Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

SD Unicorn Gundam - Destroy Mode photos after applying seals (1/4)

SD Unicorn Gundam - Destroy Mode photos after applying seals (2/4)

Destroy Mode photos after applying seals

The arms are a fixed-elbow type.

Hip rotation gimmick and a stand peg hole are included.

SD Unicorn Gundam - Posed on Action Base 2 (1/3)

Posed on Action Base 2

SD Unicorn Gundam - Rifle shooting pose (1/3)

SD Unicorn Gundam - Rifle shooting pose (2/3)

SD Unicorn Gundam - Rifle shooting pose (3/3)

Rifle firing pose

Transformation

Disassemble the head, flip the face around, rotate the cheek pieces 180 degrees, then reassemble.

Bring the spread-out head antennae back together to the center..

Close the chest ducts and narrow the shoulders.

Disassemble and reassemble the shoulder armor to cover up all the red underneath.

Pull out the beam sabers and rotate them inward to reattach.

Fold the shield's beam parts in and stow them away — transformation complete.

SD Unicorn Gundam - Unicorn Mode. The head and torso look convincing enough, but the front and side skirts have to stay as th

Unicorn Mode.
The head and torso look convincing enough, but the front and side skirts have to stay as they are in Destroy Mode.

SD Unicorn Gundam - Beam saber action poses (1/3)

Beam saber action pose

The center horn on top of the head can be raised straight up..

SD Unicorn Gundam - Then lay it down, plug a beam saber into the backside (...), and you've got the BB Senshi original config

Then lay it down and plug a beam saber into the backside (...)
and you've got the BB Senshi original configuration — Unicorn Beast Mode.

Compared to BB Senshi First Gundam, this thing is huge.

Alongside the MG and HGUC.

Following the 00 lineup, the Unicorn series has finally started getting the SD treatment — and naturally, it kicks off with the Unicorn Gundam. Unlike the HGUC releases where Destroy Mode and Unicorn Mode were sold separately, the SD Unicorn Gundam surprisingly comes as a transformable kit.

First off, the proportions are way taller and more slender compared to the early BB Senshi First Gundam, and the sleek design gives it a pretty cool look. It's a bit of a shame that the forearms are fixed, but the long arms and legs still let you pull off some fairly dynamic poses. Deep pink clear parts are included for the color separation in Destroy Mode, and they're nicely done on the head, torso, shoulders, and shield. The arms and legs, however, don't get the same color separation treatment and just come out plain white — so if you're thinking about painting them, matching the color to the existing pink clear runners might be a bit of a headache.

The transformation between Unicorn Mode and Destroy Mode is only partially implemented, covering five areas: the head, upper torso, backpack, shoulders, and shield. The head transformation involves disassembly and reassembly, but since the head is so big, it actually looks convincing enough. The shoulders and backpack also use the disassemble-and-reassemble approach, while the torso and shield are at least done with moving parts. That said, there's no transformation for the arms and legs, and the front and side skirts stay in Destroy Mode form even in Unicorn Mode, so it does feel a little half-baked — but it still gets the job done well enough.

Since the focus is fundamentally on Destroy Mode, even if Unicorn Mode feels a bit rough around the edges, Destroy Mode looks absolutely spot-on. All in all, this is one of the top-tier SD kits out there — great looks, great gimmicks, and a really satisfying build experience. If you're a Unicorn fan, this one's a must-have. :-)

SD Unicorn Gundam | 2010.2 | ¥1,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.