Bandai Reveals New Transforming Enhanced ZZ Gundam 40th Anniversary Premium Figure

Judau Ashta’s upgraded ZZ Gundam is getting a major new premium figure for Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ’s 40th anniversary, with Bandai revealing a METAL ROBOT SPIRITS release capable of combining, transforming, and eventually becoming Full Armor ZZ Gundam.

The “METAL ROBOT SPIRITS (Ka signature) Enhanced ZZ Gundam” has been announced as part of a much larger wave of premium collectibles celebrating the 1986 anime, combining extensive new sculpting with die-cast components and mechanical design supervision from Hajime Katoki.

Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ originally aired as the direct sequel to Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, following teenage junk dealer Judau Ashta as he becomes involved with the Argama and eventually takes control of the powerful MSZ-010 ZZ Gundam during the First Neo Zeon War.

The standard ZZ was designed as an exceptionally powerful transformable Mobile Suit, combining three separate components into a single machine while carrying multiple high-output beam weapons and generators.

That complexity came with compromises, however, with its elaborate transformation and combination mechanisms contributing to structural weaknesses that became increasingly problematic as the fighting against Neo Zeon intensified.

Enhanced ZZ Gundam represents an intermediate upgrade created before the machine’s eventual conversion into Full Armor ZZ Gundam, strengthening several areas while increasing its overall performance.

Its changes include enlarged armor across multiple sections of the body, a substantially upgraded backpack, larger thrusters and increased generator output, giving Judau’s machine greater mobility while preparing it to support the additional equipment required by the Full Armor configuration.

Bandai’s new METAL ROBOT SPIRITS figure recreates those changes with largely newly sculpted exterior parts rather than simply modifying the existing ZZ Gundam figure with a small selection of replacement components.

Die-cast parts are incorporated into key areas of the internal structure, adding the metal construction associated with the METAL ROBOT SPIRITS line beneath the newly developed armor.

The finished figure stands approximately 15 cm tall and uses the clean, highly detailed appearance associated with the Ka signature series, with Hajime Katoki’s original markings printed directly across the armor.

Bright blue, yellow, and red sections break up the predominantly white body, while the enlarged backpack, additional armor, and expanded thrusters make the Enhanced ZZ immediately distinguishable from the standard machine.

Despite those changes, Bandai has retained one of ZZ Gundam’s defining features by preserving its complete combination and transformation system.

The Core Fighter, Core Top and Core Base can be separated before combining into the completed Enhanced ZZ Gundam, while the assembled components can also transform into the large G-Fortress configuration.

Its weapons include the Double Beam Rifle, Hyper Beam Sabers, and Head High Mega Cannon, alongside the 18-tube missile launchers housed within the enlarged backpack.

The Double Beam Rifle includes movable barrels, grips, and sensor components and can also be mounted alongside the backpack, allowing the weapon to remain integrated into several different display configurations.

Bandai has designed the release around more than just Enhanced ZZ Gundam itself, with a separately sold Full Armor Parts Set allowing the same figure to be upgraded into its final Full Armor ZZ Gundam configuration.

The additional armor transforms the appearance of the Mobile Suit while recreating the heavily reinforced form developed to improve ZZ Gundam’s protection, firepower, and overall battlefield performance against Neo Zeon’s increasingly powerful machines.

Only part of the Full Armor configuration has been shown so far, with Bandai planning to reveal the complete contents of the expansion set before its own pre-orders begin.

Enhanced ZZ Gundam is only one part of Bandai’s much larger Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ 40th anniversary figure project, with several additional Neo Zeon machines also joining the TAMASHII NATIONS lineup.

“THE ROBOT SPIRITS (Ka signature) Geymalk [Re: Coordinate]” revisits the 2014 figure of Chara Soon’s heavily armed Mobile Suit with more anime-accurate reddish-orange coloring and pre-printed markings replacing the water-slide decals supplied with the original.

Ple-Two’s enormous Quin Mantha is also receiving its first-ever ROBOT SPIRITS figure through the new “Quin Mantha ~Marking Plus~,” bringing one of Gundam ZZ’s largest Mobile Suits into the line with extensive printed detailing and an anime-inspired green and white finish.

The separately sold “METAL ROBOT SPIRITS (Ka signature) Full Armor Parts Set for Enhanced ZZ Gundam” completes the anniversary wave by giving owners of the new Enhanced ZZ figure everything needed to recreate its heavily armored final form.

The “METAL ROBOT SPIRITS (Ka signature) Enhanced ZZ Gundam” is priced at ¥26,400 and is scheduled for release in April 2027.

Japanese pre-orders open through Premium Bandai Japan on September 11 at 4:00 PM JST, giving collectors the first opportunity to secure the anniversary release several months ahead of shipping.

Source: Essential Japan — News — Read the original article