<p><a href="http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Simplicity-key-to-successful-design-30259167.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">According to Kunio Okawara</a>, the mecha designer for the series:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>"I also put the form of the <a href="http://haircutpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Chonmage" rel="nofollow noreferrer">chonmage</a>, which is a form of Japanese traditional haircut worn by men, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabuto" rel="nofollow noreferrer">kabuto</a>, which is a type of helmet first used by ancient Japanese warriors, into the design of Gundam. They are my inspirations that are concealed behind the creation of Gundam."</p>
</blockquote>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/tD2MCm.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/tD2MCm.jpg" alt="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Helmet_(kabuto),_Edo_period,_mid-18th_century,_repouss%C3%A9_iron.JPG"></a>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/uy7JNm.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/uy7JNm.jpg" alt="chonmage"></a></p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/sdkNY.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/sdkNY.jpg" alt="RX-78-2 Head"></a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-29T02:21:34.293Z
2016-03-29T02:21:34.293Z
кяαzєя
<p>the gundam head design is supposed to be a homage to samurai helmets: designed to intimidate opponents (which is why a lot of characters get scared seeing a gundam head). </p>

<p>prettymuch all gundam head designs have a V shaped antenna on the forhead (barring the turn A gundam, which reminds me of world war 1 german nobility/soldier); two vents on the moutpiece (barring zeta, exia, 00 Qan[t] and a few others); generally have white as the main colour, a red/black small beard, blue/green/yellow eyes, and a square element atop the head
quite bizzarely a lot of japanese car designers pay homage to gundam for their car design</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-03-28T21:51:22.060Z
2016-03-28T21:51:22.060Z
HeavyBlader
<p>As I watch the shows I am constantly noticing the patterns in the head designs of the mobile suits.</p>

<p>Any true Gundam, or otherwise important mech, will always have two eyes and usually the V horns.
Any generic suit, or one belonging to a more shallow villain, will only have one eye.</p>

<p>Is this any kind of cultural reference?</p>

<p>EDIT</p>

<p>In Unicorn characters say that a mech becomes a Gundam when the horn opens into a V.  As if the V horns are something very specific.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-31T07:09:20.380Z
This question is a bit broad. What are you basing this off of? Certain series might share a mech designer.
кяαzєя
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-31T07:51:08.417Z
looking at the gundams [here](https://i.sstatic.net/iwBei.jpg) seem very similar to [samurai helmets](https://www.google.com.au/search?q=samurai+helmet&es_sm=93&biw=1366&bih=667&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAWoVChMI8L7WppzsyAIVSctjCh0Mlgb2) and one could see any human piloted mecha as giant futuristic samurai armour
Memor-X
<culture><gundam>
Is there an out-of-universe reason for the Gundam series mech head designs?
# Is there an out-of-universe reason for the Gundam series mech head designs?
Posted by: username_0 on 2015-10-31
As I watch the shows I am constantly noticing the patterns in the head designs of the mobile suits.

Any true Gundam, or otherwise important mech, will always have two eyes and usually the V horns.
Any generic suit, or one belonging to a more shallow villain, will only have one eye.

Is this any kind of cultural reference?

EDIT

In Unicorn characters say that a mech becomes a Gundam when the horn opens into a V. As if the V horns are something very specific.
**Tags:** culture gundam
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: This question is a bit broad. What are you basing this off of? Certain series might share a mech designer.  
> **username_2**: looking at the gundams [here](https://i.sstatic.net/iwBei.jpg) seem very similar to [samurai helmets](https://www.google.com.au/search?q=samurai+helmet&es_sm=93&biw=1366&bih=667&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAWoVChMI8L7WppzsyAIVSctjCh0Mlgb2) and one could see any human piloted mecha as giant futuristic samurai armour  
---
## 2 answers
### Answer by username_1 on 2016-03-29. Score: 3
[According to Kunio Okawara](http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Simplicity-key-to-successful-design-30259167.html), the mecha designer for the series:

> "I also put the form of the [chonmage](http://haircutpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Chonmage), which is a form of Japanese traditional haircut worn by men, and [kabuto](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabuto), which is a type of helmet first used by ancient Japanese warriors, into the design of Gundam. They are my inspirations that are concealed behind the creation of Gundam."

[![https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Helmet_(kabuto),_Edo_period,_mid-18th_century,_repouss%C3%A9_iron.JPG](https://i.sstatic.net/tD2MCm.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/tD2MCm.jpg)
[![chonmage](https://i.sstatic.net/uy7JNm.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/uy7JNm.jpg)

[![RX-78-2 Head](https://i.sstatic.net/sdkNY.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/sdkNY.jpg)
---
### Answer by username_3 on 2016-03-28. Score: 0
the gundam head design is supposed to be a homage to samurai helmets: designed to intimidate opponents (which is why a lot of characters get scared seeing a gundam head).

prettymuch all gundam head designs have a V shaped antenna on the forhead (barring the turn A gundam, which reminds me of world war 1 german nobility/soldier); two vents on the moutpiece (barring zeta, exia, 00 Qan[t] and a few others); generally have white as the main colour, a red/black small beard, blue/green/yellow eyes, and a square element atop the head
quite bizzarely a lot of japanese car designers pay homage to gundam for their car design
---
