HGUniversal Century

RX-78-5 Gundam G05

The space-war cousin of the original Gundam, built around one glorious oversized gatling gun.

MechaGrade Score

3.6/5

Gundam G05 · 1/144 · 2021

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2021

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is a P-Bandai exclusive that earns its keep almost entirely on the strength of its gatling gun.

I like this kit a lot for what it is, a repaint-and-remold job on the Unit 4 skeleton that Bandai dressed up with a new chest duct and a genuinely fun weapon loadout. It is not a technical showcase, it is a shelf piece with one incredible accessory, and I judge it on those terms rather than pretending it competes with a modern HG.

Best for: One Year War completionists and gatling gun fans who already own or don't mind skipping the G04 unit

The full review

What it is

The G05 is one of the two G-series units the Federation converted for space combat late in the One Year War, and this HG version reuses most of its frame from the earlier HGUC G04 kit with a new chest duct piece and a fresh red and white color split standing in for G04's blue. What sold me on it is the giant belt-fed gatling gun. It comes with a separate ammo drum connected by an articulated feeder chain, which is a small touch that makes the whole assembly feel like a real weapon system instead of a stick molded to look like one. You also get a hyper beam rifle, shield, and beam sabers, so the loadout options are genuinely varied for a kit at this scale.

The catch

This was a Premium Bandai exclusive, so it was never cheap or easy to get at retail, and the secondary market price now runs well above what a comparable HG normally costs. The kit leans on stickers for some of the finer color work, and a few small details, like the thruster tips, really want paint if you care about accuracy. The bigger issue builders keep flagging is that the wrist and hand joints can loosen up faster than expected once you start posing the gatling gun with its feeder belt attached, since the tension on that belt tugs at the grip. It is not a dealbreaker, but it is worth knowing before you pose it dramatically on day one.

Who it's for

Get this one if you already track the Gundam MSV side stories, want a running mate for your G04, or just want that gatling gun in your hands. It rewards people who enjoy the lore rabbit hole of One Year War prototype units as much as the build itself. Skip it if you are hunting for the most advanced engineering an HG has to offer, or if you are not willing to pay exclusive-release prices on the secondary market, because this was never a mainline retail kit and it shows in both availability and parts sharing. As a display piece next to its blue sibling, though, it earns its spot.

The build story

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

Because this kit shares its frame and much of its runner layout with the earlier HGUC G04, the build feels familiar if you've made that one, with the chest duct as the one truly new piece. Gate placement and cleanup are standard HG fare from this era, nothing fussy, and the assembly goes together quickly once you sort the weapon runners, which carry the bulk of the new tooling.

The standout engineering is entirely in the gatling gun assembly, where the separate ammo drum and articulated feeder chain give the weapon a sense of mechanical presence you don't often get at this scale. Color separation on the body is solid for an HG of its generation, with the red and white split reading cleanly, though the accessory count (four distinct weapon options) is what really pushes the value here rather than sheer part count.

Lore & trivia

01The RX-78-5 was one of two RX-78 prototypes, alongside the RX-78-4 (G04), that the Earth Federation converted into space combat variants for the assault on Solomon and A Baoa Qu late in the One Year War.
02The conversion swapped in a new backpack and added propellant capacity, boosting mobility by roughly 40 percent over the standard RX-78-2 configuration.
03In its most notable recorded action, the G05 defended Republic of Zeon Prime Minister Darcia Bakarov during his trip to Granada for the signing of the Granada Treaty that ended the war.
04This HG kit was released in March 2021 as a Premium Bandai exclusive priced at 2,475 yen, reusing tooling from the earlier HGUC G04 kit with a new chest duct part and weapons shared from the HGUC Pale Rider Space Type.