ListBest PG Gunpla Kits: Perfect Grade Buyer Guide
Perfect Grade is the grade where Gunpla stops being a quick weeknight project and starts being a commitment. You are looking at a full inner frame, hundreds of extra parts for detail you will barely see once the armor closes, and a build session that eats an entire Saturday if you go slow and careful, which you should.
I have built enough of these to know that rating alone does not tell you which kit is right for you. Some PG kits reward patience with a display piece that genuinely earns the price tag. Others are gorgeous but fight you the whole way, with tight joints, fiddly LED routing, or instructions that assume you already know the kit.
This list ranks the PG centerpieces I trust most, with the caveats I would actually tell a friend before they spend the money.
11. RX-78-2 Gundam + Weapons (Animation Color Ver.)
This is the PG I point people toward first because it is the original mobile suit built at the grade's full ambition, with a proper inner frame and the animation color scheme instead of the more muted movie palette. The included weapons set rounds it out so you are not buying accessories separately later. The build is long but logical, the joints are sturdy, and the finished 1/60 stands up to handling far better than the HG or MG versions. The only real downside is that it is still the same silhouette you have built before, just at maximum detail.
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22. RX-93 nu Gundam
The nu Gundam is where PG stops being a bigger HG and turns into an engineering project. The fin funnels alone are a small kit's worth of parts, and the multi-layer armor separation means you will spend real time on internal structure that gets buried under the outer shell. It rewards that patience with an incredibly dense, heavy 1/60 that photographs beautifully in either standard or funnel-deployed poses. Go in expecting a multi-day build rather than an afternoon one, and budget extra care for the funnel joints, which are small and easy to stress if you rush them.
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33. GN-001 Gundam Exia
Exia earns its spot for being genuinely different from the RX-78 and Unicorn lineage that dominates this grade. The plastic itself feels dense and premium, and the GN Drive and beam saber effect parts use a thick, rubbery transparent material that looks better in hand than most clear runners. If you get the LED version, know that routing the wiring through the torso is the slowest, fussiest part of the entire build and is worth doing before you attach any outer armor. Skip the LEDs and the kit builds in a fraction of the time with almost none of the frustration.
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44. Unicorn Gundam Perfectibility
Perfectibility is the fullest expression of the PG Unicorn concept, with the NT-D transformation from Unicorn to Destroy mode built into the frame rather than tacked on. Watching the armor split and the psycoframe show through is the payoff for a build that runs long even by PG standards. Builders have flagged that stability drops once everything is opened up in Destroy mode, and a couple of small pegs, including the shield mount and the XC collar joints, are worth reinforcing with a dot of glue if you plan to display it fully deployed rather than pinned closed.
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55. RX-0 Unicorn Gundam
This is the kit that started the PG Unicorn line, and it is still the one I recommend if you want the transformation gimmick without paying for a special coloring or accessory package. Every part is cut to fit tightly against its neighbors, and undergating keeps sprue cleanup fast for a kit this size. The tradeoff is a waist joint that a lot of builders describe as weak once the figure is posed and displayed for a while, plus instructions that occasionally assume more familiarity with the frame than a first-time PG builder will have.
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66. RX-0 Unicorn Gundam 03 Phenex (Narrative Ver.)
Phenex takes the proven Unicorn frame and reworks the outer armor in gold and pearl white, which is the whole appeal here. If you already know you like how the base Unicorn frame builds and poses, this version is a straightforward decision, since the internals and transformation mechanism carry over largely unchanged. The gold trim does show scuffs and rub marks more readily than a standard white or blue kit, so handle the frame pieces with clean hands and go slower than usual during the panel fitting stages if you want the finish to stay pristine.
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77. RX-0 Unicorn Gundam Bande Dessinee Ver.
The Bande Dessinee coloring pulls from the original manga art rather than the anime, giving this kit a warmer, more muted palette than the standard release. It is the same solid PG Unicorn frame underneath, so the build experience and the known weak points, especially the waist joint, carry over directly. I would only steer you here if the manga-inspired scheme is genuinely the look you want, because functionally you are paying a premium for color variation on a kit you could otherwise get in its original release for less.
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88. RX-0(N) Unicorn Gundam 02 Banshee Norn
Banshee Norn gives you the black rival unit to the original Unicorn, and the dark grey and black colorway makes panel lines and NT-D psycoframe glow effects read very differently on a shelf next to the white version. Structurally it shares the same PG Unicorn transformation frame, so expect the same long build time and the same tight, precise part fit that makes this line satisfying once assembled. It is a strong pick specifically if you want a matched pair display with a standard Unicorn kit rather than as a standalone first PG purchase.
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![RX-0(N) Unicorn Gundam 02 Banshee Norn [Final Battle Ver.]](/kits-img/pg-rx-0n-unicorn-gundam-02-banshee-norn-final-battle-ver.jpg)
99. RX-0(N) Unicorn Gundam 02 Banshee Norn [Final Battle Ver.]
This version adds battle damage detailing to the standard Banshee Norn sculpt, which is a nice touch if you like your display pieces to look like they have actually been in a fight rather than fresh off the line. It is a niche pick within an already niche variant, so I would only reach for it if you specifically want that weathered aesthetic without doing the damage effects yourself with paint. The underlying build is identical to the standard Banshee Norn release, tight fit, long assembly, same NT-D transformation mechanism.
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1010. RX-78-2 Gundam
The plain RX-78-2 release without the animation color treatment or bundled weapons is still a legitimate PG in its own right, and it tends to show up cheaper on the secondary market than the Animation Color Ver. above. If you do not care about matching the classic anime palette exactly and just want the frame engineering and the size, this is the value entry point into the RX-78 side of the grade. Just know you will likely want to source extra weapons separately if you want the full loadout on the shelf.
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The RX-78-2 Animation Color Ver. and the RX-93 nu Gundam are the two PG kits I would tell a first-time buyer to start with, and everything else on this list is a strong pick once you know which variant coloring or gimmick you actually want.
Common questions
How long does a Perfect Grade kit take to build?
Plan for a full weekend on most PG kits, and longer on frame-heavy ones like the nu Gundam or the Unicorn line with its NT-D transformation. Rushing a PG is where small pegs and tight joints break.
Do I need extra tools for a PG kit?
A good pair of nippers and a hobby knife for gate cleanup are the minimum. Panel lining supplies and a topcoat are optional but make the extra surface detail on PG kits actually pop once assembled.
Is a PG kit worth it over a Master Grade?
Only if you want the full inner frame and the biggest version of a mobile suit on your shelf. If you mainly want good articulation and a manageable build time, Master Grade usually gets you there for less money and less risk.