Unicorn Gundam Gunpla Kits: 8 Picks From $20 HGUC to PG

Unicorn Gundam Gunpla has a calendar problem: Bandai's Japanese list has not added a standard RX-0 Unicorn kit since the MGEX Ver.Ka in September 2020. Every newer Unicorn kit is a Gundam Base, event or Premium Bandai edition, so the standard kits date from 2007 to 2020.

Verdict: Pick the HGUC Destroy Mode if you want a Unicorn for $22. Pick the RG if you want a Real Grade Unicorn at $51. Pick the MG RX-0 Unicorn Gundam if you want a 1/100 kit in stock. Skip the MG Ver.Ka unless you find it; Newtype had it sold out. Prices checked Oct 25.

Key Takeaways

• First kit: the HGUC Unicorn Gundam (Destroy Mode), ¥2,200 with tax in Japan, $22.00 at Newtype.
• Real Grade: the RG Unicorn Gundam, August 2017, $51.00.
• No new standard kit since September 2020: the MGEX Ver.Ka was the last one in Bandai's list.
• Limited flood: 34 of 57 RX-0 Unicorn kits in Bandai's Japanese list are Gundam Base, event or Premium Bandai items.
• Big kits in stock: the PG at $259.99 and the Mega Size 1/48 at $120.00.

Overview: how we ranked the Unicorn Gundam Gunpla

GUNDAM Official calls the RX-0 "A prototype mobile suit developed under the UC Plan, which was secretly advanced by Anaheim Electronics Co. at the request of the EFF." In Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn, Banagher Links receives it from his estranged father, Cardeas Vist, as the "key" to the "Box", in the words of GUNDAM Official's series page.

We listed every item with ユニコーンガンダム (Unicorn Gundam) in its name in our copy of Bandai's Japanese item list, leaving out the Banshee (unit 2), the Phenex (unit 3), the Knight and SD Sangoku versions, decals, action bases, add-on units and goods. Then we kept the standard kits Newtype or another US shop listed. A kit ranks higher when it is cheaper for its grade, newer, and in stock on Oct 25.

Desk note: Our copy of Bandai's Japanese list holds 57 RX-0 Unicorn Gundam kits from 2007 to a Gundam Base Mega Size for March 2027. 34 carry a limited tag (Gundam Base, event or Premium Bandai) or say "limited" in the name. Since 2021 every one of the 11 new kits is limited. For a US builder, the standard shelf runs from 2007 to 2020.

Diagram: PlamoDesk. Data: our copy of Bandai Hobby Site Japan's item list (data/kits/catalog-jp.json, read Oct 11), 57 kits with ユニコーンガンダム in the name.

The 8 Unicorn Gundam Gunpla kits, ranked

1. HGUC 1/144 Unicorn Gundam (Destroy Mode)

• What it is: High Grade Universal Century, 1/144, November 2009, ¥2,200 with tax (Official images).
• Why it is here: the cheapest Destroy Mode Unicorn in our table.
• US price: $22.00 at Newtype, in stock, Oct 25 (titled "HGUC 100 Unicorn Gundam (Destroy Mode)").
• Pick it if: this is your first Unicorn or your first kit.
• The catch: it is a 2009 kit, and the Unicorn Mode is a separate box.

2. RG 1/144 Unicorn Gundam

• What it is: Real Grade, 1/144, August 2017, ¥4,510 with tax (Official images).
• Why it is here: the Real Grade of the plain RX-0, at HGUC size. Newtype says it is "Part of the GunPla Evolution project."
• US price: $51.00 at Newtype and $52.95 at Gundam Planet, both in stock, Oct 25.
• Pick it if: you want more detail at HG size.
• The catch: it costs more than two HGUC Destroy Modes.

3. MG 1/100 RX-0 Unicorn Gundam

• What it is: Master Grade, 1/100, March 2010, ¥6,160 with tax (Official images).
• Why it is here: the Master Grade Unicorn that was in stock. Newtype calls it "highly detailed and fully transformable."
• US price: $67.00 at Newtype, in stock, Oct 25.
• Pick it if: you want one transforming 1/100 Unicorn.
• The catch: it is $6 more than the Ver.Ka, which was sold out.

