MSN-02 Zeong - in Mobile Suit Gundam

In Mobile Suit Gundam

The Zeong is the last mobile suit piloted by primary antagonist Char Aznable in Mobile Suit Gundam, appearing at the end of One Year War to defend the A Baoa Qu space fortress. It was portrayed as the first combat-ready mobile suit intended specifically for Newtype pilots. Previously, Psycommu systems had only been installed in large mobile armors due to bulky size. While the Psycommu system had been scaled down somewhat, a very large mobile suit was still required, and normal-sized mobile suits would not be equipped with Psycommu technology until the events of Zeta Gundam, set 8 years later.

To help make up for its large size, the Zeong is exceptionally heavily armed, mounting nearly a battleship's worth of mega particle cannons. Each of the mobile suit's digits mounts the barrel of one cannon, and a pair are installed in its torso. A final cannon is mounted in the mobile suit's face directly under its mono-eye track. The Psycommu system allows the Zeong's forearms to detach and operate independently of the main body, enabling it to perform "all range attacks", the Gundam franchise's term for a multi-directional attack. A wire connects the arms to the mobile suit's main body, presumably to provide power and/or commands from the Psycommu system, somewhat limiting its maximum range when compared to a completely wireless bit. Unlike most mobile suits, the Zeong's cockpit is positioned in its head. If the main body is destroyed or otherwise rendered inoperative, the head can be ejected to escape, or continue fighting.

Three MSN-02 units are confirmed to be built, though only one appeared in the animation. At Kycilia Zabi's behest, Captain Char Aznable requisitoned a Zeong to help defend A Baoa Qu against a large-scale attack by the Earth Federation Space Force in episode 42 of Mobile Suit Gundam. This Zeong was only "80% complete" as its legs had yet to be installed; otherwise, it was fully combat capable (in zero gravity, at any rate). Char made a single sortie with the Zeong, sinking a Federation warship in the process, before it and Amuro Ray's RX-78 Gundam were mutually destroyed within A Baoa Qu during the final episode of the anime. Indeed, RX-78 Gundam received a hit which destroyed, first, its head, and, then, one of its legs. Both Char and Amuro escaped their crippled mobile suits to continue their battle in hand to hand combat.