GUNDAM WING
THE EDITED VERSION

When the English dub of Gundam Wing first aired on television, there was an edited version made to allow it past the censors. These edits were minor, and did not have a great effect on the storyline or characters. Nevertheless, this section attempts to list edits made to the series at that time.

This is by no means a complete list. Most of what I'm listing are edits where blood was removed. I am not listing dialogue edits except for a few major changes. Furthermore, I started this list years after watching the edited version, so there's a possibility of human error. If you see something that needs to be fixed, or have something to add, feel free to let me know.

The edited version is often referred to as the "Toonami version". This is a misnomer. Cartoon Network was the first channel to air the edited version, but not the only channel to do so. I suspect that the series was edited before it was even sent to the networks. (Please note that Cartoon Network aired both the uncut and cut versions of the dub. The edited version aired during the day, and the uncut version aired around midnight.)

The episodes on the Bandai's official Gundam Wing DVDs are the original uncut version of the series. I own the boxset, and used it to take the screencaps below.


General Dialogue Edits

The series had many dialogue edits. The most famous being that Heero's "I'll kill you," was changed to "I'll destroy you".

Most dialogue edits were minor, changing only one or two words. For example, in episode four, Relena shouting "come and kill me", was changed to the tamer, "come and get me". Swearing was also edited out and replaced with things like "blast", and "darn it".

Also of some importance, in the original version, Duo calls himself the "God of Death" (shinigami). In the edited version, "God of Death" was changed to "Great Destroyer". This change led to numerous dialogue edits, but also the change of two episode titles. Episode twenty-three, "Duo, God Of Death Once Again" was changed to "Duo, The Great Destroyer Once Again", and episode thirty-two, "The God Of Death Meets Zero", was changed to "The Great Destroyer Meets Zero".


Episode 2: The Gundam Deathscythe

Heero's leg wound was edited out. The edited version shows Duo shooting Heero's gun, but what it doesn't show is that the bullet also goes through Heero's leg. For consistency sake, they also edited out Relena bandaging Heero's leg wound.

The blood from Heero's wounds (and the stains they leave on the bandages Relena makes for him) was edited out.

Episode 3: Five Gundams Confirmed

When Heero is restrained, he is bleeding heavily. All of it was edited out. Also, in the original, the blood make dripping noises, as it, well, drips. This sound effect was removed.

When Duo comes to rescue him, Heero removes his bloody hand from bloody restraints.

Episode 6: Party Night

One of Catherine's knives hits Trowa and he gets a minor cut on his face. In the next scene, she asks him why he didn't doge and apologizes for hitting him. The blood is cut, and all mentions of hitting him is cut as well.

Episode 10: Heero, Distracted By Defeat

After Heero self-destructs, he bleeds fairly badly. He has a noticeable wound on his face, and blood pools on the ground below him. Blood is also edited out when Heero is in the arms of Heavyarms in the back of the truck.

Episode 12: Bewildered Warriors

In a flashback where Bundt (or at least his men) are in the midst of an assassination, the blood pooling on the desk is cut.

Blood was removed from one of Sally's men who was in an explosion. Blood was also removed from the man that sacrificed himself to save Wu Fei.

Episode 14: The Order to Destroy 01

A soldier protecting Trowa's gundam has blood dripping on his face. It is cut.

Episode 15: To the Battleground, Antarctica

Blood is removed from the bandages on Heero's arm when he's putting on his coat.

Episode 16: The Sorrowful Battle

Blood is removed from the bandages on Heero's arm throughout the entire episode.

Episode 17: Betrayed By Home, Far Away

When Quatre wipes his brow, he's originally wiping blood. The blood is removed.

Episode 18: Tallgeese Destroyed

The man that sacrificed his life to save Quatre's had blood on the inside of his helmet. The blood was removed.

When Zech's helmet shatters, the blood dripping down his face is cut.

Episode 24: The Gundam They Called Zero

After Quatre goes crazy and attacks Trowa in the Vayeate, there is blood dripping down from the side of Trowa's face.

Episode 25: Quatre vs. Heero

Trowa's blood was edited out. (It's interesting to note that his blood randomly disappears in some scenes of the original uncut version. Fwee for plotholes!)

Heero's face get cut when he defends the colony from Quatre. Blood can be seen dripping down his face throughout the rest of the battle.

Episode 45: Signs of the Final Battle

Hilde gets pretty bloody when escaping Libra. Her arm getting cut is edited, as is her blood on the disk.

Episode 47: Collision in Space

Heero cuts his arm protecting Relena. The blood on, and dripping from, his wound is cut. Also, the blood that later appears on his bandage is cut.

Episode 48: Takeoff into Confusion

Dorothy stabs Quatre in the original. (In the cut version it is implied he was hit.) The scene was probably cut because you see blood defusing from his wound.