is a 2024 Japanese animated military science fiction action film produced by Sunrise and directed by Mitsuo Fukuda. The film is a sequel to Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny, taking place one year after the events of SEED Destiny. The film features the talents of Sōichirō Hoshi, Rie Tanaka, Akira Ishida, Nanako Mori, Kenichi Suzumura, and Maaya Sakamoto, among others. In C.E.75, the battle was still on. Independence movements, invasion by Blue Cosmos. In order to calm down the situation, a world peace monitoring organization, Compass, is established with Lacus Clyne as the first president. Soldiers involving Kira Yamato and his friends join the Compass and intervene in battles in various places as members. At that time, the Emerging Countries Foundation proposed a joint operation with Compass against Blue Cosmos headquarters in Eurasia.
The film had been in development since 2006, with production postponed for years in part due to head writer Chiaki Morosawa’s health; the project later advanced and the film was released on January 26, 2024. Director Mitsuo Fukuda has described production challenges around animating large-scale mecha action with extensive CGI and the volume of mobile suits and battleships involved, while also expanding on Kira’s story alongside Shinn Asuka and Athrun Zala. Besides English screenings, the film was later made available on Netflix as part of its streaming rollout. An expanded version titled a “Special Edition” (tokubetsuban) was also released in theaters with over 500 updated cuts and added epilogue footage in two limited runs (September 20–October 3 and November 1–14, 2024).
The film grossed over ¥5 billion in Japan (¥5.049 billion) with more than 3 million admissions, becoming the highest-grossing film in the Gundam franchise. Critical response has been generally positive, with reviewers praising the romance element—especially Kira and Lacus—alongside the animation, music, and large-scale battles.
A prequel titled Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom Zero was announced in November 2024.
Plot In May C.E.75, one year after the end of the Second Alliance-PLANT War, remnants of the anti-Coordinator terrorist group, Blue Cosmos, continue to lead several attacks on Earth, including PLANT-Aligned territories. A world peace monitoring organization, Compass, under Orb Chief Representative Cagalli Yula Athha, former PLANT Supreme Council Chairwoman Lacus Clyne, and President of the Atlantic Federation Foster, was formed to promote peace on Earth and PLANTs. The latter serves as its president. The organization's supreme commander, Kira Yamato, leads his team, consisting of Shinn Asuka, Lunamaria Hawke, and Agnes Giebenrath from the LHM-BB03S Millennium, to destroy the remnants on Afrika. At a meeting in the PLANTs, Lacus openly admits her hope to end the conflict swiftly and wishes to free Kira from it. On Earth, the government of the breakaway Kingdom of Foundation in Eurasia proposes a joint operation with Compass against Blue Cosmos. Lacus confides in Kira, and both agree to meet with the government to accept the operation.
The Millennium descends to Earth, accompanied by the battleship, LCAM-01XA Archangel, commanded by Murrue Ramius, and arrives in the kingdom. The government's Prime Minister, Orphee Lam Tao, and Queen Aura Maha Khyber, the leader of Foundation, meet the group. The members of Compass also meet the Black Knights, Foundation's mobile suit squad, but the team rebuffs them, showing off its superiority complex, earning disgusted looks from the group. On the Millennium, Agnes openly flirts with Kira, which Lacus overhears and runs away. Kira attempts to find her but is confronted by Orphee, who affirms that he is a more suitable partner to Lacus than Kira himself.
During the operation, Foundation turns on Compass and the Earth Alliance, with Orphee getting the Black Knights to draw Kira away. Kira's mind is telepathically overtaken by the Black Knights, who lead him to locate and pursue the Blue Cosmos leader, Michael. He crosses the demarcation line into Eurasia's territory unknowingly and, since Compass could only operate in the Eldore region, is attacked in retaliation. Branded as a traitor, Kira is overwhelmed by the Knights. Agnes betrays Compass and assists the Knights in defeating Kira. The Knights launch nuclear missiles from a hijacked Eurasia military outpost to destroy the kingdom and the government headquarters to frame Eurasia. The Archangel is ambushed and destroyed by the Knights, with Shinn also being defeated, but is rescued by Hilda. Thanks to the help of Athrun Zala, Meyrin Hawke, and Mu La Flaga, several crewmembers of the Archangel manage to survive the battle; however, Eldore and Foundation's capital, Ishtaria, are destroyed by the nukes, and Foundation leaders take Lacus to their base in space.
In the aftermath, Cagalli attempts to mediate between the PLANTs and the Earth Alliance but fails; both sides cut ties with Compass, and its activities are suspended. Athrun holds a meeting to reveal Foundation's true objective: to use Lacus and implement a variation of Gilbert Durandal's Destiny Plan, along with revealing the origins of Aura, Orphee, and Lacus, who are part of a new race of enhanced coordinators called the Accords, with Orphee and Lacus genetically designed to be their leaders and rule mankind together. Foundation reveals the repaired Requiem, destroys Eurasia's capital, Moscow, in revenge for the nuclear attack, and gives an ultimatum to the entire world and PLANTs: accept the Destiny Plan and their leadership within five days, or be destroyed. Kira breaks down, but Athrun convinces him to rejoin the fight, which he accepts. Compass then receives from Orb new versions of Destiny, Strike Freedom, and Impulse, and heads into space with the Millennium.
Meanwhile, Orphee attempts to seduce Lacus, but she rejects his advances and repeatedly tells him that he is not the person she chooses to love. Thinking she means Kira, Orphee becomes furious and continues holding her hostage. A coup d'état occurs within ZAFT in support of Foundation, and a fleet is sent to protect Requiem. ZAFT members Yzak Joule and Dearka Elsman escape the coup and join the FFMH-Y101 Eternal to stop the rogue faction after evacuating the leader of the PLANT supreme council. An assault team led by Kira infiltrates Foundation's base on the Artemis asteroid and rescues Lacus, as Mu damages and disables the Requiem by reflecting its blast. From the Millennium's bridge, Lacus broadcasts a message, revealing the Foundation's true motives and condemning their actions.
