With The Witch from Mercury about four months away and me being deep into Char’s Deleted Affairs, I’ve had some thoughts on the iconic women that appeared in the range of Gundam shows. Heros or villains, it doesn’t matter much.

I’ve decided to put together a top 5 list of my favorite female characters. This was difficult to do.

5. Mineva Lao Zabi/Audrey Burne

I feel like out of all the Zabis, Mineva has it more together than they ever will. She often rejects the notions of her family AND her father (poor Dozle if he were alive to find out). There’s a lot of potential for her character. She’s smart and I think she could make a great Zeon leader unless she falls in the dramatic footsteps of her family before her.

It does make me wonder if she is going to make an appearance in the future, especially with Mafty showing up and the events of Narrative.

4. Sayla Mass

I have always appreciated Sayla as a character. I believe she’s a very competent communications officer. It’s interesting to see her characteristics and how they differ from Char’s. I mean, Sayla has had her fair share of trauma-filled childhood memories, just as Char, but how level-headed she was about life.

I do think she did have some wasted potential. It would have been great for her to be, in my opinion, on par with Char. I don’t believe her character arc was fully evolved as it should have been, much like most of the women in Gundam.

Also, she should’ve shot Char or hit him with that briefcase. I mean, your brother basically abandons you and then shows up as Char? Should’ve dragged him.

3. Cima Garahau

If you want to talk about a character getting screwed over, Cima is one of them. Unknowingly committing war crimes because you were following orders from a higher up? That’s terrible. Then getting blamed for it and turning into a wanted war criminal? Insanity. Then finding out you can’t even locate your family or go home because it got turned into a weapon? That poor woman. Zeon and the Feddies are really playing for the title of who’s the shittiest.

Cima is a competent pilot and honestly should not have been killed off (I will die on this hill).

2. Marida Cruz

Marida has one of the most, if not arguably the worst, back stories in Gundam. It was brutal and honestly felt like it paralleled how some girls were treated as “Comfort Women/Girls” during WWII by the Japanese. She may seem cold but Marida is honestly one of the most caring characters in the series. I started out thinking she would be a character I would dislike but I was wrong. Completely, utterly wrong.

Her death was one of the hardest-hitting deaths in the whole series. It was just a tragic ending to a tragic life.

1. Haman Karn

Haman has always been one of my favorite anime villains. She’s cold, charismatic, and ruthless. Her character development is interesting. Haman went from a sweet char obsessed annoying preteen to the merciless leader of Neo-Zeon. It’s complex and oh so fascinating.

Haman constantly poses a threat and is willing to put herself in the line of fire to do so. She’s a talented pilot as well, showing potential at the age of fourteen.

I also really enjoy how she pushes Char around.

The Wicked Witch..

I really hope they don’t mess around with the new protagonist. I would love to be able to expand this list in the future.

It would be great to see a head-strong female protag with great piloting skills and not a demsel in distress.

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What are your thoughts on this list? Have a different opinion? Let me know in the comments.

Have a happy Monday!

-J