When it comes to modern Mobile Suit Gundam, few composers have defined the soundscape quite like Hiroyuki Sawano. Bursting onto the scene with Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn, his bombastic orchestral scores and electronic-infused vocal tracks—often featuring his signature "Sawano Drop"—have become inseparable from the Universal Century's latest chapters.
From the emotional swells of "A LETTER" to the high-octane energy of "Vigilante," Sawano's vocal projects (often under the moniker SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]) are a genre of their own.
Below is the consolidated master list of every vocal song produced by Hiroyuki Sawano for the Gundam franchise, spanning the original OVAs, TV broadcasts, theatrical releases, and special projects.
1. The Beginning of a New Era: Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn (OVA)
The 7-episode OVA series where it all began. Unlike traditional anime productions, Sawano's score played a central storytelling role, often replacing dialogue entirely during key sequences.
Note: For the first five episodes, the ending themes were produced by other artists. Sawano took over ending duties starting with Episode 6.
| Episode | Song Title | Vocalist | Type | Usage / Scene |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ep 1 | A LETTER | Cyua | Insert | Banagher catches Audrey in the colony. |
| Ep 1 | Licht Meer | Yumiko Inoue | Insert | Cardeas Vist flashback / Clinic scene. |
| Ep 2 | Sternengesang | Cyua | Insert | Sinanju vs. Kshatriya battle. |
| Ep 3 | EGO | Mika Kobayashi | Insert | Unicorn vs. Sinanju / Palau battle. |
| Ep 4 | REMIND YOU | Mika Kobayashi | Insert | Diner conversation / Desert trek. |
| Ep 5 | (EGO) | Mika Kobayashi | Insert | Reprise: Banshee attacks. |
| Ep 5 | (Sternengesang) | Cyua | Insert | Reprise: Garuda battle. |
| Ep 6 | RE:I AM | Aimer | Ending | First Sawano Ending Theme. |
| Ep 6 | (A LETTER) | Cyua | Insert | Reprise: Banagher and Zinnerman dialogue. |
| Ep 6 | (EGO) | Mika Kobayashi | Insert | Reprise: General Revil fleet attack. |
| Ep 7 | StarRingChild | Aimer | Ending | Final Ending Theme. |
| Ep 7 | RE:I AM | Aimer | Insert | Climax (Banagher & Riddhe vs Colony Laser). |
| Ep 7 | Begin | Aimee Blackschleger | Insert | Syam Vist's "100 Year Curse" monologue. |
| Ep 7 | RE:I AM MARIE | Aimer | Insert | OST Vol 4 Exclusive (Acoustic arrangement). |
2. The TV Re-Edit: Gundam Unicorn RE:0096
In 2016, the OVA was recut into a television series. For this release, Sawano produced three new tracks under his SawanoHiroyuki[nZk] project, bringing a more rock-heavy, OP/ED style to the series.
| Song Title | Vocalist | Type | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Into the Sky | Tielle | Opening | TV Series Opening Theme. |
| Next 2 U -eUC- | naNami | Ending 1 | TV Ending (First Cour). |
| bL∞dy f8 -eUC- | Aimer | Ending 2 | TV Ending (Second Cour). |
| BEYOND THE TIME | Aimer | Bonus | Cover of TM Network (Char's Counterattack). |
3. The UC NexT 0100 Project: Narrative & Hathaway
Sawano continued to score the sequels that followed Unicorn, evolving his sound to fit the darker, more mature tones of Narrative and Hathaway.
Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative (NT) (2018)
| Song Title | Vocalist | Type | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| narrative | LiSA | Main Theme | Movie Main Theme / Ending. |
| Vigilante | mpi & Gemie | Insert | Climax Battle Insert Song. |
| Cage <NTv> | Tielle | Ending | Special edit used in theatrical screenings. |
Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway (2021)
| Song Title | Vocalist | Type | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Möbius | mpi, Laco & Benjamin | Opening | Movie Opening Theme. |
| TRACER | Benjamin | Insert | Davao City battle / Messer flight scene. |
4. Special Projects: Albums & Statues
Beyond the screen, Sawano has produced concept albums and music for the real-life Gundam statues in Tokyo, further cementing his legacy.
The "UnChild" Album (2014)
A collaboration masterpiece: SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]:Aimer. This album features English rearrangements of classic Unicorn tracks and original image songs.
| Song Title | Vocalist | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Destiny | Aimer | Original [nZk] Image Song. |
| But still... | Aimer | Original [nZk] Image Song. |
| Just say good bye | Aimer | Original [nZk] Image Song. |
| Because we are tiny in this world | Aimer | Original [nZk] Image Song. |
| Next 2 U | Aimer | Original version (pre-TV edit). |
| bL∞dy f8 | Aimer | Original version (pre-TV edit). |
| A LETTER -English ver.- | Aimer | Cover of Cyua's Ep 1 Insert. |
| EGO -English ver.- | Aimer | Cover of Mika Kobayashi's Ep 3 Insert. |
| REMIND YOU -English ver.- | Aimer | Cover of Mika Kobayashi's Ep 4 Insert. |
| StarRingChild -English ver.- | Aimer | English version of Ep 7 Ending. |
| RE:I AM -English ver.- | Aimer | English version of Ep 6 Ending. |
Odaiba Gundam Statue
| Song Title | Vocalist | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Cage | Tielle | Theme for the Life-Size Unicorn Gundam Statue. |
Whether it's the heartbreaking melody of A LETTER or the synth-heavy beats of TRACER, Hiroyuki Sawano's music has become the heartbeat of the modern Universal Century.
