MGCosmic Era

ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam (Cross Contrast Color) Clear Blue

The same great MG Freedom 2.0 frame, dipped in glowing clear blue for the shelf.

MechaGrade Score

3.7/5

Freedom Gundam (Cross Contrast Color) Clear Blue · 1/100 · 2024

GradeMG

Scale1/100

Released2024

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is the MG Freedom Gundam Ver.

2.0 you already know, wearing a limited translucent blue coat that genuinely earns its price bump. I built one expecting a simple recolor and came away more impressed by how the clear plastic catches light through the vents and wing joints than I expected. It is not a re-engineered kit, so the old frame's known soft spots come along for the ride, but as a display piece this is one of the better looking versions of Freedom Bandai has put out.

Best for: SEED fans who already love the MG Freedom 2.0 sculpt and want a striking shelf-only variant, not a first-time engineering upgrade

The full review

What it is

This is the 2016-era MG ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam Ver. 2.0 mold reissued in the Cross Contrast Color treatment, a mix of deep opaque blue armor and semi-translucent blue parts that was originally a China-market special before getting a wider Gundam Base release. The sculpt itself is the well-liked one: correct Freedom proportions, an inner frame under the armor, and the big wing unit with flip-open thruster hatches for Full Burst Mode. Building it, the clear parts change the experience in a real way. Backlighting the chest vents or holding the wings up to a lamp shows off the frame in a way the standard grey-and-white release never does, and it made an otherwise familiar build feel new again.

The catch

This is a cosmetic reissue, not a redesign, so every structural complaint about the 2016 MG Freedom 2.0 still applies. Builders have flagged loose polycap-free joints, most often the shoulders and hip, and a left-side looseness that can leave the suit struggling to hold up its own shield arm or stand steady under the weight of the wings. The inner frame isn't ABS, so tension loosens with repeated posing. Being a limited Cross Contrast release, it also runs above a standard MG's price and can be harder to find once a run sells out, which matters if you are shopping on value alone rather than the color scheme.

Who it's for

Buy this one if you already like the MG Freedom Ver. 2.0 sculpt and want a version that looks unlike anything else on your shelf under a lamp or LED strip, or if you collect SEED-era limited colorways. Skip it if you want the most durable, best-articulated Freedom money can buy for regular posing and combat displays, since the vanilla release (or a later MG remaster) will hold poses longer and cost less. It is also not the kit to start with if you have never built an MG Freedom before and want to judge the sculpt on its own merits first.

The build story

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

The build itself is straightforward MG-grade assembly with the usual runner count for a 1/100 kit of this size, and nothing about the Cross Contrast treatment changes the steps. The main difference builders notice is handling the clear blue runners, which show fingerprints and scuffs more readily than opaque plastic, so a little extra care during gate cleanup pays off. The torso and limb frame go together the same easy, logical way as the original 2016 release, and most of the build time goes into the wing unit and its folding thruster flaps rather than the body.

Articulation holds up well for a kit from this era, with double-jointed elbows and knees that extend the range past a simple hinge, a torso that can crunch forward and twist, and legs that splay out for wider stances. The main weak points are the shoulder and left-side hip joints, which some builders report as noticeably looser than the rest of the frame. Color separation is where this version pulls ahead of the standard release, since the semi-clear parts do double duty as both structure and a lighting effect without needing a single sticker for the effect. The kit ships with beam rifle, shield, beam sabers, and the full wing armament for Full Burst Mode, matching the weapon loadout from the anime.

Lore & trivia

01The Freedom Gundam was stolen from ZAFT by Kira Yamato with Lacus Clyne's help on May 8, C.E. 71, and used to rescue the Archangel at the Battle of JOSH-A in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.
02Freedom's wings deploy into HiMAT (High Mobility Aerial Tactics) Mode, the same silhouette this MG recreates through its posable wing and thruster hatches.
03The Cross Contrast Color line originated as a Bandai China market special before later Cross Contrast Freedom releases like this Clear Blue version reached wider Gundam Base distribution.
04Freedom runs on a Neutron Jammer Canceller and nuclear reactor, and Kira describes it as having over four times the output of his earlier GAT-X105 Strike Gundam.