G Gundam Gunpla Kits: 7 Picks From $19.99 HGFC to RG

G Gundam Gunpla has a naming quirk: GUNDAM Official's English site calls the GF13-017NJⅡ the Burning Gundam, while Bandai's kits and US shops call it God Gundam. Either way, the real choice is between two modern Real Grade kits, a row of 2011 High Grades, and Premium Bandai.

Verdict: Pick the RG Shining Gundam if you want the newest G Gundam kit at $43. Pick the HGFC Shining Gundam if you want a first kit under $20. Pick the HGFC Master Gundam & Fuunsaiki if you want the Master Gundam and its mount in one box. Skip the Hi-Resolution God Gundam unless you find it in stock. Prices checked Oct 25.

Key Takeaways

• Newest kit: the RG 1/144 Shining Gundam, Japan release June 2025, $43.00 at Newtype.
• Same yen, different dollars: RG Shining and RG God are both ¥3,850 with tax in Japan; Newtype charged $43.00 and $50.00.
• Cheapest pick: the HGFC 1/144 Shining Gundam (2011), $19.99.
• Premium Bandai only: HG Gundam Rose, Maxter, Dragon, Mandala and Spiegel, 2023 to 2026.
• 56 items in Bandai's Japanese list carry the G Gundam series tag; 24 of them are 1994 kits.

Overview: how we ranked the G Gundam Gunpla

Mobile Fighter G Gundam aired in 1994 as a 49-episode TV series, per GUNDAM Official. Its Shining Gundam is "A Neo Japan Mobile Fighter designed and developed by Dr. Mikamura, Rain's father," piloted by Domon Kasshu. The GF13-017NJⅡ "activates by inheriting data from the Shining Gundam," in GUNDAM Official's words.

We listed every item in the G Gundam series of our copy of Bandai's Japanese item list, then kept the kits a US builder can buy at a US shop. A kit ranks higher when it is newer, costs less for its grade, and was in stock on Oct 25. Gundam Base exclusives, event colors, decals and add-on parts sets are left out.

Desk note: Our copy of Bandai's Japanese list holds 56 G Gundam items. 24 are 1994 kits, and only four standard kits have come out since 2012: the Hi-Resolution God Gundam (2019), the HG Death Army (2019), the RG God Gundam (2022) and the RG Shining Gundam (2025). Everything else since then was Premium Bandai, a Gundam Base item, an event color, a decal or a Gundam Assemble set. For a US builder, that leaves two RGs and the 2010 to 2011 HGFC kits.

Seven kits made the list: two Real Grade, three HGFC, one Master Grade and one Hi-Resolution Model.

Diagram: PlamoDesk. Data: our copy of Bandai Hobby Site Japan's item list (data/kits/catalog-jp.json, prices with 10% tax, read Oct 11), names as Bandai lists them; the HG Death Army (¥1,540) is left out.

The 7 G Gundam Gunpla kits, ranked

1. RG 1/144 Shining Gundam

• What it is: Real Grade, 1/144. Japan release June 28, 2025, ¥3,500 before tax on Bandai's English schedule (Official images). Our RG Shining Gundam kit page tracks it.
• Why it is here: the newest standard G Gundam kit, and the only one from 2025.
• US price: $43.00 at Newtype, in stock, Oct 25.
• Pick it if: you want the Shining Gundam at today's RG standard.
• The catch: Newtype lists its US release date as August 2025, two months after Japan. Expect that kind of gap for any new RG.

2. RG 1/144 God Gundam

• What it is: Real Grade, 1/144, August 2022, ¥3,850 with tax in Bandai's Japanese list (Official images).
• Why it is here: the God Gundam at the same Japan price as the RG Shining, three years earlier.
• US price: $50.00 at Newtype, in stock, Oct 25. Newtype gives an October 2022 release date.
• Pick it if: the final-episode suit is the one you want.
• The catch: it costs $7 more than the RG Shining at Newtype for the same yen price.

GODEEPER: What separates HG, RG and MG, with one suit priced in each grade. HG vs RG vs MG compared →

3. HGFC 1/144 Shining Gundam

• What it is: HGFC (High Grade Future Century), 1/144, August 2011, ¥1,980 with tax (Official images).
• Why it is here: the cheapest Shining Gundam, at less than half the RG's US price.
• US price: $19.99 at Newtype, in stock, Oct 25 (titled "HGFC 127 Shining Gundam").
• Pick it if: this is your first G Gundam kit or your first kit at all.
• The catch: it is a 2011 mold, 14 years older than the RG.

