FMCosmic Era

GAT-X252 Forbidden Gundam

A biological-CPU brawler with a backpack so big it needs its own zip code, and a stand to match.

MechaGrade Score

4.1/5

Forbidden Gundam · 1/100 · 2023

GradeFM

Scale1/100

Released2023

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is one of the best Full Mechanics kits Bandai has put out, and the reason is that oversized backpack.

It transforms into the High-Speed Assault Form, the Geschmeidig Panzer shield arms swing and lock at real angles instead of just flopping there for show, and the mechanical detail packed into the exhaust ports and armor undersides is the kind of thing you notice on the shelf, not just in the instructions. I came away impressed with how much personality Bandai squeezed into a kit that could have just been another SEED-era recolor job.

Best for: SEED fans who want the Forbidden's signature transformation and shield mechanism done properly, not simplified

The full review

What it is

The Forbidden Gundam FM is built around its gimmick, and the gimmick works. The backpack flips forward into the High-Speed Assault Form the way it does in the show, and the Geschmeidig Panzer deflector shields have enough axes of movement at the backpack mount that you can actually pose them deployed at a believable angle instead of just clipped on straight. The Nithhog beam blades get two different surface textures molded in to sell the material difference, which is a small touch that pays off once the piece is in your hand. Assembly leans into that Full Mechanics sweet spot of high detail without turning into an engineering slog, and the frame underneath the armor is dense enough that it doesn't feel like a cost-down kit riding on the name.

The catch

The backpack that makes this kit great is also the thing you'll fight with. It's genuinely huge and back heavy, and reviewers across the board flag that it will not stand on its own feet in any dynamic pose, you need an action base, full stop, and even then the footprint on your shelf is bigger than most other 1/100 kits will ask for. Some of the color separation on the smaller Nithhog and shield details relies on paint or careful part-matching rather than being fully molded, so if you're going straight out of the box in ambient light, a couple of accents will read a shade flatter than the anime art. None of this is a dealbreaker, but budget shelf space and a stand before you buy.

Who it's for

Buy this if you're a SEED fan who's wanted the Forbidden done right, or if you like FM kits for the inner-frame engineering and this one's transformation gimmick appeals to you. It rewards people who'll actually pose the shield arms and display the assault form rather than leaving it standing at parade rest. Skip it if you're tight on shelf space or don't want to budget for an action base, because this kit is not going to balance on its own in anything but a stiff standing pose. If you just want a Forbidden Gundam to look at in a case rather than pose dynamically, the smaller HG version will save you both money and mantle space.

The build story

What the build is actually like, and the engineering worth knowing about.

The build itself moves at a good pace for the detail on offer. Gate placement is reasonable on the bigger armor pieces, and the frame assembly under the chest and legs doesn't fight you the way some FM kits do. The backpack subassembly is the most involved part of the whole build, since it has to house both the folded standard mode and the flipped assault mode, and getting the hinge tension right there is worth the extra care.

Articulation is a real strength here. The head runs on a ball-and-socket with an extra pivot, the torso tilts front to back, shoulders rotate and swing on multiple axes, elbows and knees are double jointed, and the waist spins a full 360 with the upper thighs able to swing and rotate independently. Combined with the backpack's multi-axis mount, you can get the Nithhog blades and shield arms into genuinely dynamic angles instead of the stock static pose, which is where this kit earns its price point against a plainer FM release.

Lore & trivia

01The Forbidden Gundam is piloted by Shani Andras, one of the Alliance's biological CPUs, whose combat style leans into raw aggression rather than the more disciplined tactics of his teammates.
02The suit's core function is infiltration and raiding, and its signature move is flipping the backpack overhead into the High-Speed Assault Form for a burst of speed.
03This FM release was part of Bandai's push to give SEED-era suits the same inner-frame treatment as later UC-era Master Grade kits, which is why the Forbidden's frame density looks a generation ahead of its original late-2000s HG and MG releases.