Gundam Model Kits (Gunpla)

What a Gundam model kit is

A Gundam model kit is a plastic model of a mobile suit, the giant piloted robots from the Gundam animated series. Fans call them Gunpla, short for Gundam plastic model. Bandai makes them. Bandai Spirits' timeline dates the first one to July 1980, a year after the first series aired, per Bandai's US blog.

Three things set Gunpla apart from most plastic kits:

• Color is molded in. Parts come in the colors of the finished robot, so a kit looks done without paint.
• Parts snap together. Bandai's timeline dates its snap-fit method, which builds without adhesive, to December 1987.
• The result stands like a figure. Several titles here even call the finished kit an action figure.

That makes Gunpla one of the few model kits a first-timer can finish at a kitchen table with one tool. The other side of it: the build can still run long, and the higher grades ask for real patience.

How this table is sorted

The rule for this page is biggest stated piece count first. None of the 102 listings states a piece count in our data, so the table order is the data's order, not a ranking. What the data does hold is the grade, on 97 listings, and the scale on 39. Assembly notes appear on 14 and a pre-colored note on 13. Only 2 listings state an age, both 15+. Check the box before you buy for a younger builder.

Gunpla grades, from Entry Grade to Perfect Grade

The grade is the first word to read on a Gunpla box. Bandai's timeline gives each main grade a launch date and a scale.

Entry Grade (EG): 4 listings

Launched in September 2020, the newest grade on the timeline. EG kits are 1/144. One EG listing here, the Wing Gundam, states touch-gate parts that come off the runner by hand with no tools, and pre-colored plastic. The other EG listings are the RX-78-2, the Strike Gundam and the Nu Gundam. EG is the grade I'd hand a first-timer.

High Grade (HG and HGUC): 31 listings

Launched in March 1990 at 1/144, which Bandai calls its standard Gunpla brand. Our data counts 26 HG and 5 HGUC listings. Titles also use HGAC and HGCE, and the extra letters name the series the suit comes from. Seven HG and HGUC listings state snap assembly with no glue. Three state snap-fit with nippers needed. HG is a sound second kit after an EG, or a first one for a patient builder.

Real Grade (RG): 15 listings

Launched in July 2010, also 1/144, which Bandai's timeline describes as built to look realistic. It's the same scale as an HG, so it takes the same shelf space, with the build aimed at a more realistic look. An RG suits a builder who has finished a few HG kits and wants a slower build without a bigger shelf.

Master Grade (MG and MGEX): 31 listings

Launched in July 1995 at 1/100, which Bandai calls its advanced Gunpla brand. Our data counts 29 MG and 2 MGEX listings, the Unicorn Gundam (Ver. Ka) and the Strike Freedom. MG kits are bigger than HG kits: 1/100 against 1/144 makes the same design 1.44 times as tall. Titles also show version marks such as Ver. 2.0, Ver. 3.0 and Ver. Ka. Our data doesn't explain what each version changes, so read the listing.

Perfect Grade (PG): 15 listings

Launched in November 1998 at 1/60, the grade Bandai calls its highest. PG kits are the largest standard builds. One listing states a height: the PG Unleashed Nu Gundam, at 15 in. The full PG list, kit by kit, is on the best PG Gundam page.

Other lines in the table

A few listings sit outside the main ladder:

• Mega Size 1/48: two titles, the Unicorn Gundam (Destroy Mode) and the RX-78-2
• Full Mechanics 1/100: the Gundam Aerial, pre-colored per our data
• MGSD and Master Grade SD: the Destiny Gundam and the Gundam Barbatos, per their titles
• Gundam FIX Figuration Metal Composite: one title, with a stated age of 15+

Our data doesn't describe the build for these. The FIX Figuration title doesn't say "model kit", so read that listing closely if you want something to build.

HG, HGUC, HGAC, HGCE, RG, MG, MGEX, MGSD, PG. That's not a grade list. It's the bottom row of an eye chart. Read the letters before the robot's name and you're most of the way there.

Which grade fits which builder

If you only read one part of this page, read this:

• A first kit, any age the box allows: EG, then HG
• A builder with a few HG kits done: RG, for more detail at the same size
• A builder who wants a bigger, longer build: MG at 1/100
• A builder with weeks to spare and a table that stays set up: PG at 1/60
• A display piece for a big shelf: Mega Size at 1/48

Then pick the mobile suit. Fans choose by series and by suit, and the titles name both. The grade decides how the evening goes. The suit decides whether you finish it.

Scale and size: what 1/144, 1/100 and 1/60 mean

Scale tells you how much smaller the model is than the robot it shows. A 1/144 kit is one hundred forty-fourth of full size. Since a mobile suit is huge to start with, the scale decides the shelf.

The grades line up like this, per Bandai's timeline:

• 1/144: EG, HG and RG
• 1/100: MG, MGEX and Full Mechanics
• 1/60: PG
• 1/48: Mega Size

The bigger the number after the slash, the smaller the model. Heights in our data are rare. The Nu Gundam PG lists 15 in. Two titles carry a size too: the MG Freedom Gundam (Ver. 2.0) says 8 in, and one MG RX-78-2 Ver. Ka title says 18 cm, about 7.1 in. For the rest, the box or the maker's page has the height.

Measure the shelf with arms, weapons and the stand in mind. A posed Gunpla with its rifle out is wider than it is tall.

How to build Gunpla: the short version

Bandai's US blog lays out the cleanup steps, and they hold for every grade:

1. Cut the part off the runner. Runners are the plastic frames the parts come on. Cut a little away from the part, not right against it, or the plastic can turn white at the cut.
2. Trim the nub. A small stub of runner is left on the part. File it down.
3. Sand the spot smooth. Bandai's tips use 400 to 600 grit, then polish with 1000 grit or finer.
4. Follow the manual in order. Steps are numbered, and some parts go inside others.

Two cuts beat one close cut. That's the habit to build first.

A parts tray helps more than any tool. Sort by manual step, not by color, because a red part on step 4 and a red part on step 19 look the same at 10 p.m.

Snap-fit is a real way in, not a lesser one

My one opinion for this page. Snap-fit kits are a real way into the hobby. On Gunpla, the evidence is simple. Ten listings here state snap assembly with no glue, and Bandai's own tips use cement only for an extra step, hiding the seam line where two halves meet. The kit is complete without it.

Paint works the same way. Thirteen listings say pre-colored in our data. Bandai's tips cover optional finishing: panel lining, which means running ink or a marker into the small grooves so the detail shows, and a clear top coat in gloss, semi-gloss or matte. Matte, the tips note, hides small marks and makes panel lines and decals stand out.

Build one straight from the box first. Then decide whether you want to add anything. If you go on to paint, the airbrush kits page covers the spray side.

Runners, recycling and the leftover pile

The runner pile is the one part of a build that gets bigger as the model gets finished. By the last step of a big build, the empty frames take up more of my bench than the robot does.

Bandai's timeline says its Gunpla Recycling Project began in April 2021, collecting used runners and turning them into plastic models through chemical recycling. Two titles here carry the words "Recirculation Color", an MG Gundam Exia and an HG Gundam Lfrith. Our data doesn't say whether those two are tied to that project, so I won't say they are.

Tools, small parts and fumes

Hobby knives and tools: Cut away from your body on a cutting mat, and keep blades away from kids.

Small parts: Gunpla kits have many small parts. Check the age label on the listing. Toys with small parts are a choking hazard for children under 3, and the CPSC bans small parts in products meant for that age.

Cement, markers and top coat: If you add cement, paint or a spray top coat, work with good ventilation and follow the maker's label for masks and gloves. Bandai's own tips say to use cement near an open window or door and to spray top coat in a ventilated room or outside.

Who should skip Gundam model kits

Skip Gunpla if the builder wants a model of a real car, plane or ship. These are robots from a show, and the subject is the point. The model car kits page is a better start for a car fan. Skip the higher grades for a younger first-timer: start at EG or HG and check the age on the box, since our data states an age on only 2 of 102 listings. And if a model can't stay set up for a week, skip MG and PG for now. Both grades run long.

More on the maker is on the Bandai page.

Pick the grade first. Then clear one corner of the table and keep it clear.