The Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX compilation film, The Beginning, has launched in Japan, revealing tantalizing new details about the upcoming series. The Beginning covers the first three episodes of Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, the new Gundam anime series by the same creators of Evangelion at Studio Khara. The film was released theatrically in Japan, and audiences were handed pamphlets that gave backstory and designs for the new Gundam anime. Spoilers for the film and scans for the pamphlets have been shared on the Gundam Reddit forums, unveiling surprising twists to the series, including the surprise return of a Gundam icon.

The Beginning reveals GQuuuuuuX, which takes place in an alternate timeline of the Universal Century, the main timeline setting of the original Gundam animes. The key difference is that rather than the Earth Federation winning the war, the Principality of Zeon won. Char Aznable, the Zeon's ace pilot and the main rival of Amuro Ray from the original Mobile Suit Gundam, was instrumental in the Zeon's victory. Char is one of, if not the most iconic human character in the entire Gundam franchise. His silver mask and red color scheme have become a recurring motif among all the major antagonists in proceeding Gundam shows.

In the original Gundam anime, Char was the pilot of the Red Zaku and was the only pilot to keep up with the advanced technology of the Gundam, piloted by Amuro Ray. He had a secret agenda for joining Zeon, targeting the family at the head of the organization for murdering his father. Char would return as an ally in Zeta Gundam before becoming the main villain for Char's Counterattack theatric film. Char was last seen disappearing with Amuro after the latter tried to push away a meteor that would destroy the Earth. Full Frontal from Gundam Unicorn attempted to assume Char's identity but was proven a fraud.

Char remains more or less the same in Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, with the key difference he was able to steal a version of the Gundam mecha for the Principality of Zeon. With the advanced tech of the Gundam on their side, Zeon was able to have a decisive victory over the Federation, assuring space independence under Zeon's rule. Char took the Gundam as his own and painted it red, referred to in GQuuuuuuX as the Red Gundam. While Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX takes place in an alternate universe similar to the Universal Century, several mechas and designs are vastly different than in the original series.

The Beginning covers some aspects of the Earth Federation and Zeon war, ending with the mysterious disappearance of Char. The series flashes forward a few years to focus on the new lead characters. High School student Yuzuriha Amate gets her hands on a state-of-the-art Gundam, the GQuuuuuuX, and joins an underground mecha duel competition. She partners up with Shuji Ito, a mysterious young boy who somehow has his hands on the Red Gundam. Nyaan is another teenager and protagonist of the series, having gotten involved with the underground duels after becoming a war refugee.

The compilation film and pamphlets hint that more characters in the classic series have survived to Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX. Amuro Ray is noticeably absent in the new alternate timeline in Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX. Char's disappearance and Shuji's possession of the Red Gundam are the central mysteries of GQuuuuuuX, hinting at a deeper conspiracy and potential space mysticism.