Principality of Zeon Mobile Suit
MS-05 Zaku I

MS-05

Historical Notes

"I can't count the number of battles I've been through with this Zaku! I'll show him the difference between my machine and some slapped-together toy!" - Gadem

Introduced in UC 0075, the MS-05 Zaku I was the Principality of Zeon's first true mass-production model mobile suit. Although designed as a front line combat unit, the Zaku I was soon replaced by the improved MS-06 Zaku II and would be replaced as the mainstay of Zeon's mobile suit forces. Early during the One Year War of UC 0079, most Zaku I's were relegated to menial construction and supply duties, although a few did continue to serve in combat roles. During the war's opening days, Zaku Is were also used in other combat-related work roles, such gassing of colony populations, attaching booster engines to space colonies to hurtle them towards Earth, and so on. It wasn't until the last months of the war that Zeon, desparate after facing losses in Operation Odessa and Operation Star One, would move the old Zaku I's back to the front lines to reinforce their faltering main forces.

MS-05A

Historical Notes

This is a variant of the classic MS-05 Zaku I, Zeon's first mass-produced combat mobile suit, which has been modified for better performance under Earth's gravity. When the Midnight Fenrir corps is transferred to the Central Asian front in October, UC 0079, Sergeant Matt Austin begins using this version of the Zaku I, and is soon joined by Sergeant Major Lee Swagar and Sergeant Manning. As its colors and details are almost identical to those of the MS-05A1 Zaku I used by Topp in The 08th MS Team, it's possible that this version of the Zaku I is simply a local variant used by Zeon's Asian forces.

MS-05(S)

Historical Notes

While Zeon's main Earth invasion didn't begin until March of UC 0079, a handful of special forces were quietly sent to Earth in the war's first week as part of Operation British. Their assignment was to destroy the Federation air-defense bases that might otherwise attack the falling space colony. One such base was located in New Guinea, directly under the colony's planned course, and among the commandos sent to destroy it was Major Gerhart Schmeisser. However, Gerhart's customized MS-05 Zaku I was caught in the explosion of a booby-trapped railgun installation, and he was seriously injured. Now unable to return to combat, Gerhart devoted himself to the study of mobile suit tactics, and with the approval of Major General Kycilia Zabi he organized an elite special forces team to test new techniques and equipment in the battlefield. Thus was born the "Midnight Fenrir" corps.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: It is interesting to note that the MS-05C Zaku I bears a striking resemblance to Gavane Goonny's Custom MS-06 Borjarnon Due to some technical differences, we surmise that Captain Gavane's Borjarnon is actually a remanufactured Zaku I designed to test Zaku II components, this variant saw limited Production and was manufactured by Zionic at Side 2 through out the war. From the test data gathered, the Zaku FZ "Kai" variant was produced later in the war.)