Kikeroga — Complete Guide | The Phantom Newtype MA Revived After 45 Years

What Is the Kikeroga? — When a 45-Year Phantom Became the Strongest Thing on Screen

In 1979, Yoshiyuki Tomino wrote a complete 52-episode synopsis for the original Mobile Suit Gundam. This planning document, later known as the “Tomino Memo,” contained a single name with a single annotation — Kikeroga: “a Braw-Bro-type mecha.” No design. No specifications. Nothing else.

When the series was cut from 52 to 43 episodes, the Kikeroga never appeared. While other “phantom machines” from the Tomino Memo received designs and specifications through the 1984 MS-X model kit project, the Kikeroga was left behind — the only machine from Tomino’s original notes that remained nothing more than a name for 45 years.

In 2025, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Episode 5, Sharia Bull quietly spoke the name. Across social media, longtime Gundam fans erupted: “They’re actually animating it.” The 45-year silence was finally broken.

Then came Episode 7. The Kikeroga destroyed both a Hambrabi and a Psycho Gundam in approximately one minute. The phantom had become the most powerful thing in the show.

MAN-03 Kikeroga — Specifications

The Braw Bro Connection — Same Model Number, Different War

What “MAN-03” Means

The Kikeroga carries the designation MAN-03 — the exact same model number as the Braw Bro from the original Mobile Suit Gundam Episode 39. This is deliberate. The Kikeroga is the Braw Bro’s post-war rebuild — the same machine, reborn after surviving the One Year War.

The external appearance retains the Braw Bro’s distinctive profile, but the Kikeroga is roughly half the size, converted to single-seat operation, and — most significantly — equipped with an MS transformation mechanism added during post-war retrofitting.

The Original Braw Bro — Flanagan Institute’s First Weapon

The Braw Bro was the first practical Newtype-use mobile armor developed by the Flanagan Institute. Two prototypes were built. Sharia Bull piloted Unit 2, wielding four wire-guided Mega Particle Cannons to engage the White Base team near the Corregidor Shoal Zone.

He drove Kai Shiden’s Guncannon into retreat and fought Amuro’s Gundam to a near-standstill — but Amuro’s fully awakened Newtype abilities ultimately prevailed. The Braw Bro was destroyed. Sharia Bull died without time to eject. In the original series.

In GQuuuuuuX’s timeline, Sharia Bull survived the One Year War. And so did his machine.

Zeon’s Newtype Weapon Lineage

The Flanagan Institute developed Psycommu weapons along three parallel tracks:

• MA Track: Braw Bro (MAN-03) → Kikeroga (post-war rebuild)
• Bit Track: Elmeth (MAN-08) → perfecting wireless all-range attacks
• MS Track: Psycommu Test Zaku → Zeong (MSN-02)

The Kikeroga sits upstream of the Zeong in this lineage. The Braw Bro’s Psycommu — sometimes called the “zeroth-generation Psycommu” — was the most primitive version of the system. Combat data from the Kikeroga fed directly into the Zeong’s development, making it the grandfather of Zeon’s ultimate Newtype weapon.

Weapons — Six Mega Particle Cannons on Wires

All-Range Attack — How the “Gray Ghost” Fights

The Kikeroga’s primary armament is its wire-guided Mega Particle Cannons, controlled via the Psycommu system. Four turrets remain connected to the main body by cables that extend up to several hundred meters, enabling devastating all-range attacks from every direction simultaneously.

The wire-guided system has a key advantage over the Elmeth’s wireless bits: the turrets receive direct energy from the main body, enabling exceptionally high beam output and rapid-fire capability. Powerful enough to burn through anti-beam coated armor — a level of firepower only possible because of the direct power feed.

When retracted, the turrets function as conventional rotating gun platforms, allowing precise angle adjustments even at close range. Long-range all-range attack or close-range turret fire — the system is effective at every distance.

When Sharia Bull commands this weapon system, the gray MA glides elegantly through space while four turrets dance around it as if possessed by independent wills, raining beams from every direction. The Federation called him the “Gray Ghost” — a name born from the Kikeroga’s gray hull and the vanishing-act combat style of a pilot whose attacks came from everywhere and nowhere.

