HGCosmic Era

ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom Gundam (Revive Ver.)

A budget HG that finally looks like Kira's full burst mode instead of a rough draft of it.

MechaGrade Score

3.8/5

Strike Freedom Gundam · 1/144 · 2016

GradeHG

Scale1/144

Released2016

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is the HG that Strike Freedom deserved the first time around.

I went in expecting the usual entry level compromises and came out surprised at how much of the anime silhouette actually survives at this price and part count. The new shoulder to torso connection is the real star, it gives the arms a natural swing that the old kit never had. Weak wrists and a loose sideskirt keep it out of the top tier, but as a cheap, fast, good looking Strike Freedom this earns its shelf spot.

Best for: budget-minded SEED Destiny fans who want a good looking Full Burst Mode display piece without an MG price tag

The full review

What it is

I built this expecting a quick weeknight kit and that is exactly what it is, simple, fast, and easy in the way a good HG should be. The proportions are the best I have seen on any Strike Freedom short of the Metal Build, with a sleeker chest and a face sculpt that actually reads as Kira's mobile suit instead of a chunky stand in. The multi-color plastic in white, gold, blue, and red does real work, and the gold plated inner frame joints catch light without a drop of paint. Popping the wings out into Full Burst Mode and racking the beam sabers into place felt genuinely satisfying for a kit at this price point.

The catch

The wrists and the sideskirt connection are the weak links, both loosen up faster than I would like and the beam rifles do not want to stay clipped into the hands once you start posing aggressively. That heavy backpack with the DRAGOON wings makes ground poses without a stand feel top heavy, the kit genuinely wants a display stand it does not include. The ankle guard also blocks some of the tilt you would want for a wide stance. None of this is a dealbreaker, but you notice all of it within the first few poses.

Who it's for

If you want an affordable Strike Freedom that looks right on a shelf and you are willing to accept a stand as a near mandatory accessory, this kit delivers well above its price. It is a fine first HG for someone getting into Cosmic Era kits, since the build is quick and the color separation means you can skip stickers almost entirely. Skip it if wrist and joint durability under heavy posing matters more to you than price, in that case save up for the MG Full Burst Mode instead. For casual builders and SEED Destiny fans who just want Kira's signature mobile suit done justice, this is an easy recommendation.

The build story

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

This is a straightforward HG build, clean nub placement and good plastic quality mean cleanup is fast and there is little runner damage to fight through. Everything clicks together with the confidence you want from a kit built to be assembled in an evening rather than a weekend project.

The engineering payoff is in the upper body. The reworked shoulder to torso connection is what makes the arms look dynamic instead of stiff, and the backpack has enough articulation to spread the DRAGOON wings into a proper Full Burst Mode pose. You get two beam rifles that combine, foldable hip railguns, a beam shield, and two beam sabers, a real weapons loadout for a kit in this price band, even if some of it does not stay clipped in under pressure.

Lore & trivia

01The Strike Freedom is the successor to the ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam, built specifically to suit Kira Yamato's piloting style after the original Freedom was destroyed.
02Its Super DRAGOON pods run on an improved second generation DRAGOON system that in-universe is described as requiring unusually high spatial awareness, making it a weapon effectively unique to Kira.
03The suit is powered by a Hyper Deuterion Engine paired with a Neutron Jammer Canceller and the Voiture Lumiere propulsion system, the combination that lets it fight without the energy limits that ground most Cosmic Era mobile suits.