REVIEW: ‘Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury,’ Episode 20 — “The End of Hope”

After last episode’s twist of an ending that let all hell break lose, The Witch From Mercury Episode 20 wastes no time piling on the action and the hurt. Earth is burning and Shaddiq Zenelli’s role in things has finally been uncovered by Guel Jeturk who is heading to confront Shaddiq and hold him accountable. Suletta Mercury is still on the sidelines at Asticassia, but will she be forced to re-enter the fray?

The fallout from Prospera Mercury’s attack on Earth has immense ramifications all across the solar system, but The Witch From Mercury Episode 20 starts by showing how it affects Miorine Rembran first. As she watches Earth on fire, she is wrestling with feeling responsible. After all, her GUND-ARM company was supposed to exist purely to provide medical supplies and instead was used to cause massive death and devastation.

Suletta and her friends are facing similar thoughts at school, bombarded with messages blaming Miorine for what happened. It is pretty obvious that they are devastated by what happened, but what more could they have done to prevent it? In reality, it is a situation where they could not have known what was going to happen, but they are still going to be held responsible.

The real culprit behind a lot of what happened, outside of Prospera, is Shaddiq. Guel is outraged when he learns about Shaddiq’s machinations and heads straight after him back at Asticassia. Shaddiq is in the process of evacuating his adopted father Sarius Zenelli, the CEO of Grassley Defense Systems, when Guel and Kananji Avery make contact with them. Kananji tries a more diplomatic route while Guel, now reunited with his mobile suit Darilbalde thanks to Lauda Neill, wants to head straight into a fight. It makes sense Guel would be guided by his emotions more than rational thought, given all he has seen this season.

He has seen the devastation firsthand, whether it be on Earth or through the death of his father, and in a sense he is almost entirely broken. His fight with Shaddiq is as unhinged as the two of them are personally. Supported by an immaculate score, their mobile suit space battle features some of the best animation Sunrise has shown in this series. The stakes are incredibly high, which makes their no-holds-barred battle even more breathtaking. It is not just stunning visually, though. The psychological battle that takes place between Guel and Shaddiq is equally as harrowing. It ends almost as suddenly as it starts in such a rewarding way too, something not every mech battle is able to pull off.

While all of that is going on, chaos reigns on the surface at Asticassia. Nika Nanaura, Norea Du Noc, and Elan #5 are freed from their captivity on Shaddiq’s orders and Norea heads straight for her own Gundam Lfrith Thorn. She is so full of rage that she and her Gundvolvas unleash their full strength on the school, causing immediate devastation. It poses a severe risk to her life, something Elan #5 brings up to try to stop her, but she is so infuriated that she refuses to back down. Kenanji comes to the rescue of the destroyed Earth House dorms, but can’t do it on his own.

The battle on the surface gives an opportunity for ChuChu Panlunch to show what she is made of. Reunited with Nika, who just so happens to show up at the exact right moment, she joins the fray in the Demi-Barding suit. She has always been an interesting character, vocally hotheaded and anti-Spacian, but the fact that she doesn’t hesitate when needed shows she understands her role in defending the defenseless. It is such a neat moment to see her dive straight in to help despite her feelings and past experiences.

Suletta has her own role to play too, even if she is not directly involved in the fight. She may not have Aerial anymore, but that doesn’t stop her from doing anything to help as well. She is seen rescuing injured classmates alongside Petra Itta. The two had been at odds earlier in the series, so seeing them working together is heartwarming and heartbreaking as the battle resolves.

Still, despite the tragedy all around her, Suletta is seen digging through the rubble on her own while her friends look on. They do ultimately join her, drawn in by her determination to get to work in order to help even if it seems pointless. I know Suletta is going to step back into a larger role, so seeing her lead by example here was great.

The Witch From Mercury Episode 20 is full of brutal action and equally brutal emotional moments that have become staples of the Gundam franchise. Guel has his moment to shine, backed by an incredible musical score, and Suletta is primed to play a larger role as the tale winds to an end. The pain of Suletta and her friends as they fight for what is right is palpable, something The Witch From Mercury Episode 20 does a perfect job of showcasing.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury Episode 20 is available to stream on Crunchyroll. New episodes premiere on Sundays.