Perfect Grade Gunpla: 1/60 PG and PG UNLEASHED Explained

Perfect Grade Gunpla is Bandai's 1/60 line, and the strangest number in it is the gap: the first PG RX-78-2 lists at ¥13,200 with tax, while the 2026 PG UNLEASHED Nu Gundam lists at ¥66,000. Before you buy one, decide which of the two PG generations you want, and whether the LED unit is in your budget.

Perfect Grade Gunpla? (quick answer)

Perfect Grade is Bandai's 1/60 line and the top of its standard grades. Wikipedia calls it "the highest grade line of Bandai kits," and Bandai's Japanese site calls PG its highest-peak brand (our translation). If you want one big centerpiece and have built a few kits, it is worth a look. If you have not, start smaller.

Key Takeaways

• Scale: 1/60, so a PG stands 2.4 times as tall as a 1/144 HG of the same suit (our math).
• Count: 37 items named PG in our copy of Bandai's Japanese list; 27 are standard releases, including LED units and one Skygrasper set.
• Two generations: classic PG (1998 to 2020) and PG UNLEASHED (RX-78-2 in 2020, Nu Gundam in 2026).
• US prices on Oct 24: $259.99 to $325.99 for classic PG and the PG UNLEASHED RX-78-2; $689.95 to $689.99 for the PG UNLEASHED Nu Gundam.
• Extras cost extra: the Nu's LED unit (¥14,000 before tax) and a Premium Bandai clear-parts set (¥16,500 with tax) are separate items.

Overview: what Perfect Grade means

Bandai launched Perfect Grade in 1998, at 1/60, with an RX-78-2 Gundam, according to Wikipedia's Gunpla article. The same article notes that "an Evangelion Unit-01 kit labeled as Perfect Grade released the year prior." Bandai's Japanese "What is Gunpla" page describes PG as a brand that allows no compromise in either the internal structure or the exterior.

Wikipedia also says the line sometimes takes "several years between releases to wait for advances in model making technology." Our copy of Bandai's list agrees: there is no standard PG release between December 2010 and December 2014.

Desk note: Our copy of Bandai Hobby Site Japan's item list holds 37 items whose names start with PG: 27 standard releases, 6 event editions, 3 Gundam Base exclusives and 1 Premium Bandai item. The median Japan price is ¥19,800 with tax. A US builder should read "PG" in a shop title as one of 27 standard items in 28 years, not as a big catalog.

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): the 27 standard PG items minus three LED units, the Skygrasper set and the Evangelion kit.

The list is short and old. Of the 27 standard items, 15 came out before 2010. That matters in a shop: a $260 PG can be a 2014 kit, and a $299 one a 2020 kit.

GODEEPER: Where PG sits next to HG, RG and MG, with one example kit per grade. Gunpla grades explained →

PG vs PG UNLEASHED

PG UNLEASHED is not a new scale. It is still 1/60, but Wikipedia describes it as "an updated version of Perfect Grade that uses more advanced technology and concepts," listing LEDs, hard plastic stickers, metallic etched parts and the Evolution Link System.

The first was the PG UNLEASHED 1/60 RX-78-2 Gundam in December 2020, at 27,500 yen with tax. GUNDAM Official said at launch that it "adopts a 180 mm tall insert-molded frame, the largest in the history of GUNPLA," and described a "Dual RGB LED Light" that can change colors.

The second was the PG UNLEASHED 1/60 Nu Gundam, on sale January 31 in Japan at ¥60,000 before tax (¥66,000 with tax). Bandai's English item page says: "The first three-dimensional representation on 1/60 scale reproduces the internal structure to the utmost limit."

Diagram: PlamoDesk. Sources: our copy of Bandai Hobby Site Japan's item list; Gundam Planet and USA Gundam Store search results, Oct 24.

Five and a bit years between two UNLEASHED kits. Patience is part of the grade.

