Given some of the other tropes in this show, it should come as no surprise.
- Episode 1 has a LOT of civilian casualties due to the crossfire in a civilian habitat colony. People killed by mobile suit debris, a man vaporized by a beam hitting him, a lot of people get killed in the crossfire and its hard to tell who causes it. One teacher gets many of the students in a shelter and makes a Heroic Sacrifice by closing the door before he can get through so the students aren't killed by a massive explosion.
- Cardeas' death.Cardeas: Please forgive me. I wanted more... so much... Banagher... My wish has finally come true... Anna...
- Banagher's vision of Marida's past in Episode 3.
- Daguza and Gilboa's Heroic Sacrifices.Daguza: You are my hope. It's all up to you now, Banagher.Gilboa: Tikva... Just look after the family for me...
- Compare to her anime counterpart, novel version of Loni is really tragic character. Although bear huge hatred toward Federation due to responsible of her mother death, Loni is the White Sheep of her family, who part of member Private Military Contractors. Giving that she have bond a friendship with Banagher, her death is more sadder in there. When her father force her and her brothers to pilot Shamblo, Loni pull a full Heel–Face Turn and begin against him. Unfortunately, she shot by her own father to death. Before her death, she use her telepathic link at Banagher to confirm the weakness of Shamblo, allow him to bring an end to the destruction it caused.
- The small hope spot during the Unicorn/Delta Plus vs. Shamblo (with an out-of-control psycommu system) in Episode 4, Just before Loni bites it. Banagher screams, puts his thumb on the trigger of his Magnum, and...Loni: Banagher... Isn't it sad?
- Followed by absolute tragedy.Banagher: I CAN'T SHOOT!
- The Shamblo opens fire, but blocks its own attack from hitting the diving Unicorn and Delta Plus. Riddhe's Delta Plus immediately transforms, grabs the Beam Magnum from the Unicorn and blasts the Shamblo's cockpit into melted slag, incinerating Loni and ending a fight that had ended only seconds before. The act is so devastating to Banagher that the Unicorn's psycoframe deactivates, going from brilliant red to a dead and dull grey. There is no peace in this Universal Century.
- Two instances in episode 5:
- Zinnerman trying to get Marida to remember who she is, and revealing that he considered her a surrogate daughter. He then breaks down saying that he doesn't want to lose his daughter and be alone again.
- When trying to connect a tow cable to the Garancieres and risking getting his mobile suit torn in half, Banagher gets silent encouragement from the spirits of Daguza and Gilboa. It's also implied that Amuro Ray came back to lend a helping hand one final time.
- A literal instance via this line from Episode 6:Zinnerman: (to Marida) This will be my final order to you: Listen to your heart...
- Marida's death in Episode 7. Especially considering how she died while trying to reach out to Riddhe, until the butt of his Beam Magnum hit the Banshee's right arm, causing him to lose it.
- Made even more poignant by how her Newtype abilities allow her spirit to say goodbye to everyone she had met. Even to Alberto, who was still on Earth, watching the events unfold inside the Cheyenne base.
- The entire series can be seen as one big "Shaggy Dog" Story, as it highlights just how far gone the Universal Century had become, in stark contrast to the near-utopian hopes placed by humanity at the very beginning of it. And given that the OVA eventually segues into F91 and Victory, you also know that whatever sense of peace the protagonists ultimately achieve are at best fleeting.
- Considering how those series didn't start until 20-30 years after Unicorn, They did succeed in putting down the Ghost of Zeon; they had no idea about the Ronahs, Jupiter Empire or other things waiting to make their move. Let alone the Kuntala or Moonlight Butterfly.
- As the Unicorn approaches the ruins of the Laplace station, it activates a recording of Ricardo Marcenas' speech for the beginning of the Universal Century itself. But while the actual speech (or rather the parts heard before the station blew up) was intended to be inspiring and uplifting in UC 0001, amidst the battle against the Sleeves it comes across instead as hollow and dissonant. Further highlighting how the UC calendar failed miserably to deliver on the promises of those who believed in the possibilities it offered.
- The novels put further emphasis on how deep Syam Vist's sorrow goes. His desire for building up Laplace's Box and Anaheim Electronics in part was out of a hope for building a better life for his original family. Then he realized the larger-than-life dangers this will bring them (not to mention the Vist family he established was a Big, Screwed-Up Family as it is), forcing him to sever links with them forever.
- In the sense of it being sort of tear's of joy whenever the song Unicorn plays. Yes it plays when the Gundam is kicking ass yet it has a very somber type tone to itself.
