MGUniversal Century

RX-0 Unicorn Gundam 02 Banshee "Ver.Ka" (Final Battle Ver.)

The lion twin of Unicorn gets its own gold armor and a psycho frame that actually glows the way the show promised.

MechaGrade Score

4.2/5

Unicorn Gundam · 1/100 · 2012

GradeMG

Scale1/100

Released2012

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is the Ver.Ka Unicorn kit's sibling done properly, and I like it slightly more than the original for one reason: the gold.

The matte gold horn parts, the gold waterslide decals, and on this Final Battle release a psycho frame material that reacts under UV light make it feel like an event kit rather than a repaint. It transforms from Unicorn Mode to Destroy Mode exactly the way the anime sells it, and that gimmick still works after dozens of swaps. It is not flawless engineering, but it is a genuinely satisfying build with a killer finished look.

Best for: Ver.Ka collectors and Unicorn fans who want the Banshee's lion-motif gold treatment next to their standard Unicorn on the shelf

The full review

What it is

This is Hajime Katoki's Ver.Ka reinterpretation of the Banshee, Unicorn's twin unit, done as an MG with the same transformation gimmick that made the original MG Unicorn a hit: armor panels split open, the psycho frame is exposed, and the face swaps from the closed Unicorn mask to a proper Destroy Mode Gundam face. The Final Battle release swaps in the gold-toned psycho frame material tied to the anime's climactic scenes, plus a big sheet of gold foil decals that genuinely lift how the finished kit reads. Building it, the transformation sequence is the reason to own this over a static kit. Working the shoulders, chest, and skirt armor through their swing points into Destroy Mode is the kind of mechanism that makes you grin every single time.

The catch

The joints do not always hold up their end of the bargain. Several builders report the torso connection getting loose over repeated transformations and posing, and the knees can be finicky to lock into a stable stance once you load them with the beam magnum or bazooka. It is a Ver.Ka kit, which means more complexity and more small parts than a standard MG, so gate cleanup and panel line work take real time. And this specific release is a Premium Bandai exclusive, so it comes at a higher price and lower availability than a standard retail MG, plus that gold decal sheet demands a steady hand or you will see silvering.

Who it's for

If you already own or want the MG Unicorn Ver.Ka and like the idea of a matched pair on the shelf, this is worth tracking down secondhand or through resale since it is P-Bandai. The transformation gimmick and gold finish reward someone who wants a display centerpiece, not a quick weekend build. If you just want one clean-posing Unicorn-line kit without chasing exclusives, grab the standard retail MG Unicorn Ver.Ka or Banshee Ver.Ka first, since the joint looseness is present on both and the Final Battle version's premium is mostly about the psycho frame material and decals rather than a fixed engineering issue.

The build story

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

Runner cleanup is standard Bandai MG fare, but the Ver.Ka sculpt packs more small armor shells and layered plates than a typical MG, so nub placement gets fiddly around the chest vents and shoulder mantle. None of it fights you, it just takes longer than a stock kit. The gold decals are the part that demands patience, since they're a large waterslide sheet and rushing the application shows.

The transformation is the engineering centerpiece: shoulder armor splits and rotates back, the chest opens to expose the psycho frame, and the face plate flips from the closed Unicorn mask to the Destroy Mode face, all without needing to pull the kit apart. Articulation is good through the shoulders and hips for dynamic beam magnum poses, though I would not trust the knees to hold a deep lunge indefinitely. Accessory count is generous for the price band, with the full beam magnum and spare magazines, hyper bazooka, twin beam sabers with effect parts, and a transforming shield that mounts cleanly to the forearm.

Lore & trivia

01The Banshee was designed with a lion motif, giving it a golden mane-like collar and more elaborate head antenna to distinguish it visually from its sister unit Unicorn.
02In the story, Banshee was piloted by the captured and brainwashed Marida Cruz before being recovered by the Earth Federation and reassigned to Riddhe Marcenas.
03This Final Battle Ver. release uses a psycho frame material that reacts and glows under black light, tying the kit directly to the anime's climactic Destroy Mode sequences, and was distributed as a Premium Bandai exclusive.