My last two builds were … not great. I don’t think I’ve had a “two-game skid” like this before. It’s not great for motivation.
But this next build will break the streak. I know it will. This is a surefire knockout if ever there was one. It is another High Grade Gundam Wing kit, and so far every single one of those not named Leo has been incredible.
It is also a model of the very first mobile suit I ever liked. The original favorite of every edgelord teen. The inspiration for several thousand Anime Music Videos set to Linkin Park songs.
That’s right - the Great Destroyer is back:
Being an OG fan of Deathscythe is quite possibly the most cliche and banal thing a Gundam fan can be. But can you blame us? It’s a Grim Reaper robot. How could a generation of teenage boys not love something like that?
About the Deathscythe
You know the drill by now. Like the members of a boy band, each Gundam in Gundam Wing has a specialty or gimmick. The Deathscythe is “The Stealthy One”.
I know what you’re thinking - How can a giant robot possibly be STEALTHY?
Believe it or not, the answer kind of makes sense within the context of Gundam Wing’s handwavey technology. The Deathscythe is equipped with a bunch of stuff that makes it difficult, if not impossible to detect on radar, sonar, etc, and in some cases is even difficult to capture on film.
Okay, you’re thinking, But what about visual confirmation?
Answer - The Deathscythe is supposed to be the fastest of the five Gundams (save for maybe Wing Gundam in flight mode). Basically, by the time you can see it with the human eye, it’s already too late. It’s going to be on top of you before you can react.
So yeah, if all those things are true, then I guess the Deathscythe could be pretty stealthy. And when it reaches its target, it can quickly and cleanly cut through them with its giant freaking scythe.
The more I think about it, the more I realize that the Deathscythe is somehow the most logical and well thought out of the five designs. Maybe that’s part of why I liked it so much.
Duo
I have to imagine that another reason why Deathscythe was so popular was thanks to its pilot, Duo Maxwell:
For some reason, everyone back in the year 2000 decided that Duo was the American among the five pilots, despite the fact that he was born on a colony. He also dressed like a priest (which, considering he piloted a Grim Reaper robot, was something we all considered "deep"), and was voiced in the English dub by the legendary VA Scott McNeil, whose voice was instantly recognizable to anyone of a certain age.
Duo was just the coolest to a lot of us. Even as an adult, I think he has one of the most interesting character arcs in the show (at least relative to the rest of the bunch).
(And if I were a teenage girl, I'm certain I'd find him to be the dreamiest).
About the Model
The Deathscythe is a straightforward mobile suit, and so is this model kit. It doesn’t have much in the way of weapons and accessories, so it looks as if Bandai gave its limited arsenal the deluxe treatment. The scythe can be configured in both its horizontal and vertical modes, so you can recreate the handful of scenes where Duo uses it like a spear:
It also has effect parts for its Buster Shield, which it can launch like a projectile.
As for other gimmicks or features, it looks like it has some sort of extra special articulation in its legs to help it achieve all its crazy, swinging attack poses. And that’s really all it needs.
About the Build
I predict it will be an awful lot like the HG Heavyarms, Wing Zero, and Sandrock. That means it will be a simple kit that somehow manages to look greater - and more detailed - than the sum of its parts.
Conclusion
That’s really all I have to say about this one. It’s not complicated folks - it’s Deathscythe, it rules, and I am here for it.
Other Thoughts
I’m really glad that Bandai went with the TV show version of all these Wing models. If we’re being technical, most Deathscythe fans are actually fans of the Deathscythe Hell, rather than the original.
To be fair, I get it. Deathscythe Hell is a much better “Grim Reaper”, what with its giant wings. But the Hell variant is a little too busy for my tastes (not to say it is bad by any means). Meanwhile, I’ve always had a soft spot for the original design, so I’m glad to see it getting its due here.
PS - back before the release of the model, most online retailers showed a box with an alternate piece of cover art. It looked like this:
I like the idea of it better - Deathscythe attacking the factory from beginning of the show. But the pose is just so weird. It looks like a standing pose that was lifted up in the air with image editing software. I’m glad they went with the final box art instead.
PPS - All of these new Wing kits have box art which depicts the mobile suit alongside some of its allies:
The only exception is the Wing Zero, which is technically an older kit that is not part of this “Gundam Wing modernization” effort.