Yoshiyuki Tomino, the creator ofMobile Suit Gundam, changed anime forever by replacing fantasy with realism. His 1979 series introduced grounded weapons, flawed characters, and wars between human nations. At age 83, Tomino now says his next anime will go even further. This time, there will be no villains from space. The true enemy will be us.
Born during the Pacific War, Tomino grew up under the shadow of air raids and death. “I remember hiding in a shelter with nothing but a straw mat at the entrance,” he said. One memory still haunts him: a neighbor who died while trying to extinguish an incendiary bomb. These early experiences stayed with him long after the war ended and went on to influence the world ofGundam.
Gundam Was Built to Reject False Heroism
People Who Run from Battle Still Matter
Tomino never wanted to create a story about good versus evil. He wanted something closer to real life. “Fighter planes have only one pilot, so my mobile suits are about the same size,” he explained. “You need a full industrial system to support them. That means national economies, weapons manufacturing, and political motivations. I had to depict war between countries.”
One of Tomino’s most memorable characters fromthe originalGundamserieswas Cucuruz Doan, a deserter who defied his orders and chose life over destruction. “If everyone thinks the same way, they will all die,” he said. He showed that not every soldier sacrifices themselves. Some survive by walking away. That message reflected real stories of postwar Japan.
Audiences Forget the Deeper Meaning of Gundam
The Modern Battlefield Has Moved Beyond Control
Tomino worries that fans no longer think critically aboutGundam. “They just build the models and say it looks cool,” he said. He compares it to the first time people saw a steam engine. “We were stunned by the power and stopped asking questions. The same thing is happening now. People admire anime but forget to ask why it exists.”
When Tomino first madeGundam,mobile suits were imagined as future combat machines. But technology has moved faster than expected. “Now there are drones,” he said. “Weapons no longer need pilots. They are unmanned, automated. Wars today are staged just to show battlefield images. I never imagined this, even when I wrote about the future.”
His Next Anime Turns the Mirror on Humanity
Even Now, Gundam Continues to Evolve
Looking ahead, Tomino is not interested in simple conflict. He wants to make a story without an outside enemy. “This time, there is no opponent,” he said. “If anything, humanity itself is the threat. We are the ones using the Earth, draining it, pushing it toward collapse.” It is a story only animation can tell, and he is ready to tell it.
AsMobile Suit Gundamenjoys renewed popularity across the world, Tomino’s original message has never been more urgent. The world is closer than ever to the futures he once imagined. Yet rather than revisit the past, he is preparing to challenge us again. “I believe anime still has the power to make people think. That is why I keep going.”
