SD Gundam Model Kits: Cross Silhouette, EX-Standard and MGSD

SD Gundam kits are super deformed Gunpla: mobile suits with big heads and short bodies, built small and not to any scale. They have the fewest parts of any Gunpla, so they make a quick, cheap first build. Bandai sells several SD lines, from simple SD EX-Standard kits to the detailed Master Grade SD.

Gunpla 101 describes SD kits as tiny, cute robots with the fewest parts and smallest stature of all Gunpla. Wikipedia adds that SD kits are not based on any scale and often include their own gimmicks.

The SD lines on Bandai’s site

The lines come from Bandai’s own SD pages. The descriptions draw on Gunpla 101 and Wikipedia.

Gunpla 101 says EX-Standard kits are a little more poseable than classic SD kits and come with weapons large enough to share with High Grade models. It describes Cross Silhouette kits as having an inner frame similar to Real Grade, built at a classic SD height or a taller one; many kits include both frames.

Which SD kit to start with

For a first SD build, an EX-Standard or Cross Silhouette kit is the easy choice. They are small, quick and inexpensive, and Cross Silhouette gives you more posing. BB Senshi kits suit fans of the classic SD look; Bandai’s recent BB Senshi releases are mostly multi-suit sets.

MGSD is a different kind of build. It keeps the SD shape but, according to Wikipedia, is closer to a Master Grade in detail and articulation, so treat it as an intermediate kit rather than a quick one.

SD Gundam kits

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• SD Gundam Cross SilhouetteBrowse →
• SD Gundam EX-StandardBrowse →
• MGSD kitsBrowse →

What to expect when building an SD kit

SD kits follow the same steps as any Gunpla: cut parts from the runner, snap them together, add stickers. A few points are particular to SD:

• Stickers do more of the work. Wikipedia notes classic SD kits need paint and detailing to match the box art, so stickers or Gundam Markers fill in eyes and small colors.
• Small parts. A pair of plastic model nippers and tweezers help, even on a simple kit.
• Posing is limited. Classic SD kits move at a few joints. Cross Silhouette and MGSD kits move more.

Recent SD kits on Bandai’s site

Bandai’s SD pages show what is current in each line. Cross Silhouette releases include the Gundam Calibarn and the Mighty Strike Freedom Gundam (both 2024). EX-Standard releases include the Rising Freedom Gundam (January 2024) and the Gundam Aerial (October 2022). Recent BB Senshi releases are mostly sets, such as a Principality of Zeon mobile suit set and a Gundam 0083 Stardust Memory set (both 2025). MGSD kits include the Freedom Gundam (2023), Gundam Barbatos (2023), Wing Gundam Zero EW (2024) and Gundam Aerial (2025).

That spread means you can usually find an SD version of a favorite suit from a recent series, often at a lower price than its High Grade kit.

SD or Entry Grade for a first kit?

Both are easy. Entry Grade kits are 1/144 with normal proportions and, according to Bandai, can be built without tools. SD kits are smaller and chunkier. If you want a model that looks like the suit in the show, pick Entry Grade or High Grade; if you like the cute look, pick SD.

For how SD fits with the other grades, see Gunpla grades explained and Gunpla scales explained.