ListEvery Strike Freedom Gundam Kit, Ranked
Strike Freedom is one of those mobile suits that gets a proper kit at nearly every grade, which is a nice problem to have and also a genuinely confusing one when you are trying to pick just one. I have spent time with all four, MGEX, MG, RG, and PG, and they are not just the same design scaled up and down. Each grade solves the wings, the DRAGOON pack, and the gold trim differently, and those choices change how the kit feels in hand.
This ranking is not a straight readout of star ratings. It is my honest take on which kit gives you the most for the shelf space and the money, with the caveats builders actually run into once the runners are out of the bag.
If you are new to grades in general, it helps to know what each letter is actually promising before you compare a specific suit across them.
11. ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom Gundam (MGEX)
This is the version Bandai built to prove a point, and it mostly succeeds. The MGEX at 1/100 uses layered gold chrome plating and metallic-finish parts on the internal frame instead of stickers or paint, so the skeleton actually reads as metal under the armor, not just gold-tinted plastic. The linked articulation is the deepest of any Strike Freedom kit, armor panels open in sequence with the frame as you pose it. My one real complaint is the beam sabers, which peg into the side skirts on tiny pins and pop loose if you look at them wrong. Still the showpiece of the line.
Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
22. ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom Gundam (MG)
The MG is the version I would actually tell most people to buy first. It sits at the same 1/100 scale as the MGEX for a fraction of the cost and build complexity, and it still delivers the DRAGOON wing pack, the rail cannons, and a proper inner frame under the armor. You lose the plated metallic finish and some of the linked gimmicks, so the gold trim looks flatter out of the box, but the proportions and the core Strike Freedom silhouette are all there. A very fair trade for the price difference.
Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
33. ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom Gundam (RG)
The RG packs an unreasonable amount of detail into 1/144, including an inner frame and DRAGOON units that any MG-era kit would be proud of. The catch is the kit is genuinely heavy for its ankles, the backpack and wing assembly load a lot of weight up top, and mine needed a light hand and a stand for anything beyond a standing pose. The stock gold plastic is also duller than the MG's, and most reviewers I trust say it only really shines after a coat of paint. Worth it for the detail density, just go in knowing the tradeoffs.
Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
44. ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom Gundam (PG)
The PG is the one you buy for the wingspan, not the ease of the build. At 1/60 the finished kit is roughly two feet across with the wings extended, and that scale lets Bandai expose a full gold inner frame the other grades can only gesture at. The tradeoff is real, the wing assembly is heavy enough that the torso leans back under its own weight and the included stand is doing real work, not just decoration. This is a display centerpiece for someone who already has room and patience for a PG-scale project, not a kit to start your Strike Freedom collection with.
Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The MGEX is the technical peak of Strike Freedom kits, but the MG is the one that earns its price for most builders, and the RG and PG are for people who already know exactly what tradeoff they are signing up for.
Common questions
Which Strike Freedom kit should a beginner buy?
The MG. It is the most balanced build in the lineup, with a real inner frame and DRAGOON pack at a manageable part count and price, without the plating cost of the MGEX or the fragile top-heavy assembly of the RG and PG.
Is the MGEX worth the price jump over the MG?
If you care about the gold frame looking like actual metal and want the deepest articulation gimmicks Bandai has built into this suit, yes. If you just want Strike Freedom on your shelf, the MG gets you there for much less.
Does the RG Strike Freedom need a display stand?
I would use one for anything beyond a basic standing pose. The backpack and wing assembly carry a lot of weight for the ankle joints at 1/144 scale, and a stand takes that stress off the legs.