OZ-13MS Gundam Epyon

The OZ-13MS Gundam Epyon is a mobile suit featured in Mobile Suit Gundam Wing. Originally piloted by Heero Yuy, the suit would later be given to Zechs Merquise.

Technology & Combat Characteristics
This mobile suit was created by Treize Khushrenada during the time he was placed under confinement by the Romefeller Foundation. Based on data from the Tallgeese and the other Gundams, and in keeping with Treize's philosophy, the Gundam Epyon, eschews cowardly long-range weapons in favor of chivalrous close combat. However, when the suit becomes a part of White Fang, a pair of vulcan guns are added to the head. Its main weapons are a segmented, whip-like heat rod mounted on a shield, and a powerful beam sword whose energy is supplied by a direct connection to the Epyon's generator. Treize also installed a modified version of the Zero System known as Epyon System in the cockpit, making this suit a powerful opponent. The Epyon can also transform into a "mobile armor" mode (referred to as 'dragon-mode') for high-speed flight and cruising in space. The unit resembles a mythological dragon in this mode, however its primary weapons are inaccessible save for the Epyon Claws which are used as landing gear in this form.

Armaments

 * Beam Sword
 * The main weapon of the Epyon, it is connected directly to the suit's powerplant as opposed to running on its own internal power source. This allows the length and intensity of the beam blade to be adjusted considerably to damage large objects like the Space Fortress Bulge or heavily armored opponents.


 * Epyon Claw
 * Mounted on the forearms of the unit, they are used as landing gear in Dragon Mode. In combat, they can be used to tear through enemy armor.


 * Epyon Shield
 * A small shield mounted on the left arm, its surface has been treated with anti-beam coating to provide protection against beam-based attacks. It mounts a heat rod at the bottom.


 * Heat Rod
 * A segmented whip-like chain housed in Epyon's shield. It can be used to trip or entangle opponents, and even cut through mobile suits when heated. A single swipe with this weapon can destroy up to three Leos.


 * Vulcan Gun
 * Added later on, these head mounted shell firing weapons have a high-rate of fire, but have little power and are generally ineffective against mobile suits; however, the vulcan gun can damage lightly armored areas such as the sensors. These weapons are ideal for shooting down small, fast moving, lightly armored targets such as missiles or small vehicles.

Special Equipment & Features

 * Epyon System
 * Treize had a modified version of the deadly ZERO System installed in Epyon's cockpit. The system operated the same as the one in the XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero, but Epyon's had the pilot wear a special helmet on their head. The modified version is known as the Epyon System. Any technical differences compared to the ZERO System is unknown. Zechs also used a modified version of this system to control the White Fang Mobile Dolls.


 * Search Eye
 * The search eye is only used for combat, of the same type used by the Wing Gundam. It also gathers data that the cameras and antennas cannot. During combat, it instantly calculates the precise position, movement, and weak points of an opponent.

History
Late in the year AC 195 Treize Khushrenada was relieved of his duties as the Commander of OZ and was placed under house-arrest. Treize had been intrigued by the Gundams and their pilots and so designed a Gundam which he called Epyon. Treize had a highly developed sense of honor and so designed the suit to be a "dueling" mobile suit, equipping it with short range weaponry only. Treize was also able to equip the Epyon's cockpit with the Zero System.

Treize had hoped that a Gundam pilot would come forth to pilot the suit, particularly Heero Yuy. Thus, Treize presented the Epyon Gundam to the Gundam Pilot Heero Yuy, when Heero had sought him out with the intention of assassinating him. Heero however, did not kill Treize and accepted the Epyon.

After boarding the mobile suit, Treize warned Heero not to be a 'winner' when piloting it, meaning that achieving victory should not be on his mind, only the fighting itself. When the Romefeller Foundation launched an invasion of the Sanc Kingdom, Heero piloted the Epyon into battle. Having not yet mastered the Zero System, however, Heero suffered a near-nervous breakdown and fled the battle. Relena's brother, Zechs Merquise, arrived in the XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero having heard of the invasion, but was too late. Zechs and Heero dueled in the Wing Zero and Epyon respectively, and fought themselves to a stalemate. Unable to determine a victory using their Zero Systems, both combatants reached a stalemate and ceased. The two exchanged suits with Heero taking the Wing Zero and Zechs taking the Epyon.

