MGCosmic Era

ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom Gundam Full Burst Mode

The definitive Kira Yamato kit, dressed in gold and dragoons, that asks a lot of you before it gives everything back.

MechaGrade Score

4.2/5

Strike Freedom Gundam · 1/100 · 2006

GradeMG

Scale1/100

Released2006

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is one of the best MG kits Bandai made in the 2000s, and the Full Burst Mode dress-up makes it better, not just shinier.

The gold-coated frame parts, the clear blue display base, and the eight separate Dragoon effect parts on styrene rods turn a great kit into a genuine centerpiece. I will be straight with you though, it earns its 8.4 rather than coasting into a 9, because the connection points at the shoulders and thighs are looser than the rest of the engineering deserves.

Best for: MG collectors who want the flashiest possible Strike Freedom and don't mind a little extra glue and joint tightening to get there

The full review

What it is

This is the 2006 MG Strike Freedom in its Full Burst Mode packaging, which means you get the standard kit plus gold-plated inner frame runners, all eight Super Dragoon units as separate posable effect parts on clear stands, a dedicated blue display base, and a clear character art poster. Building it, I kept catching myself just staring at the shoulder assembly, the way the wings fold down flat and then fan open into the Dragoon array is genuinely clever engineering, not a gimmick. The head sculpt is sharp, the V-fin is crisp, and once assembled the proportions read exactly like the anime's hero shot. It is a kit that rewards patience with a real sense of occasion.

The catch

The gold frame parts are thicker plastic than the rest of the runners, and the nub marks on them are noticeably harder to clean up without leaving witness marks, since you can't hide a scuff under gold plating the way you can under white. Builders consistently flag that the arms can pop out of the shoulder sockets and the upper legs can work loose from the waist with repeated posing, so this is not a kit you want to handle roughly once it is done. The wings and Dragoon array add real weight, which means some poses genuinely need the display stand to keep the figure from tipping backward. Panel lining and topcoat matter more here than usual because the molded color alone leaves some detail flat.

Who it's for

If you already love the Strike Freedom's silhouette and want the version with the most bling, the gold parts and the full Dragoon spread make this the one to chase over the plain MG release. It rewards people willing to do a little extra work, tightening loose joints with tape or a drop of glue, panel lining the gold sections carefully, and using the stand for anything ambitious. If you want a kit you can pose hard and swap around without babying it, or you are on a budget and the plain MG (or the RG) will scratch the same itch for less, skip the Full Burst premium and save it for a kit you'll actually display in full burst mode.

The build story

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

Gate placement on the gold runners is the one build-quality complaint that comes up again and again. Because the coating shows every scuff, you want a sharp side cutter and a light touch rather than your usual nipper-and-sand routine, and doing a final pass with a hobby knife before assembly saves headaches later. Everything else snaps together with the fit and confidence you'd expect from a mid-2000s flagship MG, the frame goes together logically and the outer armor clips on clean.

The articulation is genuinely good, double-jointed elbows and knees, a ball-socketed head, and enough hip and shoulder range to hit dynamic poses, it's just the durability of a couple of those joints under repeated use that needs watching. Where this kit really delivers is the accessory count for the price band: the beam rifle, twin beam sabers, the full eight-piece Dragoon spread with connector rods, and a dedicated display base is a serious amount of kit for one box, and it is easy to see why builders still call this one of the best MGs of its era.

Lore & trivia

01The Strike Freedom is piloted by Kira Yamato in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny, succeeding his earlier ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam.
02Each of its eight wings houses a Super Dragoon, a wireless remote weapon pod armed with a beam assault cannon that doubles as a close-combat beam blade.
03The Super Dragoons are described as only reaching full potential in Kira's hands, since piloting them at full capacity requires the processing ability of an Ultimate Coordinator.
04The Full Burst Mode release adds gold-coated inner frame parts, a clear blue display base, and separate posable Dragoon effect parts on styrene support rods, on top of the standard 2006 MG kit.