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

4. HGUC 1/144 Unicorn Gundam (Unicorn Mode)

• What it is: High Grade Universal Century, 1/144, November 2009, ¥1,870 with tax (Official images).
• Why it is here: the cheapest Unicorn in our table, in the white, one-horn mode.
• US price: $20.00 at Newtype, in stock, Oct 25.
• Pick it if: you prefer the Unicorn Mode, or want both modes for $42.
• The catch: two HGUC boxes for two modes. Cheap, but two boxes.

5. PG 1/60 RX-0 Unicorn Gundam

• What it is: Perfect Grade, 1/60, December 2014, ¥24,200 with tax (Official images).
• Why it is here: the only Perfect Grade RX-0 in Bandai's list without a limited tag. Newtype says it is "fully transformable from regular to Destroy Mode and Destroy Mode Unchained."
• US price: $259.99 at Newtype and at USA Gundam Store, both in stock, Oct 25.
• Pick it if: you want one centerpiece and have the shelf for it.
• The catch: it costs about 12 HGUC Destroy Modes at Newtype.

6. Mega Size Model 1/48 Unicorn Gundam (Destroy Mode)

• What it is: Mega Size, 1/48, August 2017, ¥11,000 with tax (Official images).
• Why it is here: a bigger scale than the PG (1/48 against 1/60) for less than half its Newtype price.
• US price: $120.00 at Newtype, in stock, Oct 25.
• Pick it if: you want size more than parts.
• The catch: Bandai sells it as the Destroy Mode, like the HGUC 100.

7. RG 1/144 Full Armor Unicorn Gundam

• What it is: Real Grade, 1/144, December 2018, ¥6,270 with tax (Official images).
• Why it is here: the Full Armor version at RG size. Newtype: "The Unicorn Gundam now comes with its Full Armor armaments!"
• US price: $70.00 at Newtype, in stock, Oct 25 (titled "RG 30 Full Armor Gundam Unicorn").
• Pick it if: you want the weapons-heavy look.
• The catch: $19 more than the plain RG at Newtype.

8. MG 1/100 Unicorn Gundam Ver.Ka

• What it is: Master Grade, 1/100, December 2007, ¥5,500 with tax (Official images). Newtype credits designer Hajime Katoki.
• Why it is here: the oldest Unicorn kit, and the cheaper MG in Japan.
• US price: $61.00 at Newtype, sold out, Oct 25. Newtype gives a December 2007 release date.
• Pick it if: you find it in stock and want the Ver.Ka design.
• The catch: we could not find it in stock. Our Ver.Ka explainer covers what the label means.

Diagram: PlamoDesk. Data: our copy of Bandai Hobby Site Japan's item list (prices with 10% tax, read Oct 11): the nine standard kits ranked or named in this article.

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

The priciest standard kit is the MGEX 1/100 Unicorn Gundam Ver.Ka from September 2020, ¥25,300 with tax, more than the PG's ¥24,200. We did not check a US price for it. Our MGEX Strike Freedom article explains the MGEX label.

Size is the other reason to pick a grade. GUNDAM Official lists the Unicorn Mode at 19.7 m. By our math that is about 13.7 cm at 1/144, 19.7 cm at 1/100, 32.8 cm at 1/60 and 41 cm at 1/48, before the Destroy Mode extension.

Diagram: PlamoDesk. Sources: Newtype product pages; Gundam Planet (RG) and USA Gundam Store (PG) product pages, Oct 25.

The limited editions mostly come through Gundam Base stores in Japan, Gundam Base Fukuoka, and Premium Bandai. The next one in our copy is a Gundam Base Mega Size 1/48 RX-0 Unicorn Gundam Ver. TWC FINAL for March 2027, ¥14,300 with tax. Our Premium Bandai guide covers how US buyers get Premium Bandai items.

Photo: Pelpinosas R. Justin James / Wikimedia Commons, CC0. The life-sized statue in Japan, not a model kit.

GODEEPER: Where Newtype, Gundam Planet and USA Gundam Store sit among US shops. Where to buy Gunpla in the US →

What we don't know yet: whether Bandai plans a new standard RX-0 kit, such as a new RG or an Entry Grade. Nothing in its list or the GUNDAM Official pages we read says so. We also did not price the MGEX Ver.Ka in the US.

Our take

Start with the HGUC Destroy Mode; buy the RG when you want detail, the MG when you want size. The HGUC is $22.00 at Newtype and the RG $51.00, the Real Grade of the plain RX-0. The MG RX-0 Unicorn Gundam at $67.00 was the Master Grade in stock. Skip the Ver.Ka unless a shop has it. If Bandai adds a standard RX-0 kit, this list changes; we recheck when it appears on the schedule.

