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XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero EW

Four feathered wings and a frame that finally holds its poses, in a footprint that fits your shelf.

MechaGrade Score

4.1 out of 54.1/5

Wing Gundam Zero · 1/144 · 2014

GradeRG
Scale1/144
Released2014
Runnersn/a
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The verdict

This is the RG that made me forgive earlier RGs for their stiffness.

The MS Joint 9 frame is sturdy where a lot of the older Real Grades feel like they are held together with hope, and the four-wing Katoki redesign is genuinely the star of the case once it is built. I would put this near the top of the pre-Freedom RG lineup. It is not flawless, the wrists get tired of holding that huge rifle, but the presence this thing has for a 1/144 is hard to argue with.

Best for: RG collectors and Wing fans who want the angelic four-wing redesign posed dynamically without committing to an MG

The full review

What it is

The Zero EW takes the transforming bird-mode Wing Zero from the TV series and redoes it as Katoki's Endless Waltz redesign, four feathery wings instead of two, a more angular V-fin, and a frame under all of it (Bandai's MS Joint 9) that is one of the more forgiving Real Grade skeletons to build. Assembly moves fast for the grade. I was not fighting tiny pegs and hairline gaps the whole way through the way I have on some other RGs, and the double-jointed elbows and knees give this thing a real range before you even touch the wings. Once those wings are on and spread, this kit looks like nothing else in a 1/144 lineup.

The catch

The wrists are floppy and struggle to keep the Twin Buster Rifle level, especially in the iconic double-handed firing pose, so expect some patience or a support hand if you want that shot to hold. The forearm and rifle stickers are the weak point of an otherwise good kit, thin, prone to peeling if you handle the parts much while posing, and the panel-line detail underneath deserves better than a sticker fix. A couple of nub locations are placed badly, most notably a large gate mark on the back of the head that takes real care to clean. And with those wings fully spread, this kit is back-heavy enough that a display stand stops being optional.

Who it's for

If you grew up on Endless Waltz or just love the four-wing redesign, this is the RG to own, it is small, it displays big, and the frame is sturdy enough that I would call it beginner-friendly for someone stepping up from HG into Real Grade territory. Builders who want a fuss-free RG experience will appreciate how fast this one goes together compared to older entries in the line. Skip it if you specifically want the TV-series two-wing bird mode (this is EW only) or if loose wrist joints and sticker-reliant detailing are dealbreakers for you, an MG Wing Zero Custom will serve those priorities better at a much bigger size and price.

The build story

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

Runner to finished pose moves quicker here than I expected going in. The MS Joint 9 frame parts snap together with confidence, not the mushy fit I have felt on some earlier Real Grades, and the double-jointed elbows and knees are doing real work before you even attach the wing assembly. Watch the nub placement, most gates are clean and small, but there is at least one large one on the back of the head that will take extra sanding to hide.

The wings are the engineering story of this kit, a series of pegs and hinge joints lets all four spread, fold, and angle independently, and the torso can ab-crunch to sell the two-handed rifle pose. Finger articulation on the manipulators is generous for the scale. Color separation on the white and gray leg armor and the accent colors across the chest and shoulders is strong for a 1/144, though the forearm and rifle stickers are doing more of the work than I would like.

Lore & trivia

  • 01The Endless Waltz redesign by Hajime Katoki replaced the TV series Wing Zero's raster bird-mode wings with four feathered wings, giving the suit its angelic look.
  • 02In-universe, the Zero Frame's total separation of the inner frame from the armor plating let Wing Zero keep fighting even after losing up to 90 percent of its outer armor.
  • 03The Twin Buster Rifle carries more than double the output of the original Wing Gundam's single Buster Rifle, powerful enough in the story to destroy an entire space colony.
  • 04This RG released in December 2014, giving one of the show's signature mobile suits its first Real Grade kit.

What other builders say

This write-up is grounded in real reviews and builder discussion, not just one opinion. A few worth reading:

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