SD BB Senshi Yami Koutai

Release 1989.11

Price ¥500

BANDAI BANDAI Japan product info

Runners

Parts diagram

Manual

Straight build + Stickers

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Front view of straight build before stickers

SD Yami Koutai - After applying seals (1/2)

SD Yami Koutai - After applying seals (2/2)

After applying stickers

The arms are fixed in a bent position.

Two Kokuseiho cannons that fire projectiles via a spring mechanism

The claw on the left arm is articulated.

The blade on the right arm is articulated too.

Attach the Kokuseiho to both arms and you get Battle Mode.

SD Yami Koutai - Rotate the upper body 90 degrees forward, spread the shoulder armor, then plug the Kokuseiho into the back t

Rotate the upper body 90 degrees forward, spread the shoulder armor, then plug the Kokuseiho into the back to get Monster Mode.

Monster Mode

Typical SD articulation — only head, shoulders, and feet rotate

Action pose

Together with SD Gundam Daishogun

This kit is the Dark Emperor (Yami Koutai) released as part of the SD Gundam Musha Shichinin-shu arc series. Unlike previous kits that let you swap parts to recreate various forms or remove armor to get a light-armor version, the Dark Emperor doesn't really have any parts-swapping options. Instead, it's relatively large in size and comes with a simple transformation gimmick into Monster Mode.

It includes two Kokuseiho cannons as weapons that fire projectiles via a spring mechanism — attach them to the arms and you've got Battle Mode. The blades and claw on both arms are also articulated, which is a nice touch. Interestingly, the elbows are fixed in a bent position, but that actually makes the action poses look a bit more natural.

The highlight of this kit is its design and style, which really sets it apart from the other Musha Gundams. It may not have a ton of parts-swapping options, but as a standalone SD kit, it's pretty darn cool. :-)

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.