Kit Review

Straight build + panel lining

The universal standard for size comparison — next to a cigarette box.

HG Zaku Warrior - The shield's connection point is pretty unique — it uses a ball joint, giving it a really wide range of mot

The shield's connection point is pretty unique — it uses a ball joint, giving it a really wide range of motion.
You can also attach/detach two rifle magazines on the inside of the shield.

The shoulder's internal joint is a ball joint. Oh wow~

A whopping 4 hands included.

The action open hand is only included for the left hand, but it's got a pretty natural-looking pose.

All 4 hand grenades on the side skirts can be attached/detached individually.

HG Zaku Warrior - Looks like they put a lot of effort into the color separation on the rear verniers too. There's a polycap h

Looks like they put a lot of effort into the color separation on the rear verniers too.
There's a polycap hole on the back that serves no purpose right now — definitely makes you look forward to future variations.
The rear skirt slides open to reveal a rifle storage peg.

Rifle mounted on the rear skirt.

HG Zaku Warrior - The rifle's magazine section folds 90 degrees to either side. That's what makes it possible to mount on the

The rifle's magazine section folds 90 degrees to either side. That's what makes it possible to mount on the rear skirt.

The knee-to-leg connection tends to pop off pretty easily ;;

Articulation is quite impressive.

Action~ poses

The kneeling firing pose works reasonably well too.

The legs can be spread fairly wide in a standing pose.

Heat Hawk action

A shot with the HG Force Impulse Gundam.

HG Zaku Warrior - A shot with the Mobile GINN, the similar-concept unit from the previous series. It's smaller than the Mobil

A shot with the Mobile GINN, the similar-concept unit from the previous series. It's smaller than the Mobile GINN.

HG Zaku Warrior - A shot with the grunt-type Zaku II, which you could call the original unit with a similar color scheme. The

A shot with the grunt-type Zaku II, which you could call the original unit with a similar color scheme.
The color scheme and molded colors are very similar.
The odd thing is... the difference in head size is just way too extreme

Straight build front and rear

The Zaku Warrior from Destiny — the equivalent of SEED's Mobile GINN as the series' iconic mass-production unit — has been released. It's basically a continuation of the SEED 1/144 HG lineup, and rather than starting a new numbering system, it carries on sequentially from the existing SEED HG series. (No. 16 is the Meteor, No. 17 is the Force Impulse Gundam, No. 18 is the Zaku Warrior...)

The outstanding quality that the SEED HG line was known for carries right over, and this kit is very clean. Even back in the original SEED series, the Mobile GINN had better molded colors and overall quality than the Strike, and oddly enough the same holds true for the Destiny series. The Zaku Warrior has far better color separation than the Force Impulse Gundam and just feels more polished overall. Sure, part of that is because the Force Impulse has such a tricky color combination to work with, but either way, that's how it turns out.

The molded colors are very similar to the existing HGUC Zaku II mass-production type — not just the colors themselves, but the color combination too. Between the name and the design, it's pretty clear they were going for that Zaku image. Bright yellow-green molded colors can look pretty cheap if they're not done right, but the Zaku Warrior's molded colors are quite subtle and refined. The orange sections on the verniers and such are also neatly color-separated. In terms of molded color alone, this kit deserves very high marks.

Articulation is above average as well, and the ankles bend forward quite a bit, so you can pull off some nice poses. The joints are also rock solid, as you'd expect from the SEED HG line — nothing feels loose. Interestingly, the connection between the torso and arms uses an internal ball joint, which gives a really natural range of motion in all sorts of directions. There are 4 manipulators (hands) included, and the action open hand among them has a really natural-looking pose.

The Zaku series has always had a shield attached to the shoulder like a piece of armor, and the Zaku Warrior takes that a step further with a large shield connected to the shoulder via a ball joint. The wide and varied range of motion this allows is something I really like. You can also mount two magazines on the inside of the shield.

Another thing — most kits have a slot on the rear skirt for storing a rifle, and the Zaku Warrior is no exception. But while most 1/144 scale kits just leave a bare hole there, this one has a sliding cover. That's a premium storage feature you'd normally only see on MG kits. I think this might actually be the first 1/144 kit I've seen where you keep it closed normally and only open it when you want to mount the weapon. On top of that, the 4 hand grenades on the side skirts are removable, and the rifle's magazine section folds 90 degrees in both directions for rear skirt storage — that's a neat touch too. With the Heat Hawk included as well, the weapons loadout is pretty satisfying.

The one minor flaw, though, is that the knee connection (see photo) tends to pop off during posing. Could've used a bit more of a secure fit!
And (especially when you compare it to the Zaku II photo) I can't help but feel the head came out a bit too small. Comparing it to the previous HG Mobile GINN, the GINN feels slightly better in terms of quality overall — it has better articulation and doesn't have the knee-popping issue. That said, this is subjective, but in terms of looks, the Zaku Warrior feels more familiar and cleaner. (The bright, refined molded colors probably help with that.)

Just like the Zaku, the Zaku Warrior has a variety of variations in its lore, and there's already a polycap hole on the back of this kit that currently serves no purpose — clearly there as prep for future variations. Given the style and quality of the current Zaku Warrior, expectations for those variations are running high. Small, affordable, high-quality variations are exactly the kind of thing that sets collectors' hearts on fire ^^

All in all, this is a kit that delivers excellent proportions, molded colors, articulation, joint strength, and a generous weapons loadout — outstanding value for money at the ¥1,000 price point. In particular, these three newly differentiated features deserve special recognition:

- The shoulder joints are implemented as ball joints
- The rear skirt weapon storage uses a sliding cover, which feels way above its scale
- The action hand parts are more natural-looking than those in other 1/144 kits

A lot of people were put off by Destiny after the rough early design of the Impulse Gundam, but I think the Zaku Warrior will win many of them back. (Myself included.) The Zaku-inspired look combined with the clean, high-value kit quality makes you want to own a Zaku Warrior regardless of how you feel about the anime. ^^;

HG Zaku Warrior | 2004. 11 | ¥1,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.