MGCosmic Era

ZGMF-1001/K Slash ZAKU Phantom (Yzak Jule Custom)

Yzak's close-combat monster, built on a familiar frame but wearing all-new teeth.

MechaGrade Score

3.9/5

Slash ZAKU Phantom (Yzak Jule Custom) · 1/100 · 2020

GradeMG

Scale1/100

Released2020

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is a P-Bandai exclusive that earns its premium price with genuinely new tooling where it counts.

The body reuses the Gunner Zaku Warrior frame, but the backpack, shields, and the whole Falx G7 beam axe assembly are new, and that axe is the reason to own this kit. It converts between two modes and stores folded on the back, and that single gimmick sells the whole build.

Best for: Gundam SEED Destiny fans and Zaku collectors who want a genuinely different silhouette from the standard Zaku Warrior line and don't mind hunting a secondary-market copy

The full review

What it is

I went in expecting a reskin and came out impressed. Yes, the core body shares its mold with Lunamaria's Gunner Zaku Warrior, so the torso and legs feel familiar in hand. But everything that makes this kit Yzak's is new: the redesigned backpack, the twin MMI-M826 Hydra gatling beam cannons, and above all the MA-MR Falx G7 beam axe, molded in clear pink plastic with a folding gimmick that lets it switch between an open combat stance and a compact stored mode clipped to the back skirt. Building that axe and clicking it through both positions was the best ten minutes of the whole kit for me.

The catch

The double shoulder shields are gorgeous once assembled but fiddly to get seated correctly, and the mono-eye only swivels if you're willing to pop the helmet off first, which feels like an afterthought rather than a real feature. This was a Bandai Hobby Online Shop (P-Bandai) exclusive at around 4,950 yen, so you're paying import/reseller markup on top of already-premium MG pricing, and it's gone in and out of stock across reissues rather than sitting on shelves. Because a chunk of the frame is shared tooling, purists chasing an entirely from-scratch MG may feel a little of the 'value' is really the new backpack and weapons carrying the rest.

Who it's for

If you already love the Zaku Warrior body and want Yzak's specific loadout with a genuinely fun weapon gimmick, this is worth tracking down. It rewards SEED Destiny fans and anyone who gets a kick out of transforming accessories more than static ones. Skip it if P-Bandai pricing and secondary-market hunting isn't something you want to deal with, or if you were hoping for a completely new frame rather than a well-dressed familiar one. For most other Zaku fans, a standard retail MG Zaku Warrior will scratch the itch for less money and less hassle.

What works

The MA-MR Falx G7 beam axe's two-mode folding gimmick is a legitimately satisfying build-and-fidget centerpiece
Independently posable triple-spike shoulder shields and clear pink beam-effect parts give real shelf presence
Double-jointed elbows and knees plus ball-and-socket manipulators give it more range than the frame's Zaku Warrior roots suggest

Worth knowing

P-Bandai exclusive pricing and limited availability mean paying a premium and hunting resellers
Mono-eye articulation requires removing the helmet to access, which undercuts the feature
Shares its core body tooling with the Gunner Zaku Warrior, so some of the 'new kit' feeling rides on the backpack and weapons rather than a fresh frame

Sold? Grab it.

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The build story

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

The body goes together the way any Zaku Warrior-based MG does at this point, which is to say confidently, with clean gate placement and no real surprises. Where the build gets interesting is the backpack and weapon runners, all newly molded for this release. The Falx G7 axe in particular takes a bit of patience to click through its transformation correctly the first time, but once you understand the joint it becomes a satisfying fidget every time you pose the suit.

Color separation is strong for an MG in this price bracket, with the clear pink beam-effect axe parts standing in nicely for painted beam glow. The dual Hydra gatling beam cannons and the triple-spike independently movable shoulder shields are the standout engineering here, giving the finished kit a busier, more aggressive read than a stock Zaku Warrior. Articulation benefits from double-jointed elbows and knees, so it holds the more dynamic close-combat poses this suit is built for, though the mono-eye's helmet-off requirement is a real limitation on an otherwise well-thought-out frame.

Lore & trivia

01The Slash ZAKU Phantom is the close-combat configuration of the ZGMF-1001 ZAKU Phantom, created by equipping the Wizard System's EX-K Slash Wizard pack.
02Yzak Jule piloted his custom-colored Slash ZAKU Phantom during the 'Break the World' incident in October, CE 73, fighting rogue ZAFT terrorists trying to drop the remains of Junius Seven on Earth.
03This MG release was the first 1/100 scale version and the first Master Grade of the Slash ZAKU Phantom, sold as a Bandai Hobby Online Shop (P-Bandai) exclusive at roughly 4,950 yen.
04The kit's body shares tooling with the MG Gunner Zaku Warrior (Lunamaria Hawke's unit), with the backpack, shields, and Falx G7 beam axe newly molded for this release.