Soon after, Zechs began piloting Epyon the group known as the White Fang rose out of the ashes of the Treize Faction and claimed that they had been charged with defending the Colonies. The chief of the White Fang, Quinze, approached Zechs and offered him the leadership of the White Fang. Zechs accepted, using his birthname Milliardo Peacecraft, and continued to pilot the Epyon against the forces of the new Earth Sphere Unified Nation. Zechs flew Epyon against the Gundam Pilots in the final battle of the war in December of AC 195. In this battle, Zechs in Epyon, once again challenged Heero Yuy in the Wing Zero. The two fought on and around the gigantic space station Libra. The battle was once again a stalemate as they had reached the last surviving section of Libra, which was falling towards the Earth. Taking the fight inside Libra itself, the two fought until Epyon's left arm was severed, giving Heero a decisive win (in the terms of a duel, this would count as drawing first blood). As Heero/Wing Zero was about to self-destruct to finish the section of Libra off for good, Zechs convinced Heero to leave and he used Epyon to destroy the reactor which powered that section of the station. Both Zechs and Epyon were presumed to have been lost in the explosion.

In Mars Colony 0022 NEXT WINTER, the Epyon resurfaces, piloted once again by the leader of the revolting Lanigreen Republic, Zechs and engages in battle with the Epyon White piloted by Chang Wufei. The left arm has been rebuilt from new parts and is colored silver. It is referred to as the Epyon Ares.

Variants

 * Epyon Kaiser
 * Epyon White

Gundam Build Fighters

 * A custom Epyon appears in episode 11 and shows allusion to the GF13-011NC Dragon Gundam in its color scheme and a dragon motif, with the Dragon Claws in places of feet. It also bears some resemblance to the TMF/A-802W2 Kerberos BuCUE Hound in the way it has two extra heads sticking out, shooting, while in it's Mobile Armor form.

Gundam Video Games

 * An overwhelming Epyon can be found in the first Gundam Wing video game, Gundam Wing: Endless Duel (SNES).
 * Epyon is a playable unit in Gundam vs Gundam Next Plus and Gundam Musou series.
 * In Gundam Battle Assault 2 and SD Gundam G Generation 3D, Epyon is piloted by its designer, Treize Khushrenada.

Crossover Video Games

 * It's playable in the 1st Another Century's Episode.
 * It can also be used in Super Robot Wars 64 (As a secret unit) and Super Robot Wars D. In The 2nd Super Robot Wars Z Chapter Regeneration and Super Robot Wars Alpha, only temporary access to the Epyon is allowed (while it was piloted by Heero), and it ultimately has to be fought as a boss. In many of these games, the Epyon demonstrates the unusual ability to lengthen its blade to such a degree, such as in Z2 that it is considered a MAP weapon of comparable size to the Wing Zero's Rolling Buster Rifle attack.
 * Emperor Epyon is the leader of Satan Darkness Corps, the main villain in the crossover action game The Great Battle VI. As the series' standard, Epyon (as well as other MS) is a sentient robot in this game. He's cruel, notable when he forces three of his lieutenants (Tallgeese, Powered Baltan, and Shadow Moon) to merge into a single monster as punishment for their failure to defeat the protagonists. In the climax of story, Epyon summons Evil Dragon God Inferios to destroy the heroes, only to be devoured by Inferios first.

Web Animation

 * Gundam Epyon and Zechs Merquise were featured in the 37th episode of Death Battle. It did battle with Tommy Oliver and his White Tigerzord, both hailing from the live-action series Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers.

Notes & Trivia

 * Epyon's head mounted vulcan guns are a controversial weapon as they are not on the armaments list when the suit first debuted. Their presence is hinted in episode 49 during a battle between Epyon and Wing Zero as they fly through the corridors of the collapsing Battleship Libra. Wing Zero fires its vulcan guns at Epyon and then vulcan fire is returned from Epyon's direction. There were no other suits in the area. At that time, this was often considered to be an animation error although some fans speculated it to be a late modification to the suit. There is no mention of the vulcan guns in data books and Gundam related encyclopedia for a long time until the Gundam Perfect File series of data books show images of the vulcan guns mounted in the suit's head and explains their origin.
 * The Epyon transforms similarly to the RX-139 Hambrabi.