In the novel, a gold plating covers the head crest in Unicorn mode, while the OVA version has gold on the faceplate and collar area as well as the crest to emphasize a lion-style motif.

The most visible difference between the two Unicorns is that the Banshee sports a black color scheme, a gold psycoframe when in Destroy Mode, and a more elaborate head crest. RX-0 Unicorn Gundam 02 'Banshee'Īppearing in the novel's eighth volume, 'Black Unicorn' and in the ending of the OVA episode 'In the Depths of the Gravity Well,' the Banshee is a more powerful version of the Unicorn tuned for atmospheric flight. Later in the series, the RX-0 appears with a Full-Armor unit designed for heavy assault missions, featuring multiple bazookas, gatling guns, missile pods and two shields, plus two propellant tank boosters from a Base Jabber transport. In the Bande Dessinee manga series, the shield is upgraded into a larger one called the Armed Armor DE. The RX-0 is equipped with a new beam magnum gun, a hyper bazooka, a shield with an I-field barrier, two beam sabers, two beam tonfas, and a beam gatling gun. The machine's performance in Destroy Mode is improved, but the transformation can only last for five minutes, after which the unit reverts to Unicorn Mode. In the novels, the red psycoframe turns into green when the Banshee is close by, but the OVA Unicorn assumes the different color because of the pilot's advanced abilities. In Destroy Mode, the Unicorn's armor plates slide out at several locations, revealing a glowing red inner frame, while the head transforms into a traditional Gundam head. The experimental machine contains a psycoframe, a special 'La+ Program' OS that turns the enemy's psycommu weapons against them and the so-called NT-D system which automatically triggers the Unicorn's Destroy Mode.

Painted fully in white, the RX-0 is designed as a new mobile suit developed by the Vist Foundation. The series' titular mobile suit, the Unicorn is a product of the 'UC Project,' part of the Earth Federation Space Force's reorganization plan.

Earth federation mobile suits