4. HGFC 1/144 Master Gundam & Fuunsaiki

• What it is: HGFC, 1/144, August 2011, ¥3,080 with tax (Official images).
• Why it is here: the only Master Gundam we found in stock at a US shop. GUNDAM Official calls it "Neo Hong Kong's Mobile Fighter," with "the ability to perfectly replicate the incredible techniques of Master Asia."
• US price: $35.00 at Newtype, in stock, Oct 25.
• Pick it if: you want the Shining Gundam's enemy next to an HGFC Shining or God Gundam. GUNDAM Official says it "stood as a formidable enemy before the new Shuffle Alliance, including the Shining Gundam."
• The catch: it is $15 more than the HGFC Shining. Newtype says the Master Gundam "can ride on the Fuunsaiki model," and both are in the box.

5. HGFC God Gundam

• What it is: High Grade, 1/144, sold by Newtype as "HGFC 110 God Gundam". Newtype's page calls it "The GF13-017NJII God Gundam."
• Why it is here: the 1/144 God Gundam for half the RG's price.
• US price: $25.00 at Newtype, in stock, Oct 25.
• Pick it if: you want the God Gundam and the HGFC Shining side by side for about $45.
• The catch: our copy of Bandai's Japanese list has no standard HGFC kit named ゴッドガンダム (God Gundam); the only HGFC item with that name is a 2014 Premium Bandai set with the Master Gundam. It does list an HGFC 1/144 Gガンダム ("G Gundam", May 2010, ¥2,200 with tax). We read that as this kit, but Bandai's item pages were in maintenance, so we could not confirm it.

6. MG God Gundam

• What it is: Master Grade, 1/100, sold by Newtype as "MG God Gundam". Newtype says the kit has "special translucent parts for beam katanas and the God Finger special attack."
• Why it is here: the only Master Grade G Gundam kit we found at a US shop, and $16 under the RG God Gundam.
• US price: $34.00 at Newtype, in stock, Oct 25.
• Pick it if: you want a 1/100 God Gundam for less than an RG.
• The catch: the same naming gap as the HGFC. Bandai's list has an MG 1/100 Gガンダム from November 2001 (¥3,190 with tax), which we take to be this kit. It is the oldest kit on this list.

7. Hi-Resolution Model 1/100 God Gundam

• What it is: Hi-Resolution Model, 1/100, October 2019, ¥14,300 with tax (Official images).
• Why it is here: the biggest and most expensive God Gundam in Bandai's list. There is no Perfect Grade G Gundam kit.
• US price: $141.95 at Newtype, sold out, Oct 25.
• Pick it if: you collect Hi-Resolution Models and find one in stock.
• The catch: at Newtype it costs nearly three RG God Gundams. It was not in stock, either.

Diagram: PlamoDesk. Data: our copy of Bandai Hobby Site Japan's item list; decals, event colors, Gundam Base items, add-on parts and the Gundam Assemble set left out.

Analysis: what the G Gundam Gunpla list tells a US builder

The new G Gundam kits mostly skip US shelves. Since 2023, Bandai's Japanese list shows five new HG 1/144 Gundams from the show: the Gundam Rose (February 2023), Gundam Maxter (November 2023), Dragon Gundam (November 2024), Mandala Gundam (November 2025) and Gundam Spiegel (September 2026, ¥3,740 with tax). All five are filed under Premium Bandai.

The Dragon Gundam also shows up on Bandai's English schedule for November 2024, at ¥3,600 before tax. Our HG Dragon Gundam kit page has that listing. The Japanese list says Premium Bandai at ¥3,960 with tax. Same kit, two labels; we follow the Japanese sale tag.

The US price gap between the two RGs is the other odd fact. Both are ¥3,850 with tax in Japan. At Newtype on Oct 25, the God Gundam cost $50.00 and the Shining $43.00. Older is not cheaper here.

Diagram: PlamoDesk. Sources: Newtype product pages, Oct 25; Japan prices from our copy of Bandai Hobby Site Japan's item list.

Not every old kit is easy to find. Bandai's list still has an MG 1/100 Master Gundam (March 2002, ¥3,520) and an MG 1/100 Shining Gundam (May 2002, ¥2,750). Newtype's search returned no product page for an MG Master Gundam on Oct 25, and the HGFC Nobell Gundam ($22.00) was sold out.

