Sazabi Gunpla Kits: HGUC vs RG vs MG Ver.Ka Compared

Sazabi Gunpla has a price ladder with one big step: the RG costs about $26 more than the HGUC in the US, and the MG Ver.Ka about $56 more than the RG. So decide on size first. Detail at 1/144 is the cheap upgrade; going to 1/100 is the expensive one.

Verdict: Pick the HGUC for a first Sazabi at $36.95. Pick the RG if you want funnels and detail at the same size. Pick the MG Ver.Ka only if you want the 1/100 centerpiece and a stand to hold it. Prices checked Oct 27.

Key Takeaways

• First kit: the HGUC 1/144 Sazabi, $36.95 at Gundam Planet. Second kit: the RG or the MG Ver.Ka, by size.
• The cheap step is HG to RG (about $26 in the US); the big one is RG to MG Ver.Ka (about $56).
• No PG: Bandai's list has no Perfect Grade Sazabi; the 1/100 MG is the largest.
• The RG is newest: August 2018, against December 2013 for the Ver.Ka and June 2008 for the HGUC.
• 36 items in Bandai's Japanese list carry サザビー (Sazabi) in the name.

Overview: Sazabi Gunpla by grade

GUNDAM Official describes the MSN-04 Sazabi as "A symbol of the new Neo Zeon, this MS is piloted by its leader, Sovereign Char." It is Char Aznable's suit from Char's Counterattack, and a big one: 23.0 m to the head and 25.6 m overall, with a gross weight of 71.2 t.

The HGUC 1/144 Sazabi is the June 2008 High Grade, ¥3,000 before tax (¥3,300 with tax). The RG 1/144 Sazabi dates from August 2018 at ¥4,800 before tax (¥5,280). The MG 1/100 Sazabi Ver.Ka came out in December 2013 at ¥9,400 before tax (¥10,340). An older MG MSN-04 Sazabi from July 2000 sits in Bandai's Japanese list at ¥8,800 with tax; Bandai's item page for it no longer loads.

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), standard releases only.

Bandai's English item pages give the before-tax figures and say "The price shown is for Japan. Tax is not included."

GODEEPER: What HG, RG and MG mean, with the same RX-78-2 in all three. HG vs RG vs MG compared →

Price: HGUC vs RG vs MG Ver.Ka

At Gundam Planet on Oct 27, the HGUC Sazabi was $36.95, the RG $62.95 and the MG Ver.Ka $118.95, the last with "ONLY 6 LEFT IN STOCK!" on the page. USA Gundam Store had the Ver.Ka at $116.99 and Newtype at $117.00, in stock. USA Gundam Store's RG listing at $60.99 is tagged as a pre-order for Q1 2027, so it was not shipping.

Desk note: In Japan the RG costs 1.6 times the HGUC (¥5,280 against ¥3,300 with tax); at Gundam Planet it was 1.7 times. The MG Ver.Ka costs almost twice the RG in Japan and about $56 more at Gundam Planet. For a US builder, the RG is the cheap upgrade and the Ver.Ka the dear one.

Winner on price: the HGUC Sazabi, at $36.95.

Diagram: PlamoDesk. Sources: Gundam Planet, USA Gundam Store and Newtype product pages, Oct 27.

Detail: what each kit adds

Bandai's HGUC page says "The use of a new poly cap further improves posing." The RG page goes further: "Equipped with one of the largest gimmicks in 1/144 scale history", with six funnels, 17 runners and a realistic decal in the box.

The MG Ver.Ka page lists 31 runners, two seals and six funnels that "are removable". It also says "New material is used for the silver frame. The texture of metal can be obtained even without coating." What Ver.Ka means as a label is in our Ver.Ka explainer; it also compares the Ver.Ka with the 2000 MG at ¥8,800.

Winner on detail: MG Ver.Ka, for the frame and the funnels. The RG wins on detail per dollar.

Age and size: 1/144 vs 1/100

The RG, from August 2018, is the youngest standard Sazabi above the SD line; the HGUC is ten years older. A 2020 SD EX-Standard Sazabi sits at ¥660, and our SD Gundam guide covers that small line.

Diagram: PlamoDesk. Data: our copy of Bandai Hobby Site Japan's item list; Bandai Hobby Site EN item pages, Oct 27.

By our math from GUNDAM Official's 23.0 m head height, a 1/144 Sazabi stands about 16 cm and a 1/100 one about 23 cm. That makes the 1/100 kit a large Master Grade. On r/Gunpla in October, u/Dry_Barracuda_7796 put it plainly: "the sazabi ver ka is a pretty huge kit even by master grade standards".

Winner on size: MG Ver.Ka. There is no Perfect Grade above it.

