Shopping Guide
HELP / FAQs
By onemall 
TL;DR
As of September 2026, Bandai Spirits sells Gunpla in nine active grades[1]: Entry Grade (EG), SD (BB Senshi, EX-Standard, Cross Silhouette) and MGSD, High Grade (HG), Real Grade (RG), RE/100, Full Mechanics (FM), Master Grade (MG / MG Ver.Ka), MGEX and Perfect Grade (PG / PG Unleashed). Grade is a combination of scale (1/144, 1/100, 1/60), part count and engineering (inner frame, colour separation, gimmicks) — and the price ladder runs from ¥770 for an EG to ¥30,000+ for a PG. The full comparison table is below.
- Grades in order of complexity: EG → SD → HG → RE/100 → Full Mechanics → MG → RG → MGSD → MGEX → PG. Note that RG sits above MG in difficulty even though it is smaller and cheaper.
- Grades in order of size: SD (8–10 cm) < EG / HG / RG (1/144, about 13 cm) < RE/100 / FM / MG / MGEX (1/100, about 18 cm) < PG (1/60, about 30 cm) < Mega Size (1/48, 37 cm).
- Best grade for beginners: EG for a first-ever build, HG for a first real one, MG for a first “serious” one. Save RG until you have built a few HGs.
- Buying from Japan: Japanese list prices are the reference prices — the HG Aerial is ¥1,540 and the EG RX-78-2 ¥770 in the live listings below — and Premium Bandai and Gundam Base exclusives only ship inside Japan. Our Gunpla buying guide covers the shops and shipping; this article covers what the letters mean.
All Gunpla grades compared, in one table
Heights are for a standard 18-metre mobile suit; bigger suits (Sazabi, Nightingale, Neo Zeong) scale up. Parts, hours and prices are typical ranges for current kits, not extremes. Every grade name links to live Japanese listings.
| Grade | Full name | Scale | Since | Height (18 m suit) | Parts | Build hours | Japan price (typical) | Difficulty | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EG | Entry Grade | 1/144 | 2011; relaunched 2020 with the RX-78-2 | ≈12–13 cm | 50–80 | 0.5–1.5 | ¥550–¥1,650 | 1 / 5 | First kit ever; no tools needed on the RX-78-2 and Strike |
| SD / SDEX / SDCS | Super Deformed (BB Senshi, EX-Standard, Cross Silhouette) | non-scale (chibi) | BB Senshi 1987; SDEX 2015; Cross Silhouette 2018 | ≈8–10 cm | 40–120 | 1–2 | ¥660–¥2,200 | 1 / 5 | Kids, desk toys, quick builds |
| MGSD | Master Grade SD | non-scale | 2023 (Freedom Gundam) | ≈13 cm | 300–450 | 5–8 | ¥5,500–¥6,600 | 3 / 5 | SD proportions with MG-level inner frame |
| HG | High Grade (HGUC, HGCE, HGIBO, HGTWFM …) | 1/144 | 1990; HGUC line 1999 | ≈12–14 cm | 100–250 | 2–4 | ¥1,100–¥4,400 | 2 / 5 | The main line; almost every mobile suit exists as an HG |
| RG | Real Grade | 1/144 | 2010 (RX-78-2, 30th anniversary) | ≈12–14 cm | 250–450 | 5–10 | ¥2,750–¥6,600 | 4 / 5 | MG detail at HG size; fiddly, small parts, lots of decals |
| RE/100 | Reborn-One Hundred | 1/100 | 2014 (Nightingale) | ≈18–22 cm | 200–350 | 4–7 | ¥3,300–¥6,600 | 2 / 5 | 1/100 size without an inner frame; niche suits |
| FM | Full Mechanics | 1/100 | 2016 (Iron-Blooded Orphans); relaunched 2021 | ≈18–20 cm | 250–400 | 5–8 | ¥4,400–¥7,700 | 3 / 5 | Modern 1/100 for newer series (Aerial, Calibarn, Forbidden) |
| MG | Master Grade (and MG Ver.Ka) | 1/100 | 1995 (RX-78-2, 15th anniversary); Ver.Ka from 2002 | ≈18–22 cm | 300–700 | 8–15 | ¥3,300–¥13,200 | 3 / 5 | Full inner frame, the “standard” serious build |
