Kit Review

Straight build +
panel lining

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

1/100 Gundam Barbatos - Detail shots. I accidentally put the thigh armor on the wrong sides... just a heads up T_T (1/5)

1/100 Gundam Barbatos - Detail shots. I accidentally put the thigh armor on the wrong sides... just a heads up T_T (2/5)

1/100 Gundam Barbatos - Detail shots. I accidentally put the thigh armor on the wrong sides... just a heads up T_T (3/5)

Detail shots.
I accidentally put the thigh armor on the wrong sides... just a heads up T_T

1/100 Gundam Barbatos - So many head parts for a No Grade 1/100..!! The color separation even covers the eye area, just like

So many head parts for a No Grade 1/100..!!
The color separation even covers the eye area, just like the MG Origin First.

1/100 Gundam Barbatos - Armor removed (1/2)

1/100 Gundam Barbatos - Armor removed (2/2)

Outer armor removed

1/100 Gundam Barbatos - Inner frame shots (1/2)

1/100 Gundam Barbatos - Inner frame shots (2/2)

Internal frame

1/100 Gundam Barbatos - Frame detail shots (1/4)

1/100 Gundam Barbatos - Frame detail shots (2/4)

Frame detail shots

1/100 Gundam Barbatos - Shiny gold foil stickers are applied at various points on the frame. (1/4)

1/100 Gundam Barbatos - Shiny gold foil stickers are applied at various points on the frame. (2/4)

Shiny gold foil stickers are applied at various points on the frame.

The frame's articulation is at an extreme level.

Perhaps to keep it a step below MG, the hip joints are just a plain, straightforward design.

1/100 Gundam Barbatos - There are cylinder-shaped parts throughout the body, but they don't actually function as working cyli

There are cylinder-shaped parts throughout the body,
but they don't actually function as working cylinders.

Only the cylinders on either side of the waist are properly done as working, moving parts.

1/100 Gundam Barbatos - To attach the head antenna later, you need to remove the frame structure on top of the head. In other

To attach the head antenna later, you need to remove the frame structure on top of the head.
In other words, that antenna frame is attached separately only while the kit is in frame-only state.

The thighs are short and the shins are long, so the kneeling pose doesn't look very natural.

The weapons are two types: the smoothbore gun and the mace.

Both can be stored on the backpack using joint parts.

The smoothbore gun can be folded up for storage as shown above.

1/100 Gundam Barbatos - The folding and unfolding gimmick is more complex and intricate than you'd expect. It's not just a si

The folding and unfolding gimmick is more complex and intricate than you'd expect.
It's not just a simple fold — it's a 4-step process of extending the length, rotating, aligning the barrel, and then retracting.

1/100 Gundam Barbatos - Even though the fingers are fixed and there's really no grip issue to worry about, there's still a pe

Even though the fingers are fixed and there's really no grip issue to worry about,
there's still a peg-and-hole system connecting the palm to the weapon handle.
Thanks to that, the grip is rock solid.

Only 2 types of hands included.

You can remove the backpack cover and connect an arm in the middle.

1/100 Gundam Barbatos - At this point, unlike the HG, you need to swap out the black structures on both sides of the backpack

At this point, unlike the HG, you need to swap out the black structures on both sides of the backpack cover for the larger ones.

The backpack arm moves flexibly with multiple joints.

Even with all the armor on, the articulation is pretty good.

The ankle bend angle is decent too.

The slim waist with its moving cylinders
doesn't have as wide a range of motion as you might expect.

1/100 Gundam Barbatos - Smoothbore gun action (1/4)

1/100 Gundam Barbatos - Smoothbore gun action (2/4)

Smoothbore gun action

1/100 Gundam Barbatos - Taunting pose (1/4)

1/100 Gundam Barbatos - Taunting Pose (2/4)

1/100 Gundam Barbatos - Taunting Pose (3/4)

1/100 Gundam Barbatos - Taunting Pose (4/4)

Taunting Poses

1/100 Gundam Barbatos - Mace Action (1/3)

Mace Action

Aerial Mace Action

Together with the HG Barbatos.

Straight build

The Gundam Barbatos from Iron-Blooded Orphans has been released as a 1/100 No Grade kit. Excluding MG and RE/100, this is actually the first regular 1/100 scale kit in a whopping six years. After 00, the Age, Build Fighters, and G-Reco series only ever got 1/144 HG releases.

That was probably due to the awkward position 1/100 sits in. It has to be better than HG but not quite up to MG level — and walking that line is tricky. On top of that, the higher price and storage burden compared to HG likely hurt sales. Either way, this 1/100 Gunpla breaking a long silence did manage to draw quite a bit of attention even before it hit shelves.

First off, as everyone's been talking about, this No Grade 1/100 kit features a fully realized full-body inner frame. The HG Barbatos had something similar too, and the original design itself is basically armor layered over a frame — but the frame quality here feels far more polished than the HG's.

The frame material and assembly feel are smooth and supple, just like a high-end MG frame — it's a really satisfying build experience. Honestly, the frame quality here even feels better than some middling MG kits. Sure, the frame detail is relatively simple compared to your average MG, but for a 1/100 No Grade, it still feels pretty revolutionary.

That said, the overall joint strength feels a bit loose somehow. It'd be nice if things were a bit tighter — the joints sit right at that uncomfortable spot just before they start feeling sloppy, without quite crossing the line yet. They're not loose right now, but after a lot of posing, I could see them becoming a concern down the road. Either way, it's not exactly the most confidence-inspiring joint strength.

The articulation on each limb is decent on its own, but when you actually try to strike a pose, getting something truly dynamic is harder than you'd expect. The waist looks flexible thanks to its slim design, but the movable cylinders actually end up restricting its range of motion — so it's less helpful for posing than the HG. The ankle joints are fairly flexible which gives it good ground contact, but with the iffy joint strength, spreading the legs wide for aggressive poses can sometimes cause it to topple over. In that sense, the HG is definitely easier and more fun to handle since it's so much lighter. It really makes you realize just how hefty 1/100 scale is all over again... ;;

Looking at the gimmicks, you can clearly see where they've intentionally held back to keep it distinct from MG. There are cylinder parts scattered all over the body, but aside from the waist, none of them are actually movable — they're just static. An MG would've had no trouble making those functional, so it feels like they're saving that for a future MG Barbatos. Similarly, the backpack arm unit is done as a swap/detachable piece rather than a posable one. Given the scale, they could've easily made it more impressive... but it seems like they held back (?) to stay within the 1/100's lane.

All that said, this kit is definitely a step up in quality compared to older 1/100 kits, and building it feels like putting together a new, more accessible style of MG. It's also a clear notch above the RE/100 kits that came out with a similar concept (poor RE/100...). But no matter how good it is, there's clearly an intentional gap kept between this and MG, so it's hard to call it MG-level. Especially since it lacks that tight, snug feel of an MG throughout — which really reminds you that yes, this is still a 1/100 No Grade.

Either way, if you want to get a taste of what the latest 1/100 No Grade has to offer, or if you're enjoying Iron-Blooded Orphans, this is definitely an interesting kit worth recommending alongside the HG. :-)

1/100 Gundam Barbatos | 2015. 11 | ¥2,500

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.