GUNDAM IBO - IRON BLOODED ORPHANS

Brief outline of Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans

Mobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans is a 50-episode anime series that takes place in the Post Disaster (P.D.) timeline, set 323 years after a catastrophic event known as the Calamity War. The series follows a group of young mercenaries called Tekkadan, led by Mikazuki Augus and Orga Itsuka, as they navigate the harsh realities of a war-torn solar system and fight for their right to a better future.

Mikazuki, the main protagonist, is a skilled pilot who operates the ASW-G-08 Gundam Barbatos, a highly adaptable mobile suit with a unique feature: it evolves and upgrades using parts from defeated enemies. Other key characters include Kudelia Aina Bernstein, a Martian noblewoman seeking independence for her planet, and McGillis Fareed, a scheming Gjallarhorn officer with hidden motives.

The series introduces a variety of new mobile suits, such as the ASW-G-11 Gundam Gusion, which can be reconfigured into the Gundam Gusion Rebake, and the EB-06 Graze, a versatile and customizable suit widely used by Gjallarhorn. Notable mobile suits from the Calamity War era also make an appearance, including the ASW-G-01 Gundam Bael, the ASW-G-66 Gundam Kimaris, and the ASW-G-29 Gundam Astaroth.

Iron-Blooded Orphans deviates from traditional Gundam tropes by placing a heavy emphasis on the bonds between the characters and the consequences of their actions. The series explores themes of camaraderie, sacrifice, and the struggle for independence in a world rife with political intrigue, corruption, and inequality.

Aesthetics and kits to look out for

IBO has become a fan favourite due to the aggressive designs every suit sports, combined with a more sleek and stylized design, sporting exposed inner mechanics, heavy use of pistons and the scavenger feel of most suits, due to their combination capabilities.

Some of the best kits, in descending order of affordability, are: