>>23327943
I'm not saying it'd be the gruntiest mook ever, just an upgraded grunt. The Gouf gave Amuro trouble as did Char, and Bernie damn near beat the Alex with a literal heataxe and balloons, the biggest issue is that Gundams are usually nigh indestructable to a mook. The Psycho Zaku is itself a souped up Zaku and its main draw was its speed and how it had solid firepower, even then the beam launcher needed 10 minutes per firing IIRC. In that case it's a jury rigged monster that was able to go toe-to-toe with a Gundam and draw (arguably win).
I'm not asking for a literal Zaku vs Gundam fest, just an MC who's consistently punching at or above their metaphorical weight level. You could even have them consistently grab new gear from defeated opponents: upgrades to a beam saber, to better thrusters, eventually working their way up to being Gundam tier.

As a pseudo example, the Zeta Gundam is super cool and it's consistently fighting at or above its level MS, as was the Mk.II. Sure, it killed a bunch of mooks too, but it was more interesting when it was actually vulnerable versus the typical MC stumbling around in their super mech until they conveniently get good enough to 'earn' better opponents.
>>23327970
That's essentially what I mean, yes. I don't want a literal Zaku just beating a gundam out of thin air.