HG - High Grade

High Grade is the heart of the Gunpla hobby. It is the widest, most diverse and most popular grade that Bandai produces, and it has been that way for over three decades. At 1/144 scale, HG kits typically stand around 12 to 13 centimetres tall and offer a fantastic balance of detail, poseability and price that makes them accessible to beginners and satisfying for experienced builders alike. 

The original High Grade line launched in 1990 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Gunpla. It was a landmark moment for the hobby because it introduced snap-fit assembly and System Injection colour moulding, which meant builders no longer needed glue or paint to complete a kit. That single innovation opened the door to a much wider audience and set the foundation for every Gunpla grade that followed. The line evolved significantly over the years. In the late 1990s, Bandai introduced dedicated sub-lines within the HG family to cover specific Gundam timelines. The most important of these is HGUC (High Grade Universal Century), launched in 1999, which raised the bar with improved detail, polycaps and better articulation. From 2010 onward, the HG umbrella expanded further through the "HG All Gundam" project, adding sub-lines like HGAC for Gundam Wing, HGCE for Gundam SEED, HGFC for G Gundam, HGIBO for Iron-Blooded Orphans, HGBD for Gundam Build Divers and HGTWFM for The Witch from Mercury. Each sub-line is tailored to its series but shares the same core HG philosophy: accessible builds with good detail at an affordable price. 

The Gundam 00 sub-line (HG00) was especially important in the development of the format, as it introduced innovations like the universal hip joint connection and swivelling ball joint shoulders that later became standard across all HG kits. One thing that sets the HG line apart from every other grade is its sheer range. There are hundreds upon hundreds of HG kits covering nearly every mobile suit from nearly every Gundam series ever made. From the RX-78-2 and Zaku to the Strike Freedom, Barbatos, Aerial and beyond, if a mobile suit appeared on screen, there is almost certainly an HG version of it. That makes HG the go-to grade for collectors who want to build out a full roster from their favourite show. 

In 2015, Bandai launched the "Revive" project to redesign classic HG kits with modern engineering, updated proportions and better articulation. The project was later renamed the "Gunpla Evolution Project" in 2017 to prepare for the Gunpla 40th anniversary, and the improvements continued with kits like the HGUC Zeta Gundam setting new standards for what a 1/144 scale kit could achieve. 

HGIBO (Iron-Blooded Orphans) was also notable for being the first HG sub-line to feature full inner frames, a feature normally reserved for Real Grade, Master Grade and Perfect Grade kits, and its parts were designed to be mostly interchangeable between kits for easy customisation. Building a best hg gunpla kit typically takes between two and four hours, making them ideal for a single session build. No special tools are required, though a pair of gunpla nippers and some panel lining markers will make a big difference in the finished result. We carry the largest in-stock gunpla hg selection in Europe, with hundreds of references sitting in our warehouse in Barcelona ready to ship. Whether you are building your first Gundam model kit or adding to a growing gunpla collection, High Grade is always a solid choice.