| MGEX | Master Grade Extreme | 1/100 | 2020 (Unicorn Ver.Ka) | ≈20–24 cm | 600–1,000 | 12–20 | ¥16,500–¥27,500 | 4 / 5 | MG with LEDs or the best-of-Bandai gimmicks: Unicorn, Strike Freedom, Mighty Strike Freedom (2027 pre-order) |
| PG | Perfect Grade (and PG Unleashed) | 1/60 | 1998 (RX-78-2); PG Unleashed 2020 | ≈30–35 cm | 700–1,500+ | 20–40 | ¥16,500–¥33,000 | 5 / 5 | The flagship; metal parts, LEDs, weeks of building |
| Mega Size | Mega Size Model | 1/48 | 2010 | ≈37 cm | 100–150 | 2–4 | ¥7,700–¥13,200 | 2 / 5 | Huge but simple — an HG scaled up |
| HiRM | Hi-Resolution Model | 1/100 | 2016 | ≈20 cm | pre-built frame + armour | 4–8 | ¥12,000–¥19,800 | 2 / 5 | Pre-assembled metal-and-plastic frame you armour up |
Two lines from Bandai’s own brand list[1] are not grades in this sense: Gundam Assemble is a small-scale collectible line, and 30 Minutes Missions is a separate non-Gundam mecha series built with the same engineering. Older labels you will meet on Yahoo Auctions — FG (First Grade, the ¥300 2000s starter kits), No-Grade / 1/144 “old kits” from the 1980s, HGUC, HGCE, HGBF, HGIBO, HGAC — are HG sub-lines by series, not different grades. Ver.Ka means Hajime Katoki redesign (an MG sub-line), Ver.2.0 / 3.0 means a re-engineered kit of the same suit, Revive a 2015-onward HG remake, Ecopla a recycled-plastic reissue, and Titanium Finish, Mechanical Clear, Special Coating are event and Gundam Base variants of the same moulds.
Gunpla grades tier list, hierarchy and how many there are
People ask for the grade meaning, a tier list, a ranking, a hierarchy, a chart, the types, the levels and the system — they are all the same table above. From lowest to highest, the Gunpla grade hierarchy is EG → SD → HG → RE/100 → FM → MG → RG → MGEX → PG, with MGSD sitting beside MG. How many grades are there? Nine active lines plus the retired ones (FG First Grade, Speed Grade, Jumbo Grade 1/35, HiRM). How many kits per grade? Roughly: PG about 20 kits, MGEX 3, RG about 50, MG over 250, RE/100 about 20, Full Mechanics about 15, EG about 10, HG several hundred across its sub-lines, SD several hundred — which is why upcoming, latest and newest MG, RG and PG releases are tracked month by month on the Bandai Hobby Site’s release schedule[1] (the 45th-anniversary year, 2025, brought the PG Unleashed ν Gundam and the RG RX-78-2 Ver.2.0 wave). Scales and sizes explained: 1/144 is about 12.5 cm for an 18-metre suit, 1/100 about 18 cm, 1/60 about 30 cm, 1/48 about 37 cm; the smallest Gunpla scale is 1/144 (and the non-scale SDs, 8–10 cm), the largest is 1/48 Mega Size — and the “human size” or life-size Gunpla people search for are the 1/1 statues in Yokohama, Odaiba and Fukuoka, not kits. Difficulty ratings: Bandai prints none; the 1–5 column in the table is the consensus of builders. Grade logos: each grade has its own box logo (the HG blue band, RG’s red, MG’s black-and-gold, PG’s silver), which is the quickest way to identify a kit on an auction photo. A few names that are not grades: 30MM / 30 Minutes Missions (a separate line, HG-level complexity), Gunpla-kun (the mascot kit), SD Gundam Force and SD × Hello Kitty (SD Cross Silhouette crossovers), Speed Grade (a 2008 pre-painted 1/200 line), and graded Gundam cards (PSA-slabbed trading cards, nothing to do with kits).
