Perfect Grade Gundam Guide: Every PG Kit Ever Released, PG vs MG, and Which to Buy First

Short answer: Perfect Grade (PG) is Bandai's largest and most complex mainline Gunpla grade: 1/60 scale, a full mechanical inner frame, and in most kits some form of LED lighting. Bandai has released 19 numbered PG Gundam kits since 1998 plus two PG Unleashed kits (RX-78-2 in 2020, Nu Gundam in 2026), alongside a Star Wars Millennium Falcon and the very first PG, Evangelion Unit-01. If you are buying your first PG today, the two safest picks are the PG Unleashed RX-78-2 for the most modern engineering, or the PG Strike Freedom if you want maximum shelf presence for the money. Skip straight to the full list or the PG vs MG comparison below.

What does Perfect Grade mean?

Perfect Grade is the top of Bandai's four main Gunpla grades (HG, RG, MG, PG). Every PG Gundam is 1/60 scale, which puts a standard 18-metre mobile suit at roughly 30 cm (12 in) tall, and larger suits well beyond that: the PG Unleashed Nu Gundam stands about 38 cm, or 56 cm with its Fin Funnels deployed. The line began in December 1997 with Evangelion Unit-01 and moved to Gundam in November 1998 with PG 01, the RX-78-2. The design goal has stayed the same since: build the mobile suit the way it would be built in-universe, frame first, then armour, with opening hatches, working mechanisms, and lighting where the design calls for it. For how PG fits under HG, RG and MG, see our grade guide.

PG vs MG: what actually changes?

The practical difference is not "more detail" in the abstract. A PG is a different kind of build: the frame is a project in itself, joints are engineered to carry real weight, and the box is large enough that you will plan where to build it. If you mainly want a detailed display piece and already own MGs, an MG Ver.Ka or MGEX gets you most of the way at a third of the size; see our MGEX guide. If you want the construction experience itself, nothing below PG replicates it.

RG vs PG: is a Real Grade a "mini PG"?

Partly. Real Grade kits at 1/144 borrow PG ideas, including the frame-first build and dense colour separation. What they cannot borrow is the scale: an RG stands about 13 cm, a PG about 30 cm, so hatches, cockpits, pilot figures and lighting that are real mechanisms on a PG become moulded suggestions on an RG. If a PG is out of budget or space, an RG of the same suit is the closest experience in miniature. Our scale guide has side-by-side photos.

Every Perfect Grade Gundam kit, in release order

Dates are Japanese release months. P-Bandai (Premium Bandai online-shop) colour variants are listed separately further down.

Outside Gundam, the line also includes the 1997 PG Evangelion Unit-01 and the 1/72 PG Millennium Falcon (2017), which is the largest PG box of all. Availability of older PGs changes with each Bandai reissue wave, so check the individual product page for current status.

What is PG Unleashed, and how is it different from regular PG?

PG Unleashed is the sub-line Bandai launched in December 2020 for Gunpla's 40th anniversary. It keeps the 1/60 scale but restructures the build: the RX-78-2 introduced what Bandai calls the Gunpla Evolution Link System, a phased construction that goes assembly, articulation, structure, exterior, presentation, so the complete skeleton stands on its own before any armour goes on. The frame uses metallic mouldings plus silver, matte and chrome plating, metal vernier and vulcan parts, etched stickers, over 90 articulation axes (40 in the core-block torso alone), and an RGB dual-bulb LED with a colour shift plus a separate micro-LED beam saber. The 2026 Nu Gundam follows with the Ultimate Unit System, in which each sub-assembly is a load-bearing unit; it includes a dedicated base with a holding arm for the funnel-deployed pose, while its LED unit is sold separately. Think of PG Unleashed as PG rebuilt with 2020s tooling: same scale, much denser frame, more materials in the box.

Which PG should you buy first?

Best overall: PG Unleashed RX-78-2 (2020)

The most complete PG engineering in a familiar, compact design. Everything you need to light it is in the box (RGB LED plus LED saber), the hatch-open layout is the most extensive in the line, and it is the RX-78-2, so it never goes out of style. If you will only ever build one PG, build this one.

Best display piece: PG Strike Freedom (2010)

Refined by Hajime Katoki and, with the Super DRAGOON wings deployed, one of the largest footprints of any PG. Head LED and an angle-adjustable base are included. The 2010 engineering is older than Unleashed, but the wingspan is what people notice from across the room.