How we checked this

On Oct 25 we listed the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam items in our copy of Bandai Hobby Site Japan's item list (read Oct 11; Bandai's site showed a maintenance page on Oct 25). We read GUNDAM Official's Unicorn Gundam mecha page and its Gundam Unicorn series page, eight Newtype product pages, one Gundam Planet product page and one USA Gundam Store product page. The Arctic Shift Reddit archive returned a timeout error, so this article has no builder quotes. We have not built these kits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Unicorn Gundam Gunpla should I buy first? The HGUC 1/144 Unicorn Gundam (Destroy Mode): 2,200 yen with tax in Japan and $22.00 in stock at Newtype on Oct 25, 2026. The Unicorn Mode version is $20.00. Both are November 2009 kits; Bandai sells the two modes as separate HGUC boxes.

Does the RG Unicorn Gundam transform? Our copy of Bandai's list gives only name, month and price, and Newtype's RG page only calls it part of the GunPla Evolution project. What we can confirm: the RG 1/144 Unicorn Gundam came out in August 2017 at 4,510 yen with tax, and Newtype had it at $51.00 on Oct 25.

MG Unicorn Gundam or MG Unicorn Gundam Ver.Ka? Two different kits. The MG 1/100 Unicorn Gundam Ver.Ka is from December 2007 (5,500 yen with tax) and was sold out at Newtype on Oct 25 at $61.00. The MG 1/100 RX-0 Unicorn Gundam is from March 2010 (6,160 yen) and was in stock at $67.00.

How tall is a Unicorn Gundam kit? GUNDAM Official lists the Unicorn Gundam in Unicorn Mode at 19.7 m. By our math that is about 13.7 cm at 1/144 (HGUC, RG), 19.7 cm at 1/100 (MG), 32.8 cm at 1/60 (PG) and 41 cm at 1/48 (Mega Size), before the Destroy Mode extension.

Is the PG Unicorn Gundam still sold in the US? Yes, on Oct 25, 2026. Newtype listed the PG Unicorn Gundam RX-0 at $259.99 and USA Gundam Store its PG 1/60 RX-0 Unicorn Gundam at $259.99, both in stock. In Japan the kit is from December 2014 at 24,200 yen with tax.

Why are there so many limited Unicorn Gundam kits? In our Oct 11 copy of Bandai's Japanese list, 34 of 57 RX-0 Unicorn Gundam kits are Gundam Base, event or Premium Bandai items. Every RX-0 kit dated after September 2020 is one of those. The last standard kit was the MGEX 1/100 Unicorn Gundam Ver.Ka.

Related Reading

• Destiny Gundam Gunpla kits: the same grade-by-grade choice for SEED DESTINY's hero suit.
• G Gundam Gunpla kits: another series where new kits went limited.
• Nu Gundam Gunpla kits compared: one suit from SD to PG UNLEASHED.
• Gunpla grades explained: HG, RG, MG, PG and the rest.

References

• GUNDAM Official: Unicorn Gundam (Unicorn Mode), Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn
• Bandai Hobby Site (Japanese): HGUC Unicorn Gundam (Destroy Mode), RG 1/144 Unicorn Gundam, MG 1/100 RX-0 Unicorn Gundam, PG 1/60 RX-0 Unicorn Gundam, MGEX 1/100 Unicorn Gundam Ver.Ka
• Newtype: HGUC 100 Unicorn Gundam (Destroy Mode), HGUC 101 Unicorn Gundam (Unicorn Mode), RG 25 RX-0 Unicorn Gundam, RG 30 Full Armor Gundam Unicorn, MG RX-0 Unicorn Gundam, MG RX-0 Unicorn Gundam Ver.Ka, PG Unicorn Gundam RX-0, MEGA 1/48 RX-0 Unicorn Gundam (Destroy Mode) Some shop links on this page are affiliate links: PlamoDesk may earn a commission if you buy through them. How affiliate links work.
• Gundam Planet: RG RX-0 Unicorn Gundam
• USA Gundam Store: PG 1/60 RX-0 Unicorn Gundam
• Photo: Life-Sized Unicorn Gundam Statue, Wikimedia Commons, CC0