Entry Grade (EG): the ¥770 first kit
Entry Grade started in 2011 as a simplified line for new markets and was reborn in 2020 with the EG RX-78-2 Gundam[2]: about 60 parts, full colour separation, no stickers, no tools required (the gates are designed to be twisted off), and a price of ¥770. The EG Strike Gundam, EG ν Gundam (RX-93ff, the Fukuoka statue), and EG Wing Gundam followed; the “Light Package” versions without weapons are ¥550. Entry grade size is 1/144, the same as HG, so an EG stands next to your HGs without looking small. Are entry grade Gunpla worth it? For a first build, a child, a classroom or a paint-practice body, yes; for a collection, an HG of the same suit has better articulation and accessories.
SD, SDEX, SD Cross Silhouette and MGSD
SD (Super Deformed) kits are the big-headed chibi versions: BB Senshi (since 1987, hundreds of numbered kits, the SD Sangokuden and SD Sengokuden lines), SD Gundam EX-Standard (¥660 kits of the popular suits, simplified), SD Cross Silhouette (2018 onwards, with an interchangeable inner frame that gives either classic SD or taller “CS” proportions), and the SDW Heroes series. They build in an hour or two, cost ¥660–¥2,200, and are the best kits for children and for practising painting. MGSD (Master Grade SD, from 2023 with the Freedom Gundam) is a different animal: 300–450 parts, an MG-style frame, and an MG-style price around ¥5,500–¥6,600.
High Grade (HG): the main line
High Grade began in 1990 with the HG RX-78-2 and became the default Gunpla line with HGUC (High Grade Universal Century) in 1999. A modern HG is 100–250 parts, 1/144 scale (12–14 cm), ¥1,100–¥4,400, snap-fit with colour-separated parts and a small sticker sheet, and takes an evening. Every series gets an HG line — HGUC, HGCE (SEED), HG00, HGAC (Wing), HGBF/HGBD (Build Fighters / Divers), HGIBO (Iron-Blooded Orphans), HGTWFM (The Witch from Mercury) — which is why the HG catalogue is the biggest, why the cheapest and biggest kits of most suits are HGs, and why “best HG for beginners” has a hundred right answers. The best high grade Gunpla by consensus in 2025–2026: HG Gundam Aerial and Calibarn, HGUC RX-78-2 Revive, HG Barbatos, HGCE Freedom and Strike Freedom, HG Beguir-Beu and the HGUC Zaku II Revive. The biggest HG kits are the Neo Zeong, Dendrobium, Psycho Gundam and Big Zam, all still 1/144.
Real Grade (RG): MG detail at 1/144
Real Grade launched in 2010 for Gunpla’s 30th anniversary with the RG RX-78-2. The idea is a 1/144 kit with a full inner frame, real-world mechanical detail, extensive panel lines and Realistic Decals (metallic markings). Older RGs use the moulded “Advanced MS Joint” frame that can be loose or fragile; newer ones (RG ν Gundam, Sazabi, Hi-ν, Unicorn, RX-78-2 Ver.2.0 of 2024, God Gundam) use conventional frames and are much sturdier. RG is the hardest grade per centimetre: 250–450 parts, many of them tiny, and a decal session at the end. RG vs HG is the most-asked comparison: same size, two to three times the work, twice the price, and a result that photographs like an MG. Best RG for beginners: RG RX-78-2 Ver.2.0 or RG ν Gundam; every RG kit list also includes the RG Evangelion Unit-01, which is not a Gundam but uses the RG engineering.
