XXXG-01W Wing Gundam

The XXXG-01W Wing Gundam (aka Wing Gundam or Gundam Zero-One) is the titular mobile suit of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing. It was developed in the L1 Colony Cluster by the engineer Doctor J as a tool to take revenge on the OZ organization for the assassination of the pacifist leader of the colonies, Heero Yuy. The unit was primarily piloted by the series' main protagonist Heero Yuy (a teenage boy who was code-named after the martryed pacifist).

Technology & Combat Characteristics
Out of the five original Gundams created for Operation Meteor, Wing Gundam is the most well-balanced in terms of abilities and bears the closest resemblance to their common ancestor: the XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero. It boasts incredible speed and can transform into a high-speed aircraft form known as "Bird Mode." Though most of its weapons are relatively standard, its signature buster rifle is an exceptionally powerful ranged beam weapon, but it can only fire three shots in a single battle. In every aspect, Wing is a scaled down version of the Wing Zero. This was done possibly to reduce the strain placed on the pilot by the ZERO System and the superior capabilities of the Wing Zero. Wing's weapons are also considerably less powerful than those found on the Wing Zero, as Wing was designed to be "strong," but not "overpowering" like its ancestor.

Armaments

 * Buster Rifle
 * Wing Gundam's signature weapon, usable in MS mode and Bird Mode. It can fire either a narrow beam akin to that of a beam rifle or a huge beam cannon-like blast that is capable of destroying multiple enemies in one shot. Its energy supply allows only three shots in the latter mode . The power of the buster rifle creates a 150 metre diameter of high heated energy, and also an electromagnetic field effect . The rifle can be reloaded with spare energy cartridges through a break-action similar to a double-barrel shotgun. In the Katoki version, this weapon can be mounted on a back waist point when not in use. Because it is not powered by the Gundam's reactor (unlike the Wing Zero's twin buster rifle), it is capable of being used by other mobile suits as well.


 * Vulcan Gun
 * These head mounted shell firing weapons have a high-rate of fire, but little power and are generally ineffective against mobile suits; however, they can damage lightly armored areas such as the sensors. They are ideal for shooting down small, lightly armored targets such as missiles, small vehicles, etc. These weapons are omitted from the Katoki version.


 * Machine Cannon
 * Mounted on the clavicle sections of the Gundam, these short to mid range weapons have higher firepower than the vulcan guns.


 * Shield
 * Made of high-strength Gundanium Alloy, it can also be used as a ramming weapon. The shield can be mounted on the left arm and/or held with the left hand. It can be mounted on its back when not in use. In Bird Mode, it is docked with the buster rifle and mounted on the backpack.


 * Beam Saber
 * Used for close combat and easily capable of cutting through the toughest armor, including Gundanium Alloy. It is stored within the Gundam's shield when not in use. The beam saber is typically wielded in Wing's right hand, which forces the Gundam to discard its buster rifle temporarily since the shield is typically held by its left hand.


 * Drei Zwerg (Ver. Ka only)
 * Appears in the Glory of the Losers manga and Frozen Teardrop novel, it is a powerful beam rifle type weapon that was originally designed for the Wing Gundam Proto Zero. Data of the weapon was stored in the ZERO System by Doctor J in A.C. 186. In A.C. 195, Heero created imperfect replicas that can only be used once as they were not made of Gundanium alloy, and hence cannot withstand the weapon's power. The Drei Zwerg is a combination of three identical component rifle known as Messer Zwerg, which can be used individually. Although the Drei Zwerg can function on its own as a weapon, it can also be mounted on the buster rifle to increase its destructive power. This combined form is known as Drei Zwerg Buster. When not in use, the Drei Zwerg can be mounted on the Wing Gundam's arms (resembling a hawk's talons when in Bird Mode).

Special Features

 * Bird Mode
 * When transforming into Bird Mode, the Gundam's head and waist rotate backward, the legs fold up with the feet pointing backward, the shoulder armor fold down, the hands retract inside the forearms, and the talons fold over the forearms. Finally, the shield and buster rifle docks together and then attaches onto the Gundam's back to form the nose, and the Gundam's wings spread open. In this form, Wing is capable of high-speed flight, though it is restricted to Earth's atmosphere unless equipped with extra boosters. The transformation is similar for the Katoki version, but the head and waist do not rotate (with the head covered up by the buster rifle's arm cover) and the talons do not fold over the forearms; instead the arms rotate to have the talons face down.


