If you’re a Gundam fan, you probably know that the direct followup to the Zeta Gundam was the Double Zeta. But did you know it also had another, more traditional successor simply named the ZII?
It’s true! Granted, it’s a bit of a deep cut, but it’s real, and I’m going to build it:
About the Mobile Suit
Here is what the Gundam Wiki has to say about the ZII:
Sometimes pronounced as "Zettsu" (ゼッツー?) instead of "Zeta-Two", the ZII was intended to be the successor to the MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam. It uses a simplified frame similar to that of the MSA-005 Methuss as the Zeta Gundam's frame was deemed too complicated. This also has the effect of making it easier to produce and pilot.The machine focuses on space use, thus the ZII's MA mode, which is called Waverider mode for convenience, lacks its predecessor's ability of atmospheric re-entry and flight on Earth. However, this mode has greater acceleration and maneuverability than that of the Zeta Gundam.
The ZII is armed with a pair of beam sabers and a Mega Beam Rifle, which has firepower equal to that of the Ζeta Gundam's Hyper Mega Launcher. It also lacks the bio-sensor which is featured in the Ζeta Gundam and its later successor, the MSZ-010 ΖΖ Gundam.
It goes on to say:
Anaheim Electronics constructed one ZII unit before the design team was requested to place priority on the MSZ-010 ΖΖ Gundam for the A.E.U.G.. The ZII was assigned to former A.E.U.G. Assault Squadron Commander Kei Kirishima during the events of the First Neo Zeon War to capture the asteroid base Axis. After the war, the unit was put into storage by Anaheim and its concept was subsequently used as the basis for the development of the RGZ-95 ReZEL.
In U.C. 0090, Earth Federation Forces pilot Travis Kirkland acquired the ZII from Anaheim and painted it in similar colors used by the RX-79［G］SW Slave Wraith. Piloting the ZII, Travis went searching for his son, Vincent Gleissner, before encountering remnants of the Glemy Faction.
While the Wiki doesn’t outright state it, my guess is that the ZII would have been given things like the Bio Sensor and atmospheric flight if it was chosen to be the true successor. But since it wasn’t, they probably scaled back once the plug was pulled on the project.
But don’t quite count it out yet! While it may be lacking some things, the ZII still packs a punch.
Weapons and Stuff
The ZII can use all the same weapons as the original Zeta, but more important is the fact that it’s equipped with them all. It’s standard issue armaments include the original Zeta Beam Rifle, the Mega Beam Rifle, and two Clay Bazookas (and two Beam Sabers of course). This thing’s got guns on guns on guns.
Interestingly enough, one thing it doesn’t have is a shield, though considering how skinny the Zeta’s original shield was, that might not be much of a loss.
Appearances in Media
Originally the ZII only existed as a concept as part of Zeta Gundam Mobile Suit Variations. But eventually it got to show up in two different side story manga, as well as the game Missing Link, which is where it appears with its Travis Kirkland custom paint job:
Also, like so many other mobile suits, it gets a little cameo in Gundam Build Divers:
Zeta Variations
There are lots - and I mean lots - of mobile suits spun off from the Zeta’s and the Methuss. Off the top of my head, there’s the Re-GZ, the ReZEL, the Delta Plus, the Zeta Plus, and to a lesser extent the Bawoo. And that’s not even all of them.
Which is why I find it so interesting that the ZII is among the more obscure offshoots. I mean it’s literally called the ZII, and arguably looks the most Zeta-like of them all. You’d think it’d show up in some other, more prominent story.
But hey, I guess that’s why we should be thankful they even bothered to make it into a Gunpla.
About the Visual Design
There’s a lot of interesting things going on with this mobile suit.
First off is the color scheme. It’s basically the same as the Zeta’s, except it’s grey instead of white. That’s a small but significant change, and I honestly kind of love it. Dareisay that it actually looks cooler in grey than it would if it were in traditional Gundam white, and in fact it makes me wonder what some Gundams might look like if they were given a similar treatment.
(Side note - the fact that it’s grey rather than white might (un)intentionally signal the fact that Anaheim didn’t consider this to be a true Gundam, which would also fit with it’s name; remember that this is the ZII, not the Zeta Gundam II)
A few more thoughts about the colors. The ZII uses a lot more yellow and a lot more red than its predecessor. I like the extra yellow, as I think it pairs well with all the blue. The red is a more interesting case. It think it looks good, but only because it also pairs well with this particular blue tone. If it were any darker, I don’t think it would work as well.
Speaking of which, that blue. It’s by far the most dominant color on the mobile suit, and I think it’s perfect. The original Zeta already introduced more blue than either of its predecessors, so it is only fitting for the ZII to continue the trend.
As for the shape of the body, it’s generally the same as the Zeta. Generally. It’s got the same kind of long face, the same angular legs, the bladelike torso, and nearly identical shoulder armor. But it also introduced a whole lot of other visual elements - I’m using the phrase “visual elements” here in a very diplomatic sense, as I there’s an argument to be made that what it really has is visual noise.
One of the most obvious changes is the result of its transformation mechanism being cribbed from the Methuss instead of the OG Zeta. Specifically, it’s nosecone while in Wave Rider mode is tucked behind its head while in mobile suit mode. This is the same thing we see on not only the Methuss, but also the ReZEL as well, and there’s an argument that it looks kind of silly, and throws off the overall proportions and balance of the design. I’m not sure if I quite agree, but again, the argument is there.
Also of note is the fact that it now has two very large thrusters strapped to its back. This is something we don’t see on the original Zeta, on account of the fact that most of its thrusters are packed into its legs. But the legs on the ZII aren’t quite as bulky, which suggests that they simply moved the primary thrusters back to a more traditional position in the backpack. The end result is that the ZII has a similar level of bulkiness compared to the Zeta, as the thrusters are essentially a stand-in for the Zeta’s wings.
Last, but certainly not least, the legs have these kind of claw-like protrusions. In isolation they may seem a bit weird and unnecessary, until you realize that they look an awful lot like a similar design flourish on the Double Zeta:
Was this intentional on the part of the mecha designer, as a way to signal that these two mobile suits were in development around the same time? I don’t know for sure, but it certainly seems that way.
All in all, I don’t think it’s a design that screams “main protagonist mobile suit”, but that’s kind of the point. By not being a lead Gundam, it has the freedom to do some weird and different things, and in this case I appreciate that.
About the Model Kit
This one was a bit on the pricey side for a High Grade, and I’m curious as to why. It could mean that it actually really good color separation, which is something it desperately needs. But I won’t really know until I open it up and see for myself. Stay tuned.
PS - this model was a bit tricky to hunt down. I originally planned on getting it roughly two years ago, but by the time I got to the store, it was out of stock. And then I went to another store last year that supposedly had it, but once again I came back empty handed. I finally found it at my regular hobby store in the fall of 2024, and since then I’ve been both itching to build it, and extremely scared to try (I’ve been really scared that it might end up being a color correction nightmare. Can you tell?)
PPS - they did make this Gunpla in the Travis Kirkland color scheme and sold it on Premium Bandai, but as far as I can tell it hasn’t been reprinted since 2017:
Which is a huge shame, because it’s a cool color!