HG vs RG vs MG: One RX-78-2 Gundam in Three Grades (2026)

HG vs RG vs MG is easier to judge when the robot stays the same. Bandai sells the original RX-78-2 Gundam in all three grades, so this comparison puts the HGUC RX-78-2, the RG RX-78-2 Ver.2.0 and the MG RX-78-2 Ver.3.0 side by side, using Bandai's own item pages for the specs and US shop listings, checked on October 11, 2026, for the prices. We have not built these kits; where builders' opinions appear, they are quoted from shop pages.

TL;DR: The HGUC RX-78-2 is 1/144, 1,200 yen in Japan, marked 8+ and $14 at Newtype. The RG Ver.2.0 is also 1/144 but adds an inner frame and a Core Fighter, at 3,500 yen and $41. The MG Ver.3.0 is 1/100 with paintable internals and a movable armor system, at 4,900 yen and $61. Pick HG for a first build, RG for detail at small size, MG for size.

Key Takeaways

• Scale: HG and RG are 1/144; MG is 1/100.
• Japan price before tax: HG 1,200 yen, RG 3,500 yen, MG 4,900 yen.
• Age mark: HG 8 and over; RG and MG 15 and over.
• Frame: the RG and MG pages describe inner structures; the HG page does not.
• Our pick for a first kit: the HG. Our pick for a second: RG if you like small parts, MG if you want a bigger figure.

Overview: HG vs RG vs MG on the same RX-78-2

Graphic: PlamoDesk. Data: Bandai Hobby Site item pages and Newtype listings, checked October 11, 2026.

Bandai's English site files all three under its brand pages, titled "HG [HIGH GRADE]", "RG [REAL GRADE]" and "MG [MASTER GRADE]". If those names are new to you, our Gunpla grades explained guide covers every grade; this article zooms in on one suit.

HGUC 1/144 RX-78-2 Gundam (Official images) came out in Japan on July 25, 2015. Bandai lists it at 1,200 yen and age 8 and over. US shops sell it as the "Revive" or #191 version.

RG 1/144 RX-78-2 Gundam Ver.2.0 (Official images) is the newest of the three, released on August 10, 2024, at 3,500 yen and age 15 and over.

MG 1/100 RX-78-2 Gundam Ver.3.0 (Official images) dates from August 10, 2013. It lists at 4,900 yen, age 15 and over.

All three pages carry the same note: "The price shown is for Japan. Tax is not included."

Build depth: HG vs RG vs MG inside the armor

This is where the grades split. The HG page talks about articulation and clean gates; the RG and MG pages talk about what sits under the armor.

HG. Bandai compares the kit with the older 2001 HGUC: "the number of parts is almost the same, but the number of moving parts is more than 1.5 times." The box holds five molded runners and one foil seal, according to the page's contents line. It also notes that "A wedge gate is used to make the gate marks inconspicuous," which matters to a beginner because gate marks are the small scars left where you cut a part off the runner.

RG. The Ver.2.0 page leads with "The latest design interior frame with the image of a semi-monocoque structure that allows you to relive the construction of a mobile suit." It also says the panel lines are "divided into functional blocks" and adds two gimmicks: "The Core Fighter can transform into a Core Block," and "the chest armor covering the cockpit uses a mechanism that opens and closes up and down."

MG. The Ver.3.0 page is "Equipped with a 'movable armor system'" and says "Paintable material is used for the internal structure." For color, it lists "Detailed color-coded exterior parts in 8 colors and realistic decals, which are the first to be used in MG." The same page adds that "Shoulder armor and backpack covers can also be moved" and that the Core Fighter "can be transformed and stored inside the body."

A Real Grade foot unit, here from an RG Zaku II rather than the RX-78-2. The photographer notes a working double-jointed hinge made in three parts inside it. Photo: Gravis / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Winner on depth: the RG and MG, in different ways. The RG packs a frame and a transforming Core Fighter into 1/144; the MG gives you paintable internal parts at 1/100 with armor that moves. The HG page describes no inner frame at all.

Price: HG vs RG vs MG in Japan and the US

Diagram: PlamoDesk. Data: Bandai Hobby Site item pages; Newtype product pages, October 11, 2026.

In Japan the RG costs about 2.9 times the HG, and the MG about 4.1 times. US shop prices kept roughly the same ladder on October 11, 2026:

The MG costs $20 more than the RG at Newtype for a larger 1/100 kit. The HG is about a third of the RG's price, which makes it the cheap way to find out whether you enjoy building at all.

GODEEPER: Need a cutter before your first kit? Gunpla tools for beginners →

What comes in the box

Accessories differ more than you might expect for one robot.

• HG: "Beam rifle, beam saber, and hip-mountable hyper bazooka are also included," per Bandai's page, plus "Foil Seal ×1" in the contents line.
• RG: "Beam Rifle ×1, Beam Saber ×2, Shield ×1, Hyper Bazooka ×1, Realistic Decal ×1."
• MG: Newtype's listing names the Core Fighter, 2 beam sabers, beam rifle, hyper bazooka, shield and a decal sheet.

A Bandai decal sheet from an RG Zaku II kit. The RG and MG RX-78-2 pages both list realistic decals; the HG lists a foil seal. Photo: Gravis / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Decals take more care than stickers. The HG's foil seal is the simpler of the two for a first build.

What builders say

Both quotes below come from the MG Ver.3.0's shop pages, read on October 11, 2026, and both point at the same small part.