 * Search Eye
 * Focused on data gathering. When the antennas and main cameras do not suffice, the Gundam's secondary eye comprised of the large jewel on its chest is used to gather visual and radio-wave data.


 * Self-Destruct System
 * The Wing Gundam was built to self-destruct should the pilot choose to. A remote detonator is placed within the cockpit and if a dire situation arrives, the pilot can destroy the Gundam. The system was designed to overload its power systems and has enough explosive power to destroy several city blocks. It's a last option tactic if the pilot is incapable of protecting the Gundam, while not allowing it to fall into enemy hands. It also can be used as one large explosive device to eradicate large targets.


 * Energy Cartridge Pod (Ver. Ka/Ver. EW only)
 * Two energy cartridge pods, each containing three spare energy cartridges for a total of six cartridges, can be mounted on the forearms of the Wing Gundam, allowing the buster rifle to fire nine shots instead of only three in a single sortie. In the Glory of the Losers manga, Heero used the last energy cartridge as part of his Gundam's self-detonation in Siberia.

Variants

 * Wing Gundam Ricardo Fellini Custom
 * A customized Wing Gundam gunpla built and operated by Ricardo Fellini. It features a green color scheme, and retains all of the Wing Gundam's standard armaments. Through many victories and defeats, Ricardo would continue to modify his Wing Gundam, eventually resulting in the XXXG-01Wf Wing Gundam Fenice.

Operation Meteor
After being built in outer space, Wing Gundam was sent to Earth with Heero to commence Operation Meteor, at the same time that each of Doctor J's fellow scientists deployed their Gundams as well. However, Wing was intercepted during its descent through Earth's atmosphere by an UESA assault carrier commanded by OZ's Zechs Merquise. Heero destroyed both of the carrier's Aries suits with Wing's buster rifle, but Zechs used his Leo suit to grapple with and weigh down the Gundam. Wing then crashed into the Pacific Ocean near the coast of Japan, and Heero abandoned it.

After leaving Wing at the bottom of the sea, Heero enlisted as a student at the Saint Gabriel Academy in order to disguise himself. He later stole several underwater torpedoes from an Alliance naval base, with the intention of destroying his Gundam before it fell into enemy hands. However, Wing had already been saved from OZ by Duo Maxwell, pilot of the Gundam Deathscythe. Wing was set to self-detonate, but Duo deactivated the device. Duo later encountered Heero as he raised both of their Gundams out of the sea. Unaware of Duo's allegiance, Heero fired the stolen torpedoes at the two suits; though they only caused minimal damage. Still, the fact that Heero knew Gundanium's impact tolerance made Duo realize he was Wing's pilot.

After Duo helped Heero escape captivity from an Alliance military hospital, he recovered both of their Gundams from the sea. Heero repaired Wing by stealing parts from Deathscythe behind Duo's back and he used it for a mission to destroy an enemy carrier transporting Gundanium Alloy. Heero later used Wing for a mission to destroy OZ's northern Pacific Ocean supply base, during which he once again encountered Duo and repaid his debt to him by firing Wing's buster rifle at an enemy Leo that was coming up behind the repaired Deathscythe. When OZ sent mobile suits to attack the Saint Gabriel Academy with the intent of killing Relena Darlian, Heero used Wing to counterattack; believing that OZ had discovered his hideout.

During Heero's mission to the New Edwards Base, all five of the Gundam pilots were united thinking they were about to destroy OZ once and for all. However, Heero destroyed an OZ carrier with Wing's beam saber before he found out that it held the pacifistic leader of the Alliance military, Field Marshal Noventa. OZ's leader, Treize Khushrenada, had tricked the Gundam pilots, and the ramifications were clear when OZ took over the world unopposed. When Heero was alerted to OZ's plan to self-detonate the New Edwards Base's missiles in order to eliminate the Gundams, he used Wing to break into the missile silo and disarm the explosives. Some time later, Heero used Wing to team up with Duo in destroying an OZ sea carrier near the school they had transferred to.

