Kit Review

Straight build +
panel lining

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

1/100 Gundam Kimaris Trooper - Detail shots (1/4)

1/100 Gundam Kimaris Trooper - Detail shots (2/4)

Detail shots

Half armor removed

1/100 Gundam Kimaris Trooper - The frame basically uses the same base frame as Barbatos/Kimaris, but the head, part of the to

The frame basically uses the same base frame as Barbatos/Kimaris,
but the head, part of the torso, and leg frames have been slightly revised.

1/100 Gundam Kimaris Trooper - You get 2 fists, 2 open hands, and 1 lance-holding hand — but as you can see, only 4 hand back

You get 2 fists, 2 open hands, and 1 lance-holding hand —
but as you can see, only 4 hand back parts are included, so you'll need to swap one around as needed.

The Destroyer Lance looks even more massive at 1/100 scale

Plug the dedicated hand onto the peg on the grip and it locks in super securely.

The Kimaris saber stores inside the shield.

1/100 Gundam Kimaris Trooper - Befitting a 1/100 scale kit, a gimmick has been added where the chest cover opens up and down

Befitting a 1/100 scale kit, a gimmick has been added where the chest cover opens up and down to reveal the Multi-Slot Accelerator.

The side skirts can be deployed as sub-arms.

Gimmicks for transforming into Trooper Mode

A stand from the MG Wing Guyver is included.

Leftover parts

The articulation is just a slight step up from the 1/100 Gundam Kimaris.

1/100 Gundam Kimaris Trooper - Destroyer Lance action (1/3)

Destroyer Lance action

1/100 Gundam Kimaris Trooper - Kimaris saber action (1/3)

Kimaris saber action

1/100 Gundam Kimaris Trooper - Destroyer Lance aerial pose (1/3)

Destroyer Lance aerial pose

1/100 Gundam Kimaris Trooper - Transformed into Trooper Mode (1/5)

1/100 Gundam Kimaris Trooper - Transformed into Trooper Mode (2/5)

1/100 Gundam Kimaris Trooper - Transformed into Trooper Mode (3/5)

Transformed into Trooper Mode

Together with the 1/100 Gundam Kimaris

Together with the HG Gundam Kimaris Trooper

Straight build

Following the Gundam Kimaris, the Kimaris Trooper has now been released in 1/100 scale as well. As we already saw with the HG, at first glance the two look similar in style and color, but since the vast majority of the armor parts are newly designed, it's more accurate to think of this as a brand-new kit rather than just a variation. The runners reflect that too — only a couple of the 1/100 frame runners are reused, while all the armor runners are filled with new parts. On top of that, the universal stand that came with the MG Wing Guyver is also included, so you can display it in the hovering Trooper Mode.

The basic skeleton is nearly identical to Barbatos/Kimaris, so the structural characteristics are pretty much the same. That said, the head, chest, part of the torso, and the leg frames have all been redesigned to fit the new armor. With the front skirt being smaller, the hip joint range of motion has increased, giving it slightly better articulation than the 1/100 Gundam Kimaris — but more noticeably, the joint strength feels like a significant improvement.

Honestly, the 1/100 Gundam Kimaris always felt a bit loose in the joints thanks to its massive backpack and bulky build. The Kimaris Trooper, on the other hand, has a much slimmer silhouette, no large backpack, and the big Destroyer Lance can be braced firmly using the side sub-arms — so overall stability is much better. The sub-arms really do their job well here; even when you point the large Destroyer Lance straight forward, it holds its position without drooping, which is impressive. The connection between the lance and the hand is also very secure thanks to the peg system.

Beyond that, the overall feature set feels like a scaled-up version of the HG Gundam Kimaris Trooper — the Trooper Mode transformation and side sub-arm deployment are both faithfully reproduced. And befitting the larger 1/100 scale, a new gimmick has been added where the chest cover opens to reveal the Multi-Slot Accelerator.

As a kit with significantly improved joint strength over the 1/100 Gundam Kimaris, it's worth giving extra credit for being designed to firmly support such a large weapon even at 1/100 scale. Either way, I think it's safe to say the Kimaris Trooper is clearly the better-looking and higher-quality kit compared to the Gundam Kimaris. :-)

1/100 Gundam Kimaris Trooper | 2016. 7 | ¥3,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.