Gundam: Char's Counter Attack

Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack
2001 Japanese DVD cover
機動戦士ガンダム：逆襲のシャア (Kidō Senshi Gandamu: Gyakushū no Shā)
Genre	Military science fiction
Novel
Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack - High Streamer
Written by	Yoshiyuki Tomino
Illustrated by	Hoshino Nobuyuki
Published by	Tokuma Shoten
Published	1987
Novel
Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack - Beltorchika's Children
Written by	Yoshiyuki Tomino
Illustrated by	Haruhiko Mikimoto
Published by	Kadokawa Shoten Sneaker Bunko
Published	1988
Anime film
Directed by	Yoshiyuki Tomino
Produced by	Kenji Uchida
Written by	Yoshiyuki Tomino
Music by	Shigeaki Saegusa
Studio	Sunrise
Licensed by	NA Sunrise
Released	March 12, 1988
Runtime	125 minutes
Manga
Written by	Yoshiyuki Tomino
Illustrated by	Kōichi Tokita
Published by	Kodansha
Magazine	Comic Bom Bom
Original run	September 1998 – January 1999
Volumes	1

Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack (Japanese: 機動戦士ガンダム 逆襲のシャア, Hepburn: Kidō Senshi Gandamu: Gyakushū no Shā) is a 1988 anime film set in Gundam's Universal Century timeline of Gundam, specifically U.C. 0093.

Making its theatrical debut on March 12, 1988, Char's Counterattack is the culmination of the original saga begun in Mobile Suit Gundam and continued through Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Mobile Suit Gundam Double Zeta, marking the final conflict of the fourteen-year rivalry between Char Aznable and Amuro Ray. Based on a novel by Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino, the movie supposedly marked the end of tensions between the Earth Federation and the Principality of Zeon (until Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn was released in 2010).

In addition to being the first original Gundam theatrical release, Char's Counterattack was also the first Gundam production to make use of computer graphics during a five-second shot of the Sweetwater colony rotating in space. Char's Counterattack was released in America on DVD on August 20, 2002 and was shown on January 4, 2003 on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim.

Set in March UC 0093, the film features the return of main antagonist Char Aznable, who has emerged after five years in hiding to lead the Neo-Zeon once more in the fight for supremacy over the Earth Federation. Still determined to make humankind fully colonize in space, he mobilizes the Neo-Zeon to drop the asteroid 5th Luna on the Federation headquarters in Lhasa, Tibet. Under the guise of surrendering all Neo-Zeon military forces, he plans to drop the Axis asteroid base on Earth as well.

However, the Federation has assigned its own anti-insurgent task force, the Londo Bell, to take him down. Among the Londo Bell's members are One Year War veterans Bright Noa and Amuro Ray, whom Char wants to kill in revenge for the death of Lalah Sune. A major battle around Axis breaks out as the Londo Bell struggle to stop Char before the asteroid enters Earth's atmosphere. A Londo Bell demolitions team blows up Axis from the inside but one half is still on course to strike Earth, In the midst of the battle, Amuro catches Char and tries to push Axis from reentry, with Federation and Neo Zeon mobile suits coming to help. As the group tries to carry out the impossible, Amuro's RX-93 Nu Gundam resonates and creates a psyco-wave around the asteroid, pushing it away from Earth while shoving all the other mobile suits from the area. Both Federation and Neo-Zeon forces look on as Axis veers off from reentry. Both Amuro and Char are presumed dead by their respective factions.