1. GNW-003 Gundam Throne Drei

I’m was quite disappointed with much of the rival unit of Gundam 00. I loved the plot of the series since it reminded me of Gundam Wing. I loved the characters and their side stories. But as for the villain Gundams…let’s just say that it is a good thing they made them more menacing in the second season. Gundam Arche is good enough and Nena Trinity’s Throne Drei nailed it!

Though it is not as dark as the rest of the monster units here, it has V-fins mounted as devils horns. It goes well with the bizarre elongated head, and the hellish image was further defined when it fires its GN Stealth Field. All hell is unleashed when Nena is in the cockpit piloting this thing.

2. ASW-G-29 Gundam Astaroth Origin

It’s amazing what a darker shade of red will do. If only the Gundam Barbatos Lupus Rex ditched its parade colors, it would be one heck of a machine like this one. In its completed form, the Gundam Astaroth Origin looks demonic indeed. It doesn’t have gothic features like horns or batwings, but the shades of red do their job to demonize this monster.

The wing designs also work well with the overall aesthetics of this mean machine. What’s more, it also has those signature sharp facial features that gave it a glaring expression. It really deserves the hellish name Astaroth, the Great Duke of Hell.

3. GFAS-X1 Destroy Gundam

Back in the age of UC, we had the humongous Psycho Gundam and the Psycho Gundam MKII. Though an amazing and formidable mobile suit, they just look too generic for me. When scaled down to normal mobile suit size, they would just resemble a regular Gundam in a black color scheme. The Gundam Astratoth Origin looks more imposing compared to these walking karaokes. But decades later, Gundam SEED Destiny did it right! We have several potential candidates in the SEED series, but nothing compares to the Destroy Gundam.

It is big, black, and scary. It even transforms into this bipedal monstrosity that belongs in the War of the Worlds novel. The pilot is the disturbed hottie, Stella Loussier (Shinn Asuka’s frustrated love interest). Too bad this machine became a jobber for faster and more nimble Gundams like the Destiny. Nevertheless, something black and hulking without looking boxy will scare a lot of people.

4. ASW-G-47 Gundam Vual

What would happen if you painted the Gundam Astaroth Origin black? The already badass mobile suit will become more badass. The Gundam Vual is a modified Gundam Astaroth Origin, with different arms and equipment. It doesn’t have the bulk of the Destroy Gundam, but it doesn’t need to get huge to bring out the dark side.

If the black scheme is not enough, they gave it this horn thingy which further enhances the demonic features. When seen in some angles, it resembles a mythical goblin. What’s more, it carries a large mining hammer and a glaive.

5. GF13-001NHII Master Gundam

We know how goofy G Gundam suits could be. They will basically turn anything into a Gundam, from a windmill to a bell. And who could forget the horrendous mermaid thingy they came up with? That’s why my jaw dropped when I first saw the Master Gundam gliding above the Shining Gundam. I mean, I was expecting something like a villain from a Super Robot series, not a cool and badass creature of the night.

It's got horn-like protrusions, clawed hands, wings that fold into a cape, and a dark color scheme (red and black). And with Master Asia inside the cockpit, it proved to be a worthy opponent. It’s a credible threat to the martial artist Domon Kasshu. Now this is a villain!

6. Gundam Virsago/Virsago Chest Break

I always thought that the Gundam X series was an underrated anime. The world was still recovering from the euphoria of Gundam Wing, and fans wanted to see more of the space battles. The lack of orbital duels might disappoint most fans, but that doesn’t mean that the Gundam X series was a bad anime. The mobile suit designs are not bad either. The striking lead Gundam (Gundam X and Double X) contrasted greatly with the wicked rival mobile suit, the Gundam Virgsago and the Virsago Chest Break.

Unlike the almost angelic protagonist unit, these machines follow the standards set by the Master Gundam. Red and black coloration became a statement for them, and it was now coupled with a darker face. Sharp edged armour also added to the menacing look. And as an added bonus, they sported black wings, extending arms, and a morphing torso in the case of the Virsago Chest Break. The Mega Sonic Cannon exposed some raised wings, making the Virsago Chest Break a nightmarish sight.

7. OZ-13MS Gundam Epyon

The Gundam Wing series always has a special place in the hearts of 90s kids like me. The image of Heero Yuy in his Wing Zero is a sweet memory to recall. But he was never as badass as the Gundam Epyon descending with a sword and heat rod.

It serves as the perfect foil to the highly colourful and angelic Wing Zero. Instead of bright schemes, it has one of the most subdued colorations in the Wing series with maroon. The blood color coupled with grey and black worked well with the spiky armour. It really oozes with evil, especially when it transforms into a two-headed dragon. The Gundam Epyon reminds me of a Magic Knight Rayearth mecha, a gothic mecha in fact.

8. XXXG-01D2 Gundam Deathscythe Hell

And speaking of gothic, nothing compares to the darkest Gundam there is. The Gundam Deathscythe Hell is the stuff of heavy metal music and horror fiction. This is what Count Dracula would pilot and there are two flavours to choose from.

One is the nostalgic TV version which has ribcage armor and batwings that fold into an active cloak. It carries an awesome rocket-powered Beam Scissors (twin-bladed scythe). For a ranged weapon, it has a coffin-shaped buster shield in the left arm. Cool, huh? The other one, the Endless Waltz version, only has a single-bladed beam scythe, but the large batwings and lack of bright colours will remind you of the reaper. Frankly, this suit is my personal favourite. You know you will get something dark and wicked at first glance. The Gundam Deathscythe Hell is the true creature of the night in the Gundam world. And to add up to the creepiness, the hyper jammer and active cloak will make this Gundam invisible.