| Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Cover of the firstBlu-ray volume, with an illustration of the ASW-G-08 Gundam Barbatos. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 機動戦士ガンダム 鉄血のオルフェンズ (Kidō Senshi Gandamu Tekketsu no Orufenzu) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Genre | Mecha,military science fiction | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Anime television series | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Directed by | Tatsuyuki Nagai | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Written by | Mari Okada | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Music by | Masaru Yokoyama | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Studio | Sunrise | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Original network | JNN (MBS,TBS) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| English network | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Original run | October 4, 2015 – April 2, 2017 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Episodes | 50(List of episodes) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Anime and manga portal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans (Japanese:機動戦士ガンダム 鉄血のオルフェンズ,Hepburn:Kidō Senshi Gandamu Tekketsu no Orufenzu), also known asGundam IBO and G-Tekketsu (Gの鉄血), is a 2015 Japanese televisionmechaanime series and the fourteenth mainline entry inSunrise's long-runningGundam franchise, succeedingGundam Reconguista in G.[2][3][4] The series is directed byTatsuyuki Nagai and written byMari Okada, a team which previously collaborated onToradora! andAnohana: The Flower We Saw That Day.[5][6] It aired in Japan onMBS and otherJNN stations from October 4, 2015, to March 27, 2016,[7][8] making this the first Gundam series to return to a Sunday late afternoon time slot sinceMobile Suit Gundam AGE.[9] A second season premiered the following year on October 2, 2016.[10]
Iron-Blooded Orphans follows the exploits of a group of juvenile soldiers who establish their own security company after rebelling against the adults who betrayed them on a futuristic,terraformedMars. The series deals with several real-life problems such aswar,slavery,child soldiers,poverty,neo-colonialism, andcorruption. The catchphrase of the series is "The sustenance of life is on the battlefield." (いのちの糧は、戦場にある。,Inochi no kate wa, senjō ni aru.)[11][12][13]
It is the year 323 P.D. (Post Disaster), more than 300 years after a disastrous, interplanetary conflict known as the "Calamity War". Mars has been successfully terraformed and colonized by humans. However, even with the technological advancements, the humans on Mars crave freedom against the government of Earth and seek to improve their livelihoods. Furthermore, while most of Mars' nations have received autonomy, the planet is virtually dependent on Earth for economic development with many living in impoverished conditions.[14]
Kudelia Aina Bernstein, a Martian noblewoman, employs the civilian security company Chryse Guard Security (CGS) to transport her to Earth to negotiate the independence of her nation, Chryse, from Earth. But the Earth Military organization Gjallarhorn attacks CGS in an attempt to halt the Martian independence movement.[15] During the attack, Orga Itsuka, the leader of the Third Army Division within CGS—composed of children—decides to rebel against the adult higher-ups who had abandoned them. As all hope seems lost, a young orphan under Orga's command named Mikazuki Augus enters the battle, piloting a hastily repaired mobile suit: the legendary Gundam Barbatos.[16] After repelling Gjallarhorn's attack, Orga and the Third Army Division dispose of the adult higher-ups and take control of CGS, refounding it as the mercenary company "Tekkadan" (Japanese for "Iron Flower").[17]
In Tekkadan's first job, they escort Kudelia to Earth for negotiations with the government of Arbrau, the superpower that rules over Chryse. Gjallarhorn’s continuous attempts to stop their progress lead Tekkadan to join forces with Teiwaz, a business conglomerate operating around Jupiter. Under Teiwaz's protection—and secretly assisted by McGillis Fareed, one of Gjallarhorn’s top echelons—Tekkadan successfully takes Kudelia to Earth, where she secures economic reforms for Mars. McGillis uses their success to overthrow his adoptive father and bolster his own position within Gjallarhorn.[18][19]
Several years later, Tekkadan has become a prominent military company while Kudelia establishes a mining enterprise to improve Martian living conditions. McGillis advances his reforms within Gjallarhorn, but the Arianrhod Fleet, led by Rustal Elion, secretly works to sabotage him and Tekkadan. McGillis convinces Tekkadan to ally with him against Arianrhod, promising them sovereignty over Mars if he gains control of Gjallarhorn. However, their combined forces are defeated; McGillis is killed, and Tekkadan is hunted down in a final purge by Gjallarhorn.[20][21] Mikazuki Augus and several comrades sacrifice themselves to hold off Arianrhod, allowing the rest of Tekkadan to escape.
