Mobile Suit V Gundam takes place in the year 153 of the Universal Century, where the Zanscare Empire has taken control of Side 2, a space colony outside Earth's orbit, through force. The Zanscare Empire, known for its cruelty, has a history of brutal suppression, with public executions often carried out using a large guillotine. Space immigrant Üso Ewin joins the League Militaire, a civilian militia formed in response to the Earth Federation's inability to counter the Zanscare Empire. Üso's latent psychic abilities lead him to pilot the Victory Gundam, key to combating the elite BESPA forces of the Zanscare Empire.