When Does Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt Take Place

Okay, so you've seen some awesome mobile suits blowing each other up in space, maybe with some killer jazz music playing in the background. You're probably thinking, "Wow, Gundam Thunderbolt is amazing, but when EXACTLY does this space opera go down?"

Well, buckle up, buttercup, because we're about to take a quick trip through the Universal Century timeline!

The One Year War: A Cosmic Kerfuffle

To understand Thunderbolt, you gotta know about the One Year War. Think of it like the galaxy's biggest, baddest schoolyard brawl, only instead of lunch money, they're fighting for the fate of humanity. And the lunch money is, like, space colonies and stuff.

The One Year War is the main event of the original Mobile Suit Gundam. It's a conflict between the Earth Federation and the Principality of Zeon. Imagine the Earth Federation as the good old established order, maybe a bit stuffy.

Zeon, on the other hand, is the rebellious upstart, all about independence and, uh, maybe some not-so-nice ideas about superiority. Like, imagine space Nazis but cooler. Kinda.

Thunderbolt's Place in the Mayhem

Gundam Thunderbolt is set smack-dab in the middle of this cosmic chaos. Yep, it's right there, rocking out to some free jazz while mobile suits do their deadly dance. Think of it as happening concurrently with the events of the original series.

So, while Amuro Ray is busy learning to pilot the RX-78-2 Gundam and becoming a Newtype legend, Io Fleming and Daryl Lorenz are locked in their own personal war within the Thunderbolt Sector.

The Thunderbolt Sector is a debris-filled, electrically charged graveyard of destroyed ships. It's basically the galaxy's junkyard, but with mobile suits hiding amongst the wreckage.

Think of it like this: the One Year War is a massive music festival. The original Gundam is the headlining act, the main stage everyone's watching. But Thunderbolt? It's that awesome, kinda weird, super intense band playing in a tiny tent in the corner.

You might not see the main act, but you're getting a raw, unfiltered dose of the war's brutality and the personal struggles of the soldiers involved.

Post-War Aftershocks

Now, here's where things get interesting. Thunderbolt doesn't just end when the One Year War does. Nope, it keeps going, showing us the aftermath and the lingering consequences of the conflict.

We see the characters dealing with the physical and psychological scars of war. Like how your favorite band keep rocking even after the main fest ends!

Think of it as the "Where are they now?" episode of the One Year War. Except instead of catching up over coffee, they're still piloting giant robots and trying to kill each other. Classic!

So, to recap: Gundam Thunderbolt takes place during the One Year War and its immediate aftermath. It's a gritty, intense side-story that adds a whole new layer of awesome to the already epic Gundam universe.

Now go forth and enjoy the jazz, the explosions, and the sheer awesomeness of Thunderbolt! You've earned it, space cadet!