📖 Gundam Manga Reading Order Checker
Plan your complete Gundam manga journey — check series count, volumes, reading time, and timeline coverage
| Series Title | UC Year | Volumes | Avg Pages/Vol | Est. Read Time | Rec. Order |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin | UC 0079 | 12 | ~400 | ~24 hrs | 1st |
| MS Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket | UC 0080 | 2 | ~200 | ~2 hrs | 2nd |
| MS Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory | UC 0083 | 10 | ~200 | ~10 hrs | 3rd |
| The 08th MS Team | UC 0079 | 11 | ~200 | ~11 hrs | 4th |
| Zeta Gundam: Day After Tomorrow | UC 0087 | 2 | ~180 | ~2 hrs | 5th |
| Gundam ZZ Side Story | UC 0088 | 3 | ~190 | ~3 hrs | 6th |
| Char's Counterattack Beltorchika | UC 0093 | 3 | ~200 | ~3 hrs | 7th |
| Gundam Unicorn RE:0096 | UC 0096 | 10 | ~220 | ~11 hrs | 8th |
| Gundam Thunderbolt | UC 0079 | 14 | ~210 | ~15 hrs | Alt |
| Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam | UC 0133 | 6 | ~200 | ~6 hrs | 9th |
| Series | Timeline | Volumes | Format | Shelf Space (in) | Weight (lbs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz | AC 195 | 3 | Tankobon | 2.25 | 0.9 |
| Gundam Wing: Episode Zero | AC 195 | 1 | Tankobon | 0.75 | 0.3 |
| Gundam SEED Astray | CE 71 | 3 | Tankobon | 2.25 | 0.9 |
| Gundam SEED Astray R | CE 71 | 3 | Tankobon | 2.25 | 0.9 |
| Gundam SEED X Astray | CE 71 | 2 | Tankobon | 1.5 | 0.6 |
| Gundam 00 Side Story A-Laws | AD 2312 | 3 | Tankobon | 2.25 | 0.9 |
| Iron-Blooded Orphans (manga) | PD 323 | 4 | Tankobon | 3.0 | 1.2 |
| Witch from Mercury (manga) | AS 122 | 2 | Tankobon | 1.5 | 0.6 |
| Gundam Build Fighters Try | AR 2045 | 3 | Tankobon | 2.25 | 0.9 |
| Gundam AGE: First Evolution | AG 115 | 3 | Tankobon | 2.25 | 0.9 |
| Format | Thickness (in) | Thickness (cm) | Vols per 12 in | Vols per 24 in | Avg Weight (lbs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slim Manga Tankobon | 0.6 | 1.52 | 20 | 40 | 0.28 |
| Standard Manga Tankobon | 0.75 | 1.91 | 16 | 32 | 0.33 |
| Thick Volume | 0.875 | 2.22 | 13 | 26 | 0.40 |
| Omnibus (3-in-1) | 1.0 | 2.54 | 12 | 24 | 0.60 |
| Deluxe Hardcover | 1.25 | 3.18 | 9 | 18 | 1.10 |
| Artbook / Reference | 1.5 | 3.81 | 8 | 16 | 2.20 |
| Databook / Guide | 0.9 | 2.29 | 13 | 26 | 0.55 |
| Volumes | Total Pages | Est. Hours | @ 5hr/wk | @ 10hr/wk | @ 20hr/wk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 vol | ~200 pg | ~1.0 hr | 0.2 wks | 0.1 wks | 0.05 wks |
| 3 vols | ~600 pg | ~3.0 hrs | 0.6 wks | 0.3 wks | 0.15 wks |
| 6 vols | ~1200 pg | ~6.0 hrs | 1.2 wks | 0.6 wks | 0.3 wks |
| 10 vols | ~2000 pg | ~10 hrs | 2.0 wks | 1.0 wks | 0.5 wks |
| 12 vols | ~2400 pg | ~12 hrs | 2.4 wks | 1.2 wks | 0.6 wks |
| 14 vols | ~2800 pg | ~14 hrs | 2.8 wks | 1.4 wks | 0.7 wks |
| 40 vols | ~8000 pg | ~40 hrs | 8.0 wks | 4.0 wks | 2.0 wks |
The Gundam manga has many titles. Between them are side stories, crossovers, spin-offs, photo novels and illustrated books. Every anime series of Gundam almost always has its own manga version.
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So figuring out the precise Gundam Manga Reading Order becomes a task quite difficult.
How to Read Gundam Manga
There is not only one right order for reading everything. But start with the original series because the rest all builds on it. This matters most for the timeline of Universal Century.
When dealing with others, as Gundam Wing or SEED, one can read them alone, without caring about the main order.
For newcomers and also for expert fans, the ideal spot to start is Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin manga. This series of twelve volumes presents the whole history that leads through characters and combines comedy, drama with action. One considers it the peak of everything Gundam.
Publication started in 2002, in the magazine Gundam Ace. Starting with The Origin works for anyone that wants to get into the world of Gundam manga.
The order following the timeline Universal Century is the way commonly used and easy to access. In that timeline there are many manga, that happen in various years. Gundam Katana sits in UC 0084.
Ecole du Ciel happens in UC 0085 so two years before the events in the TV series Zeta Gundam. It started in 2001 and lasted quite long. Double-Fake: Under the Gundam describes a side story from 1989, that deals with a secret operation of the Zeon forces in UC 0090.
Moon Gundam happnes around UC 0091 or 0092. Stampede: The Story of Professor Minovsky sits even sooner, in UC 0068.
Not every manga was translated to English, what complicates the process. Fan translation groups as Zeonic cared about some titles from Universal Century, but they are no longer very active. Sum original manga, for example Gundam Heritage and 0081, never received full translation.
When one comes to Crossbone Gundam, the order of reading adjusts a bit. Skull Heart is made up of short stories, that sit before, during and after the main story of Crossbone. For that group best works the order by release dates.
The story even crosses with Victory Gundam in some moments.
Build Fighters stand apart from the rest. Build Fighters Amazing shows how Yuuki Tatsuya entered the world of Gunpla fights ten years before the original series. The line about Build has also mangas as Gunpla Builders and Gunpla Builders Starting D.
After War Gundam X: Under the Moonlight is the manga version of its anime. The other timelines, as Future Century, After Colony, After War, Cosmic Era, Anno Domini, Advanced Generation and Post Disaster, are listed by their release dates. Reading or watching them inseparate order helps to understand the context better.
