1. Every anime production involving giant robots has at least one non mass production, experimental robot that is without a doubt stronger than any other robot.

2. This prototype robot will always have weapons years ahead of its time.

3. Energy based weapons (lasers, beam rifles, etc.) always have finite ammunition that runs out just when you don't need it to.

4. Energy based weapons always produce a recoil, just like conventional weapons.

5. Missiles work even better in space than they do on Earth.

6. Children between the ages of 13 and 16 or rookies always make better robot pilots than seasoned veterans.

7. The main character is usually be Japanese and will either be extremely whiny and gay acting or have way too many emotional conflicts about war and killing or both.

8. The main character always has a rival, who is usually European and is of greater skill/ is the best pilot for his respective goverment/ military.

9. The rival will always loose to the main character despite his greater skill and experience which angers him profusely.

10. The rival always has a nickname (Red Comet, Crimson Lightning, Crimson Phantom, Wild Thunder, Harbinger of Darkness, Coming Evil, Nightmare of Solomon, etc.).

11. The rival would always rather fight up close with melee weapons (swords, knives, axes, fists that can launch like rockets) than shoot the main character from a distance.

12. The main character always has an annoying best friend and many beautiful women who love him even though he is whiny and gay acting.

13. Giant robots always need legs, even if they operate only in space.

14. The outcome of the war is always in the hands of the wimpy main character as he has the only decent robot and everyone else has crappy cannon fodder robots that aren't allowed to last longer than 10 minutes in an episode.

15. The main character always meets his rival in the last battle of the war and they have a titanic melee duel in space that decides the outcome of the conflict.