Released in 1999, this Gunpla kit captures the mobile suit's bulky silhouette.
Launched at the dawn of the High Grade Universal Century line in August 1999, the AMX-011S Zaku III Custom kit is a historic piece in Gundam modeling. This 1/144 scale model captures the imposing and bulky silhouette of the successor to the legendary Zaku II, as it appeared in the Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ series. As the third release in the HGUC line, its engineering reflects the technology of the time, offering a simple assembly but with challenges that show its age, such as noticeable mold lines and limited articulation, features that cement its status as a classic of its era.
Product Information
- Price: 1,500 JPY
- Release Date: August 1999
- Scale: 1/144
- Size: 17.56 cm
- Series: Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ
- Line: High Grade Universal Century
- Product Type: Regular Sale
Features
The model faithfully recreates several key mechanisms from the anime to deliver an authentic experience. The mono-eye can be repositioned by detaching the head armor, although the integrated 30mm Vulcan cannons are not color-separated. The front skirt armor can be lifted to reveal the built-in beam cannons; these can pivot forward and deploy handles to be held by the model's hands, replicating their firing mode. The backpack has two articulated propellant tanks that can move up and down. Finally, the claws on the heels of the feet are also movable and can be deployed.
It was developed by Neo Zeon as a high-performance successor to the Zaku II.
Contents
- Parts to assemble the AMX-011S Zaku III Custom
- 1 Beam Rifle
- 1 Beam Saber (solid plastic piece)
- Sets of interchangeable hand parts
- Foil sticker sheet
The kit includes a beam saber, which comes as a solid plastic piece.
The AMX-011S Zaku III Custom
The AMX-011 Zaku III was developed by Neo Zeon at Axis during the First Neo Zeon War (U.C. 0088) as a high-performance successor to the Principality of Zeon's MS-06 Zaku II. Although it proved to be a formidable machine with a powerful fusion reactor and sturdy Gundarium composite armor, it lost the mass production contract to the more advanced AMX-014 Doven Wolf. Despite this, several prototypes were produced and favored by elite pilots.
The "S" or "Custom" version is not a chassis redesign but a standard Zaku III equipped with optional high-performance gear. This configuration, popularized by pilot Mashymre Cello, includes a modified head with Vulcan cannons, a high-thrust backpack with ejectable propellant tanks, and heavier shoulder and skirt armor. Its most famous pilot was Mashymre Cello, a Neo Zeon officer whose fanatical devotion to Haman Karn turned him from a nearly comical antagonist into a brutal and ruthless pilot after undergoing "strengthening" as a Cyber-Newtype. Years later, in U.C. 0096, during the events of Mobile Suit Gundam Twilight Axis, test pilot Danton Hyleg used a second unit, painted red and originally intended for Char Aznable, to defend the remains of the asteroid Axis.
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Sources
- "HGUC AMX-011S Zaku III Custom." Gunplapedia | Fandom. (Accessed June 16, 2025)
- "AMX-011S Zaku III Custom." MAHQ. (Accessed June 16, 2025)
- "HGUC AMX-011S Zaku III Custom." Dalong.net. (Accessed June 16, 2025)
- "List of Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ characters." Wikipedia. (Accessed June 16, 2025)
- "Mobile Suit Gundam: Twilight AXIS." Wikipedia. (Accessed June 16, 2025)