What builders say

Two more r/Gunpla comments from October 2026, read through the Arctic Shift archive:

"There's a minor pain point in the lower arm rotation in that it's a little loose on mine but there's ways to fix it." u/MattRexPuns on the RG Sazabi, r/Gunpla, October 2026

"Lasted about 5 minutes before the main support arm broke lmao." u/Individual_Writer_73 on a home-made stand for the MG Sazabi Ver.Ka, r/Gunpla, October 2026

A loose joint on the RG, a broken support for the MG. Both point at the same thing: a heavy Sazabi wants a proper stand. Our Action Base guide lists which Bandai stand fits a 1/100 kit.

GODEEPER: Where these three shops sit among US options. Where to buy Gunpla in the US →

Side-by-Side Summary

Analysis: who should buy which

If this is your first Sazabi, pick the HGUC. At $36.95 it builds the same 1/144 size as the RG.

If you already built an HG and want more detail without more shelf space, pick the RG. It costs about $26 more at Gundam Planet and adds the six funnels and a realistic decal. Buy it in stock; USA Gundam Store's cheaper listing was a Q1 2027 pre-order.

If you want the big one, pick the MG Ver.Ka. It was in stock at all three shops on Oct 27, from $116.99, and it pairs with the Nu Gundam kits in our Nu Gundam comparison.

If you see a clear, plated or Side-F Sazabi, check the label. Bandai's list has an RG MSN-04FF for GUNDAM SIDE-F (2023, ¥8,910 with tax), event clear versions and Gundam Base plated kits. Our Premium Bandai exclusives guide explains how limited kits reach US buyers.

Our take

Start with the HGUC Sazabi; buy the MG Ver.Ka only when you want a 1/100 kit and have a stand for it. The HGUC is $36.95. The RG is the better upgrade per dollar at $62.95. The Ver.Ka costs $116.99 to $118.95 for a 2013 kit. Ignore this if you only collect Master Grades. We recheck these prices when Bandai lists a new standard Sazabi.

What we don't know yet: whether Bandai plans a new Sazabi grade or a standard RG reissue; our schedule and reissue data show neither. Newtype's HGUC and RG pages did not load for us on Oct 27, so we have no Newtype price for those two.

How we checked this

On Oct 27 we read Bandai Hobby Site's English item pages for the HGUC, RG and MG Ver.Ka (the 2000 MG page returned an error), the GUNDAM Official Sazabi mecha page, and the product data of Gundam Planet, USA Gundam Store and Newtype. Release months and the other Sazabi items come from our copy of Bandai's Japanese item list. Comments come from the Arctic Shift Reddit archive. We have not built these kits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Sazabi Gunpla should I buy first? The HGUC 1/144 Sazabi from June 2008: 3,300 yen with tax in Japan and $36.95 in stock at Gundam Planet on Oct 27, 2026. The RG costs $62.95 at the same shop.

Is the RG Sazabi worth it over the HGUC? If you want detail at the same 1/144 scale, yes, but it costs 1.7 times as much in the US: $62.95 against $36.95 at Gundam Planet on Oct 27, 2026. Bandai's page says it has "one of the largest gimmicks in 1/144 scale history", with six funnels and a realistic decal.

How much is the MG Sazabi Ver.Ka? 9,400 yen before tax in Japan (10,340 yen with tax). In US shops on Oct 27, 2026 it was $116.99 at USA Gundam Store, $117.00 at Newtype and $118.95 at Gundam Planet, all listed in stock. It came out in December 2013.

Is there a PG Sazabi? No. Bandai's Japanese item list in our copy has 36 items with Sazabi in the name, from BB Senshi to MG Ver.Ka, and none is a Perfect Grade. The largest standard Sazabi is the 1/100 Master Grade.

How tall is a Sazabi kit? GUNDAM Official lists the Sazabi at a 23.0 m head height and 25.6 m overall. By our math, the head-height figure gives about 16 cm at 1/144 (HGUC, RG) and 23 cm at 1/100 (MG). Measured kits may differ with the backpack and stand.

What is the difference between the MG Sazabi and the MG Sazabi Ver.Ka? Age and design. Bandai's Japanese item list dates the first MG Sazabi to July 2000 at 8,800 yen with tax; the Ver.Ka in December 2013 at 10,340 yen. Bandai's Ver.Ka page says a new material gives the silver frame a metal look without paint.

Related Reading

• What is HGUC?: the label on the Sazabi's High Grade box.
• Unicorn Gundam Gunpla kits: another Universal Century suit, eight kits from HGUC to PG.
• Gunpla price increase 2027: what Bandai's price notices mean for kits like these.

References

• GUNDAM Official: Sazabi (MSN-04)
• Bandai Hobby Site (English): HGUC 1/144 Sazabi, RG 1/144 Sazabi, MG 1/100 Sazabi Ver.Ka
• Bandai Hobby Site (Japanese): item list
• Gundam Planet: HGUC MSN-04 Sazabi, RG MSN-04 Sazabi, MG MSN-04 Sazabi Ver.Ka
• USA Gundam Store: RG 1/144 #29 MSN-04 Sazabi, MG 1/100 MSN-04 Sazabi Ver.Ka
• Newtype: MG MSN-04 Sazabi Ver.Ka