GN-000 0 Gundam

The GN-000 0 Gundam (pronounced Oh-Gundam), is the first mobile suit to be equipped with a GN Drive in seasons 1-2 of Mobile Suit Gundam 00. It is the original prototype MS that lead to the development of all current Gundams in Celestial Being. The unit was piloted by Ribbons Almark and later by Lasse Aeon.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
The GN-000 0 Gundam was developed during the Solar Energy Wars, 15 – 20 years prior to the revelation of Celestial Being (CB). The unit is the first prototype mobile suit (MS), created by Celestial Being's Krung Thep engineering team. Being the first generation Gundam, 0 Gundam is bleeding edge MS technology; it utilizes untested weapons and equipment as a testbed for future MS development. Although an experimental MS, 0 Gundam was the most advanced MS of its time.

For weapons and combat, 0 Gundam was built and equipped as a general-purpose MS; it is balanced for both short and long range combat with prototype GN weapons. It has the basic complements for most forms of combat: a Beam Saber, Beam Gun, and Gundam Shield. For long range combat, the unit would deploy its gun and shield for shoot-and-block tactics. For close range combat, a beam saber could be pulled directly from its backpack for shield-and-strike tactics. However, its full combat capabilities aren't fully understood due to limited information available.

As for its systems, 0 Gundam was the first unit to utilize the "Veda-based Operating System", an advanced network OS system that monitors and coordinates combat data with Veda to support its pilot(s) and ensure success during missions. However, due to the rogue actions of its former pilot, Ribbons Almark, taking over Veda, Celestial Being programmers loaded all their mobile suits with a less advanced, stand-alone system to prevent the enemy from further harming Celestial Being. Because of this, 0 Gundam's full combat potential is limited to its pilot without advanced tactical data coordination.

For stealth and maneuverability, 0 Gundam had an experimental GN Drive system: GN Feathers. It produced excessive GN Particles and when large amounts of these particles are released, an angelic wing-like effect appears. The effect can be generated and manipulated through the control of the Clavicle Antenna. The GN Feathers provide stability to the unit in mid-air while disrupting and jamming enemy radar. When combined with 0 Gundam's overwhelming power, it can create a powerful psychological effect on those who witness it. However, the wing's enormous output was considered to be too inefficient and was eventually removed due to new GN advancements in particle control; it was never used in the development of later generation Gundam units.

Like all GN Drives, 0 Gundam contained the Trans-Am System to release all of its GN Particles for temporary advanced MS combat. However, this system feature remained locked until the events of 2308 AD, when Aeolia Schenberg died and triggered the system trap to unlock it. Although given the ability, by then the unit was too antiquated for actual combat and remained benched. Its drive was later removed by engineers for testing alternative systems, never giving 0 Gundam the chance to bring out its full potential.

When the 0 Gundam was transferred to Fereshte, CB engineer Sherilyn Hyde developed a combat system upgrade for the suit in case it was needed again. It was through this project that the GN-000FA Full-Armor 0 Gundam, a heavily armored assault version of 0 Gundam, was created but it was never deployed. After the completion of the GN-0000 00 Gundam, the 0 Gundam's GN Drive was removed and fitted onto the 00 Gundam in order to test the Twin Drive System. The GN drive subsequently remained in the 00 Gundam. 0 Gundam was stored within one of CB's resource satellites; during AD 2311, CB engineers revisited 0 Gundam and decided to give the unit an overhaul to improve its outdated systems. In AD 2312, the overwhelming power of Innovators caused the Full Armor equipment to be considered once again. However, as 0 Gundam no longer had a GN Drive, it couldn't support the particle demands and only its basic form was utilized.

To replace its missing GN Drive, 0 Gundam was fitted with a GN Particle Storage Tank. A new color scheme (red, blue and yellow) was also applied to the suit and the CB engineers renamed it as: 0 Gundam A.C.D. (Actual Combat Deployment), to differentiate it from its original form. After the unit was depleted of its particles while defending the CBS-74 Ptolemaios 2, it was abandoned by Gundam Meister Lasse Aeon. However, the unit was later found adrift by its original pilot, Ribbons Almark. Having just stolen an original GN Drive (ripped from 00 Gundam, originally from Exia), Ribbons used his technical expertise to retrofit the GN Drive for its final combat mission under Innovators control. 0 Gundam A.C.D was equipped with the original armaments (shield, beam saber, and beam gun) for combat.

As the progenitor unit of all GN mobile suits, 0 Gundam's data and technology would be used to develop more advanced Gundams for CB. However, unknown to CB, its data was stolen in the past by Ribbons and the Corner Family, who later used it to create the GNW-Throne series. Overall, 0 Gundam's technology paved the way in GN Mobile Suit development but also revealed many unintended consequences.

Armaments

 * Beam Gun
 * A basic beam gun. Unlike the design of most future beam weapons, it possesses no GN Condensers. It instead draws compressed particles directly from the GN Drive.


