Gunpla Spotlight: PG 1/60 Strike Freedom Gundam Unleashes Kira Yamato’s Ultimate Winged Mobile Suit
Kira Yamato’s Strike Freedom Gundam became one of the most powerful mobile suits in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny, combining an enormous wing-mounted arsenal with a striking golden frame and enough firepower to engage multiple enemies simultaneously.
The “PG 1/60 STRIKE FREEDOM GUNDAM” brings Kira’s ultimate machine to Bandai’s premium Perfect Grade Gunpla line, with a design refined by legendary mechanical designer Hajime Katoki, an elaborate internal frame, and a huge set of Super DRAGOON wings that can expand into a spectacular full deployment.
First appearing in the 2004 anime Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny, the ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom Gundam was developed as the successor to Kira’s original Freedom Gundam, which had been destroyed during a battle against Shinn Asuka and the Impulse Gundam.
The new machine was developed by the Clyne Faction using advanced technology derived from ZAFT’s mobile suit research, with its performance tailored specifically to Kira’s exceptional abilities as a pilot.
After receiving the Strike Freedom from Lacus Clyne aboard the Eternal, Kira returned to battle with a Gundam capable of overwhelming entire formations of enemy mobile suits through its combination of high mobility, advanced targeting systems, and powerful weapons.
Among its most impressive equipment was the Super DRAGOON System, which allowed eight remote-controlled beam weapons to separate from the Gundam’s backpack and attack targets independently, dramatically expanding the range and direction of its attacks.
The machine also carried twin Beam Rifles, waist-mounted Xiphias 3 Railguns, Beam Sabers, and defensive Beam Shields, giving Kira plenty of options for both long-range engagements and close combat.
Bandai’s Perfect Grade interpretation takes full advantage of the larger 1/60 scale, with Hajime Katoki refining Strike Freedom’s proportions and mechanical styling to create an especially imposing version of the Gundam.
The model combines white, blue, red, and black exterior armor with extensive golden mechanical components, including sections treated with Bandai’s Extra Finish process to give the underlying frame a reflective metallic appearance.
Sliding armor mechanisms expose additional parts of this internal structure as the joints move, allowing the gold detailing to remain visible even when the model is fully assembled.
However, the biggest attraction is undoubtedly the enormous backpack, which incorporates four large wing assemblies carrying eight individually detachable Super DRAGOON units.
When fully extended, the wings give Strike Freedom one of the largest silhouettes in the Perfect Grade lineup, creating an impressive display that emphasizes the mobile suit’s powerful aerial combat capabilities.
Bandai developed an interconnected deployment mechanism for the backpack, allowing the Super DRAGOON mounts to slide outward before activating additional moving components that expand the surrounding wing sections.
The mechanism incorporates spring-loaded parts and locking joints, enabling builders to position the equipment in its closed configuration or spread the wings to recreate Strike Freedom’s dramatic HiMAT and Full Burst Mode appearances.
Supporting such a large backpack required considerable engineering, with reinforced joints throughout the waist and legs designed to maintain stability while accommodating the weight of the completed model.
Additional movement in the shoulders, arms, and hips provides flexibility for combat poses, while the hands incorporate individually articulated fingers that can be positioned around the Gundam’s weapons.
The kit includes two Beam Rifles that can be held separately or connected together to form a longer weapon, alongside the pair of waist-mounted Railguns that swing forward into their firing positions.
For close-range combat, Strike Freedom comes equipped with two Beam Sabers and translucent effect parts, while a clear PET component allows builders to display its defensive Beam Shield.
An LED unit is also included in the head, illuminating the Gundam’s eyes and camera sections, although the required batteries must be purchased separately.
Other details include an opening cockpit containing a seated figure of Kira Yamato, marking stickers, and a dedicated display base with an adjustable support arm for positioning the completed model in airborne poses.
For builders interested in other interpretations of Kira’s mobile suit, Bandai also released the “MGEX 1/100 STRIKE FREEDOM GUNDAM [MECHANICAL CLEAR]”, which uses transparent exterior armor to expose the elaborate multi-finished gold frame of the smaller Master Grade Extreme design.
![MGEX 1100 Strike FREEDOM GUNDAM [Mechanical Clear] gunpla 9](https://cdn.essential-japan.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/g2WBs1Ns-MGEX-1100-Strike-FREEDOM-GUNDAM-Mechanical-Clear-gunpla-9-1024x1024.webp)
Fans following the evolution of Kira’s mobile suits can also look ahead to the “MGEX 1/100 MIGHTY STRIKE FREEDOM GUNDAM”, based on the upgraded machine from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom, which replaces the original Strike Freedom’s Super DRAGOON wings with the powerful Proud Defender equipment.
Originally released in Japan on December 11, 2010, the “PG 1/60 STRIKE FREEDOM GUNDAM” is a general retail Gunpla kit that should be available from most reputable Gunpla stockists, subject to availability.
It is also currently in stock through Premium Bandai US, priced at $326.
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