Bandai Reveals First Look at Exclusive New Strike Gundam “ENGINEERING EDITION” Premium Figure
Image by Charlotte DavisBandai has officially revealed a first look at a striking new premium figure of Gundam SEED’s Strike Gundam that uses smoky clear armor and a monochrome finish to expose parts of the mobile suit’s die-cast inner frame.
The “METAL BUILD Strike Gundam ENGINEERING EDITION” reworks Bandai’s existing premium figure under the supervision of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED mechanical animation director Satoshi Shigeta, with the new release designed around making its internal construction a major part of the finished display.
Strike Gundam serves as Kira Yamato’s main mobile suit throughout the earlier stages of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED after he becomes caught up in the conflict between the Earth Alliance and ZAFT.
Its defining Striker Pack System allows the same machine to equip different weapon and support packages for changing combat situations, with configurations including Aile Strike, Sword Strike, and Launcher Strike appearing throughout the anime.
The ENGINEERING EDITION strips the familiar red, blue, and white color from the base Strike Gundam, instead taking inspiration from the mobile suit’s largely black-and-white appearance before its Phase Shift Armor activates.
Smoky translucent black parts are used across sections of the antenna, chest, arms, legs, Beam Rifle, and shield, allowing the metallic structure underneath to remain visible through selected areas of the exterior.
Bandai has deliberately arranged those transparent sections asymmetrically across the left and right sides, preventing the figure from simply looking like a conventional clear-color version of the existing METAL BUILD release.
Exposed areas of the internal frame combine die-cast metal with two-tone plated finishes, emphasizing the mechanical construction that is normally partially hidden beneath the Strike Gundam’s armor.
The exterior retains the dense panel lines, printed markings and sharper mechanical detailing associated with the METAL BUILD interpretation of Strike Gundam, with the monochrome coloring allowing those smaller details to stand out without relying on the anime’s usual primary colors.
Bandai describes the ENGINEERING EDITION as a new approach designed to concentrate several of the METAL BUILD line’s defining features into one release, including visible alloy construction, creator-led mechanical reinterpretation, and detailed painted finishes.
The approximately 18 cm figure will include four pairs of interchangeable hands, an alternate antenna, a 57 mm High-Energy Beam Rifle, two Armor Schneider combat knives, an Anti-Beam Shield, and a dedicated display base.
No Striker Pack is included with the figure, keeping the focus on the base GAT-X105 Strike Gundam and its newly exposed internal construction.
Gundam SEED’s wider METAL BUILD lineup has received several major additions during 2026, including a new 20th anniversary Strike Noir Gundam with revised colors and accessories based on Gundam SEED C.E.73 -STARGAZER-.
Bandai has also expanded the premium Cosmic Era collection with the enormous METAL BUILD METEOR Unit, which measures approximately 70.5 cm long and can be combined with several existing figures, including Strike Gundam, Freedom Gundam, and Justice Gundam.
Image by Charlotte DavisThe “METAL BUILD Strike Gundam ENGINEERING EDITION” will make its first appearance at GUNDAM-Con 2027 SIDE MAKUHARI, the three-day Gundam event taking over three halls of Makuhari Messe in January as part of the road toward the franchise’s 50th anniversary.
The figure will be sold at GUNDAM-Con from January 9 to 11, 2027 for ¥19,800 (approximately $125 / £95), with a later release through Premium Bandai also confirmed, and additional sales through events and other channels in Japan and overseas possible in the future.
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