RGUniversal Century

MS-06S Zaku II (Char Aznable's Custom)

A tiny frame that somehow still nails the swagger of the Red Comet's ride.

MechaGrade Score

4.2/5

Zaku II · 1/144 · 2010

GradeRG

Scale1/144

Released2010

Runnersn/a

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The verdict

This is one of the best small-scale antagonist kits Bandai has ever put out, and I think it earns that reputation honestly.

The monoeye gear mechanism alone justifies the RG treatment, the pose range covers everything from the famous Zaku kick to a menacing crouch, and the red and dark green molded plastic means you get Char's exact color scheme without reaching for a brush. It does ask more patience of you than the average RG, but the payoff at 1/144 is genuinely special.

Best for: RG collectors and Gundam fans who want the definitive Char's Zaku pose-for-pose without stepping up to a bigger scale

The full review

What it is

This is Bandai's Real Grade take on the mobile suit that made the Red Comet a legend, and it wears the RG line's inner-frame philosophy well. You get a fully articulated skeleton under the armor, a monoeye that visibly shifts through a small gear train when you turn the head sideways, and molded color in Char's signature red and dark olive so the iconic look survives without a single paint pass. Out of the box the silhouette reads instantly as Char's Zaku, spike shoulder and all, and posing it into the classic flying kick or a low stalking crouch feels like the kit was built around that exact moment.

The catch

The advanced MS joint frame that gives this kit its range of motion is also its weak point. The internal joints run soft and can feel loose or spring-loaded rather than firm, so ambitious poses sometimes sag or shed a hand or shoulder armor panel at the wrong moment. The energy pipe and cable assembly around the legs and waist has small parts that need careful nipping and dry-fitting rather than a rush job. This is also a genuinely fiddly build for the scale, more demanding than most RGs, so going slow and following the instructions closely matters more here than on a typical 1/144.

Who it's for

I would put this in front of builders who already have an RG or two under their belt and want a small-scale display piece with real engineering behind it, not a first kit. If you love the Zaku II as a machine and want the articulation to actually back up dynamic posing, this delivers in a way plenty of larger kits do not. If you are newer to the hobby or want something that survives rough handling and repeated re-posing without babying, I would point you toward an HG version of Char's Zaku instead and save this one for later.

The build story

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

The runners lean small and dense, which is normal for RG but felt more pronounced here because of the cable and pipe detailing around the waist and legs. Nub placement is mostly considerate, though a few connector pieces benefit from cutting into a parts tray so nothing goes flying. Fit is generally snug and confident on the armor shells, it is the internal frame joints that feel softer than I would like once the kit is fully posed.

Where this kit earns its keep is the frame engineering: double-jointed elbows and knees, a 360 degree waist, and jointed shoulder armor and shield that swing out of the way to open up arm movement. The loadout covers the essentials, machine gun, heat hawk, Zaku bazooka, a poseable pair of manipulator hands, an action base adapter, and a small Char figurine to sit in a diorama. For a 1/144 kit that price and part count, the detail-to-size ratio is excellent.

Lore & trivia

01The MS-06S is a command variant of the mass-produced Zaku II, distinguished by roughly 30 percent more thrust than the standard grunt suit after Char had its output limiters removed.
02That extra thrust, combined with Char's own piloting skill and reckless maneuvering, is what fed the in-universe rumor that his machine was three times faster than an ordinary Zaku.
03Char earned the nickname Red Comet after piloting this suit to destroy five Federation battleships during the Battle of Loum, the opening battle of the One Year War.
04This RG release was part of Bandai's 30th anniversary Real Grade lineup, launched in November 2010 alongside the original RX-78-2 RG.