Gundam X’s Latest HG Gunpla Kit Prepares for Launch in New Official First Look
Image by James Richardson
Bandai has given fans a new look at one of Gundam X’s most anticipated Gunpla, unveiling its official box artwork just days before the long-awaited model kit arrives in stores.
The “HG 1/144 Gundam Virsago” brings Shagia Frost’s heavily armed Mobile Suit into Bandai’s modern High Grade range, offering builders an entirely new model designed to recreate its weapons and abilities from the anime.
Originally broadcast in 1996, After War Gundam X takes place on a devastated Earth recovering from the Seventh Space War, a catastrophic conflict that saw massive space colonies dropped onto the planet and much of humanity wiped out.
Set 15 years after the disaster, the anime follows young scavenger Garrod Ran and mysterious Newtype Tiffa Adill as they become involved in a struggle between rival military powers searching for advanced technology left behind by the war.
Among their most dangerous opponents are the Frost brothers, Shagia and Olba, who pilot the Gundam Virsago and Gundam Ashtaron respectively, using their powerful machines and coordinated attacks to challenge Garrod and his allies.
Bandai originally announced new High Grade kits of both Gundams during the Shizuoka Hobby Show in May 2026, before revealing their detailed specifications and opening pre-orders later that month.
The newly unveiled packaging depicts Virsago firing its devastating Mega Sonic Cannon through its opened abdominal armor, with Gundam Ashtaron appearing in the background in a scene inspired by the Frost brothers’ coordinated battles throughout the anime.
Unlike the much older Virsago kits, the new High Grade incorporates updated mechanisms for its weapons, including extending Strike Claws in both arms that allow its claw-like hands to reach forward for close-range attacks.
The model’s abdominal armor can also open to expose the Mega Sonic Cannon during firing poses, reproducing one of the Gundam’s signature attacks.
The kit also includes two Strike Shooters, which can be connected using an additional attachment to reproduce their combined weapon configuration, alongside a Beam Saber, interchangeable hand parts, and a sheet of foil stickers.
The “HG 1/144 Gundam Ashtaron” is scheduled to follow in November, recreating Olba’s transforming Mobile Suit with extendable Atomic Scissors and its distinctive Mobile Armor configuration.
As previously confirmed when pre-orders opened for the two kits, builders will also be able to position Virsago on top of Ashtaron in its transformed flight mode, recreating the brothers’ coordinated combat scenes from the anime.
The two High Grade kits form part of Bandai’s wider celebrations marking After War Gundam X’s 30th anniversary, which also include the return of five classic 1/100-scale Gundam X models, including the original Gundam Virsago, Gundam Double X, Gundam Leopard Destroy and Gundam Airmaster Burst.
Image by Charlotte DavisThe “HG 1/144 Gundam Virsago” will officially launch through general retail stores in Japan on October 31, 2026, priced at ¥3,190 (approximately $20 / £15).
If you enjoyed this article, you can see more from us directly in your Google feed by adding us as a preferred source.
This post may contain affiliate links, and Essential Japan may earn a commission if you purchase through them.