Self-detonation and restoration
Heero and Wing Gundam's next major mission was in Siberia. Here, OZ was preparing to launch their new Taurus suits, and four of the five Gundams arrived to prevent their deployment. As soon as Wing arrived, it was intercepted by Zechs' Tallgeese suit and they engaged in a beam saber duel. Though they seemed evenly matched, Wing managed to gain the upper hand when it sliced the Tallgeese's left arm off. However, the duel was interrupted when OZ's Lady Une threatened to destroy the space colonies if the Gundam pilots did not surrender their suits. In response to this, Heero activated Wing's self-detonation device while standing just outside the cockpit; destroying his Gundam and nearly killing himself as well.

While Heero spent more than a month recovering from his near-death experience under the care of fellow Gundam pilot Trowa Barton, Zechs had taken Wing's remains with him and began to rebuild it for an intended re-match as he felt both cheated and disgusted by Lady Une's actions in Siberia. However, OZ's parent organization, Romefeller, ordered Zechs to have the Gundam's remains destroyed. Zechs tricked Romefeller by simply destroying a dummy, and had Wing taken to his base in Antarctica in order to continue its reconstruction.

Though the Gundam was mostly rebuilt at Zechs' base, its highly-calibrated inner systems were completely destroyed in its self-detonation; leaving it at a disadvantage. Zechs also had the self-detonation device removed to avoid another interrupted duel. However, Wing was left in the base as Zechs and Heero began their re-match, as Heero had chosen to use Trowa's Gundam Heavyarms instead to avoid any sense of reluctance between himself and Zechs. During the battle, Trowa used Wing to prevent Romefeller's search party from interfering and destroyed a pair of Aries that were following Relena's transport. When Romefeller's fleet arrived, Trowa converted Wing into Bird Mode and picked up Heavyarms as he and Heero made their escape.

When the five Gundam pilots returned to space to stop OZ from taking over the colonies, Heero left Wing behind on Earth due to its lack of mobility in space combat and to also avoid enemy detection easier. Some time later, Wing was found underwater on Earth by Sally Po, who eventually turned it over to Lucrezia Noin after the two recovered it while Sally was temporarily imprisoned by OZ. Noin then brought the Gundam to the rebuilt Sanc Kingdom's underground hanger. After Heero returned to Earth with Quatre Winner, they eventually arrived at the Sanc Kingdom as well and Heero was once again reunited with his Gundam. After much convincing from Noin and Quatre, Heero used Wing to defend Relena's pacifist nation from Romefeller for a time.

Final battle and replacement
When Romefeller sent an army of Virgo mobile dolls to crush the Treize Faction at their base in Luxembourg, Heero used Wing Gundam to help defend the Treize Faction in order to prevent Romefeller from spreading their forces any further. Wing proved to be more of a match for the Virgos than Treize's Leos and Aries, but the Gundam's right leg was damaged during the battle (though it destroyed several more enemies with its buster rifle while laying on the ground). As more Virgos began surrounding Wing, Treize spoke to Heero on the Gundam's intercom, encouraging him not to give up. Heero managed to get Wing back on its feet, but it was eventually blasted into a building; disabling the Gundam completely. After the remaining Virgos were destroyed in a suicide attack by three of Treize's soldiers, Heero exited Wing's cockpit and abandoned his Gundam for the final time. He soon after was given the Gundam Epyon by Treize, though Heero would eventually replace that suit with Wing's ancestor, the Wing Zero.

Last heroics
Sometime after the battle at Luxembourg Base, the abandoned Wing Gundam was captured by OZ and taken to a base on the grounds of a military hospital for repairs. While there, it was fitted with booster rockets to allow it to fly in space, though one engineer asked another why the Gundam needed the modifications for space flight since seemingly nobody remaining on Earth was capable of piloting it. When Treize attempted suicide in space by taunting Zechs into firing the battleship Libra's main cannon directly at him, Lady Une suddenly awoke from a long-term coma on Earth and commandeered the idle Gundam; launching Wing into space at full speed. Rapidly switching Wing out of Bird Mode, Lady Une arrived just in time to push Treize's Tallgeese II suit out of the devastating path of the laser beam. Taking the full force of the laser, the Gundam was almost completely disintegrated by the blast with only its head and torso remaining afterwards. Lady Une then emerged from the cockpit (as she was wearing a spacesuit) and climbed onto the Tallgeese II's hand. Although the Gundam was never seen again after this, it's not entirely sure if it was ever completely destroyed given Wing's history of surviving destruction over and over.

