HGUniversal Century

XM-XX Ghost Gundam

A P-Bandai spare-parts ghost story wearing the best matte silver Bandai has molded in years.

MechaGrade Score

3.8/5

XM-XX Ghost Gundam · 1/144 · 2023

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2023

Runnersn/a

Check price on Amazon

Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

The verdict

I came into this kit expecting a repaint and got a genuinely different model instead.

The Ghost Gundam is built from Phantom Gundam's frame plus salvaged Crossbone X1 and X2 parts, and Bandai backed that lore up with real new tooling: fresh effect parts for the flame sword, the phantom light cartridges, and the butterfly buster. It is not cheap and it is not for casual shelf browsing since it is Premium Bandai only, but as an object it earns the price.

Best for: Crossbone Gundam completionists and HG builders who want P-Bandai exclusive tooling without an MG budget

The full review

What it is

This is the HG spin on a suit that only exists because someone in-universe raided a parts bin, and the kit leans into that idea. The frame is Phantom Gundam under the hood, but Bandai molded a real batch of new parts on top of it: the flame sword with its clear effect components, the ammo-belt phantom light cartridges across the back, and the butterfly buster weapon. Building it feels like getting two kits stapled together, the familiar Crossbone-lineage skeleton wearing genuinely new silver armor. The matte plated finish is the standout, it reads as expensive in hand and photographs with almost no visible seam lines across the torso and limbs.

The catch

It is Premium Bandai exclusive, which means secondary market pricing well above a standard HG and no guaranteed restock. Color separation leans on stickers for the mask and rear armor details rather than molded color, so builders who hate foil stickers will be doing some trimming or reaching for paint. The partsforming into Mirage Bird mode is a nice gimmick on paper but like most HG transformations it is fiddly, the swap needs a light touch and the mode is more a display pose than something you will cycle through often. Some of the effect parts are also delicate clear plastic that scratches if you are not careful handling them during assembly.

Who it's for

If you already have a Phantom Gundam or care about the Crossbone Gundam: Ghost manga, this is close to essential, the shared parts lineage rewards owning both. It also makes sense for HG builders who want a taste of premium-tier tooling and finish without stepping up to MG prices. Skip it if you only want suits you can grab off a regular store shelf, or if sticker-reliant color separation is a dealbreaker for you. This is a kit for people chasing a specific silver-and-purple look and willing to hunt it down.

The build story

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

The build itself moves fast for an HG since much of the underlying engineering is shared with Phantom Gundam, so anyone who has built that kit or another Crossbone-lineage HG will recognize the joint architecture immediately. The new silver runners are the highlight of the whole experience, the matte texture holds up well straight off the runner with minimal visible nub marks once you clean up the gates carefully around the shoulder and skirt armor.

Where this kit earns its price is the effect parts, the phantom light cartridges mount along the back like an ammo belt and the flame sword includes a full clear-part effect piece rather than a printed sticker gimmick. Articulation is standard HG Crossbone-lineage range, generous shoulder and hip movement with a stable stance, and the accessory loadout (replacement head parts, flame sword with base, Mirage Bird joint parts) gives real posing variety for a 1/144 kit.

Lore & trivia

01The Ghost Gundam is built in-universe from the frame of EMS-TC02 Phantom Gundam using salvaged spare parts from XM-X1 Crossbone Gundam X-1 and XM-X2 Crossbone Gundam X-2.
02Its full-body anti-beam coating, made from rare metals recovered during outer space exploration, doubles as reactive armor against physical rounds.
03The suit sustains its phantom light effect through several forced-cooling cartridges mounted along its back like an ammunition belt.
04The kit originates from the Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam: Ghost manga and was released as a Premium Bandai exclusive in October 2023 at 6,930 yen.