MS Mode Weapon Layout

When transformed to MS mode, the weapons become extensions of the body:

• Palms: Twin Mega Particle Cannons — the same lineage as the Zeong’s palm-mounted beams
• Feet: Single Mega Particle Cannons
• Handheld: Zaku Bazooka (confirmed via Robot Spirits accessories)

Notably, the MS form has no manipulator hands — the palms themselves are gun barrels. The ability to “grip” was sacrificed entirely in favor of firepower.

Transformation — An MS Hidden Inside a Mobile Armor

Why It Transforms

During the One Year War, the Kikeroga (as the Braw Bro) operated exclusively as a mobile armor. After the war, it underwent extensive internal retrofitting to add MS transformation capability for “tactical versatility.”

MA to MS — “Something Came Out of It”

The transformation process is startling. The MA’s outer shell shifts entirely to the back, and an extremely slender humanoid frame unfolds from within. When Episode 7 first showed this on screen, viewer reactions ranged from shock to disbelief.

When the official design sheets were posted on X, the fan community split. “Too skinny.” “Surreal.” “Can this thing actually fight?” — but also: “It’s cool in its own way” and “the Evangelion-like slenderness works.” TikTok videos of the transformation in slow motion went viral, revealing how the wire turrets convert into the legs — a mechanical detail that gave fans a satisfying sense of internal logic.

The scene where MS-mode Kikeroga cradles GQuuuuuuX (Amate) in its arms became known as the “princess carry” — a moment so visually absurd that ABEMA’s official news ran an article titled “Is this a princess carry?” It became a meme.

Why MS Mode Exists

The MA form appears dominant at every range, but MS mode serves clear tactical purposes:

• Point-blank angle adjustment: When all-range attacks are ineffective at ultra-close range, MS mode allows the palm and foot cannons to aim directly (demonstrated in Episode 11)
• Melee combat: Used effectively in the duel against Guard Captain Exabe’s Gyan — at MS-scale close combat, humanoid mobility wins
• Colony interiors: The 32m MA form can’t maneuver in tight spaces; the slender MS form can

The fragile-looking MS form isn’t a weakness — it’s a trump card for situations the MA can’t handle.

Pilot: Sharia Bull — The Man They Called “The Gray Ghost”

Profile

A Newtype Forged by Jupiter

Sharia Bull served as fleet commander on Jupiter’s helium-3 harvesting missions. In the harsh void far from the Sun, his Newtype abilities awakened naturally. The Flanagan Institute confirmed his exceptional aptitude, and his potential was remarkable enough that Giren Zabi granted him a personal audience.

Voice actor Shinji Kawada described his approach: “I played him as spiritually very stable, a calm character.” Indeed, Sharia’s strength comes not from aggression but from profound inner equilibrium — the most psychologically centered Newtype in all of Gundam.

Sharia Bull’s Most Notable Lines

“About this ‘Newtype’ business — I’m just a man with good instincts.” (His introduction, modestly deflecting his own abilities)

“The war ended, but the Colonel vanished with Solomon’s light.” (On Char’s disappearance — the poetic phrase “Solomon’s light” revealing Sharia’s thoughtful nature)

“I simply want to build a world where Newtypes can live as Newtypes.” (His core belief — not war, but coexistence)

The Bond with Char — The Red Comet’s Other Wing

During the One Year War, Sharia Bull served as Char Aznable’s Mav (paired wingman). The trust between them ran deep enough that Char chose Sharia as his confidant. Sharia himself admired what he lacked — Char’s ability to “navigate situations with a blend of hardness and flexibility.”

After Char vanished following the Xenovah incident, Sharia carried on Char’s will, working toward Newtype liberation on his own. While ostensibly guarding Kycilia, he was secretly plotting to eliminate both Kycilia and Giren Zabi — creating a power vacuum that might allow a new order where Newtypes could live freely. Fan theories about “Sharia Bull’s true agenda” have been a major discussion topic since Episode 7.

The Critical Difference from Original Gundam

In the original Mobile Suit Gundam Episode 39, Sharia Bull pilots the Braw Bro against Amuro and is killed in action. The tragedy deepens when it’s implied that Char may have knowingly sent Sharia to his death — reasoning that dying with honor in battle was preferable to being used as one of Giren’s pawns.

