HGUniversal Century

MS-06S Char's Zaku II (Red Comet Ver.)

The one-eyed grunt suit that made an ace out of Char, built here with far more articulation than an HG has any business having.

MechaGrade Score

4.2/5

Zaku II · 1/144 · 2019

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2019

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is one of the best HG kits Bandai has put out, full stop.

The Origin-line engineering gives a 1/144 snap kit double-jointed elbows and knees, a swiveling ball-jointed head, and hip and thigh geometry that lets it get into real fighting stances, not the stiff a-pose most HGs settle for. Add in a genuinely stacked accessory loadout and this punches well above its price band. I went in expecting a nostalgia grab and came out with a kit I actually want on the shelf.

Best for: builders who want the definitive posable Char's Zaku without stepping up to MG money or complexity

The full review

What it is

This is Bandai's Gundam The Origin take on Char Aznable's personal Zaku II, the red-shouldered machine that earned him the Red Comet reputation by moving, as the story goes, three times faster than a standard Zaku. Building it, the first thing that struck me was how much motion is packed into a 1/144 HG skeleton. The mono-eye pivots left and right on an actual switch under the head, the head itself swivels and tilts, and the hips let the legs swing forward and rotate in ways that make dynamic bazooka poses possible right out of the bag. For an HG, that is not normal, and it changes how the finished kit feels in hand.

The catch

Fit and finish leans on molded color more than paint, which is the right call for a kit at this price, but that also means panel lining is doing a lot of the visual work, and a few builders note the ink from fine tip Gundam markers beads up rather than settling into the lines cleanly, likely because it is water based. It is still an HG, so expect visible seams on the limbs if you do not clean them, and the accessory count, while generous, means more small parts and thinner nubs to manage during cleanup than a simpler HG. None of this is a dealbreaker, but go in knowing it rewards a little extra care.

Who it's for

I would put this in front of anyone who wants a Char's Zaku that actually holds a pose, whether that is a newer builder ready to step up from a basic snap kit or a veteran who wants a fun weekend build without committing MG time and money. The instructions are clean and the parts click together well, so it is not intimidating. Skip it only if you specifically want an inner frame or need MG-level panel line depth and color separation, in which case save up for the bigger version instead.

The build story

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

The build moves quickly and the parts seat well, with instructions that make the sequence easy to follow even for someone newer to the hobby. The mono-eye assembly is a nice small surprise, a literal switch under the head that slides the eye across its visor, and it works smoothly straight out of the frame.

The engineering standout is the leg and hip assembly. The hip joint swings forward for extra range, the upper thighs can rotate and raise on their pegs, and the skirt armor is cut to move out of the way rather than block the legs, so dynamic stances are actually achievable rather than theoretical. Combined with the full Char's Zaku weapon lineup, the parts count feels like real value for an HG price point.

Lore & trivia

01MS-06S is Char Aznable's personal Zaku II, distinguished by its red paint scheme and the reputation of moving at roughly three times the speed of a standard Zaku pilot.
02The unit technically carried around 30 percent more thrust than a stock Zaku II after Char had its output limiters removed, with his piloting skill accounting for the rest of the legendary speed.
03Char used the Zaku II to score first blood against Admiral Revil's fleet, sinking multiple Magellan-class ships including one destroyed with a single bazooka shot, cementing the Red Comet nickname.
04This kit is part of Bandai's Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin high grade line, which reengineers classic Universal Century designs with modernized articulation over the original HGUC releases.