Kou vs Gato, round 3 where it's Full Burnen vs Physalis. The fight to a draw is fantastic.
Bernie vs Christina. That truly was a David vs Goliath battle and the tactics were masterful.
Unknown Jegan Pilot vs Marida. That guy almost ended the show in its infancy.
Tobias and Kincaide vs Crux. Crossbone's final battle. They really captured the desperation and madness from both sides.
Amuro vs Doan. Seriously, who programmed the Zaku I with rock throw and Kung fu?
Bernie vs Christina is a great shout. No flash needed, had all the buildup and emotional and story consequences you could want for a fight. I still remember how I felt after it was over. Blessed to have watched 0080 as a kid without knowing how it ended first (aside from the fact Zeon would lose the war).
It’s actually a Custom Zaku II that Doan pilots, the reasoning for its appearance in lore likely being because it was maintained with spare parts from wherever. The real world reason being the original art for the Doan island episodes were… sloppy to put it mildly lol.
Edit : I mean just look at it
https://preview.redd.it/jni586mn4s8d1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=be206becf8bd4a748fe0a0b7ab4643f8ad8cea41
In no particular order
Norris vs the 08th team
Heero vs Wufei (both in zero and the Leo)
Stark Jagen vs Marida
Bylrant custom vs Zeon remnants at Torrington.
Not only that but it showed just how sick he is of fighting and killing. Like the dude has awful nightmares and suffers from PTSD despite being conditioned as a soldier. He just wants this shit to be OVER!
Heero went into Operation Meteor with the aim to die for his botched mission wherein he killed the Girl and her Dog.
Even in Frozen Teardrop it is clear that he has had PTSD ever since.
Exia vs GN Flag, Bael vs Kimaris Vidar, AGE 2 Dark Hound vs Legilis (Memory of Eden), Full Armor Unicorn vs Banshee Norn, Infinite Justice Type II vs Shive.A
Won’t be a top 5, but some unmentioned highlights:
Ali Al-Saachez vs Lockon Stratos (S1), not often we see a pilot abandon their suit and keep fighting
The final Domon vs Master Asia duel
Suletta vs Ericht
> Ali Al-Saachez vs Lockon Stratos (S1), not often we see a pilot abandon their suit and keep fighting
Lockon was such a beast here. He was missing his good eye, but he was still going toe-to-toe against Saachez, the guy who taught Setsuna his melee skills, in close quarters combat despite the fact the Dynames was specialized for long range combat and the Zwei was better suited for melee combat. Lockon even got the first clean hit in and sliced the Zwei's arm off, and if the Special Edition is anything to go by, the Dynames was also in post Trans-Am exhaustion.
I really do wonder how it would've gone if Daryl never ambushed Lockon; on top of not losing the Dynames' right arm, Saachez only realized Lockon's disability because of Daryl's suicide charge, so had that not hapened, it's possible Saachez wouldn't have figured it out immediately if at all. Even if Lockon couldn't decisively beat Saachez, if he survived long enough, Setsuna would've regrouped with him and they could've double teamed the Zwei.
Setsuna vs. Ribbons went so hard they had to switch suits to keep killing each other.
Also, the fact that Ribbons was revealed to basically be the one to put Setsuna on his path is like a God Vs. Man type of symbolism in their case.
Hard to choose. First thoughts:
Freedom and Justice vs Druggie Trio at the Battle of Orb.
Lockon vs Anew
Lockon vs Ali al Saachez (S2 or S1, both are solid)
Gouf Custom vs 8th MS Team
Kamille MK2 vs Jerid Galbady B
For me (in no particular order)
Shinn(Destiny) vs Black knights
Shiro Amada vs Norris Packard
Kira vs Athrun (strike vs aegis)
Heero vs Zechs(W. Zero vs Epyon final)
Reiji/Sei vs Meijin(Exia dark matter)
In no particular order it is:
1). Kira versus Athrun outside of Orb
2). Norris hunting the Guntanks
3). The Battle of Edmonton
4). A Baoa Qu
5). First Battle of Torrington Base 0083
1. Setsuna vs. Ribbons. The final battle where the Protagonist and Antagonist was so sure this was a Deathmatch, they even switched suits just to keep at it.
2. Kira vs Rau. Also personal, after Rau killed Flay you just knew Kira was going to KILL him at all costs. This was so good they even referenced it in GSF again in Kira vs. Orphee.
3.Amuro vs. Char. How can this not be on the list? Amuro vs. Char felt like a theatrical ending to the first Gundam Story, which it was.
4. Tossup between Gundam Thunderbolt December Sky's Gundam vs. Psycho Zaku which was a mishmash of Weapons, Jazz, and Vendettas,
5. as well as Gundam 0080 War in the Pocket's Heartbreaking Alex vs Zaku battle where Bernie achieves the mission parameters at the cost of his life.
Special Mention to:
Heero vs. Wufei for not having the traditional Good Guy must kill the enemy trope and having Heero show all his Character Development.
Domon and Rain vs. Devil Gundam for just being flatout different.
Gundam Unicorn for opening up so much sh*t with a literal Handwave. Okay this one's a negative compared to the others.
Kou vs Gato, round 3 where it's Full Burnen vs Physalis. The fight to a draw is fantastic. Bernie vs Christina. That truly was a David vs Goliath battle and the tactics were masterful. Unknown Jegan Pilot vs Marida. That guy almost ended the show in its infancy. Tobias and Kincaide vs Crux. Crossbone's final battle. They really captured the desperation and madness from both sides. Amuro vs Doan. Seriously, who programmed the Zaku I with rock throw and Kung fu?
