MGUniversal Century

MS-06S Zaku II

The Gundam's classic rival, cast in the same landmark inner-frame format, just a step earlier in the technology.

MechaGrade Score

3.4/5

Zaku II · 1/100 · 1995

GradeMG

Scale1/100

Released1995

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

I like this kit for what it represents more than for how it holds up today, and I think that is a fair way to judge a 1995 release.

It was one of the earliest Master Grade kits ever made, arriving the same year Bandai launched the whole line, and it still has real charm in hand. It just shows its age next to anything with a Ver. 2.0 badge, especially in the elbows and knees.

Best for: Gunpla history fans and Char loyalists who want the original 1995 MG, not builders chasing modern articulation

The full review

What it is

This is the Char Aznable Custom Zaku II done up in the original Master Grade format, released the same year Bandai kicked off the whole MG line. Building it feels like handling a piece of Gunpla history. You get the monoeye switch gimmick worked by a small lever at the back of the head, a choice between TV-style and Real Type antennas, and the classic loadout of heat hawk, Zaku bazooka, and machine gun. The shoulder shield rotates on a ball joint, the skirt armor pivots out of the way of the legs, and there's a genuine inner-frame concept under the shell rather than just a hollow shell over polycaps. For a kit this old, that's a bigger deal than it sounds.

The catch

The elbows and knees only bend to about 90 degrees, which flattens out a lot of dynamic poses modern builders expect from an MG. The overall proportions and detail resolution read as dated next to the Ver. 2.0 Zaku or basically any current MG. Reviewers consistently frame this original release as the one to buy for nostalgia or a specific 1995 lineup display, and point people toward Ver. 2.0 or the RG for a Zaku that actually performs like a modern kit. Runner gates and part fit are also less refined than what Bandai does now, so cleanup takes more patience.

Who it's for

Buy this one if you specifically want the original 1995 tooling, you're building a period-accurate lineup of early MG kits, or you just love the idea of owning the Zaku from the same debut wave as the first MG Gundam. Skip it if you want a Zaku that poses aggressively or holds a dynamic action stance, because the limited elbow and knee bend will frustrate you fast. Most people who just want a great Char's Zaku on the shelf are better served by the MG Ver. 2.0 or the RG version, both of which fix the articulation ceiling this kit runs into.

The build story

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

The build leans simple by current MG standards. You are working with fewer parts and a less refined inner-frame concept than later Zaku releases, so assembly moves quickly but the payoff is a suit that looks good standing still more than one that holds an aggressive pose. The shoulder shield's ball joint and the pivoting skirt armor are the standout engineering touches that keep it from feeling like a static shell.

Color separation relies more on the molded plastic and a modest sticker set than the more advanced part-breakdown you get on later Zaku kits, so expect to spend some time on decals if you want the classic look fully realized. The choice between TV and Real Type antenna parts is a nice bit of built-in variety, and the accessory set covers everything you'd want to hand this Zaku for a Char-era diorama.

Lore & trivia

01The Master Grade line launched in 1995 as part of Bandai's Gundam 15th Anniversary project, with the MG RX-78-2 Gundam as the first kit released.
02This MS-06S release followed shortly after, making it one of the earliest Master Grade kits ever tooled, well before the more articulated Ver. 2.0 reissue arrived years later.
03The kit includes a working monoeye switch, worked by a small lever at the back of the head, a gimmick Bandai kept revisiting across later Zaku releases.
04MS-06S denotes the Commander Type Zaku II, the variant famously piloted by Char Aznable in the original Mobile Suit Gundam series.