Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom (Japanese: 機動戦士ガンダムSEED(シード) FREEDOM(フリーダム), Hepburn: Kidō Senshi Gandamu Shīdo Furīdamu) is a 2024 Japanese animated military science fiction action film produced by Sunrise and directed by Mitsuo Fukuda. The film is a sequel to both Mobile Suit Gundam SEED and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny, taking place one year after the events of SEED Destiny. The film features the talents of Sōichirō Hoshi, Rie Tanaka, Akira Ishida, Nanako Mori, Kenichi Suzumura, and Maaya Sakamoto, among others. In 75 C.E., the battle was still on. Independence movements, invasion by Blue Cosmos. In order to calm down the situation, a world peace monitoring organization, Compass, is established with Lacus Clyne as the first president. Soldiers involving Kira Yamato and his friends join the Compass and intervene in battles in various places as members. At that time, the Emerging Countries Foundation proposed a joint operation with Compass against Blue Cosmos headquarters.

The film had been in development since 2006, with production postponed for years in part due to head writer Chiaki Morosawa’s health; the project later advanced and the film was released on January 26, 2024. Director Mitsuo Fukuda has described production challenges around animating large-scale mecha action with extensive CGI and the volume of mobile suits and battleships involved, while also expanding on Kira’s story alongside Shinn Asuka and Athrun Zala. Besides English screenings, the film was later made available on Netflix as part of its streaming rollout. An expanded version titled a “Special Edition” (tokubetsuban) was also released in theaters with over 500 updated cuts and added epilogue footage in two limited runs (September 20–October 3 and November 1–14, 2024).

The film grossed over ¥5 billion in Japan (¥5.049 billion) with more than 3 million admissions, becoming the highest-grossing film in the Gundam franchise. Critical response has been generally positive, with reviewers praising the romance element—especially Kira and Lacus—alongside the animation, music, and large-scale battles, while criticising the sexualization of female characters.

A prequel titled Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom ZERO was announced in November 2024.