 * Beam Saber
 * One beam saber is visibly stored at the backpack of 0 Gundam. The beam saber is capable of increasing its beam strength for stronger attacks.


 * Gundam Shield
 * The defensive armament for the 0 Gundam. In order to increase its effectiveness, GN Field properties were added onto the actual shield. This GN Field device is heavier than ones of the later-generation GN Shields, and as such there are instances of the shield being discarded when more focus is needed on speed.

Special Equipment & Features

 * GN Feathers
 * The GN Feathers were an unintended by-product of high particle generation through its GN drive. 0 Gundam can release large amounts of GN Particles which, when controlled by the Clavicle Antenna, form a huge angelic wing-like effect. In addition to midair stability and radar, it can also be used as a defense mechanism. Due to its inefficiency, the system was not re-used for later generation Gundams. Because the Type A.C.D. used either a different Large GN Condenser or 00 Gundam's cone as its propulsion unit, this trait was no longer present on it.


 * Trans-Am System
 * Trans-Am wasn't available for the unit during its earlier use due to the system still being locked. It is presumably available to the unit later on after the Type A.C.D. acquired an unlocked GN Drive, but the system was not seen to be used.


 * "Veda-based Operating System"
 * Celestial Being's advanced operating system used prior to losing Veda.

Variants

 * GN-000FA Full-Armor 0 Gundam
 * GN-000 0 Gundam Type A.C.D.

Intervention in Republic of Krugis
The 0 Gundam's first known sortie was an intervention mission in the Republic of Krugis in 2301 AD (however since the 0 Gundam was seen in Gundam 00P, it can likely be assumed that this was not its only intervention). The pilot of 0 Gundam, Ribbons Almark, was supposed to kill all the combatants in the area; however, upon upon seeing the awed young Soran Ebrahim (who would later grow up to be Setsuna F. Seiei), Ribbons perceives the boy's look to be one of utter admiration and worship, and lets him live. Afterwards, he went and tampered with Veda's files (something that Tieria Erde would eventually pick up on) in order to make Soran a Gundam Meister by replacing Exia's original pilot Eco with Setsuna.) He would later refer to it as a "momentary impulse... but also a sort of mercy."

Gundam 00P
0 Gundam did appear in the 00P side story, although it wasn't stated who piloted it. In one of the Dengeki Hobby Magazine, it was stated that 0 Gundam carried the helpless GNY-001 Gundam Astraea, while it was also mentioned that Grave Violento sortied in the GN-XXX Gundam Rasiel with another unknown pilot along with 0 Gundam.

Shadow Interventions
After the development of second generation GNY-Gundams, 0 Gundam's solar furnace was removed and given to Fereshte to operate their Gundams as the shadow group behind the Ptolemy group. With only a single GN Drive, the solar furnace was often swapped between all four GNY-Gundams and piloted primarily by Fon Spaak in their shadow armed interventions mostly one-by-one.

Resisting Team Trinity
During their armed interventions, Fereshte encountered the Gundam Throne Meisters who tried to claim 0 Gundam's GN Drive. They claimed that it was orders from Veda itself and demanded Fereshte to stand down their operation and relinquish control of their only true solar furnace. Fon Spaak used the Gundam Plutone to resist the Trinity's attempt to confiscate the GN Drive. Upon being informed of Fon's disobedience by Johann Trinity, Veda then detonated Fon's explosive collar. Fon would have died of internal bleeding, save for the intervention of Hanayo who took remote control of Gundam Plutone. She scuttled the mobile suit's body and escaped with the GN Drive and Spaak in Plutone's core fighter. The GN Drive was later transferred to one of Celestial Being's resource satellites (L1 or L3) for maintenance.

Four Year Aftermath
Nearly four years after "Operation Fallen Angels" and the near destruction of Celestial Being, Wang Liu Mei and Hong Long visited one of Celestial Being's secret asteroid bases to oversee the recent developments (L1 or L3 satellite). She wanted to see the first Gundam and Ian Vashti opened the container doors for her to see 0 Gundam. Ian Vashti commented that 0 Gundam's GN Drive has been temporarily removed for an overhaul on 0 Gundams systems. The GN Drive was later moved onto 00 Gundam for testing.

Twin Drive Testing
Ian Vashti removed 0 Gundam's GN Drive and adapted it to 00 Gundam's Twin Drive System. He wanted to test out the synchronization and compatibility of dual GN Drives with little success. All combinations of the GN Drives failed and he hoped that Exia's GN Drive would fare better. When Exia returned to Celestial Being, compatibility tests resumed with only a 73% (needs to be 80%) synchronization rate. When A-Laws attacked Ptolemy II, Setsuna risked Trans-Am in attempt to level out the synchronization of 00. Setsuna managed to synchronize the Twin Drive System at 87% and defeated A-Laws opposition. With 0 Gundam without a solar furnace, the unit was placed in indefinite storage.

