MGEX Explained: Every Master Grade Extreme Gunpla (Unicorn Ver.Ka, Strike Freedom, Mighty Strike Freedom)

Short answer: MGEX (Master Grade Extreme) is Bandai's top tier of 1/100 Gunpla, sitting above MG and MG Ver.Ka. Each kit is built around one "extreme" theme instead of a general upgrade: light for the Unicorn, metal for the Strike Freedom, and, for the Mighty Strike Freedom due in March 2027, light again by way of multi-colour plated clear parts. There are three mainline MGEX kits so far plus a handful of coated and clear variants. If you want one MGEX, the Strike Freedom is the one to buy first: it is the cheapest, it is in stock, and its inner frame is the reason people say "MGEX" out loud.

What does MGEX mean?

MGEX stands for Master Grade Extreme. Bandai launched it in 2020 for Gunpla's 40th anniversary as a high-end line inside Master Grade, at the same 1/100 scale. Bandai's own definition is that MGEX "challenges the extreme expression" of a mobile suit by combining accumulated technology with different materials, with a specific theme set for each kit. That last part is the whole idea. An MG Ver.Ka is a better MG across the board; an MGEX picks one thing, such as light or metal finish, and pushes it as far as injection moulding, plating and electronics allow. Everything else about the kit, from articulation to accessory count, is MG-level or above.

MGEX vs MG vs MG Ver.Ka: what actually changes?

Two practical consequences. First, MGEX kits are not a set you collect for completeness; each one is a different experiment, so pick by the theme you care about. Second, the price gap is real but so is the box: an MGEX Strike Freedom box is about 44 × 34 × 12 cm and the Unicorn Ver.Ka box about 57 × 39 × 13 cm, larger than any standard MG, which matters for shipping and for where you will build it. For the grade ladder below MGEX, see our HG vs RG vs MG vs PG guide.

Every MGEX kit released so far

1. MGEX 1/100 Unicorn Gundam Ver.Ka (September 2020)

The first MGEX and the 40th-anniversary kit. Theme: extreme light emission. A new LED unit and a flexible LED sheet run through the body so the psycho-frame lights red and green, with brightness control from a button, while the kit still transforms between Unicorn and Destroy modes. It was the first Gunpla to combine transformation, illumination, colour change and articulation in one body. Proportions were supervised by Hajime Katoki. Lead wires let the shield's clear parts light up away from the body, and the dedicated MS cage stores the battery box (three AA batteries, not included) and doubles as a display stand. Includes Beam Magnum, Hyper Bazooka, three shields, six beam gatlings, four sabers, waterslide decals. Japan price ¥23,000 before tax, age 15 and up.

2. MGEX 1/100 Strike Freedom Gundam (November 2022)

Theme: the highest level of metal expression in Gunpla. The inner frame uses six different treatments (three special-process finishes, two metallic mouldings and etched seals) so the gold frame reads as layered metal rather than gold plastic. It also carries what Bandai calls the largest frame-linked movable gimmick in MG history: move a limb and the armour panels around it shift with it, in far more places than the MG or RG versions. The armour is deliberately gapped and uses red clear parts to show the frame through. Hip joints have a two-step pull-out-then-swing motion for the legs-together flying pose. Includes the long-range beam rifles, saber blades, the Xiphias 3 rail cannons, Kira and Lacus figures, an Action Base, beam-shield PET sheets, waterslide decals, an etched seal, a metallic 3D seal and a papercraft runner stand. Japan price ¥15,500 before tax, age 15 and up. This is the MGEX most people mean when they search the term, and the best first MGEX.

3. MGEX 1/100 Mighty Strike Freedom Gundam (March 2027, pre-order)

Announced August 2026 as the third MGEX, from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED FREEDOM. Theme: light expression, done without LEDs. It is the first Gunpla with mechanical plating on runners in multiple colours: three differently coloured plated clear parts reproduce the red shoulder sections, the blue head sensor and the pink nanomachine glow of the wings. The Strike Freedom Type II body inherits the 2022 kit's frame-linked articulation with new parts for the updated design, and the gold frame gets several plating and gloss-injection treatments. The new Proud Defender backpack has a wing-deployment mechanism that opens to expose the gold frame, in the spirit of the Super DRAGOON wings. Weapons include the Futsunomitama anti-ship sword, a railgun, two beam rifles, two sabers and beam-shield effect parts; the cockpit is a two-seater with Kira and Lacus mini figures. Japan reference price ¥26,400 including tax, the highest for the line.

Variants: coatings, clear colours and exclusives

• MGEX Strike Freedom [Midnight Coating] (2023): black and silver, released as a China-exclusive.
• MGEX Strike Freedom [Twilight Coating] (December 2025): all-white coating including the frame, Gundam Base and event limited, ¥66,000.
• P-Bandai MGEX Strike Freedom [Mechanical Clear]: clear-armour Premium Bandai release.
• P-Bandai MGEX Unicorn Gundam Ver.TWC (December 2020): The Gundam Base limited colour of the Unicorn.

The variants use the same moulds as the mainline kits, so nothing about the build changes; you are paying for the finish and the scarcity. Sold-out ones sit on our P-Bandai page as waitlist items you can join for free.

MGEX Strike Freedom vs Mighty Strike Freedom: which one?

If you want the frame and the price, buy the Strike Freedom now. If the film design or the plated-clear look matters to you, pre-order the Mighty; it will not replace the 2022 kit, it is a different subject that reuses the engineering.

Are MGEX kits hard to build?

No harder than a large MG, but slower. Parts counts are high, the plated and coated parts want careful nub cleanup (sand the gate flat rather than cutting flush, and avoid touching plated surfaces with bare nippers), and the Unicorn's LED wiring needs to be routed as you go rather than added at the end. Bandai ships the Strike Freedom with a papercraft runner stand precisely because there are many runners to keep track of. Budget several evenings, not one.

FAQ

Is MGEX better than MG Ver.Ka?

Different, not simply better. Ver.Ka is a design philosophy applied across many suits; MGEX is a technology showcase applied to one suit at a time. The MGEX Unicorn is itself a Ver.Ka, which is why the full name is MGEX Unicorn Gundam Ver.Ka.

How many MGEX kits are there?

Three mainline releases: Unicorn Ver.Ka (2020), Strike Freedom (2022) and Mighty Strike Freedom (March 2027), plus coated, clear and Gundam Base variants of the first two.

How big is the MGEX Strike Freedom box?

Roughly 44 × 34 × 12 cm (17.4 × 13.2 × 4.9 in). The Unicorn Ver.Ka box is larger at about 57 × 39 × 13 cm.

Does the MGEX Strike Freedom light up?

No. Light is the Unicorn's theme; the Strike Freedom's theme is metal finish. The Mighty Strike Freedom uses plated clear parts to suggest light without electronics.

Where is the MGEX manual?

Bandai includes a printed manual in the box. Our Gundam manual page collects downloadable manuals where Bandai has published them.

Related guides: HG vs RG vs MG vs PG: which grade should you buy · Best Master Grade Gundam kits · RG vs MG · Shop Master Grade