• Wanica (September 17, 2026), reviewing the MG RX-78-2 Ver.3.0 at Gundam Planet: "the fingers are finicky and do pop off when u try ot pose the fingers"
• Kannon (April 2, 2026), in the questions section of Newtype's MG Ver.3.0 page: "It comes with movable-finger-type hands,but be careful because the fingers kept coming out of the ball joints,very frustrating sometimes getting them back on the hand"

Two buyers, two shops, one complaint: the MG's movable fingers. It is a small part, but worth knowing before you pick the MG as a first kit.

Side-by-Side Summary

• Scale: HG 1/144 / RG 1/144 / MG 1/100
• Japan price (before tax): ¥1,200 / ¥3,500 / ¥4,900
• Newtype price, Oct 11, 2026: $14 / $41 / $61
• Japan release: July 25, 2015 / August 10, 2024 / August 10, 2013
• Age mark: 8+ / 15+ / 15+
• Inner structure on the page: none described / semi-monocoque style frame / paintable internal structure
• Signature feature: more than 1.5x the moving parts of the 2001 HGUC / Core Fighter to Core Block / movable armor system
• Markings listed: foil seal x1 / Realistic Decal x1 / realistic decals

Analysis: who should buy which

Buy the HG if this is your first kit, you are buying for a younger builder, or you want to spend $14 rather than $41. Bandai's 8+ mark and the wedge gates both point the same way: fewer chances to go wrong.

Buy the RG if you have built a kit or two, like small, fiddly parts, and want the newest release of the three in a 1/144 size that shelves next to HGs.

Buy the MG if you want a bigger model with a paintable internal structure, and you accept a 15+ build with movable fingers that one buyer called finicky and another "very frustrating".

Notice the dates. The MG Ver.3.0 is from 2013 and the RG Ver.2.0 from 2024, so a higher grade is not automatically the newer kit. Of these three, the RG is the most recent release.

GODEEPER: Want more first-kit options beyond the RX-78-2? Best beginner Gunpla kits by budget →

Our take

On the official specs and the October 11 prices, the HGUC RX-78-2 is the right first kit: 8+, wedge gates, a foil seal instead of decals and $14. Our second step would be the RG Ver.2.0 rather than the MG, because it is the newest release, keeps 1/144 scale and costs $20 less at Newtype. Buy the MG Ver.3.0 when size is the point, and budget extra patience for the hands.

How we checked this

On October 11, 2026 we read Bandai's English item pages for the HGUC RX-78-2 (01_370), RG RX-78-2 Ver.2.0 (01_5261) and MG RX-78-2 Ver.3.0 (01_5849), copying scale, Japan price, release date, age mark and feature lines, and re-checked all three pages ourselves. US prices come from Newtype, USA Gundam Store and Gundam Planet product pages read the same day; Gundam Planet's prices are from page metadata, not a visible price. Bandai's Japanese grade-definition page did not load that day, so grade descriptions here come from the item pages. We did not build the kits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is HG, RG or MG better for a beginner? For a first kit, the HG. Bandai marks the HGUC RX-78-2 for ages 8 and over, while the RG Ver.2.0 and MG Ver.3.0 are both 15 and over. The HG was also the cheapest of the three, at $14 in stock at Newtype on October 11, 2026, against $41 for the RG and $61 for the MG.

What is the difference between RG and MG? Scale first. The RG RX-78-2 Ver.2.0 is 1/144, the same size class as an HG, while the MG RX-78-2 Ver.3.0 is 1/100 and larger. Both pages describe an inner structure: a semi-monocoque style frame on the RG and paintable internal parts with a movable armor system on the MG.

Why is the RG more expensive than the HG at the same scale? Bandai sells them as different products at 1/144. The RG Ver.2.0 page lists an interior frame, a Core Fighter that transforms into a Core Block and a realistic decal sheet. The HGUC page lists no frame or Core Fighter and comes with a foil seal instead. In Japan the RG is 3,500 yen and the HG 1,200 yen before tax.

Which RX-78-2 kit is the newest? The RG RX-78-2 Ver.2.0, released in Japan on August 10, 2024. The HGUC RX-78-2 is from July 25, 2015 and the MG Ver.3.0 from August 10, 2013, according to Bandai's English item pages. That makes the RG the most recent release of the three.

How much do the HG, RG and MG RX-78-2 cost in the US? On October 11, 2026, Newtype listed the HGUC at $14, the RG Ver.2.0 at $41 and the MG Ver.3.0 at $61, all in stock. USA Gundam Store had the MG at $60.99 and the HGUC at $13.99 but out of stock. Gundam Planet's page data showed $42.95 for the RG and $62.95 for the MG.

Related Reading

• How to Spot Bootleg Gunpla: what to check when an RX-78-2 listing looks too cheap.
• Gunpla Release Schedule 2026: how to read Bandai's monthly list for new grade kits.
• Gunpla Releasing in December 2026: the month's one new MG, the Liberty Astray Red Frame.

References

• Bandai Hobby Site item pages: HGUC 1/144 RX-78-2 Gundam, RG 1/144 RX-78-2 Gundam Ver.2.0, MG 1/100 RX-78-2 Gundam Ver.3.0
• Newtype listings: HGUC RX-78-2 (Revive), RG Ver.2.0, MG Ver.3.0
• USA Gundam Store: MG Ver.3.0 and HGUC #191
• Gundam Planet: RG Ver 2.0 and MG Ver.3.0