HGUniversal Century

MS-06C Zaku II Type C/Type C-5

The grunt suit that finally gets treated like a main character kit.

MechaGrade Score

4.2/5

Zaku II · 1/144 · 2017

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2017

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is the Zaku kit I point people to when they say HG grunt suits are boring.

Bandai built this as an Origin tie-in and it shows in every joint and every accessory sprue. You get two build configurations, a small armory of weapons, and articulation that actually lets the suit crouch and lunge like a Zeon mobile suit should. For an HG at this price, the amount of suit you get back is genuinely generous.

Best for: Zeon fans and HG builders who want a display-ready grunt suit with real pose range, not just a background extra

The full review

What it is

This kit lets you build either the Type C or the Type C-5, and the backpack swaps between two styles to match, so you are really getting two Zakus worth of options out of one box. The head has a ball joint plus a c-clip pivot so it can tilt and swivel independently of the mono-eye slider, which is a small touch that makes a huge difference in how alive the finished kit feels on a shelf. I went in expecting a basic grunt suit and came out with something that holds a crouch, a lunge with the heat hawk raised, and a rifle stance that actually looks aimed. The proportions read as properly intimidating rather than stubby, which a lot of budget Zakus get wrong.

The catch

The fit is not uniformly tight. The spiked shoulder armor in particular has L-shaped seams that some builders needed to fill with Tamiya cement or putty to get a clean line, and a few other panels sit a touch loose if you are picky about gaps. Like most HGs from this era, color separation leans on stickers in places rather than molded plastic, so expect some sticker work on the vents and trim if you want the full detail payoff. None of this is a dealbreaker, but if you demand zero-seam perfection out of the box, this kit will ask a little extra effort from you.

Who it's for

Buy this one if you want a Zaku that can actually act out a fight scene rather than just stand in formation, or if you like having build options (Type C versus Type C-5) baked into a single kit. It is also a strong pick if you are chasing the full Zeon weapons loadout without buying a separate weapons set. Skip it if you want a fully sticker-free build straight from the runners, or if seam work of any kind is a hard no for you. Everyone else gets a lot of Zaku for the money here.

The build story

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

The build itself moves fast and stays fun, with clean panel line engraving that pays off once you add a wash or just some careful shading. Most of the frame goes together without drama, though the shoulder spikes are the one spot where I stopped and reached for cement to close up the seam before moving on. Nub placement is typical HG (visible on the outside of a few parts), so budget a little extra time for cleanup if you want contest-clean edges.

Where this kit earns its price is articulation and accessories. The hip axis swings forward for extra range, the thighs raise and rotate, the ankles tilt in multiple directions, and the shoulders combine a ball joint with a horizontal raise so the arms clear the torso in a full weapon-ready pose. Add in double-jointed elbows and knees, a switchable mono-eye, and a five-plus weapon arsenal, and you have a part count and pose range that outperforms a lot of same-priced HGs that only give you one gun and a shield.

Lore & trivia

01This kit is a High Grade Gundam The Origin (HGGTO) release tied to the Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin manga and anime reinterpretation of the One Year War.
02The kit can be assembled as either the Type C or the Type C-5 variant, with a swappable backpack to match each configuration.
03It includes two heat hawks, both of which can be stored mounted on the waist armor when not in hand.
04The mono-eye is adjustable left and right through a slider switch on the underside of the head, letting builders pose the iconic single eye off-center.