Ep 26. Char Returns

Char Returns is the 26th episode of the first season of Mobile Suit Gundam. In this episode, Red Comet Char Aznable rejoins the fray, after being thought dead. The episode picks up with the two sides in a stalemate at the fortress of Odessa, with the Federation defending and the Principality of Zeon attacking. The intensity of the battle continues to grow, with both sides taking heavy losses.

During a rare respite in the fighting, Amuro and Sayla notice a flying object enter the battlefield. They quickly realize it's Char, the legendary Zeon ace. Meanwhile, on the Zeon side, Char meets with his former mentor, Admiral Dozle Zabi, and begins to plot a new course of action.

As the battle resumes, Char pilots his comet-shaped red mobile suit and quickly takes control of the battlefield. He is able to outmaneuver the Federation's White Base and almost gets a shot at their engines. Meanwhile, Sayla and Amuro take the Gundam and launch it into battle. They sneak up behind Char and manage to fire a shot at him, but he quickly dodges the attack.

Char's intentions become clear when he explains that he is going to destroy the Federation's fleet by crashing a military base into their ships. Amuro tries to stop him, but Char's overwhelming firepower and agility turn out to be too much for the Gundam to handle. Sayla, however, manages to get in position and fire a shot at Char's mobile suit that sends it crashing into the base.

Despite being wounded, Char manages to make it out alive and attempts to escape in his damaged mobile suit. Meanwhile, Amuro and Sayla return to White Base, but they are quickly pursued by the remaining Zeon mobile suits. They try to hold off the attackers but are quickly overrun. Just when things seem their bleakest, Char returns to help them, successfully driving off the attacking forces.

In the final moments of the episode, Char manages to escape in his damaged mobile suit, and Sayla reveals to Amuro that she is Char's younger sister, but had never told anyone before. As the episode ends, the two sides are still locked in a fierce battle, with no clear end in sight.

Overall, Char Returns is an intense and action-packed episode that showcases the exciting mecha battles and complex character relationships that make Mobile Suit Gundam a stone-cold classic in the anime genre. With the return of the enigmatic and powerful Char Aznable, the show ratchets up the tension and delivers some of its most thrilling moments yet.