Gundam’s “Blue Lightning” Officially Returns to the US for Exclusive MG Gunpla Kit Re-Release
Image by Charlotte DavisAn exclusive Master Grade Gunpla kit based on Uma Lightning’s customized Zaku II is receiving a new US re-release, giving builders another chance to add the mobile suit piloted by the “Blue Lightning” to their collection.
The “MG 1/100 MS-06R-1A ZAKU II UMA LIGHTNING CUSTOM” recreates Uma Lightning’s personalized High Mobility Type Zaku II, combining its bright blue, white, and gray color scheme with the upgraded thruster equipment of the MS-06R series.
Uma Lightning was a former member of the Principality of Zeon’s elite Chimera Corps who earned the nickname “Blue Lightning” and appears in Mobile Suit Gundam MSV-R and MSV-R: The Return of Johnny Ridden.
His MS-06R-1A Zaku II High Mobility Type stands apart from the more familiar green Zaku II through a personal color scheme dominated by bright blue, white, and gray, immediately separating the machine from Zeon’s mass-produced forces.
The Master Grade kit was originally released as a Japanese web exclusive in 2013, using the MG Zaku II Ver.2.0 as the basis for Uma’s High Mobility Type machine.
Its custom colors are reproduced largely through separate molded parts, allowing the blue, white, and gray appearance to be recreated without requiring a complete custom paint job.
The High Mobility Type equipment adds the larger leg and backpack thruster sections associated with the MS-06R series, giving the Zaku a heavier lower-body profile than the standard machine while retaining the familiar proportions of the Ver.2.0 design.
Uma’s personal markings are supplied through dedicated water-transfer decals, adding the pilot-specific detailing that further separates the finished build from other versions of the MG High Mobility Type Zaku II.
The weapons stay close to the classic Zaku loadout, with a Zaku Machine Gun, Zaku Bazooka, and Heat Hawk included for ranged and close-combat displays.
Underneath the custom colors, the kit retains the MG Zaku II Ver.2.0 frame, including its articulated inner structure, movable mono-eye and poseable hands, while the additional thruster equipment gives the finished model the more heavily equipped appearance associated with Zeon’s high-performance MS-06R machines.
The MS-06R-1A itself was an improved development of the earlier R-1 High Mobility Type, with the expensive machines produced in relatively small numbers and frequently assigned to experienced Zeon pilots with personalized color schemes.
Uma would later become better known for piloting his customized blue Gelgoog in The Return of Johnny Ridden, which is also available as a Master Grade Gunpla kit.
Pre-orders for the exclusive “MG 1/100 MS-06R-1A ZAKU II UMA LIGHTNING CUSTOM”, priced at $66, opened through Premium Bandai US on September 25, 2026, and are currently scheduled to remain available until February 16, 2027, at 2:59 AM EST, although pre-orders may close early if the available allocation sells out.
Orders are currently expected to ship in March 2027.
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