In GQuuuuuuX, Sharia Bull survives. He carries his bond with Char into the post-war world and pursues his own ideals across the entire series. A character who appeared in only two episodes of the original has been reimagined as a central figure across all 12 episodes of GQuuuuuuX. The production team called him their “Best Boy.”

Combat Ability — Why He’s Called “GQuuuuuuX’s Strongest”

GQuuuuuuX depicts Sharia Bull as arguably the most powerful pilot in the series:

• Episode 7: Solo-destroys both the Hambrabi and Psycho Gundam in approximately one minute
• Episode 11: Instantly dispatches multiple Gyan units from Kycilia’s Royal Guard
• Episode 11: Defeats Guard Captain Exabe’s Gyan in single combat
• Accomplishes all of this in a One Year War-era machine against Zeta Gundam-generation opponents

Fans consistently rank Sharia Bull as “the strongest character in GQuuuuuuX” and “Zeon’s most powerful Newtype.” The reason a decades-old mobile armor can annihilate next-generation machines isn’t the Kikeroga’s specs. It’s the overwhelming Newtype ability of the man inside it.

Story Role — All Episode Appearances

Episode 7 “Machu’s Rebellion” — One Minute That Broke 45 Years of Silence

This battle is the most talked-about scene in all of GQuuuuuuX.

A Federation covert unit disguised as the “Amarakamara Trading Company” invades Izma Colony with a Psycho Gundam (piloted by Dou Murasame) and a Hambrabi (piloted by Gates Capa) to assassinate Kycilia Zabi. While Xabier deploys in a modified Jan with Hakuji equipment for defense, Sharia Bull sorties alone in the Kikeroga.

The Kikeroga glides through space in MA mode, its four wire turrets extending outward like tendrils of a predator — and obliterates Gates’ Hambrabi in a single strike. Turning on Dou’s Psycho Gundam, Sharia evades its attacks while his all-range fire converges from every direction, destroying it as well.

Two next-generation machines — the Hambrabi, a cutting-edge Zeta-era transformable MS, and the Psycho Gundam, a massive Newtype-use unit — destroyed in approximately one minute by a retrofitted One Year War-era mobile armor. The generational gap between machines was rendered meaningless by the skill gap between pilots.

After broadcast, “Sharia Bull” and “Kikeroga” trended across Japanese social media. Both Dou and Gates were killed in action, and their high-performance machines served as measuring sticks — proof of just how far beyond normal combat Sharia Bull and his Kikeroga operate.

Design History — From “Tomino Memo” to Reality, 45 Years Later

What the Tomino Memo Actually Was

The “Tomino Memo” is a complete 52-episode synopsis written by Yoshiyuki Tomino during the planning phase of the original Mobile Suit Gundam. It was published in 1980 in the Mobile Suit Gundam Complete Record Collection Vol. 5.

The actual broadcast was cut from 52 to 43 episodes due to low ratings — the famous “cancellation.” This meant every episode planned beyond Episode 37 was never produced.

The Original Plan — Char’s Machine

In the Tomino Memo, the Kikeroga was designated as Char’s personal machine. It was scheduled to appear in Episode 42, “The Road to Granada,” where Char would pilot it alongside Lalah’s Elmeth to confront the White Base team’s assault on Granada.

The only annotation: “a Braw-Bro-type mecha.” No design. No weapons. No specifications. A name and nothing more, left untouched for 45 years.

Why the Kikeroga Alone Remained a Phantom

Other machines from the Tomino Memo — Char’s Gyan, the Gigan, and others — received designs and specifications through the 1984 MS-X model kit project. But the Kikeroga was never included in MS-X. No one drew it. No one wrote specs for it. While every other phantom machine gained a form, the Kikeroga remained the only one that was still just a name — a distinction that made its 2025 revival all the more dramatic.

Ikuto Yamashita’s Design Approach

Ikuto Yamashita, who handles all of GQuuuuuuX’s mechanical design, is best known for his work on Neon Genesis Evangelion. His philosophy: “Express things beyond performance through form.“

On the Kikeroga, Yamashita explained:

“We didn’t know what it actually looked like, so it’s entirely original.”
“I made it like a mashup of the Zeong, the Braw Bro, and the Gelgoog.”