Best gimmick: PG Unicorn Gundam (2014)

The full Unicorn-to-Destroy transformation is reproduced, including the face guard and a magnet in the blade antenna so the horn stays a single piece in Unicorn mode. The psycho-frame is moulded in a light-concentrating resin; add the separate PG Unicorn LED unit and the whole frame glows. Same base kit underlies the Banshee Norn and the P-Bandai variants below.

Best value in the modern line: PG Perfect Strike (2020)

A re-tooled Strike with new head and armour parts, gunmetal frame, chrome-plated parts, a yellow head LED, and all three Striker packs (Aile, Sword, Launcher) in one box. If you want a SEED PG with lighting and options without Unleashed pricing, this is it.

For the flagship collector: PG Unleashed Nu Gundam (2026)

The current top of the line: about 38 cm tall, 56 cm with Fin Funnels, metallic frame trusses, metal thruster and vulcan parts, pilot figures and a funnel-holding base. The LED unit is a separate purchase. This is the one to buy when you already know you enjoy a long frame-first build.

P-Bandai Perfect Grade variants

Premium Bandai has released several PG recolours and expansion sets through its online shop only. They use the same moulds as the retail kits, so the build is unchanged; you are paying for the colour or the add-on. Sold-out P-Bandai PGs sit on our P-Bandai page as waitlist items, and our P-Bandai guide explains how that works for Canada and the US.

• PG Unicorn Gundam [Final Battle Ver.] (Feb 2016): green psycho-frame, from episode 7.
• PG Full Armor Expansion Unit for Unicorn (2015) and Armed Armor VN/BS (2015): add-ons, mobile suit not included.
• PG Trans-Am Raiser (Jun 2017) and its clear colour body.
• PG Banshee Norn [Final Battle Ver.] (Feb 2018): green clear psycho-frame with green metallic waterslides.
• PG Unicorn Gundam 03 Phenex (Narrative Ver.) (Jan 2021): deep gold coating, new Armed Armor DE parts.
• PG Unleashed Clear Color Body for RX-78-2 (Mar 2021): clear armour set for the Unleashed kit.
• PG Unicorn Gundam Perfectibility (Jan 2022): blue clear psycho-frame with five Armed Armor types, plus the Divine Expansion Set.

How hard is a Perfect Grade to build?

Not harder per step than an MG, but much longer and less forgiving of shortcuts. Frame parts carry weight, so nub cleanup on joint surfaces matters; plated and metallic parts show every nipper mark, so cut away from the part and sand the gate flat; LED wiring in the Unicorn and Unleashed kits has to be routed during the frame stage, not after. Plan several sessions, keep runners sorted, and build the frame fully and test the joints before armouring. Beginners should start with an HG or RG first; see Best Gunpla for Beginners.

FAQ

How big is a Perfect Grade Gundam?

1/60 scale. A standard 18 m mobile suit comes out around 30 cm (12 in) tall; larger designs are bigger, with the PG Unleashed Nu Gundam at about 38 cm, and 56 cm with Fin Funnels deployed.

How many Perfect Grade kits are there?

Nineteen numbered PG Gundam kits (1998–2020), the Red Frame Kai, two PG Unleashed kits (2020, 2026), plus the Evangelion Unit-01 and Millennium Falcon, and a run of P-Bandai variants.

Do all PG kits light up?

Most include or support LEDs, but the arrangement varies: head LED in the box (Strike Freedom, Perfect Strike, Astray Red Frame with a separately sold button battery), full-body LED unit sold separately (PG Unicorn family, PG Unleashed Nu Gundam), or LED plus lit beam saber in the box (PG Unleashed RX-78-2). Check the product page for what is included.

Is PG Unleashed better than regular PG?

It is newer engineering with a denser frame and more materials, so yes for build quality. Regular PGs still win on subject choice, since Unleashed only covers the RX-78-2 and Nu Gundam so far.

Is a PG worth it over an MG?

If you want the build itself, yes; there is no MG that reproduces a PG frame. If you want a detailed display piece and are short on space, an MG Ver.Ka or MGEX is the better buy.

Related guides: HG vs RG vs MG vs PG · MGEX explained · Best Master Grade kits · Gundam scale guide · Shop Perfect Grade