GODEEPER: Where Newtype sits among US shops, and how to compare their prices. Where to buy Gunpla in the US →

What we don't know yet: whether Bandai plans an RG Master Gundam or a standard (non-Premium Bandai) release of the newer HG suits. Nothing in its list or the GUNDAM Official pages we read says so. The only G Gundam item dated 2027 in our copy is a Gundam Assemble set, GUNDAM ASSEMBLE DELUXE SET 03 (March 2027, ¥14,300 with tax), a tabletop game product rather than a model kit; our Gundam Assemble explainer covers the line.

Our take

Start with the RG Shining Gundam; add the HGFC Master Gundam & Fuunsaiki if you want its enemy. The RG Shining is the newest standard G Gundam kit (June 2025) and was $43.00 at Newtype, $7 under the RG God Gundam at the same Japan price. The HGFC Master set was $35.00 and in stock. On a tight budget, the HGFC Shining at $19.99 does the job. If Bandai puts the Premium Bandai HG suits into general release, this ranking changes; we recheck these prices when Bandai lists the next G Gundam kit.

How we checked this

On Oct 25 we listed the G Gundam series in our copy of Bandai Hobby Site Japan's item list (read Oct 11; Bandai's site showed a maintenance page on Oct 25) and the RG Shining and HG Dragon entries in Bandai's English schedule. We read three GUNDAM Official mecha pages (Shining, Burning, Master Gundam) and its G Gundam series page, and eight Newtype product pages. We did not check Gundam Planet or USA Gundam Store this time. The Arctic Shift Reddit archive timed out on all four searches we ran, so this article has no builder quotes. We have not built these kits.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did the RG Shining Gundam come out? June 28, 2025 in Japan, per Bandai's English schedule, at 3,500 yen before tax (3,850 yen with tax). Newtype's product page gives a US release date of August 2025. On Oct 25 Newtype had it in stock at $43.00.

Which G Gundam Gunpla should I buy first? The RG 1/144 Shining Gundam if you want the newest kit: June 2025, $43.00 at Newtype on Oct 25. For a cheap first kit, the HGFC 1/144 Shining Gundam from 2011 was $19.99 there, also in stock.

Is God Gundam the same as Burning Gundam? Yes, by model number. GUNDAM Official's English site lists GF13-017NJⅡ as the Burning Gundam. Newtype's HGFC page calls GF13-017NJII the God Gundam, and Bandai's kits use God Gundam (ゴッドガンダム) too.

Is there an RG Master Gundam? Not in our Oct 11 copy of Bandai's Japanese item list. Its Real Grade G Gundam kits are the RG God Gundam (August 2022) and the RG Shining Gundam (June 2025), both 3,850 yen with tax. Master Gundam exists in HGFC (2011, with Fuunsaiki) and MG (2002).

Why can't I find the HG Dragon Gundam in US shops? It was a Premium Bandai item. Bandai's Japanese list files the HG 1/144 Dragon Gundam (November 2024, 3,960 yen with tax) under Premium Bandai, as it does the HG Gundam Rose, Maxter, Mandala and Spiegel. Our guide to Premium Bandai covers how those sales work.

Is there a Perfect Grade G Gundam kit? No. The largest God Gundam in Bandai's Japanese list is the Hi-Resolution Model 1/100 God Gundam from October 2019, 14,300 yen with tax. Newtype listed it at $141.95 on Oct 25, sold out.

Related Reading

• Premium Bandai exclusive Gunpla: how to buy the HG Dragon, Rose and Spiegel from the US.
• Nu Gundam Gunpla kits compared: one suit from SD to PG UNLEASHED.
• SD Gundam kits explained: what SD, SD EX-Standard and MGSD mean.
• Gunpla grades explained: HG, RG, MG, PG and the rest.

References

• GUNDAM Official: Mobile Fighter G Gundam, Shining Gundam, Burning Gundam, Master Gundam
• Bandai Hobby Site: RG 1/144 Shining Gundam (English), HG 1/144 Dragon Gundam (English), Japanese item list, G Gundam
• Newtype: RG 42 Shining Gundam, RG 37 God Gundam, HGFC 127 Shining Gundam, HGFC 128 Master Gundam & Fuunsaiki, HGFC 110 God Gundam, MG God Gundam, Hi-RM God Gundam, HGFC 119 Nobell Gundam Some shop links on this page are affiliate links: PlamoDesk may earn a commission if you buy through them. How affiliate links work.