RGUniversal Century

MS-06R-2 Gabby Hazard's Zaku II

A P-Bandai recolor that proves the right paint job can make an old mold feel brand new.

MechaGrade Score

3.7/5

Zaku II · 1/144 · 2018

GradeRG

Scale1/144

Released2018

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is the same RG Zaku II High Mobility Type engineering Bandai has been running since the Johnny Ridden release, just repainted into commander Gabby Hazard's brown and black scheme, and honestly that repaint earns its keep.

I built one expecting a straight reskin and came away liking it more than I expected because the molded color work on this variant is genuinely sharp. It is not a kit that reinvents anything, but it wears its colors better than most Zakus on my shelf.

Best for: Zeon collectors and RG Zaku fans who want a lesser-seen ace paint job without breaking out the airbrush

The full review

What it is

This is a P-Bandai exclusive recolor of the RG 1/144 Zaku II High Mobility Type, reissued in Gabby Hazard's personal brown and black livery with new decals for his unit markings. Under the paint it is the same kit that's been running since 2018, RG-standard part separation, an inner frame under the shell armor, and the full weapon set of Giant Buzz, Zaku bazooka, Zaku machine gun, and heat hawk. I liked how much the darker, more muted colorway sells the veteran-ace read compared to the more common green or red Zaku variants, and the monoeye still swivels with the head the way it should. It photographs better than I expected out of the box.

The catch

This is still an early-generation RG at heart, which means small parts that like to pop loose, a shoulder joint and shoulder armor connection that need firm, complete snaps or they will separate mid-pose, and general fragility if you handle it a lot rather than pose it once and display it. Being P-Bandai exclusive also means it comes at a premium over a standard retail RG and you're paying largely for the paint job and decals rather than new engineering. Some of the darker molded plastic can also show stress whitening at tight joints if you're not careful during assembly.

Who it's for

I'd point this at builders who already like the RG Zaku II High Mobility Type shape and want a specific ace variant for a collection, not someone building their first Gunpla or their first RG. If you're new to Real Grade, the tiny gripping fingers and pop-off shoulder joints here will frustrate you more than they'll teach you. But if you've built an RG before and you know to go slow with the polycaps and double-check every joint seats fully, this is a rewarding shelf piece, especially next to other MSV Zaku variants where the color story does a lot of the storytelling for you.

The build story

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

The build follows the familiar RG Zaku II High Mobility Type runner layout, so if you've built the Johnny Ridden or standard High Mobility release before, the steps will feel identical. Gate placement is typical early-RG, mostly on visible surfaces on the smaller frame pieces, so plan on patient nub cleanup rather than rushing. The shoulder assembly is the one spot that demands attention: the ball joint and the shoulder armor's connecting joint both need to click fully home or the arm will sag or the armor will pop free later.

Where the kit earns its keep is color separation. The brown and black molded plastic reproduces Gabby Hazard's scheme across the torso, limbs, and shoulder armor with almost no stickers needed for the base colors, and the new decal sheet handles his personal unit markings cleanly. Articulation is standard RG fare, double-jointed elbows and knees, a ball-socketed head with working monoeye, pull-out shoulders, and posable three-plus-one-plus-one fingers, which is still enough range to hold a rifle stance or a melee pose with the heat hawk without props.

Lore & trivia

01The MS-06R-2 High Mobility Type was a hurried Zeonic Company response to the rival Zimmad MS-09R Rick Dom, built off the earlier MS-06R-1A and MS-11 test airframe.
02Only a handful of R-2 Zakus were ever produced before the MS-09R Rick Dom was chosen as Zeon's next-generation space combat mobile suit, making ace-customized R-2 units like Gabby Hazard's a niche corner of MSV lore.
03This kit reuses the RG 1/144 Zaku II High Mobility Type mold previously issued as Johnny Ridden's custom, recolored into commander Gabby Hazard's brown and black scheme as a P-Bandai online exclusive.