes.

You wouldn't understand!

You, Scirocco, who thinks of war as a game.

You wouldn't understand the power moving through my body!

Power moving through your body?

How could such a thing possibly defeat a mobile suit?!

I'LL lend my body to all of you!

It wasn't something that they could have achieved even if they wanted to.

The invention of psycommu and psycho-frame

allowed those who were close to becoming Newtypes to act as a medium

to draw out energy that is capable of changing the world.

People's feelings...

People's wills becoming power?

Is that what it is to be a Newtype?

You must see them now!

The wills of those who died needlessly in battle!

Don't you see that hate only spawns more hate?!

I see. Humans, who can possess warmth,

are still cruel enough to destroy Earth.

You must understand that, Amuro!

I do know that.

That's why we have to show the world the light of the human heart!

This power was too much for the Oldtypes,

who weren't ready to evolve.

If you break the border between life and death

without understanding the real meaning of living...

The light... of the Phenex...?

A power that destroys oneself...

A power that's too much.

Just like you said.

People didn't forget about the Newtypes.

They simply tried to forget them.

Along with Zeon's name.

However, the feud between the people who were abandoned in space

and those who remained on Earth

was ongoing.

To press for reform in an imperfect world,

new words were needed.

But Earth's rebirth will take a long time.

Man must make his home here in space forever.

I-I see.

Despite that,

those who returned to Earth

have long maintained a policy of abandoning those they left behind.

But the Cosmo Aristocracy

you advocate also discriminates...

Highborn have duties that they must fulfill.

Of course.

For instance, on the battlefield,

a commoner can say he's afraid and run.

But a noble, a man of renown,

must stand his ground and fight,

unafraid of spilling his blood.

People aren't equal?

Their human rights are equal,

but no two people are the same.

So men and the world should be ruled by the highborn...

By those unafraid to spill their own blood.

The various space colonies all desire independence,

and have begun to fight amongst themselves.

We face a new era of warring states in space.

What I desire is to quell this chaos and bring order.

The use of the guillotine in the space colonies

allowed the Zanscare Empire to build a new nation in a short period of time.

You seem to have misread its meaning, Count.

Then go ahead and try!

You're saying people will be reduced to infants?

Exactly.

Those caught by the will being amplified by the ring psycommu...

Or, rather, all life forms will be

reduced to an infantile state.

And I'm sure Your Majesty doesn't know the implications of what that form entails.

If it loses its belligerence

and then falls asleep for a year,

what happens to a life form?

You, who fight and spill blood.

Do not throw your bodies into

the midst of that fear and despair.

If you do, your bodies will burn up,

and you will gain nothing.

My only wish is for the Earth

to restart with a peaceful human race.

Let all those who know only war

kill each other and die.

"Aristocracy" and "guillotine"...

Well, both are obsolete words.

Those who cling to the past shall fall.

That's also an inevitability of history. But...

I wonder how many lives were lost

because of this?

Such fights

led to the decline of the Universal Century.

So, is it right to say that they had it coming?

Is death the only thing that can

make amends for the sins of man?

Is prayer unable to erase men's deeds?

Ever since they were born to this world,

people had been fighting each other and using up Earth's resources.

Even after they had gone to space, they kept on fighting.

Burying a mistaken civilization

with their own hands.

That was probably the only good deed

that humans showed to the world.

Lalah?

You're impatient, Amuro.

Look closely.

That isn't a light to annihilate mankind.

It's the same light that you and Char called upon.

The light of life that you called in hope of living.

The light of life?

This is not the end.

Look!

This is...

Lalah,

what exactly am I looking at?

From the start to the end of a civilization,

it's a little more than 10,000 years at most.

The things created by humans

will vanish without a trace after 100,000 years or so.

In a universe that has witnessed more than ten billion years,

how many worlds had gone by before this one of ours?

It's like a spiral staircase that continues infinitely.

Going around this endless circle,

we'll reach the top someday.

It won't be futile.

To reach the top, everything is essential.

There must be scenery we haven't seen.

All these things will give a different meaning to the future.

Entrusting both humans and Earth

to such repetition.

The light that does it is...

The radiance of human lives.

Using the white mobile suit as a medium...

Gundams!

They're proof that humans aren't powerless.

They span many ages.

Everything repeats.

Like the beating of the heart,

humans and the universe.

Lalah...Lalah?

Are you there?

Yes, I'm here.

Amuro, what do you see?

I see the world...

and eternity!

Translation and Subtitling: BTI Studios Limited