Master Grade (MG) and MG Ver.Ka
Master Grade started in 1995 for the 15th anniversary with the MG RX-78-2 (Ver.1.0) and defines the “serious” Gunpla build: 1/100 scale (18–22 cm for a standard suit), a full articulated inner frame, opening cockpit and hatches, 300–700 parts, 8–15 hours, ¥3,300–¥13,200. MG Ver.Ka kits (from 2002) are redesigned by mechanical designer Hajime Katoki with sharper proportions and a big water-slide decal sheet — Sazabi Ver.Ka, Nu Gundam Ver.Ka, Unicorn Ver.Ka, Zeta Ver.Ka, Gundam Ver.Ka, Hi-ν Ver.Ka. Are master grade Gunpla hard? Not really: parts are large, the manual is clear, and an MG is easier than an RG for most people; the difficulty is time. Best MG for beginners: MG RX-78-2 Ver.3.0, MG Barbatos, MG Freedom 2.0; the cheapest MGs are the older Wing EW kits at ¥3,300–¥4,400; the biggest are the Sazabi Ver.Ka, Ex-S, Deep Striker and the Zeong.
MGEX: Master Grade Extreme
MGEX (2020, MGEX Unicorn Gundam Ver.Ka) is the MG line with one show-piece feature each: the Unicorn’s LED-lit psycho-frame, the Strike Freedom’s gold-plated inner frame and wing mechanism, the Mighty Strike Freedom (pre-orders in Japan currently list a 2027 delivery). Prices are ¥16,500–¥27,500; part counts run 600–1,000. Best MGEX: Strike Freedom for value and display, Unicorn for the lights.
RE/100 and Full Mechanics: the other 1/100 lines
RE/100 (Reborn-One Hundred) began in 2014 with the Nightingale: 1/100 kits of suits unlikely to get an MG, built without an inner frame at HG-like complexity and ¥3,300–¥6,600 — Nightingale, Gun-EZ, Vigna Ghina, Efreet Schneid, Guncannon Detector, Denan Zon. Full Mechanics (2016 for Iron-Blooded Orphans; relaunched 2021) is the modern 1/100 line for new series — Barbatos Lupus, Gundam Aerial, Calibarn, Forbidden Gundam, Raider — with a partial frame and modern colour separation, ¥4,400–¥7,700. If you want a 1/100 of a Witch from Mercury suit, Full Mechanics is the grade; an FM 1/100 is what “1/100 gunpla kits” means for the post-2015 series.
Perfect Grade (PG) and PG Unleashed
Perfect Grade started in 1998 with the PG RX-78-2: 1/60 scale (30–35 cm), metal frame parts, LED units, 700–1,500+ parts, 20–40 hours, ¥16,500–¥33,000. PG Unleashed (2020, RX-78-2; then ν Gundam) is the new-generation PG with a layered frame-then-armour build and pre-built metal joints, and is the best PG to start with. Every perfect grade Gunpla kit ever made is a short list — RX-78-2, Zaku II, Char’s Zaku, GP01, Wing Zero Custom, Strike, Strike Rouge, Astray Red Frame, Skygrasper, Zeta, Unicorn (and Banshee, Phenex), Strike Freedom, 00 Raiser, Exia, Perfect Strike, Unleashed RX-78-2, Unleashed ν — which is why out-of-production PGs on Yahoo Auctions trade above list price. Cheapest PG: the older 1998–2000s kits when reissued (¥16,500–¥22,000); most expensive: PG Unicorn with the LED set.
