MGAnno Domini

GN-001REII Gundam Exia Repair II

The Exia frame you already know, quietly rebuilt into a cleaner, meaner, clear-green-sworded version of itself.

MechaGrade Score

3.9/5

Exia · 1/100 · 2014

GradeMG

Scale1/100

Released2014

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

I think this is one of the better P-Bandai reworks Bandai has done, because it does not just repaint an old mold and call it a day.

The Repair II swaps out a real list of parts (shoulders, forearms, rear skirts, thighs, shins, and the GN Sword itself) so the silhouette actually reads as a different, tighter machine, and the clear green sword blade alone is worth the price of admission on a shelf. It builds on the same trusted MG Exia internal frame, so the engineering underneath is proven, and the changes on top are genuinely thoughtful rather than cosmetic filler.

Best for: Gundam 00 fans and MG Exia owners who want the definitive season 2 version and do not mind hunting down a P-Bandai exclusive

The full review

What it is

This is the Master Grade take on Setsuna's rebuilt Exia from Gundam 00 season 2, and it is built on the same MG Exia inner frame that made the original such a hit, just with a real parts list of changes on top. The shoulders, forearms, rear skirts, thighs, shins, and the sword itself are all new or reworked, and the GN cables that used to hang off the original Exia's exterior are tucked into the armor here, which matches the show's explanation that Ian internalized them for better protection. The GN Sword Kai gets a clear green blade this time instead of the original's opaque one, and it genuinely changes how the finished kit reads on a shelf. Building it feels familiar if you have done the MG Exia before, but there are enough new sprues that it never feels like a re-run.

The catch

The big catch is availability and price. This was a Bandai Hobby Online Shop (P-Bandai) exclusive from February 2014, sold at roughly 4,410 yen at retail, and it never got a wide release, so today you are buying secondhand or import stock at whatever markup the seller wants, and that can be a lot more than a standard-release MG. Like most kits from this era it leans on Gundam markers or paint and panel lining to really sell the detail, since molded color alone leaves some panel lines and recesses looking flat out of the box. It is also, at its core, still the MG Exia frame from 2007, so if you already own that kit you are paying a premium for a parts swap and a new paint job rather than a ground-up redesign.

Who it's for

Buy this if you already love the MG Exia's engineering and want the season 2 version with the clear sword and internalized cables, or if you are a Gundam 00 completionist who wants Setsuna's rebuilt machine on the shelf next to the original. It is also a reasonable pickup if you enjoy panel lining and painting, since the extra parts give you more surfaces to work with than the plain original release. Skip it if you just want a good first MG Exia experience for a fair price, since the standard MG Exia or MG Exia Ignition Mode will get you nearly the same build for less money and no import hunting. Skip it too if P-Bandai markup prices are a dealbreaker, because this one rarely shows up cheap.

The build story

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

If you have built the MG Exia before, the core assembly sequence will feel familiar, the inner frame goes together the same way and the fit is just as solid as the original release. The new sprues for the reworked shoulders, forearms, skirts, and shins are the parts to slow down on, since that is where all the visual changes actually live, and gate placement on those newer runners is clean enough that cleanup is quick.

The standout engineering carryover is the double-jointed elbows and knees plus the 360 degree waist, which still gives this kit the wide, confident pose range the MG Exia was known for. The GN Drive can be displayed separately in Burst Mode on the included stand, and the GN Sword Kai converts between rifle and sword configurations, so the accessory loadout gives you real options for a dynamic display rather than one static pose.

Lore & trivia

01In the Gundam 00 story, Setsuna spent time secretly repairing the damaged original Exia on his own before handing it to Ian Vashti for a full overhaul, and it was reborn as the Exia Repair II.
02The internalized GN cables on the Repair II are a direct response to a plot point: the original Exia's exposed cables were treated as a defensive weakness, so Ian rerouted them through the armor for better protection.
03The Exia Repair II was eventually destroyed in battle with Ribbons Almark and rebuilt again as the GN-001REIII Exia Repair III, the version that appears two years later in the Awakening of the Trailblazer movie.