HGMobile Suit Gundam Unicorn (Universal Century)

TOLRO-800 "Torohachi"

A tiny space-debris work pod that turns out to be one of the most charming HG kits Bandai has ever released.

MechaGrade Score

4.1/5

"Torohachi" · 1/144 · 2023

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2023

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is the kit I point to when someone says HG kits can't be interesting without a giant robot punching something.

Torohachi is a stubby zero-gravity maintenance pod from Unicorn, the machine Banagher borrows to save Audrey, and Bandai clearly had fun engineering it instead of phoning it in as a side release. For a Gundam Base exclusive built around one scene from the show, it punches way above its premise.

Best for: Unicorn fans and anyone who wants a small, mechanically clever display piece that doesn't need a shelf of its own

The full review

What it is

Torohachi is not a mobile suit in the usual sense, it's a work pod, and the kit leans into that identity instead of fighting it. The clear cockpit canopy opens and shows off a genuinely detailed interior, the twin arms telescope in and out on their pistons, and the claws open and close like they're actually meant to grab debris. Building it feels less like assembling a fighting robot and more like building a tiny piece of industrial equipment that happens to be adorable. I went in expecting a novelty and came out genuinely charmed by how much personality Bandai packed into something this size.

The catch

It's a non-scale, small-footprint kit built around molded color plastic and stickers rather than an inner frame, so don't expect MG-level engineering or a big presence on the shelf next to full-size suits. Some of the finer details, the cockpit trim and warning markings especially, only really pop if you're willing to hit them with a panel liner or paint pen since stock molded color leaves some of that detail a little flat. It was a Gundam Base exclusive at 2,200 yen, so depending on when and where you're buying, it can be harder to find or priced up from a standard HG.

Who it's for

Grab this one if you're building out an Unicorn-focused shelf, or if you just want a cheap, fast, mechanically fun kit that isn't another humanoid mobile suit. It's also a genuinely good pick if you're easing someone into the hobby with something offbeat rather than another RX-78 clone. Skip it if you're only interested in kits with weapons and combat articulation, Torohachi has neither, or if you want a centerpiece for a display case, since its scale and quiet colorway mean it reads as a supporting piece rather than a showstopper.

The build story

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

The build moves quickly since there's no inner frame to fuss over, but the small claw and piston parts reward a careful hand during cleanup since nub marks are more visible on a piece this compact. The clear cockpit part is the highlight of the whole build, it clicks in cleanly and the hinge holds its position instead of flopping open.

Where the kit earns its keep is the gimmicks: shoulders that swing forward, ball-jointed arms that swivel, pistons that actually extend and retract, and claws that open and close with a satisfying bit of resistance. It also mounts onto a standard Action Base via adapter, so you get a display option beyond just standing it on a shelf. For the price, getting a functioning canopy, real piston action, and grabbing claws out of one small HG is a good trade.

Lore & trivia

01Torohachi is the mobile suit Banagher Links steals from a refueling hangar in Industrial 7 to save Audrey Burne, and it runs out of fuel right as they crash-land in the colony's civilian area.
02The TOLRO-800 is a civilian work unit built by the Tolro Corporation for zero-gravity maintenance and debris clearing, too small for a combat mobile suit's role and too large for a worker in a plain space suit.
03"Torohachi" is a nickname rather than an official designation, and it stuck hard enough that Bandai used it directly in the kit's own product name.
04The kit was released in August 2023 as a Gundam Base exclusive priced at 2,200 yen, and it was one of the more talked-about HG surprises of that year precisely because nobody expected a debris-clearing work pod to get this much engineering attention.