Bandai Reveals Exclusive New Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Lfrith Jiu II Gunpla Kit
Image by Charlotte DavisBandai has officially revealed a new exclusive Gunpla kit based on an upgraded version of one of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury – Vanadis Heart’s most distinctive mobile suits.
The “HG 1/144 Gundam Lfrith Jiu II” develops Kiyu Lavot’s original Gundam with newly designed armor, a dedicated Flight Unit, Beam Rifle, and an upgraded version of its enormous Tiger Hand weapon.
Vanadis Heart takes place five years after the Vanadis Incident shown during The Witch from Mercury’s PROLOGUE, following GUND medical researcher Vilda Miren and her young assistant Kiyu as they travel across Earth aboard a large container ship.
Their journey brings them into conflict while transporting the Gundam Lfrith Jiu, an experimental GUND-ARM originally developed by the Vanadis Institute to research Human Expansion technology rather than for use as a combat machine.
Kiyu is able to pilot the Gundam by disabling its safety systems and linking his artificial heart directly to the machine, allowing him to withstand unusually high levels of Data Storm exposure.
That connection comes with a severe limitation, as moving more than 800 meters away from Lfrith Jiu causes Kiyu’s artificial heart to stop functioning.
The Gundam is later modified for combat into the Lfrith Jiu II, adding equipment intended to improve both its mobility and offensive capabilities.
Bandai’s new High Grade kit builds on the previously released Lfrith Jiu with numerous newly molded parts used to recreate the upgraded machine’s revised head, shoulder armor, and other changes across its exterior.
Its largest addition is the newly included Flight Unit, which attaches across the back and gives the otherwise asymmetrical Gundam a considerably more substantial silhouette.
Bandai has designed the Flight Unit so it can also be attached to other compatible High Grade kits from The Witch from Mercury using the included joint parts.
Lfrith Jiu II also receives a newly molded Beam Rifle, adding a conventional ranged weapon to an arsenal previously dominated by its unusual multipurpose Tiger Hand.
The Tiger Hand itself has been upgraded with newly molded booster sections, with separate parts included for displaying them in either deployed or stored configurations.
All five fingers remain individually articulated, allowing the enormous manipulator to be opened and repositioned across a variety of poses.
Builders can also combine the kit with the separately sold “Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Weapon Display Base” to support more elaborate Tiger Hand action scenes.
Clear-black parts are used across the Shell Units on the head, chest, and shoulders, with selectable foil stickers allowing each section to be displayed in either its activated or inactive state.
The original “HG 1/144 Gundam Lfrith Jiu” has recently returned through Premium Bandai, including a new US re-release priced at $24 that gives fans another opportunity to pick up Kiyu’s machine before its later upgrade.
Vanadis Heart has continued to expand within the High Grade lineup through other exclusive releases, including the Gundam Naion and Gundam Lfrith Anavata alongside machines such as the Beguir-Beu Torche.
The “HG 1/144 Gundam Lfrith Jiu II” is now available to pre-order exclusively through Premium Bandai Japan for ¥2,860 (approximately $18 / £14), with shipping scheduled for January 2027.
For builders in the US, the “HG 1/144 Gundam Lfrith Jiu II” should appear through Premium Bandai US shortly, as corresponding US pre-orders can often take several days or weeks to appear after the initial Japanese pre-order window opens.
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