Real Grade is where Bandai proved that size does not limit quality. Launched in July 2010 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Gunpla, the RG line was built on one bold idea: take the best from every other grade and fit it all into the compact 1/144 scale. From High Grade it takes the small size and affordable price. From Master Grade it borrows the full inner frame technology. And from Perfect Grade it inherits the incredible level of detail and massive part count. The tagline says it all: "Excitement Embodied." The concept behind Real Grade goes deeper than just combining features though. 

RG kits are designed to represent what a mobile suit would look like if it were actually built in the real world today. That means every surface has mechanical detail, realistic panel lines, layered armor separation and a sense of engineering authenticity that goes beyond what any other 1/144 scale line offers. 

What made Real Grade truly revolutionary at launch was the Advanced MS Joint. This was a pre-assembled inner frame built using a dual injection molding technique that combined ABS and polypropylene (PP) plastics on a single runner. You would cut out the frame section and it was already fully articulated, ready for armor panels to be attached on top. Each numbered Advanced MS Joint design was tailored to a specific mobile suit type, and over the years Bandai developed at least 17 different versions, each optimized for different body proportions and articulation needs. Early RG kits like the RX-78-2, Zaku II, Strike and Freedom all used extensive Advanced MS Joints for their entire inner skeleton. However, as the line matured, it the Advanced MS Joints were replaced in favor of more traditional, stable construction for the main body while keeping the pre-assembled parts only for specific complex areas like fin funnels or wing mechanisms. 

The RG Nu Gundam, for example, only uses Advanced MS Joint parts for its fin funnels. Then in August 2024, with the release of the RX-78-2 Gundam Ver.2.0, Bandai took the final step: a Real Grade kit with a full Perfect Grade style inner frame and no Advanced MS Joints at all. The result is better stability, stronger joints, improved poseability and even finer detail. 

On the surface, gunpla real grade kits achieve near perfect color accuracy with almost no need for color correcting stickers. The color separation is done through the plastic itself, using multiple runners in precisely matched colors so that what you build out of the box already looks sharp and realistic. Most kits also include metallic accent stickers for inner frame highlights and detailed marking seal sheets, though water-slide decals are generally reserved for Premium Bandai or limited editions. 

Many RG kits feature opening cockpit hatches and some include poseable fingers, though more recent releases have switched to fixed hands for better stability. In 2020, the Real Grade line expanded beyond Gundam for the first time with kits from Rebuild of Evangelion and The King of Braves GaoGaiGar. From that point on, the RG logo was modified to remove the "144" designation, even though Gundam releases remain predominantly 1/144 scale. 

The Evangelion kits use a universal inner frame with exceptional color separation, while the GaoGaiGar features a complex combining design, showing how the RG format can adapt to completely different types of mecha. Most RG GUNPLA kits stand around 12 to 15 centimeters tall depending on the mobile suit, and a typical build takes between four and eight hours, or twelve or more if you apply the full decal sheet. If you want a gunpla kit that feels like a premium, serious build but fits in the palm of your hand, Real Grade is the answer. It is the grade that punches well above its weight.