The MA form retains the Braw Bro’s silhouette, while the MS form was reverse-engineered from the premise that “transformation was added in post-war modifications.” The result — an MS hidden inside an MA — perfectly embodies Yamashita’s philosophy of using form to tell stories beyond mere performance.

GQuuuuuuX is a joint production between Studio Khara (the studio behind Evangelion) and Sunrise, making Yamashita’s involvement a natural extension of this creative partnership — and perhaps the most significant crossover in mecha design history.

Cultural Impact — What the “Strongest Phantom” Left Behind

The Shock of “45 Years as Just a Name”

The Kikeroga’s revival isn’t simple nostalgia mining. Giving form to a name that no one designed for 45 years was, for the Gundam fan community, a genuinely historic event. The social media eruption when Sharia Bull first spoke the name in Episode 5 — “They’re actually doing it!” “The name hasn’t been spoken in anime for 45 years!” — testified to the moment’s weight.

“GQuuuuuuX’s Strongest” Discourse

After Episode 7’s one-minute annihilation of two next-generation machines, the consensus solidified: the Kikeroga is the strongest machine in GQuuuuuuX, and Sharia Bull is the strongest character. Technically, “the pilot is strong, not the machine” — but since the Sharia-Kikeroga combination never lost a single engagement in the entire series, the distinction hardly matters to fans.

The “Too Skinny” Controversy

When the MS-form design sheets were published, the fan community divided sharply. “It can’t possibly fight.” “Way too gaunt.” versus “It’s cool in its own way” and “The Evangelion-like slenderness works.” Togetter roundup articles compiled the debate. TikTok slow-motion transformation videos went viral, revealing the mechanical logic of turret-to-leg conversion and shifting the discourse toward appreciation.

The “Princess Carry” Meme

MS-mode Kikeroga cradling GQuuuuuuX (Amate) in its arms became a meme when ABEMA’s official news ran an article asking “Is this a princess carry?” The visual absurdity of a 35m combat machine gently holding another in a bridal carry resonated far beyond the Gundam fandom.

The Production Team’s “Best Boy”

Sharia Bull was called “Best Boy” by the GQuuuuuuX production staff — an extraordinary designation for a character who appeared in only two episodes of the original 1979 series. His reimagining as a central figure across all 12 episodes stands as one of GQuuuuuuX’s most successful character revivals.

Merchandise

Robot Spirits <SIDE MS> Kikeroga

Unveiled at TAMASHII NATION 2025, the official announcement read: “That’s — the Gray Ghost! The Kikeroga is finally being made into a completed figure.” The transformation mechanism demo drew particular attention.

The included Zaku Bazooka can be paired with the separately sold METAL ROBOT Spirits “Red Gundam” to recreate the final battle scene. The 35,200-yen price point has been generally accepted as fair given the transformation gimmick, die-cast components, metal display rod, and the sheer 275mm scale.

As of March 2026, no HG Gunpla kit has been announced. The Robot Spirits release at this premium price point signals strong commercial confidence in the Kikeroga’s popularity.

Related Articles

• Hambrabi — Complete Guide: The machine destroyed by the Kikeroga in approximately one minute in Episode 7.
• Psycho Gundam — Complete Guide: The other machine destroyed in Episode 7’s devastating one-minute sequence.
• GQuuuuuuX — Complete Mobile Suit Guide: The ultimate evolution of the RX-78 line — and the machine the Kikeroga gave a “princess carry.”
• Gyan — Complete Guide: Kycilia’s Guard machines, destroyed by the Kikeroga in Episode 11.
• Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX — Complete Series Guide: Full series guide.

Sources

• Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX TV series, Sunrise / Studio Khara, 2025
• Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning- theatrical preview
• Mobile Suit Gundam TV series, Nippon Sunrise, 1979–1980
• Mobile Suit Gundam Complete Record Collection Vol. 5 (Tomino Memo)
• Official GQuuuuuuX website (gquuuuuux-gundam.net)
• Monthly Gundam Ace, November 2025
• Ikuto Yamashita interview (Hobby Japan)
• Bandai Spirits Robot Spirits official site / TAMASHII NATION 2025
• GUNDAM.INFO / Gundam Wiki
• pixiv Encyclopedia

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