In the aftermath, Gjallarhorn abolishes its council system and reforms into a more democratic institution under Rustal. Kudelia becomes chairwoman of the independent Mars Union, while the surviving Tekkadan members go their separate ways, working to honor their fallen comrades who secured a new future for Mars.[22][23]
Producer Masakazu Ogawa stated that the project bringing together director Tatsuyuki Nagai and screenwriter Mari Okada had been in motion even beforeMobile Suit Gundam AGE, explaining that Sunrise had been advancing a concept with Nagai and original character draft artist Yū Itō, and later formalized Okada’s involvement as series composer as the plan matured.[24] A later interview with Nagai and series writer Mari Okada—who had previously collaborated onAnohana andToradora!—described their intent to approachIron-Blooded Orphans as a grounded, character-driven war drama. Nagai emphasized portraying “the daily lives of youths trapped by the logic of war” rather than focusing purely on spectacle, while Okada explained that her scripts sought to foreground “family-like bonds” among the child soldiers and the moral compromises required for survival. Both contrasted this emphasis on lived experience and interpersonal dynamics with the more traditional “hero versus villain” arc often associated with past Gundam series.[25]
Sunrise and Bandai’s promotional coverage likewise highlighted the production process. Producer Masakazu Ogawa noted that the creative team deliberately avoided “miracle” solutions typical of earlier Gundam entries, instead stressing the consequences of political decisions on ordinary lives. Mechanical designers Naohiro Washio andKanetake Ebikawa recalled multiple rounds of revision to balance the “industrial, workhorse” look of the Gundams with the franchise’s recognizable silhouette, explaining that the Barbatos’ evolving equipment sets were intended to visually signal the protagonists’ struggle to scavenge and adapt.[26] In a subsequent official digest in the English-language mookGundam Forward – Mobile Suit Gundam: IRON-BLOODED ORPHANS, Ogawa reflected on how the series’ curtailed, morally ambiguous narrative resonated with younger viewers by presenting “protagonists who are not guaranteed to win,” contrasting it with more conventional heroic arcs. The feature framed these production choices as key to establishingIron-Blooded Orphans as one of the franchise’s most socially grounded entries.[27]
For on-screen geography and background art, the climactic battle in episodes 24–25 set in the Arbrau capital drew from extensive location reference ofEdmonton, Alberta. International press and anime outlets noted the recognizability of Edmonton landmarks in the final episodes’ layouts and backgrounds.[28][29][30]
The production also coincided with Sunrise’s push for broad day-and-date global access. On September 30, 2015, Bandai Namco’s official portal announced a near-simultaneous worldwide rollout, including streaming availability via DAISUKI, Gundam.Info, and regional platforms.[31] Industry coverage the same week reported availability in over 200 territories with multi-language support and platform partnerships acrossCrunchyroll,Hulu, and others as part of Sunrise’s distribution strategy.[32][33]
Japanese press also documented cast and staff perspectives during broadcast, including interviews with lead voice actorsKengo Kawanishi andYoshimasa Hosoya discussing the creative direction and tone set by Nagai and Okada, reflecting the team’s intent to balance youthful protagonists with the series’ harsher wartime setting.[34]
The series was first teased by Sunrise through a new teaser site for the series,[35] with a countdown to reveal the new main Mobile Suit on July 15, 2015.[36] As it was only referred to asG-Tekketsu, the details for the new lead Gundam was shown day by day until the full reveal at Sunrise and Bandai's press conference. Following the official unveiling of the series, Sunrise plans for a new wave of merchandise for the series, includingGunpla kits and video game tie-ins.[37] A second Promotional video was then revealed, confirming the voice actors for the series's main cast.[38] The series ran for 25 episodes.[39] During the end credits of episode 25, a second season was confirmed.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans premiered in Japan onMBS andTBS on October 4, 2015, Sunday at 5:00 pm, replacingThe Heroic Legend of Arslan on its initial timeslot.[40] It is the first Gundam series to return on the late afternoon schedule sinceMobile Suit Gundam AGE. Sunrise announced that the series would be streamed worldwide on YouTube via the Gundam.Info Channel,Funimation,Hulu,Crunchyroll, andDaisuki.[41][42]
