MGUniversal Century

MS-06R-1A Zaku II (Black Tri-Stars)

A 1999 MG that still nails the Zeon grunt with real presence, if you're willing to paint for it.

MechaGrade Score

3.4/5

Zaku II · 1/100 · 1999

GradeMG

Scale1/100

Released1999

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is an old-school MG and it builds like one, in a way that's honestly kind of charming.

The proportions are chunky and confident, the opening chest and head canopies are a fun gimmick that newer kits mostly dropped, and once it's on the shelf it reads as a Zaku, not a compromise. But the joints max out well short of what you'd expect from a kit half its age, and the mono-eye is a sticker you'll want to paint over immediately.

Best for: One Year War collectors and Black Tri-Stars fans who want the OG MG Zaku on the shelf and don't mind breaking out paint

The full review

What it is

This is the 1999 Master Grade take on the Black Tri-Stars Zaku, one of Zeon's most famous mobile suits worn by Gaia, Ortega, and Mash before Amuro cut their Jet Stream Attack short. Building it feels like stepping into MG history: the frame is simple by current standards but it's solid, the parts click together with satisfying weight, and the opening head, chest, and foot hatches are a genuinely fun detail that most modern Zaku kits skip entirely. I like that it doesn't try to be a Ver 2.0 in disguise. It's proud of being a 1999 kit, chunky proportions and all, and there's something honest about that.

The catch

The elbows and knees only bend to about 90 degrees, which sounds fine until you try a dynamic pose and realize the leg just stops moving. The mono-eye comes as a sticker rather than a painted or trans-clear part, and it looks flat until you swap it out yourself. Color separation leans on stickers in a few spots too, so panel lines and detail work are basically mandatory if you want it to look as sharp as it can. None of this is a dealbreaker, but you're signing up for extra work that a lot of newer kits handle out of the box.

Who it's for

If you're chasing the definitive posable Black Tri-Stars Zaku, the Ver 2.0 release does more of the articulation and detail work for you, and I'd point first-time Zaku builders there instead. But if you want the actual 1999 kit for the history, the nostalgia, or because you're building out a period-accurate One Year War shelf, this one earns its spot. Go in ready to panel-line it and repaint that mono-eye, and it rewards you with a Zaku that has real character. Skip it if you want easy weekend articulation without touches like paint.

The build story

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

The runners are simple and the parts snap together with confidence, no fiddly small pieces to lose track of, which makes this a relaxed build rather than a stressful one. Nub placement is dated in a few spots so expect visible seams if you don't clean them up, but nothing here is a nightmare to gate-cut.

The standout engineering is the opening gimmick trio: pop the head canopy, chest hatch, and foot covers to peek at greebled detail underneath, a touch that plenty of modern Zaku kits skip in favor of pure posability. Weapon loadout covers the classics, heat hawk and machine gun among them, giving you enough to pose a proper Zeon grunt without needing extras.

Lore & trivia

01The Black Tri-Stars were Miguel Gaia, Ortega, and Mash, a Principality of Zeon squad who first made their name capturing General Revil at the Battle of Loum in U.C. 0079
02Their trademark maneuver, the Jet Stream Attack, used their Zakus' speed and coordination to overwhelm enemies before Amuro Ray broke the formation using Gaia's mobile suit as a springboard
03This MG release dates to 1999 and predates the more heavily reengineered MG MS-06R-1A Ver. 2.0 Black Tri-Stars kit that followed years later with improved articulation and proportions