For the main 'Universal Century' (UC) timeline, start with the original 'Mobile Suit Gundam' (1979) or its compilation movies, followed by 'Zeta Gundam' (1985), 'Gundam ZZ' (1986), and the movie 'Char's Counterattack' (1988). For standalone Alternate Universe (AU) series, you can start with any of them, such as 'Gundam 00', 'Iron-Blooded Orphans', or 'The Witch from Mercury', as they require no prior knowledge.

A Mobile Suit (MS) is a humanoid combat vehicle, typically 18-20 meters tall, piloted by a human from a cockpit usually located in the torso. Unlike 'Super Robots' which are often powered by emotion or magic, Mobile Suits are treated as realistic military hardware with mass production, maintenance needs, and ammunition limits.

The Universal Century (UC) is the original and most extensive timeline in the Gundam franchise. It begins when humanity starts migrating to space colonies (Sides). The main conflict centers on the political and military struggles between the Earth Federation and various space-based independent movements, most notably the Principality of Zeon.

Char Aznable (The Red Comet) is the iconic rival of the main protagonist Amuro Ray. He is famous for his red mobile suits (which are often said to be 'three times faster'), his charisma, his complex motivations involving revenge against the Zabi family, and his mask. He is widely considered one of the greatest antagonists in anime history.

Newtypes are a theoretical next step in human evolution, believed to be triggered by adapting to life in space. They possess heightened mental awareness, empathy, and precognitive abilities, allowing them to understand others without words and pilot mobile suits with incredible efficiency. However, they are often exploited as tools of war rather than peacemakers.

'Gunpla' stands for 'Gundam Plastic Model'. These are model kits manufactured by Bandai that allow fans to build replicas of mobile suits from the franchise. They range in grade/complexity from High Grade (HG) to Master Grade (MG) and Perfect Grade (PG). Gunpla is a massive hobby industry and a core pillar of the Gundam franchise's success.

The RX-78-2 is the original Gundam piloted by Amuro Ray. It turned the tide of the One Year War due to its advanced Luna Titanium armor and beam weaponry. Its white, blue, red, and yellow color scheme established the visual archetype for almost all lead Gundams that followed.

While there are series aimed at younger audiences (like 'Gundam Build Fighters' or 'SD Gundam'), most mainline Gundam series are war dramas that deal with mature themes such as death, politics, genocide, and the trauma of conflict. Parents should check the rating of specific series, but most are rated PG-13 or TV-14.