On October 9, 2015, Sunrise announced at their panel atNew York Comic Con that the anime would get an English dub produced byBang Zoom! Entertainment.[43]Turner Broadcasting began airing the series onAdult Swim'sToonami programming block on June 5, 2016, with season 2 premiering on October 8, 2017.[44][45]
Following the conclusion of the anime's 25th episode, it was announced that a second season would premiere in the fall of 2016.[46] The anime concluded on April 2, 2017, with the second season's 25th episode, bringing the overall count to 50 episodes.[47]
The first season uses four pieces of theme music. The first opening theme is "Raise your flag" byMAN WITH A MISSION, and the ending theme is "Orphans no Namida" (オルフェンズの涙,Orufenzu no Namida) byMISIA.[48] The second opening theme, used from episode 14 onward, is "Survivor" by Blue Encount, while the ending theme is "Steel -Tekketsu no Kizuna-" (STEEL -鉄血の絆-) byTRUE.[49]
The second season also uses four theme songs. The first opening theme is "Rage of Dust" bySpyair, and the ending theme is "Shōnen no Hate" (少年の果て, lit. "The Ends of a Boy") byGranrodeo.[50] The second opening, from episode 39 onward, is "Fighter" byKana-Boon, while the ending theme is "Freesia" byUru.[51]
Bandai Visual released the first Blu-ray/DVD volume on December 24, 2015, containing a serial code forMobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs. Force to obtain the Gundam Barbatos.[52] In 2017, at Anime Expo,Funimation announced the series would be released on home video in partnership with Sunrise for North America, marking the first Gundam series co-licensed by a company other thanRight Stuf/Nozomi Entertainment.[53] Both seasons were later added toNetflix on November 5, 2019.[54]
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Special Edition (機動戦士ガンダム 鉄血のオルフェンズ 特別編 (Kidō Senshi Gandamu Tekketsu no Orufenzu Tokubetsu-hen)) is a 9-episode television compilation that re-edits portions of the original 50-episode series into a streamlined narrative. The edition premiered on April 5, 2022 on Tokyo MX and MBS, followed by a broadcast on BS11 on April 29, 2022.[55][56] The Special Edition is structured around the rise and fall of the child-soldier group Tekkadan, condensing multiple story arcs into thematic digest episodes.[57]
The Special Edition premiered in Japan on April 5, 2022 on MBS, TOKYO MX, and BS11, featuring a new opening animation set to the song “Blaze” by MAN WITH A MISSION.[58][59] It was not issued as a retail home-video title; instead, Bandai Namco Filmworks ran a present campaign in Japan offering a Blu-ray that contains the Special Edition to 30 winners via the smartphone gameMobile Suit Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans G, packaged with a newly illustrated jacket.[60]
A manga adaptation by Kazuma Isobe began serialization in the December issue ofGundam Ace on October 26, 2015.[61] A side story manga titledMobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Steel Moon (Japanese:機動戦士ガンダム 鉄血のオルフェンズ 月鋼,Hepburn:Kidō Senshi Gandamu Tekketsu no Orufenzu Gekkō) was serialized inGundam Ace from April 26, 2016, to March 26, 2018, and collected into four volumes.[62]
The soundtrack was composed by Masaru Yokoyama (Nobunaga The Fool,Freezing). The first season's opening theme, "Raise your flag," was performed byMan with a Mission,[63] while the ending theme "Orphans no Namida" was performed byMisia and co-written byShiro Sagisu. From episode 14 onwards, the opening theme is "Survivor" byBlue Encount, and the ending theme is "STEEL -Tekketsu no Kizuna-" (STEEL-鉄血の絆-,STEEL -tekketsu no kizuna-; "STEEL -Iron Blooded Bonds-") byTRUE.[64] Episode 19 featured "Senka no Tomoshibi" (戦火の灯火; "Lamplight of War") byYūko Suzuhana,[65] while "Orphans no Namida" returned in episode 21.
Season 2 featured "RAGE OF DUST" bySpyair as the second opening from episode 27, with "Shōnen no Hate" (少年の果て ("Childhood's End")) byGranrodeo as its ending.[66] From episode 39 onward, the themes switched to "Fighter" byKana-Boon (OP) and "Freesia" byUru (ED).[67]
The series’ main mobile suit (Barbatos, 1st form) first appeared in thePlayStation Vita gameMobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs. Force via a Blu-ray bonus code. Later forms of Barbatos, along with Gundam Gusion, Kimaris, and Astaroth, were added toGundam Breaker 3 as DLC.[68] Units fromIron-Blooded Orphans also appear inMobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs. Maxi Boost ON,Extreme Vs. 2, andExtreme Vs. 2 XBoost.