Notes and Trivia

 * Wing Gundam's role in the original manga adaptation of Gundam Wing features several differences from the anime. For example, after crashing Wing into the Pacific Ocean, Heero retrieves his Gundam immediately after his first encounter with Relena, thanks to Duo's timely arrival. Other differences from the anime include Wing's self-detonation occurring at the New Edwards base instead of Siberia; Heero using the rebuilt Wing instead of Heavyarms for his rematch with Zechs in Antarctica; and Wing being abandoned by Heero for the last time during the fall of the Sanc Kingdom rather than the battle of Luxembourg (he simply leaves it behind in the Sanc Kingdom's hanger, and OZ captures it after the battle). Furthermore, Wing receives less extensive damage from the Libra main laser cannon when Lady Une uses it to rescue Treize, though what happens to the Gundam afterwards is again left unexplained.
 * The initial design of Wing Gundam was to follow the national trend from Mobile Fighter G Gundam. Wing's design is Japanese and, according to Kunio Okawara's comment, is heavily based on the GF13-017NJII God Gundam. It should be noted that the Gundam's wings were missing from this initial design and it wasn't until the second draft that the wings, as well as its transformation ability, were added.
 * Despite being the title mobile suit of Gundam Wing, as well as arguably the most powerful Gundam among the original five of the series in terms of armament and abilities, Wing saw little action compared to its fellow Gundams (especially after it was rebuilt following its self-detonation in episode 10) and was abandoned by its own pilot multiple times. This has led fans to view the Gundam as a joke.
 * This joke was later referenced in other animated works where the Wing Gundam would be made quick work of, such as its Brave Battle Warriors counterpart where it is destroyed by the Tallgeese and in Gundam Build Fighters where it was made short work of by a Gyan.
 * Wing was the only Gundam of the original five to never receive an upgrade in Gundam Wing; it was instead replaced by its own prototype, the Wing Zero.
 * The only person within the series to ever actually refer to Wing Gundam by its name was Treize (in episode 46); to others it was referred to as simply "Heero's Gundam" or "Gundam Zero-One," while Heero himself only ever referred to it as "my mobile suit" or "my Gundam" (though Heero does refer to his Gundam by its name several times in the original manga adaptation of the series).
 * Video game appearances for Wing Gundam include Gundam Wing: Endless Duel (released only in Japan), Gundam Battle Assault (an American remake of Gundam: The Battle Master 2) and the mecha crossover game Another Century's Episode (also released only in Japan).
 * The Wing Gundam Ver. Ka. made its first video game appearance in Super Robot Wars Alpha 2 as "Wing Gundam Early Type". It was an unlockable unit that could be obtained if the five main Gundam Wing pilots' levels were over 140 combined by stage 35. The Wing Ver. Ka. was weaker than the Wing Zero Custom as it had no ZERO System and its buster rifle was ammo-based, not EN-based. However, all seven playable Gundam Wing characters could pilot it.
 * The Armor Girls Project Wing Gundam figure includes a special hardpoint attachment that allowed the option of equipping the Robot Damashii EW Version Wing Zero's wings.
 * The Gundam FIXX Figuration model is named "Wing Gundam Early Type."
 * Wing Gundam is also featured in Gundam Build Fighters. It was the first Gunpla battle scene in the series in which Sei pilots against's Susumu Sazaki's Gyan, where it was destroyed quickly. A red colored version is shown later in the first episode as part of the Gunpla Battle World Championships promotional video Sei watches in a town square. A variant of the Wing Gundam gunpla, the Wing Gundam Fenice, is piloted by Ricardo Fellini.
 * Though the unit itself does not appear in Gundam Breaker, its EW wings can be built from scratch using the wings from the Wing Zero EW.
 * While Wing Zero was voted #1 on WatchMojo.com's Top 10 Mobile Suits from the Gundam franchise, all footage of Wing Zero shown on the video was actually of the Wing Gundam.