Grade-by-grade comparisons (HG vs RG, RG vs MG, MG vs PG …)
| Comparison | What actually differs |
|---|---|
| EG vs HG | Same 1/144 size. EG has fewer parts, snap-fit gates you can cut with fingernails, less articulation and no separate weapons beyond a rifle and shield; HG has more colour separation, more joints and the whole catalogue. EG is for a first build; HG is the grade you will actually collect. |
| HG vs RG | Same 1/144 size, very different builds. RG has an inner frame (moulded as an “Advanced MS Joint” on older kits, conventional on newer ones), realistic panel lines, metallic decals and 2–3× the parts. RG looks like an MG at half the size; it is also fiddlier, more fragile and slower. |
| RG vs MG | RG is 1/144 (≈13 cm), MG is 1/100 (≈18 cm). MG parts are larger and easier to handle, the frame is sturdier, the gimmicks (opening hatches, cockpit, hydraulics) are real; RG is cheaper and takes less shelf space. Beginners find MG easier than RG despite the higher part count. |
| MG vs MGEX | MGEX is the MG line with one flagship feature per kit: the Unicorn’s LED psycho-frame, the Strike Freedom’s gold-plated frame and wing mechanism. Two to three times the price of an MG of the same suit. |
| MG vs PG | PG is 1/60 (≈30 cm), with metal frame parts, LED units, working hatches and 1,000+ parts. A PG is a project measured in weeks; an MG in evenings. PG Unleashed (RX-78-2, ν Gundam) is the current-generation PG with a layered build. |
| MG vs Full Mechanics vs RE/100 | All 1/100. MG has a full inner frame; Full Mechanics has a partial one and modern engineering for newer series; RE/100 has no inner frame and exists to give obscure suits a 1/100 kit at HG-like complexity. |
| SD vs MGSD | Classic SD (BB Senshi, EX-Standard, Cross Silhouette) is a 1–2 hour chibi build with stickers; MGSD (Freedom, Barbatos, Wing Zero EW, Sazabi) is a 300+ part SD with an MG-style inner frame and full colour separation, and is priced like an MG. |
Which Gunpla grade should you build first?
| Where you are | Kits to start with |
|---|---|
| Never built a kit | EG RX-78-2 (¥770) or EG Strike Gundam; then an HG |
| First HG | HG Gundam Aerial, HGUC RX-78-2 Revive, HG Barbatos, HGCE Strike Freedom, HG Beguir-Beu |
| First RG | RG RX-78-2 Ver.2.0 (2024 redesign, sturdier than the 2010 kit), RG ν Gundam, RG Sazabi, RG Unicorn |
| First MG | MG RX-78-2 Ver.3.0, MG Barbatos, MG Freedom 2.0, MG Sazabi Ver.Ka for a big one |
| First PG | PG Unleashed RX-78-2 — the best-engineered PG; PG Unicorn if you want LEDs |
| Not a Gundam | RG Evangelion Unit-01, HG Mazinger Z, 30 Minutes Missions (not Gunpla but the same engineering) |
The tools are the same at every grade: a pair of nippers (Tamiya 74035 thin blade or a GodHand SPN-120 single-blade), a hobby knife, sanding sponges, a Gundam Marker or Tamiya Panel Line Accent for panel lines, and a matte top coat. Airbrushing, weathering and scribing for beginners can wait until the second MG; when you get there, the sizes people ask about are: BMC or Tamiya scribing chisel / scriber 0.15–0.2 mm for panel lines, 0.5–1.0 mm brass rod for pinning, 400 → 600 → 1,000 grit sandpaper or sponges, 6 mm and 10 mm Tamiya masking tape, an A3 cutting mat (an A4 one is too small for MG runners), and Action Base 1 for 1/100 kits and Action Base 2 / 5 for 1/144 kits (the peg sizes differ: 3 mm for 1/144, larger for 1/100 — check the kit’s stand hole). Dioramas are usually built at 1/144 because the HG catalogue has the most suits and the Action Bases and Builders Parts are made for it. Difficulty is mostly part count and part size, so the order above (EG → HG → MG → RG → PG) is the order most builders recommend on Reddit and in Japanese hobby shops alike.
Buying Gunpla by grade from Japan
- Search by grade and suit in Japanese. HG ガンダム エアリアル, RG νガンダム, MG サザビー Ver.Ka, PG ユニコーン, EG ストライク, MGEX ストライクフリーダム — the grade abbreviation is used unchanged in Japanese.
- Know the Japan-only kits. Premium Bandai (P-Bandai) web exclusives and Gundam Base limited (Tokyo, Fukuoka SIDE-F) clear and metallic variants ship inside Japan only[3], which is where a proxy comes in; they resell on Mercari and Yahoo Auctions within days.
