MGCosmic Era

ZGMF-1001/M Blaze ZAKU Phantom / ZGMF-1000/M Blaze ZAKU Warrior

A two-in-one Zaku that trades a little bit of everything for a lot of options.

MechaGrade Score

3.8/5

Blaze ZAKU Phantom / ZGMF-1000/M Blaze ZAKU Warrior · 1/100 · 2020

GradeMG

Scale1/100

Released2020

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is a genuinely clever two-suits-in-one box that rewards you for building it slowly.

The core Zaku frame is simple and honest, the Blaze Wizard backpack turns the whole silhouette into something much more aggressive, and the gimmicks (opening missile pods, folding thrusters) are the kind of small mechanical joy that makes a build memorable. It is not the most articulate or the most detailed MG on the shelf, but it is one of the more thoughtful ones for what it is trying to do.

Best for: Zaku loyalists and SEED Destiny fans who want the Warrior and Phantom loadouts without buying two kits

The full review

What it is

This kit builds either the ZGMF-1000/M Blaze ZAKU Warrior or the ZGMF-1001/M Blaze ZAKU Phantom off the same core frame, and that alone makes it worth a look if you like Zakus. The base body reuses the familiar MG Zaku Warrior engineering, so assembly feels comfortable and unfussy, panel lines are cleanly cut and a genuine pleasure to pick out with a wash. The Blaze Wizard backpack is the real star, once it clicks into place the whole kit reads as a different, meaner suit. The missile pods pop open and the thrusters fold out with a satisfying bit of mechanical theater that I did not expect from a Zaku variant kit.

The catch

Articulation is good but not great, the bulky Wizard armor and shoulder spikes get in the way of some poses, especially anything that wants a deep forward hunch or a tight arm cross. Being P-Bandai exclusive, this one runs a premium over a comparable retail MG, and builders who wanted both included axes to have effect parts are stuck with only one covered, the second is a static prop. Some of the color separation on the smaller Wizard details leans on decals rather than molded plastic, and the water slide decals demand patience and a steady hand to place well.

Who it's for

Buy this if you like Zaku aesthetics, want the flexibility of building either the Warrior or the Phantom loadout, and do not mind the P-Bandai price tag for that variety. It rewards builders who enjoy fiddly small parts and gimmick engineering over raw pose range. Skip it if articulation ceiling is your main priority, or if you specifically want a kit where every included weapon gets full effect-part support, since the second axe here is decorative only. For most Zaku fans this is an easy recommend, just go in knowing what you are trading for the two-in-one flexibility.

The build story

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

The core body goes together the way a good MG Zaku should, parts are cleanly molded, gates sit in low-visibility spots, and panel lines are crisp enough that a simple wash makes the whole kit pop. Nothing here fights you, one reviewer clocked around seven and a half hours on the main body plus another hour for the Wizard pack, which tracks with a kit that rewards a patient, unhurried build rather than a rushed one.

The Blaze Wizard backpack is where the engineering shines, the missile pod covers and thruster flaps have real hinge mechanisms behind them rather than just being molded shut, and swapping between the Warrior and Phantom configurations is straightforward once you understand the option parts. Loadout includes a beam assault rifle and a beam tomahawk, with effect parts covering only the primary axe. Color separation on the main body is solid for a Zaku, though some smaller Wizard details lean on the included water slide decals rather than molded color.

Lore & trivia

01The kit builds two distinct in-universe suits from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny, the ZGMF-1000/M Blaze ZAKU Warrior and the ZGMF-1001/M Blaze ZAKU Phantom, from a shared set of runners and option parts.
02It was released in December 2020 as a Premium Bandai (P-Bandai) online shop exclusive, meaning it was never sold through general retail.
03The Blaze Wizard is a Wizard System backpack unit that adds high-output thrusters for improved mobility in both space and atmospheric combat within the show's fiction.
04The core frame and proportions reuse the established MG Zaku Warrior engineering, which is why the base assembly feels familiar to builders who have made other Zaku-line MGs.