Kit Review

Straight build + Stickers + Panel lining

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Detail shots

Rear view with the backpack removed

HGUC Todesritter - Hades activation mode recreated by swapping out the clear parts on the face and the seals all over the b

Hades activation mode recreated by swapping out the clear parts on the face and the seals all over the body

HGUC Todesritter - The nearly 30+ verniers spread from head to toe require you to choose between gray (normal mode) or yell

The nearly 30+ verniers spread from head to toe,
you need to apply seals choosing between gray (normal mode) or yellow (Hades activation mode).

The weapons include 4 beam sabers, a shield, and the Hyper Knuckle Buster.

Interior view of the shield

You need to cut 2 lead wires to make 6 pieces.

HGUC Todesritter - You can use the lead wires to pose the incoms launching from the backpack binders. The lead wires themse

You can use the lead wires to pose the incoms launching from the backpack binders.
The lead wires themselves have pretty good holding strength, but the problem is the part that plugs into the binder is loose.
Because of this, it's hard to position the incoms at the angle you want.

HGUC Todesritter - If you bend the lead wire and wedge it between parts like shown above, the holding strength makes positi

If you bend the lead wire and wedge it between parts like shown above, the holding strength makes positioning a fair bit easier.

Small and large beam saber handles are stored inside the forearms and on the backpack respectively.

Sub-arms that can be deployed in multiple directions are attached on top of both shoulders.

The sub-arms have a locking pin at the tip, so they can hold the large beam sabers nice and securely.

HGUC Todesritter - As befitting a large-scale HGUC kit, joint parts are included so it can be mounted on an MG Action Base.

As befitting a large-scale HGUC kit, joint parts are included so it can be mounted on an MG Action Base.
Since it slides in horizontally at the bottom of the hip joint, it locks in pretty solidly.

Limb articulation.

The elbow can be extended to allow the arm to bend further. (right side)

Lowering the calf verniers gives a bit more clearance for the knee to bend. (right side)

There's also a hip joint forward/backward movement gimmick built in.

HGUC Todesritter - The wings, the large beam saber mounts on the backpack, and the propellant tanks all move around quite f

The wings, the large beam saber mounts on the backpack, and the propellant tanks all move around quite freely.
However, the wings tend to fall off easily during posing since the connection is a bit weak.

HGUC Todesritter - Four-sword style action using the sub-arms as well. (1/4)

HGUC Todesritter - Four-sword style action using the sub-arms as well. (2/4)

Four-sword style action using the sub-arms as well.

Hyper Knuckle Buster + sub-arm and large beam saber action.

6 incoms launched.

HGUC Todesritter - Bending the lead wires to position the incoms in various spots... sounds great, but it's harder than you

Bending the lead wires to position the incoms in various spots... sounds great, but it's harder than you'd think. T_T

HGUC Todesritter - Alongside the HGUC Pale Rider Ground Heavy Equipment Type / Space Type. The size difference is pretty ob

Alongside the HGUC Pale Rider Ground Heavy Equipment Type / Space Type.
The size difference is pretty obvious.

Alongside the HGUC Sinanju, which is about the same size.

This kit is the HGUC Todesritter, released as a Club G (Premium Bandai) online exclusive. Lore-wise it's said to be a modified version of the Pale Rider, and while the color scheme is similar, the design has changed completely — and most notably, it's gotten a whole lot bigger. In the end, none of the Pale Rider's parts were reused, making this a 100% new mold kit. It came out at a rather steep ¥3000 for an HGUC, but it does deliver in terms of size and visual impact.

First off, it shows off a striking visual with a sleek design and proportions similar to the Pale Rider. Going up in size has made it a bit less sturdy than the rock-solid Pale Rider, but the joint strength is still pretty decent for its size. The backpack is quite large, so the center of gravity does pull toward the back, but with just a slight angle adjustment it can stand upright without much trouble. In terms of articulation gimmicks, it features a hip joint slide mechanism that you rarely see at the HG level, along with extension gimmicks on the arms and legs to increase range of motion. Thanks to all that, it offers better articulation than you'd expect given the design, and the joints are on the sturdy side too, so poses hold well.

The 6 incoms attached to the backpack binders can be posed in a launched state using lead wires. The lead wires themselves are flexible and hold their shape well, but the fit where they connect to the body isn't tight enough. So while it's fine when you position the incoms pointing straight out, if you bend them in certain directions — especially horizontally — the whole wire droops down under the weight. In my case, I worked around this by slightly twisting the wire's base and wedging it against the structure for display, and since the base isn't visible from the front, it actually looks pretty convincing. (Still, they keep popping out as you work on it, which gets quietly infuriating. -_-..)

Another feature unique to the Todesritter is the ability to do four-sword style action using the 2 beam sabers stored in the forearms, 2 in the backpack, plus the articulated sub-arms on the shoulders. The shoulder sub-arms have a wide range of motion and can hold the beam sabers securely, letting you pull off all kinds of flashy and unique poses. The standard weapons also include the Hyper Knuckle Buster and a shield.

Finally, the biggest complaint about this kit is probably the sheer number of vernier seals. There are far more vernier seals to apply than on the Pale Rider, and getting them on cleanly without any awkwardness is no easy task for us mere mortals. Even if you paint them, the color separation isn't there, so you'd need to do some pretty tedious masking work. It would've been tough to include vernier color separation at the HG level, but given how large this kit is, it wasn't exactly impossible either... On top of that, if you want to recreate the Hades activation mode, you have to swap out nearly 30 seals — not something I'd recommend doing for fun. In my case I had to remove and reapply them one by one for the review, and it really does take a serious amount of patience. -_-

On top of that, while the binders with the incoms attached do move around freely, the connection is weak and they keep popping off during posing. There are a few shortcomings like these, but the style is so cool and the overall build quality is solid enough that they're somewhat forgivable. Bottom line — if the visuals are your thing, this is a kit you can definitely have a lot of fun with. :-)

HGUC Todesritter | 2020.12 | ¥3,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.