So you’ve built your RX-78-2. Now what? You’ve spent your time with the beginner kits. You’ve learned how to use nippers without mauling plastic and maybe even figured out what panel lining is. Now it’s time for something meaner, kits that look incredibleandoccasionally make you question your life choices.
These Real GradeGundammodels aren’t just cool-looking toys. They’ve got moving parts, tight tolerances, and instructions that assume you’ve got steady hands and at least one functioning brain cell. They’ll fight you a little. But once they’re done, they look like they belong in a museum… or at least on a shelf that says “I know what I’m doing.”
If you’re just getting into Gunpla, these six kits are excellent choices that also happen to feature some of the most iconic mobile suits in Gundam history. You’re getting Amuro and Char’s final showdown machines, legendary pilots like Heero and Kira’s signature rides, and machines that defined their respective series. These kits are intermediate-friendly while letting you build the mobile suits that factor in super well to the storylines.
1RG Nu Gundam (Char’s Counterattack)
This is Amuro’s final ride, and honestly, what a way to go out. The Nu Gundam was basically built around Amuro’s fighting style after decades of combat experience—fast, precise, and loaded with tech to counter Char’s newtype tricks. The multi-link gimmick where armor parts move together mirrors how the real Nu Gundam’s psycommu system would coordinate everything at once. The kit comes with an Amuro figure and six fin funnels, which makes sense since this machine was so personalized to his abilities that nobody else could probably pilot it effectively.
You get the classic beam rifle and hyper bazooka combo that Amuro preferred—practical weapons for a practical pilot who’d been in this game since the One Year War started. At 15 cm, it scales perfectly against the Sazabi for those epic final battle displays. The armor unfolding throughout the body shows how advanced mobile suits had become by this point, adapting to different combat situations on the fly.
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2RG Sazabi (Char’s Counterattack)
Char’s final mobile suit, and he went absolutely all-out for his last campaign against the Federation. This thing towers at 17.78 cm because the Sazabi was meant to be a command unit that could dominate any battlefield. The six funnels with opening fins represent the newtype remote weapon system that made Char terrifying in space combat. The cockpit opens to show where the Red Comet made his final stand, and all those moving pistons represent the massive thruster arrays needed to make this heavy beast dance around in combat.
Char never did anything halfway, so naturally his final mobile suit came loaded with beam shot rifle, beam tomahawk with effect parts, two beam sabers, and enough firepower to take on entire squadrons. The maintenance hatches opening up shows just how complex this custom machine was—definitely not something they planned to mass produce, but rather Char’s personal weapon for reshaping the world according to his vision.
3RG Destiny Gundam (Gundam Seed Destiny)
Shinn Asuka’s ultimate mobile suit, and boy did ZAFT go overboard with the weapons. This thing’s got palm cannons, high-energy beam cannon, anti-ship sword, Flash Edge-2 system - basically everything you’d need to single-handedly wreck entire fleets. The aerial posing capabilities match Shinn’s aggressive style perfectly, since he was always attacking from weird angles and catching enemies off guard.
Unlike the earlier SEED machines that focused on transforming into different modes, the Destiny just said “forget it” and went for pure combat effectiveness. The Flash Edge-2 combining beam boomerang and saber functions shows how second-generation Cosmic Era tech started integrating multiple weapons into single systems. This represented ZAFT at their peak before everything went sideways politically, and you can tell they weren’t messing around when they designed it.
4RG Sinanju (Gundam UC)
Full Frontal’s machine is basically Char’s ghost in mobile suit form. That glossy red with detailed gold-plated engravings wasn’t just flair—it was propaganda. Neo Zeon was selling the legend of the Red Comet, and the Sinanju was the centerpiece. This thing was built for space domination: massive rear thrusters that move independently, sharp detailing, and an intimidating silhouette that screamed “you’re already outmatched.”
It started out as the Sinanju Stein, a Federation testbed, and got jacked by the Sleeves and turned into this psychotically fast, high-impact suit. Beam rifle, beam saber, beam axe (with effect parts)? All designed to be as brutal as possible. At 15.24 cm, it’s a perfect counterpart to late-UC suits like the Unicorn, and in full pose, it looks like it’s about to declare war on your shelf.
5RG Wing Gundam Zero EW (Endless Waltz)
Heero’s ultimate machine from the Endless Waltz timeline, and those angel wings aren’t just for show. This mobile suit represents the whole theme of Endless Waltz - the choice between destruction and protection. The twin buster rifle system can either split for precision work or combine for “delete everything in that direction” firepower. Unlike Universal Century machines that were built for prolonged warfare, the Wing Zero was designed to end conflicts through overwhelming power - basically the mobile suit equivalent of carrying a nuclear deterrent.
The transformation capability shows how After Colony technology prioritized versatility, since these pilots often operated alone without support. Including the Heero figure makes sense because this machine was as much about testing whether humanity could handle ultimate power responsibly as it was about the actual combat capabilities. Pretty heavy stuff for a robot that turns into an angel.
6RX-178 Gundam MK II (AEUG)
Here’s where the Real Grade line really started finding its groove. Released back in 2012, this was the moment Bandai figured out how to balance detail, articulation, and build stability without making your fingers hate you. Kamille’s stolen ride from the ZetaGundam gets the full RG treatment with the Advanced MS Joint 5 system, which was cutting-edge at the time. The loadout is solid: beam rifle, shield, bazooka, two beam sabers, a Vulcan pod, and multiple hand options. You even get a tiny Kamille Bidan figure if you want to recreate that classic AEUG angst in 1/144 scale.
What makes the AEUG version matter in the lore is that this was originally a Titans prototype. Kamille hijacks it after the Titans basically destroy his life, and the AEUG paint job reflects that pivot from cold military gray to a more heroic, freedom-fighter palette. It’s a transitional design from the early Universal Century days. Still grounded, but starting to push into more advanced mobile suit tech. If you want a mobile suit that teaches you patience without punishing you, this one’s it.
FAQ
Q: What makes a kit “intermediate” level?
Intermediate RG kits usually throw more complex stuff at you - maybe transformation sequences that require careful part alignment, smaller pieces that can snap if you’re not gentle, or articulation systems with multiple joints working together. They assume you’re not going to panic when the instruction manual shows 15 steps for one arm assembly.
Q: What’s the biggest difference in build time?
Plan on 4-6 hours instead of the 2-3 hours you might spend on simpler kits. The extra time comes from more involved assembly sequences and needing to be more careful with fragile components. It’s not necessarily harder, just more detailed.
Q: Do I need special tools for intermediate kits?
Decent nippers and panel line markers will handle most of what you’ll encounter. A hobby knife helps with cleanup in tight spots, and some sanding sticks are useful, but you don’t need to buy a whole workshop setup. Most intermediate builders get by with the same basic tools, just using them more carefully.
