Bandai Reveals First-Look at New MGEX Mighty Strike Freedom Gundam
Bandai has finally revealed the identity of its next high-end MGEX Gunpla, with the line heading back to Gundam SEED for Kira Yamato’s ultimate movie mobile suit.
The new kit has officially been confirmed as the “MGEX 1/100 Mighty Strike Freedom Gundam,” making Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom the latest entry in the franchise to receive Bandai’s most ambitious form of Master Grade treatment.
The Mighty Strike Freedom Gundam appears during the climax of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom, forming when the Proud Defender brought into battle by Lacus Clyne docks with Kira’s Strike Freedom Gundam Type II.
The combination replaces the familiar blue DRAGOON-equipped wings with the Proud Defender’s large white and gold wing system, while adding weapons including the Futsunomitama anti-ship sword and the powerful Disruptor built into the Gundam’s forehead.
Its arrival in the MGEX format is particularly significant as this is the first new addition to the range in 4 years.
Bandai first introduced the MGEX, or MASTER GRADE EXTREME, Gunpla kits as part of Gunpla’s 40th anniversary celebrations in 2020.
MGEX builds on the familiar 1/100 scale Master Grade format by concentrating each release around what Bandai calls “EXTREME EXPRESSION,” allowing the technology and materials used to change depending on the mobile suit.
The first release was the “MGEX 1/100 Unicorn Gundam Ver.Ka” in September 2020, with its defining feature centered around recreating the Unicorn’s illuminated Psycho-Frame.
A flexible LED sheet runs through the internal structure without preventing transformation or articulation, allowing the Psycho-Frame to illuminate in red and green alongside lighting in the head and main camera.
Bandai even extended the system to the three Shield Funnels, which can illuminate while displayed separately from the Unicorn through dedicated cabled stands connected to the display base.
The kit retained the transformation between Unicorn Mode and Destroy Mode while introducing revised proportions and detailing supervised by Hajime Katoki, making the lighting system part of a considerably broader reworking of the mobile suit.
The “MGEX 1/100 Strike Freedom Gundam” followed in 2022 and took the series in a completely different direction, replacing the emphasis on electronics with what Bandai described as the highest level of “metallic expression” in Gunpla history.
Its gold internal frame combines six approaches to metallic detailing, including three types of plating, two metallic molded colors, and etched stickers to create different finishes across the exposed mechanical structure.
The exterior armor was designed to leave much of that gold frame visible after assembly, while clear red components and openings across the body further emphasize the internal construction.
Bandai also incorporated extensive linked articulation and mechanisms throughout the frame, allowing sections of armor and internal components to move together while improving the Strike Freedom’s ability to recreate its familiar airborne poses.
The Mighty Strike Freedom now takes MGEX directly into the next stage of that mobile suit’s evolution, making the choice especially interesting after the previous standard release already pushed the Strike Freedom’s gold construction so heavily.
Bandai has committed to producing the Mighty Strike Freedom as a complete MGEX kit rather than limiting the new release to a separate Proud Defender expansion for owners of the 2022 Strike Freedom.
The new configuration provides plenty of opportunities for the MGEX format, particularly through the Proud Defender’s layered wings, extensive gold detailing and the substantial differences between the Strike Freedom Gundam Type II and its SEED Destiny predecessor.
The announcement ends the four-year wait for a completely new main MGEX release, although Bandai has continued revisiting the existing kits through alternative versions such as the Mechanical Clear and considerably more elaborate Twilight Coating editions of the Strike Freedom.
For US collectors interested in seeing what Bandai previously achieved with the same mobile suit family, the “MGEX 1/100 Strike Freedom Gundam [Mechanical Clear]” is currently in stock through Premium Bandai US
for $184 (approx. $184 USD / £135 GBP).
The “MGEX 1/100 Mighty Strike Freedom Gundam” will be priced at ¥26,400 (approx. $165 USD / £121 GBP) and is scheduled for release in March 2027, with pre-order details set to follow soon.
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