XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Proto Zero EW
The Katoki redesign that flies before it even fights.
MechaGrade Score
Wing Gundam Zero · 1/100 · 2013
Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
This is one of the friendlier full-transformation MGs Bandai has put out, and I mean that as real praise.
The Neo Bird Mode conversion is clean enough that I could do it without checking the manual after the second try, the proportions Katoki drew for the Endless Waltz manga read beautifully in plastic, and the wing binder deployment is the single best posing gimmick in my Wing Gundam collection. It is not a flawless kit, but it is a genuinely fun one.
Best for: Wing Gundam fans who want the Endless Waltz redesign done right, and MG builders who want a transformation gimmick that actually works
What it is
This kit is Katoki's manga reinterpretation of the machine that eventually becomes Wing Gundam Zero, and Bandai built it around a modified xxx-g inner frame that supports full MS to Neo Bird Mode transformation. The head and lower body rotate 180 degrees, the waist side fins swing into flight position, and the whole thing locks down into a shape that actually looks like a bird instead of a robot awkwardly lying flat. I went in expecting a fiddly transformation gimmick I would use once and never touch again. Instead I found myself flipping it back and forth between modes more than any other transforming MG I own, just because the mechanism is satisfying to operate.
The catch
The wings are the star of the show and also the kit's weak point. The body cannot fully support their weight off the display stand, so left standing loose on a shelf it tends to slouch forward over time, and you will want the stand for long-term display. The hands are also a known sore spot, several builders report the grips loosening and dropping the twin buster rifles after repeated posing, since the kit was not built to hold that rifle one-handed for long. None of this is a dealbreaker, but budget for a stand and expect to reseat the hand joints occasionally.
Who it's for
If you love Wing Gundam Wing Zero and want the Endless Waltz version of the story told through the prototype instead of the finished suit, this is worth building, the transformation alone justifies the price for me. It is also a good pick for builders who want an MG-level transformation gimmick without PG-level complexity or cost. Skip it if you specifically want the finished Wing Gundam Zero silhouette rather than the prototype, or if you display everything off-stand and can't tolerate the wings sagging without support over time.
The build story
What the build is actually like, and the engineering worth knowing about.
Gate placement is standard MG fare and cleanup is straightforward, nothing here trips up a builder who has done a couple of Master Grades already. The modified xxx-g frame goes together with a satisfying click at each joint, and the transformation sequence is logical once you have done it slowly the first time, no forced parts or scary tension anywhere in the process.
Articulation in the legs and wing array is genuinely good, the ball-jointed wing sections let you fan the feathers out for that classic dramatic silhouette instead of a stiff flat spread. Color separation on the body is strong for molded plastic with minimal sticker reliance, and the accessory loadout, twin buster rifles, beam sabers tucked in the shoulder armor, shoulder-mounted machine cannons, gives real value for an MG in this price band.
Lore & trivia
- 01This kit depicts Katoki Hajime's redesign of the prototype Gundam for the Endless Waltz manga, distinct from Okawara Kunio's original TV series designs.
- 02In the Endless Waltz continuity, Wing Gundam Zero is built from the wreckage of this very Proto Zero unit, upgraded with wing binders salvaged from the OZ-00MS Tallgeese Flugel.
- 03The suit's backstory ties it to five engineers who split off from the Tallgeese development team to design a next-generation mobile suit, with Quatre Raberba Winner eventually completing and piloting it after his Gundam Sandrock was destroyed.
What other builders say
This write-up is grounded in real reviews and builder discussion, not just one opinion. A few worth reading:
More reviews
All reviews
ORX-139 Hambrabi (GQ)
A transforming prototype MS that gives an HG the kind of gimmick usually reserved for MG price tags.
XXXG-01SR2 Gundam Sandrock Custom EW
The desert Gundam's upgrade finally gets the small-scale treatment its heat shotels deserve.
ASW-G-08 Gundam Barbatos Adapt
Same battered soul, a whole new frame under the patchwork armor.