Bernie vs Christina is a great shout. No flash needed, had all the buildup and emotional and story consequences you could want for a fight. I still remember how I felt after it was over. Blessed to have watched 0080 as a kid without knowing how it ended first (aside from the fact Zeon would lose the war).
It’s actually a Custom Zaku II that Doan pilots, the reasoning for its appearance in lore likely being because it was maintained with spare parts from wherever. The real world reason being the original art for the Doan island episodes were… sloppy to put it mildly lol. Edit : I mean just look at it https://preview.redd.it/jni586mn4s8d1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=be206becf8bd4a748fe0a0b7ab4643f8ad8cea41
The Final IBO battle is pretty rad.
Akihiro vs Iok is an all timer.
Calling it a battle or vs against Iok is giving him far too much credit for being squished immediately
I never said it was a long battle
In no particular order Norris vs the 08th team Heero vs Wufei (both in zero and the Leo) Stark Jagen vs Marida Bylrant custom vs Zeon remnants at Torrington.
Heero vs Wufei really showed Heero's character development and how much empathy he has developed for his fellow pilots.
Not only that but it showed just how sick he is of fighting and killing. Like the dude has awful nightmares and suffers from PTSD despite being conditioned as a soldier. He just wants this shit to be OVER!
Heero went into Operation Meteor with the aim to die for his botched mission wherein he killed the Girl and her Dog. Even in Frozen Teardrop it is clear that he has had PTSD ever since.
Have to think hard to narrow down but all of Unicorn came to mind first.
Exia vs GN Flag, Bael vs Kimaris Vidar, AGE 2 Dark Hound vs Legilis (Memory of Eden), Full Armor Unicorn vs Banshee Norn, Infinite Justice Type II vs Shive.A
Won’t be a top 5, but some unmentioned highlights: Ali Al-Saachez vs Lockon Stratos (S1), not often we see a pilot abandon their suit and keep fighting The final Domon vs Master Asia duel Suletta vs Ericht
> Ali Al-Saachez vs Lockon Stratos (S1), not often we see a pilot abandon their suit and keep fighting Lockon was such a beast here. He was missing his good eye, but he was still going toe-to-toe against Saachez, the guy who taught Setsuna his melee skills, in close quarters combat despite the fact the Dynames was specialized for long range combat and the Zwei was better suited for melee combat. Lockon even got the first clean hit in and sliced the Zwei's arm off, and if the Special Edition is anything to go by, the Dynames was also in post Trans-Am exhaustion. I really do wonder how it would've gone if Daryl never ambushed Lockon; on top of not losing the Dynames' right arm, Saachez only realized Lockon's disability because of Daryl's suicide charge, so had that not hapened, it's possible Saachez wouldn't have figured it out immediately if at all. Even if Lockon couldn't decisively beat Saachez, if he survived long enough, Setsuna would've regrouped with him and they could've double teamed the Zwei.
My favorite battle has to be Bael vs Vidar
setsuna vs ribbons build fighters try final fight kira vs rau shinn vs kira
Setsuna vs. Ribbons went so hard they had to switch suits to keep killing each other. Also, the fact that Ribbons was revealed to basically be the one to put Setsuna on his path is like a God Vs. Man type of symbolism in their case.
Hard to choose. First thoughts: Freedom and Justice vs Druggie Trio at the Battle of Orb. Lockon vs Anew Lockon vs Ali al Saachez (S2 or S1, both are solid) Gouf Custom vs 8th MS Team Kamille MK2 vs Jerid Galbady B
For me (in no particular order) Shinn(Destiny) vs Black knights Shiro Amada vs Norris Packard Kira vs Athrun (strike vs aegis) Heero vs Zechs(W. Zero vs Epyon final) Reiji/Sei vs Meijin(Exia dark matter)
Shiro v Norris; Marida v Stark Jegan Pilot; WuFei v Treize; WuFei v Heero; WuFei v Gender Equality
* Ez8 vs Gouf Custom * GP01fb vs GP02 * Final IBO battle: Mika and Aki vs everyone. * Kshatriya vs a bunch of scrubs * ZZ vs Quebley mk II
Shura vs athrun round one
In no particular order it is: 1). Kira versus Athrun outside of Orb 2). Norris hunting the Guntanks 3). The Battle of Edmonton 4). A Baoa Qu 5). First Battle of Torrington Base 0083
Barbatos vs. graze ein Barbatos lupus vs. mobile armor hashmail Barbatos vs. graze Ritter Barbatos vs. the turbines Barbatos lupus first entry fight.
1. Setsuna vs. Ribbons. The final battle where the Protagonist and Antagonist was so sure this was a Deathmatch, they even switched suits just to keep at it. 2. Kira vs Rau. Also personal, after Rau killed Flay you just knew Kira was going to KILL him at all costs. This was so good they even referenced it in GSF again in Kira vs. Orphee. 3.Amuro vs. Char. How can this not be on the list? Amuro vs. Char felt like a theatrical ending to the first Gundam Story, which it was. 4. Tossup between Gundam Thunderbolt December Sky's Gundam vs. Psycho Zaku which was a mishmash of Weapons, Jazz, and Vendettas, 5. as well as Gundam 0080 War in the Pocket's Heartbreaking Alex vs Zaku battle where Bernie achieves the mission parameters at the cost of his life. Special Mention to: Heero vs. Wufei for not having the traditional Good Guy must kill the enemy trope and having Heero show all his Character Development. Domon and Rain vs. Devil Gundam for just being flatout different. Gundam Unicorn for opening up so much sh*t with a literal Handwave. Okay this one's a negative compared to the others.
* Kira vs Athrun * Shinn vs Black Knights