Step-by-Step: choosing your first Perfect Grade

1. Decide the generation. Classic PG kits run from 1998 to 2020 in Bandai's list; PG UNLEASHED started in December 2020. On Oct 24, the classic PG RX-0 Unicorn Gundam (2014) was $260.95 at Gundam Planet and the PG UNLEASHED RX-78-2 was $298.95.

2. Check the release year in the shop title. Shops do not print years. Bandai's list dates the PG Strike Freedom Gundam to December 2010, and Gundam Planet listed it at $324.95, more than the 2020 PG UNLEASHED RX-78-2.

3. Price the lights separately. Bandai sells the PG UNLEASHED Nu Gundam LED unit as its own item at ¥14,000 before tax, and its English page says it "Uses 4 AA batteries (sold separately)." Gundam Planet had it at $179.95 on Oct 24.

4. Check for Premium Bandai add-ons. GUNDAM Official announced the "PG UNLEASHED Nu Gundam Fin Funnels & Clear Color Body" for Premium Bandai at 16,500 yen with tax, "Scheduled for shipping in December." It adds clear parts and six Fin Funnels; the post says the main body is not included.

5. Measure your shelf. At 1/60, an 18 m suit such as the RX-78-2 comes to about 30 cm, our math. USA Gundam Store says its PG RX-0 Unicorn Gundam stands "approximately 14 inches tall when completed."

6. Check the age mark. Bandai's English pages mark the PG UNLEASHED Nu Gundam and the PG Perfect Strike Gundam for ages 15 and over.

Foot parts from a Real Grade MS-06F Zaku II kit with their inner frame showing; a 1/144 kit, not a PG. Photo: Gravis / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Tips: buying a PG in the US

• Compare two shops. On Oct 24, Gundam Planet and USA Gundam Store were within $3 on the PG Unicorn ($260.95 vs $259.99), the PG UNLEASHED RX-78-2 ($298.95 vs $295.99) and the PG Strike Freedom ($324.95 vs $325.99).
• Budget the full set. A PG UNLEASHED Nu Gundam with its LED unit came to $869.90 at Gundam Planet that day. That is before tax and shipping.
• Watch the "PG" label. Gundam Planet's search for "PG 1/60" also returned a "PG 1/72 Millennium Falcon" at $499.95. Wikipedia notes that Star Wars kit is 1/72, not 1/60.
• Expect long gaps. Bandai's list shows no standard PG between the 2020 RX-78-2 and the 2026 Nu Gundam.
• Read the official name, not the shop's. Gundam Planet titles the 2026 kit "PG Unleashed RX-93 Nu Gundam"; GUNDAM Official names it "PG UNLEASHED 1/60 Nu Gundam."

GODEEPER: The same suit in every grade, from SD to the $689.95 PG UNLEASHED. Nu Gundam Gunpla kits compared →

Common Mistakes with Perfect Grade

• Treating PG UNLEASHED as a new scale. Both are 1/60.
• Forgetting the batteries. The Nu's LED unit runs on four AA batteries, sold separately.
• Buying the clear set without the kit. The Fin Funnels & Clear Color Body set does not include the MS main body or the LED unit, per GUNDAM Official.
• Assuming newer means pricier. The 2010 PG Strike Freedom cost $26 more than the 2020 PG UNLEASHED RX-78-2 at Gundam Planet on Oct 24.

What we don't know yet: the same August GUNDAM Official post that announced the clear set also lists "PG UNLEASHED 1/60 Nu Gundam [Shipping in December 2026]" at 66,000 yen with tax. The kit itself went on sale in January. The post does not say whether the December entry is a second production run; we have not found a page that does.

Our take

Start with a classic PG or the PG UNLEASHED RX-78-2, not the Nu; save the $689.95 kit for later. The PG RX-0 Unicorn Gundam was $260.95 and the PG UNLEASHED RX-78-2 $298.95 on Oct 24, both under half the Nu's price. The Nu with its LED unit was $869.90 at one shop. Ignore this if you have built an MG or two and want the kit Bandai says reproduces the internal structure "to the utmost limit." We recheck PG prices when the next PG appears in Bandai's schedule.