Return to Battle
The 0 Gundam was eventually moved to an alternate Celestial Being resource satellite, Lagrange 5. With the war against the A-Laws and the Innovators building to a climax, Celestial Being rallied every mobile suit they could in their arsenal. 0 Gundam was considered for reactivation for battle. Without a GN Drive, Linda Vashti and her engineers retrofitted the otherwise powerless 0 Gundam with a large GN particle storage tank. The Gundam was given a new paint job (hallmark colors of the original RX-78) and armed with its original Beam Gun and Shield. Lasse soon sortied in 0 Gundam, to protect the Ptolemy crew and Gundam Meisters from kamikaze Innovator clone units, Gaga Forces. Despite a valiant effort, Lasse depleted 0 Gundam's supply of particles, forcing him to abandon the mobile suit. Due to Ptolemaois II movements, 0 Gundam drifted out of the hanger until Ribbons, in his damaged Reborns Gundam, found it and fitted Exia's original GN Drive onto the 0 Gundam, which he had stolen earlier from 00 Raiser. Ribbons then boarded his original mobile suit to engage in combat against Setsuna in the Gundam Exia Repair II (which, coincidentally, was using 0 Gundam's original GN Drive). 0 Gundam was ultimately defeated in the final confrontation, and it's GN Drive was destroyed; Ribbons fate is unknown. It's unclear if 0 Gundam was ever recovered and restored.

Notes & Trivia

 * The fact that 0 Gundam resembles the RX-78-2 Gundam and Ribbons being its pilot made it a considerable in-joke, as Ribbons shared that same Japanese voice actor of Amuro Ray, the pilot of the RX-78.
 * Ribbons Almark was first revealed as the pilot in the novel, which was then confirmed in S2 Ep. 14.
 * Despite being GN based weapons, the 0 Gundam's gun, saber and shield do not have "GN" in their names. This is unusual based on the naming conventions of other GN weapons in the series.
 * The role of the 0 Gundam is reflected from the RX-78-2 Gundam, in which the former was the precursor to all Gundams of Celestial Being, and the latter is the first Gundam mobile suit in the metaseries.
 * The second color scheme of the 0 Gundam also appears as the last boss in the SD Gundam G Generation Wars video game. Unlike other GN drive powered Mobile Suits, it automatically activates it's GN field when attacked. It's GN field is also much more powerful than other MS, completely nullifying MAP weapons and reducing damage from all other attacks by 70%. After beating the game once, the player may purchase a weaker version of it which can be combine with every units in game.
 * The 0 Gundam also has the same head height as the RX-78-2.
 * Based on visual comparison, the final version 0 Gundam may have inherited certain visual traits from the older concept Exia, such as the enlarged rear cone or the sterile white color scheme, although it is unconfirmed whether this is actually the case at the moment.
 * In the early concept stages, the 0 Gundam was known as the "King Gundam" which acted as a command unit for the team that can predict battle situations. It was loaded with a powerful quantum computer to help it with its analysis and tactical roles. Like the king in chess, its did not have any offensive ability whatsoever. It's role in the storyline was that of an important older unit that was important in the beginning of the series (which may have been kept in some form based on the 0 Gundam's symbolic importance role for Setsuna/Celestial Being in the series). Later on, the quantum computer idea would be developed into Veda, while the tactical center idea developed into Ptolemaios. The pilot was also initially stated to be a "Sumeragi type" tactical character that eventually appeared although the initial concept character in question was a man rather than a woman.
 * Along with Exia R2, 0 Gundam did not appear in Super Robot Wars Z2 Saisei-hen, included in the final scenario of Gundam 00 scenario, where they were supposed to replace the role of 00 Raiser and Reborns Gundam. According to the rumors, the lack of funds of the developer is the reason of their absence in the game.
 * It's far more likely that they were cut to save on space and the sake of gameplay (losing the 00 Raiser at this point would not have been taken well by players) as the game had other signs of space concerns.
 * In the Mission Mode of Gundam Memories, there's a mission where players fight against the 0 Gundam, but the stats of the 0 Gundam are higher than normal, so using the GN-001 Gundam Exia alone, is not enough to destroy it, unless the players can control their Gundam well.
 * In the final mission against Innovators, CB engineers delivered 0 Gundam as well as Exia into Ptolemy in case it was needed. It was somehow foreseen that Exia would be needed again, despite not having a GN Drive, yet 0 Gundam was not considered for this scenario and both units did receive an original GN Drive to utilize; 0 Gundam could've utilized the Full Armor System (if they had the foresight to bring it) as well as utilize Trans-Am, but neither was deployed.
 * In the final episode of Gundam Build Fighters episode 25 "Promise" 0 Gundam had a cameo appearance, it was seen wielding two beam guns.