HGUniversal Century

RX-0 Unicorn Gundam 02 Banshee (Destroy Mode)

The Unicorn's darker twin, locked in Destroy Mode and looking every bit the part.

MechaGrade Score

3.8/5

Unicorn Gundam · 1/144 · 2012

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2012

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is one of the better-looking HGUC releases from its era, and I mean that as a builder who has now put the psycho-frame on a shelf and just stared at it.

The black and dark blue armor over that orange inner frame is a genuinely striking combination straight out of the box, no painting required to sell the character. My one real gripe is that it commits fully to Destroy Mode, no transformation gimmick, so you are buying a static pose of a suit whose whole identity is the transformation. If you already own or plan to own the Unicorn Mode HGUC, this is an easy yes.

Best for: HGUC collectors who want the definitive black psycho-frame Banshee on the shelf next to Unicorn Mode

The full review

What it is

This kit gives you the Banshee frozen in its NT-D Destroy Mode, all sharp black armor panels over an orange inner frame that reads as pre-lit even though nothing here actually glows. Molded color does almost all the work, the orange psycho-frame bits, the dark blue and black armor, and the yellow v-fin all come pre-colored so you are not hunting for paint just to make it look right. Assembly is quick for an HGUC, and the parts snap together with a satisfying tightness that a lot of kits from this generation lack. It comes with an extended claw hand and beam saber hilts, and setting it next to a Unicorn Mode kit on the shelf is the whole point, and it delivers.

The catch

The tight fit that makes the kit feel solid also causes real problems for some builders. The side leg armor connecting to the ball joints has a habit of popping loose, and several people report the legs are genuinely hard to remove once assembled, along with front skirt armor that likes to fall off during posing. It does not come with the actual beam saber blades, only the hilts, so you need the Unicorn Mode release to get the pink effect parts. Backward leg articulation is also limited because the rear skirt armor does not move out of the way. None of this ruins the kit, but budget patience for fussy leg joints.

Who it's for

Get this one if you already have or want the HGUC Unicorn Mode release and are building the pair as a display, or if you are drawn to the Banshee specifically and do not mind owning a single-pose kit. Skip it if you want one kit that does both Unicorn and Destroy Mode, since this release does not transform and you will need the separate Unicorn Mode HGUC for that. It is also a reasonable pickup for newer builders since the parts snap in cleanly, just handle the leg armor gently while posing.

The build story

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

The build moves fast for an HGUC, with parts that click into place with more confidence than a lot of kits from the same period. That tightness cuts both ways though, the leg assemblies in particular are difficult to take apart once you have committed, so I would dry fit carefully before final assembly rather than fight it later.

Articulation covers the essentials well, a ball-jointed neck, 90 degree bends at elbows and knees, and a ball-and-socket waist that lets you get real dynamic poses. The hip and thigh joints handle forward motion fine but backward articulation is limited because the rear skirt armor is fixed in place, so deep kneeling poses fight you a little. Color separation on the psycho-frame sections is the standout feature, it genuinely looks lit even sitting on a shelf with the lights off.

Lore & trivia

01In the story, Banshee was assigned to captured Neo Zeon cyber-newtype Marida Cruz before later passing to Riddhe Marcenas.
02Banshee and Unicorn were built together by Anaheim Electronics under the Earth Federation's secretive UC Project.
03In the finale of Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn, Banshee and Unicorn fight side by side against Full Frontal's Neo Zeong, whose I-field was strong enough to stop both suits' beam magnum rounds.