How we checked this

On Oct 25, 2026 we counted every item named PG in our copy of Bandai Hobby Site Japan's item list (read Oct 11; Bandai's site was in maintenance), read Wikipedia's Gunpla article, three GUNDAM Official posts (the PG UNLEASHED RX-78-2 launch, the January 2026 lineup and the August Fin Funnels preorder) and Bandai's English item pages for the Nu Gundam, its LED unit and the PG Perfect Strike Gundam as we read them on Oct 11 and 12. US prices come from Gundam Planet and USA Gundam Store search results on Oct 24; product pages were rate-limited on Oct 25. Reddit searches through the Arctic Shift archive timed out, so this guide quotes no builders. We have not built a PG.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Perfect Grade Gunpla? Perfect Grade (PG) is Bandai's 1/60 Gunpla line, introduced in 1998 with an RX-78-2 Gundam, per Wikipedia. Bandai's Japanese site calls it its highest-peak brand. Our copy of Bandai's item list holds 37 items named PG, 27 of them standard releases.

What is the difference between PG and PG UNLEASHED? PG UNLEASHED is the newer PG generation, started with the RX-78-2 in December 2020 at 27,500 yen with tax. Wikipedia says it uses more advanced technology, including LEDs and etched metal parts. GUNDAM Official said that kit's 180 mm insert-molded frame was the largest in Gunpla history.

How tall is a Perfect Grade Gunpla? It depends on the suit. At 1/60, an 18 m mobile suit such as the RX-78-2 works out to about 30 cm, our math. USA Gundam Store says the PG RX-0 Unicorn Gundam stands about 14 inches tall when built. Bandai's pages we read do not give a finished height.

How much does a PG Gunpla cost in the US? On Oct 24, Gundam Planet listed the PG RX-0 Unicorn Gundam at $260.95, the PG UNLEASHED RX-78-2 at $298.95 and the PG UNLEASHED Nu Gundam at $689.95. USA Gundam Store was within $3 on each of the same three kits.

Is the LED unit included with a PG? No, for the kits we checked. Bandai sells the PG UNLEASHED Nu Gundam LED unit as its own item at 14,000 yen before tax, using four AA batteries sold separately. On Oct 24 it was $179.95 at Gundam Planet and $179.99 at USA Gundam Store.

Should a beginner start with a Perfect Grade? We would not. Bandai marks the two PG kits whose English pages we read, the PG UNLEASHED Nu Gundam and the PG Perfect Strike Gundam, for ages 15 and over, and the cheapest PG we priced on Oct 24 was $259.99. Build an HG or MG first.

Related Reading

• HG vs RG vs MG: the three grades most builders try before a PG.
• Gundam Wing Gunpla: includes the 2000 PG Wing Gundam Zero Custom at $194.95.
• Premium Bandai exclusive Gunpla: how US buyers reach add-ons like the clear Nu set.
• What is HGUC?: the 1/144 labels you will meet before 1/60.

References

• Wikipedia: Gunpla (Perfect Grade and PG Unleashed history)
• Bandai Hobby Site: What is Gunpla (Japanese), PG UNLEASHED 1/60 Nu Gundam, LED unit for PG UNLEASHED Nu Gundam, PG Perfect Strike Gundam, PG UNLEASHED 1/60 RX-78-2 Gundam (Japanese)
• GUNDAM Official: PG UNLEASHED RX-78-2 launch, Gunpla lineup for January 2026, PG UNLEASHED Nu Gundam Fin Funnels & Clear Color Body preorders
• Gundam Planet: PG Unleashed RX-93 Nu Gundam, PG Unleashed Nu Gundam LED Unit Set, PG RX-0 Unicorn Gundam, PG Unleashed RX-78-2 Gundam, PG ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom Gundam
• USA Gundam Store: PG Unleashed 1/60 Nu Gundam, PG 1/60 RX-0 Unicorn Gundam, PG Unleashed 1/60 RX-78-2 Gundam