MGCosmic Era

ZGMF-1001/M Blaze ZAKU Phantom (Rey Za Burrel Custom)

A ZAKU with a jetpack the size of a small car, and hip joints that finally let it kneel like it means it.

MechaGrade Score

3.9/5

Blaze ZAKU Phantom (Rey Za Burrel Custom) · 1/100 · 2021

GradeMG

Scale1/100

Released2021

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

I think this is one of the better ways to get a big, blocky ZAFT mech that still moves like a real MG.

It reuses the proven Zaku Warrior inner frame, which means the base suit is smooth to build and poses with real confidence, then bolts on the Blaze Wizard backpack for scale and presence. The Rey Za Burrel version specifically improves the hip and thigh joints over the earlier Blaze Zaku Phantom releases, which matters more than it sounds like on paper. It is a P-Bandai exclusive though, so getting one at a fair price is its own project.

Best for: SEED Destiny fans who want a ZAKU that can actually hold a wide kneeling pose under that huge backpack

The full review

What it is

This is the Rey Za Burrel colorway of the MG Blaze ZAKU Phantom, built on the same ZAFT frame that made the base Zaku Warrior kits click with people. The core body goes together fast with no real seam headaches, and the Blaze Wizard backpack is the star of the show, a genuinely huge thruster pack with an opening missile hatch and deployable pods that changes the kit's whole silhouette. The cockpit hatch flips open to show a pilot figure, and the Beam Assault Rifle folds down to mount on the rear waist armor when you want the arms free. Once assembled it has real weight and presence on a shelf next to a Gundam-type MG.

The catch

The backpack has no seams to fight, but it needs real detail work, panel lining and some careful color separation, before it looks finished rather than plain. The mono-eye is a sticker in the box, and the soft plastic used in the inner frame pegs can grip tight enough that a few builders sand them down to avoid snapping a peg on first assembly. Hands popping off the wrists during heavy posing is a known annoyance with this frame. It is also a Premium Bandai exclusive, so you are often buying secondhand or through a proxy, and that adds real cost on top of the roughly 58 dollar original price.

Who it's for

Buy this if you already like the Gundam SEED Destiny cast and want Rey Za Burrel's ZAKU specifically, or if you want an MG that reads as genuinely big and different from the usual humanoid Gundam silhouette. The improved hip and thigh gimmicks over the original Blaze Zaku Phantom release make a real difference in how it kneels and lunges, so it rewards people who actually pose their kits rather than shelf them straight out of the bag. Skip it if you want a kit that looks great with zero extra work, or if hunting down a secondary market P-Bandai release at a reasonable price is more hassle than you want to deal with.

The build story

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

The core suit reuses the well-liked Zaku Warrior ZAFT frame, ABS and PS with no polycaps, and it goes together quickly with confident joint tension once the tighter pegs are eased in. Builders who have done a few of these note the base body has essentially no seam lines to deal with, which is a relief given how much time the backpack demands instead.

The Blaze Wizard backpack is where the kit earns its keep, a huge thruster unit with a hinged missile hatch and pod deployment gimmick that gives the whole model a different profile from a standard ZAKU. The cockpit hatch opening to reveal a pilot figure is a nice touch, and the Beam Assault Rifle's flip-out foregrip and fold-down storage mount onto the rear waist armor are small design details that show real thought went into the accessory set alongside the dual shoulder shields and Beam Tomahawk.

Lore & trivia

01Rey Za Burrel is a ZAFT FAITH pilot in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny, and this custom colorway is his personal machine.
02This MG shares its ZAFT inner frame architecture with the MG Zaku Warrior line first introduced in 2019, which is why the core body builds so cleanly.
03The kit was released as a Premium Bandai (P-Bandai) online-exclusive in 2021, meaning it never had a general retail release through normal hobby shop channels.
04The Rey Za Burrel version's hip and thigh joints were specifically upgraded over the original Blaze Zaku Phantom and Blaze Zaku Warrior MG releases to allow more leg articulation under the Wizard pack's weight.