Orb dispatches the Kusanagi to join forces with Millennium and Eternal, and heads into battle against Foundation. Orphee sorties with Ingrid in his mobile suit, overwhelming Kira along with Shura, but Athrun saves him and engages the latter with the new version of his Infinite Justice. Yzak, Dearka, the Eternal, and the Kusanagi suppress the rogue ZAFT fleet as Murrue leads the Millennium in destroying Aura's flagship. Lacus arrives and assists Kira in destroying all of the Foundation's mobile suits and ships in the newly-formed ZGMF/A-262PD-P Mighty Strike Freedom Gundam, piloted by both Kira and Lacus. Shinn and Hilda defeat the Black Knights, and Lunamaria disables Agnes. Athrun defeats Shura with Cagalli's help, and Shinn destroys the repaired Requiem, with support from Lunamaria and Athrun, moments before it could fire at Orb. Convinced by Lacus and Kira's beliefs about world peace and true love, Orphee and Ingrid accept their defeat, and the war ends. Lacus and Kira descend to Earth on a beach, where they share a kiss.
Cast
Characters JapaneseEnglish Kira Yamato Sōichirō Hoshi Max Mittelman Lacus Clyne Rie Tanaka Stephanie Sheh Athrun Zala Akira Ishida Chris Hackney Cagalli Yula Athha Nanako Mori Cherami Leigh Shinn Asuka Kenichi Suzumura Kieran Regan Lunamaria Hawke Maaya Sakamoto Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld Meyrin Hawke Fumiko Orikasa Christine Marie Cabanos Murrue Ramius Kotono Mitsuishi Carrie Keranen Ezalia Joule Caitlyn Elizabeth Mu La Flaga Takehito Koyasu Trevor Devall Yzak Joule Tomokazu Seki Daman Mills Dearka Elsman Akira Sasanuma Johnny Yong Bosch Agnes Giebenrath Houko Kuwashima Kelly Baskin Stella Loussier Francesca Calo Toyah Mashima Ayane Sakura Jonathan Leon Alexei Konoe Hōchū Ōtsuka Sean Burgos Albert Heinlein Jun Fukuyama Ben Balmaceda Hilda Haken Michiko Neya Marin Miller Herbert von Reinhard Taiten Kusunoki Bea Billany Mars Simeon Junichi Suwabe Bill Butts Liu Shenqiang Kentaro Tone Blythe Melin Daniel Harper Yoshitsugu Matsuoka Howard Wang Griffin Arbalest Win Morisaki A.J. Beckles Orphee Lam Tao Hiro Shimono Alejandro Saab Aura Maha Khyber Yukari Tamura Lizzie Freeman Ingrid Tradoll Sumire Uesaka AmaLee Redelard Tradoll Misato Fukuen Courtney Lin Shura Serpentine Yuichi Nakamura Zeno Robinson Arnold Neumann Isshin Chiba Bill Butts Ledonir Kisaka TBA Dalida Lolaha Chandra II Katsumi Toriumi Christian La Monte Lio Mao Yuna Kamakura Courtney Lin Arthur Trine Hiroki Takahashi Robbie Daymond Abbey Windsor Haruka Tomatsu Olivia Hack Erica Simmons Michiyo Yanagisawa Erica Schroeder Miriallia Haw Megumi Toyoguchi Cassandra Morris Walter de Lament Shinshu Fuji Bob Johnson Hari Jagannath Hiroya Egashira Frank Todaro Foster Yurika Hino Caitlyn Elizabeth Gilbert Durandal Shuichi Ikeda Keith Silverstein
Production
Sunrise announced the film at the Sony Music Anime Fes' 06. It would have been the first original Gundam film since 1991. After the Sony Music Anime Fes' 06, Sunrise announced the film on their website. Houko Kuwashima, the voice actress of character Stella Loussier, has stated on her "SEED Club blog" that the character will somehow also have a role in the film. Lacus, Yzak Joule, and Dearka Elsman will return as members of the PLANT Supreme Council, and Kira, Shinn, and Lunamaria Hawke will be part of the ZAFT military. However, in 2008, writer Chiaki Morosawa explained that the plot was done, but she has been ill since the end of 2004-2005's Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny series. As a result, she asked for the fans' patience. In 2016, it was announced Morosawa died due to aortic dissection. Takanori Nishikawa mentioned at the Gundam 40th Fes. “Live Beyond” concert in 2019 that he was told by a staff member that the film was still in pre-production.
The Bandai Namco Group announced the "Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Project ignited" initiative during the opening ceremony for the life-size Freedom Gundam statue in Shanghai in May 2021. Headlining the initiative is the previously announced film project that serves as a sequel to the television series Destiny. The official website for the film project opened on July 2, 2023, and revealed the film's title and teaser.
A two-volume novel adaptation of the movie by Liu Goto was released in Japan. Both volumes of the movie adaptation had a large reprint. Illustrations are by Tomofumi Ogasawara. Work on the novelization started in 2019. Goto reviewed the plot Morosawa left behind. Aside from that, the novel was a foray into screenplay writing, which he was not familiar with, but he was able to pull through with the "guidance of the director and producers." The feedback apparently ran both ways. Goto does mention that when he was writing for the SEED television series, he found inspiration in foreign dramas he admired, especially those made by sci-fi authors.
Animation