Merchandising for the series was linked toBandai'sGunpla line. Both High Grade and 1/100 scale kits of the Gundam Barbatos were unveiled during the 2015 press conference alongside the HG Graze. Later releases included the NXEDGE Style Barbatos and a Master Grade version launched in 2019. In 2024, a Master Grade SD version of Barbatos was released, followed in 2025 by a Master Grade kit of the Barbatos Lupus.[69]
An official spinoff game, titledMobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Urdr-Hunt (機動戦士ガンダム 鉄血のオルフェンズ ウルズハント,Kidō Senshi Gandamu Tekketsu no Orufenzu Uruzuhanto), was announced on January 7, 2019, foriOS andAndroid as part of Gundam’s 40th Anniversary.[70][71] Animated scenes were produced bySunrise Beyond, directed byTatsuyuki Nagai and written byHajime Kamoshida.[72]
Set between the first and second seasons ofIron-Blooded Orphans, the story follows Wistario Afam, a youth from the Radonitsa Colony in Venus’s sphere, as he enters the deadly “Urdr-Hunt,” a competition with hidden political stakes.[73]
Urdr-Hunt launched within theIron-Blooded Orphans G app on November 15, 2022, and service ended on January 11, 2024.[74] A theatrical compilation film,Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Urdr-Hunt – Path of the Little Challenger, was announced as part of theIron-Blooded Orphans’ 10th-anniversary projects during San Diego Comic-Con 2025, and premiered in Japan on October 31, 2025, with a limited North American release.[75]
The series premiere received generally positive reviews from critics.Anime News Network's Nick Creamer gave the first episode a 4 out of 5 stars, saying that "Iron-Blooded Orphans hits the ground running, establishing its world in the natural conversations of its many characters." He went on to note that "Mari Okada's an inconsistent writer, but definitely a talented one, and given the focus of a traditional Gundam-style opening, her gift for illustrating character shines through." Zac Bertschy gave the series a 4.5 for the first episode, writing that "Iron-Blooded Orphans has a lot of moving parts, but it's only deceptively complex; this episode starts out confusing (due to the relatively haphazard way they introduce all the various factions and the sizable cast) but as it goes on it all becomes very clear." He added that the premiere featured "instantly likable characters, desperate battles, a broad science fiction story about a colony struggling for independence, giant robots and even a Char-like smooth-talking pretty boy weirdo who's working with the bad guys; what's not to love?"[76]
Iron-Blooded Orphans also drew praise later in its run for its darker tone and character-driven drama. In his review of episodes 1–3, Jacob Hope Chapman of ANN highlighted the show’s willingness to tackle "morally murky politics and the brutal lives of child soldiers," comparing its tone toGundam Wing andVictory Gundam while crediting Mari Okada’s script for avoiding melodrama in favor of grounded interpersonal conflicts.[77] The series’ conclusion also received positive analysis, with Rebecca Silverman calling the finale "a devastating yet fitting end that underscores the futility of war while still granting its survivors hope for a new future."[78]
In terms of audience response, Japanese television ratings for the series averaged around 2–3% in theKantō region during its Sunday 5 p.m. broadcast slot, lower than earlier Gundam series but considered steady for the time period.[79] Despite modest ratings, home video and related merchandise performed strongly: the first Blu-ray volume, released in December 2015, sold over 7,000 copies in its debut week according to Oricon charts, and subsequent volumes maintained consistent sales.[80] Bandai Namco also credited the popularity of the Gundam Barbatos and other Gunpla kits with rejuvenating model kit sales among younger demographics during 2015–2016.[81] Internationally, the show benefited from its near-simultaneous streaming rollout: Crunchyroll ranked it among the top 10 most-watched simulcasts of Fall 2015,[82] and Gundam.info confirmed availability across more than 200 territories with multiple subtitle options.[83]
The series also drew controversy in Japan. The Broadcasting Ethics & Program Improvement Organization (BPO) received complaints regarding the harsh themes and depictions of child soldiers. In particular, Episode 3 depicted the protagonist Mikazuki gunning down surrendering enemy soldiers, which some viewers argued was inappropriate for a program that many children might be watching. The BPO stated: "If you want to broadcast such material, please provide some sort of age limit for viewers."[84]
Beyond the initial controversy, Japanese and international critics later highlighted the show’s lasting impact on the Gundam franchise. A 2021 Real Sound retrospective described it as "a socially conscious Gundam that directly tackled themes of poverty, exploitation, and systemic corruption, resonating with a younger generation disillusioned with institutions."[85] Crunchyroll News later called it "the Gundam series that broke the mold" for its willingness to push the boundaries of the franchise’s themes and target audience.[86]
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