- Use list price as your reference. Japanese retail is the reference price; new kits on Rakuten and Amazon Japan sell at or slightly under it, while sold-out RG, MGEX and PG kits carry premiums on the secondary market. Our guide to discounted Gunpla covers where the discounts are.
- Buy through a proxy. Paste the listing into OneMall and we buy it to our Japanese warehouse. For most Japanese shops the service fee is 5% of the item price (minimum ¥200, maximum ¥1,000 per order); Mercari items are a flat ¥300 each. The cheapest Japan proxy fee comparison and our guide to the best Japan proxy services cover the rest.
- Consolidate by box size, not by count. Gunpla boxes are light but bulky — an HG box is about 31×19×5 cm and a PG box is a suitcase — so volumetric weight decides the shipping cost; the buying guide has the worked examples and the shipping options and times the methods.
FAQ
What do the Gunpla grades mean?
A grade is a Bandai product line defined by scale and engineering: EG (entry, 1/144), SD (chibi), HG (1/144 standard), RG (1/144 with inner frame), RE/100 and Full Mechanics (1/100 without a full frame), MG (1/100 with full frame), MGEX (MG with a flagship feature), PG (1/60 flagship). The letters have no relation to quality grading of the plastic.
What is the difference between HG, RG, MG and PG?
Size and complexity. HG and RG are 1/144 (about 13 cm); RG adds an inner frame and detail. MG is 1/100 (about 18 cm) with a full inner frame. PG is 1/60 (about 30 cm) with metal parts and LEDs. Parts go roughly 150 → 350 → 500 → 1,000+, and Japanese prices roughly ¥2,000 → ¥4,000 → ¥6,000 → ¥25,000.
What is the best Gunpla grade for beginners?
EG if you have never built a kit, HG for a first proper build, MG for a first big one. RG last, because the parts are small and the frames on older kits are fragile.
What is the biggest Gunpla?
By scale, PG (1/60) and Mega Size (1/48, 37 cm). By physical size in any grade, the HG Neo Zeong (over 80 cm tall) and the PG Unicorn with its Armed Armor expansion.
Is RG harder than MG?
Usually yes. RG has almost as many parts at a third of the size, plus a full decal sheet; MG parts are bigger and the build is more forgiving. RG takes longer per centimetre of model.
How much do Gunpla cost in Japan?
EG ¥550–¥1,650, SD ¥660–¥2,200, HG ¥1,100–¥4,400, RG ¥2,750–¥6,600, MG ¥3,300–¥13,200, MGEX ¥16,500–¥27,500, PG ¥16,500–¥33,000 at Japanese list price; the live listings above show the day’s actual prices.
Are SD Gunpla good?
Yes for what they are: quick, cheap, sturdy, and the Cross Silhouette line has real articulation. They are not detailed scale models; if you want that in a small package, an RG or an MGSD is the answer.
Are Gundam figures the same as Gunpla grades?
No. Robot Damashii (The Robot Spirits), Gundam Fix Figuration and Metal Build are pre-built, pre-painted figures sold by Bandai Spirits’ collectors division; they have no grades. Gunpla are the kits you build.
Related reading
- How to buy Gunpla from Japan: the cheap and cheapest way
- Cheap Gundam models from Japan: where the discounts are
- Beyblade X product codes explained and Sony Walkman models explained — the other decoder articles in this series
Last updated: 12 September 2026. Grade line-up checked against the Bandai Hobby Site on 12 September 2026; prices from live Japanese listings the same day.
References
- Bandai Spirits — Bandai Hobby Site, Gunpla brand list (HG, RG, MG, MG Ver.Ka, MGSD, PG, Entry Grade, SD Cross Silhouette, SDEX, BB Senshi, RE/100, Full Mechanics, MGEX). bandai-hobby.net
- Bandai Spirits — Entry Grade brand page. bandai-hobby.net
- Bandai Spirits — Hobby Site, information for overseas customers. bandai-hobby.net