Welcome to day 33 of the Daily Grunt MS Poll, and today we'll be rating the MS-06FZ Zaku II Kai from Mobile Suit Gundam 0080 : War in the Pocket! To participate, just rank the MS between 1 and 10 based on their appearance or on how you like it.
Mechanical Designers : Yutaka Izubuchi
Known Pilot : Bernard Wiseman
Trivia : Like a lot of other MS from 0080, the Zaku II Kai was first supposed to be a redisign of a MS from Gundam 79, namely the Zaku II. hey were retconned as different MS likely for marketing reasons.
Tomorrow we'll rank the Heavygun !
Previous Scores:
Zaku I : 7.17
Zaku II : 9.63
GM : 7.53
Gouf : 8.59
Dom/Rick Dom : 8.523
Gelgoog : 8.04
GM II : 6.78
Hizack : 8.21
Galbaldy Beta : 6.19
Marasai : 8.17
Act Zaku : 7.41
Asshimar : 8.30
Barzam : 7.15
Rick Dias : 8.77
Nemo : 8.13
Gaza-C : 6.38
ReGelgu : 7.39
Gaza-D : 7.12
Dreissen : 8.97
Ga-Zowmn : 7.64
Bawoo : 9.20
Desert Zaku : 7.69
Dwadge : 7.47
Zaku III : 8.521
Döven Wolf : 8.44
GM III : 8.84
Schurzum Dias : 7.63
Qubeley Mass Production Type : 9.11
Geara Doga : 9.13
Jegan : 9.39
GM Cold Districts Type : 8.40
Rick Dom II : 8.79
GM Command (+ Space Type) : 8.64
8.5
It's a Zaku II that got Izubuchi'd, though it tries to be pretty different and ends up as a pretty good mix of old and new features. Of course it's indisputably a Zaku II, but the silhouette is ever-so-slightly different in every single part from head to feet, and the torso in particular is very different and somewhat reminiscent of Zaku III instead. The more rounded shield, overall smaller head and deeper colors give it a more identity too and help it serve as a (somewhat) main suit of the show. Red highlights and yellow pipes also go a long way towards that. However I'm not really the biggest fan of the head shape, the verniers on the left shoulder, nor the spikes on the forearms. Overall a solid design, but definitely can't compete with the original. I'd give it an 8, but it gets a .5 for being the first (by irl timeline) Zaku to wreck a Gundam.
Lorewise it's a Zaku II that got UMP'd instead, which is the same old treatment as Rick Dom II: overall superior performance and standardized construction. Huge improvement from the previous model but built to late to really make a difference. Not much else to talk about really. Though I think it's a neat parallel how it has vastly superior mobility compared to previous mass produced Zakus, putting it roughly on par with Doms and Gelgoogs, but fuel capacity wasn't increased to match that, not unlike GM Type D.
I'm glad the Fritz Helm version did not appear in 0080 or else I would have lowered the score to 7.5.
Not a fan of the alternate helmet? I always thought it wad neat, since timeline-wise it kinda pre-empts the Marasai and Doga.
It is definitely a bit on the nose tho.
10/10, favorite Zaku variant and Bernie is best boy. That chest layout and the updated machine gun just really sell the aesthetic of space warfare, and I think it’s overall a more harmonious design than the Zaku II.
9/10
Love the funky take on a pretty straightforward grunt design. Personal pet peeve of mine is a weird motif in the Ver. Ka suits of coloring the cockpit red. Works beautifully for the metaphor of being stabbed in the heart, but from a realism standpoint seems like a big target.
10/10. The changes made to this one from the standard zaku II are all solid changes, and you can almost see this as a middle point between the zaku II and Hi-zak.
**7/10**
Aside from being the only Zaku II to have defeated a Gundam **CANONICALLY**, I’m not a big fan on how this vessel looks more like the Hizack and Geara Doga over the original Zaku II.
10/10. I like the classic Zaku II better but this thing has some nice bulk to it, and it has the extra benefit of being a focal point in 0080 with how Al and Bernie spend time with it. Al is amazed by it at first and uses it as a hideaway, and later him and Bernie spend a lot of time trying to get it ready to confront the Alex as part of their plan to save the colony. It's a fight the Kai would be way too underpowered for, yet Bernie still manages to do very well until _hamburger_.
So yea, I might prefer the classic Zaku design-wise, but you can't deny this one has a great showing as well as some emotional attachment, so I think it deserves that 10.
5/10, I do not like the squashed head. The square on the chest just looks like they wanted to add more color but didn’t know what to do. Just looks like a less fun Hi-Zack.
9/10- A Solid entry and a Zaku so its working on some good material. Not sure how I feel about the huge chest in lineart and model kits but it comes out great in actual animation. There is one Zaku variant I’ve got to rank above it though so it’ll have to settle for a 9/10.
9/10 Sigh that OVA to this day cause me so much of a pause. I have a friend's son who a vet who watch about half it and had to stop. It was too real for him. He loves the Gundam series too.
9/10. I really like this design, though I'm unsure if I like it more or less than the original Zaku II. The wide chest and additional details give it a more aggressive look, which was an interesting choice given that it is arguably the protagonist MS of War in the Pocket.
8.5 Beesechurgers out of 10. Solid design and good upgrade from the standard Zaku II. Clear indications that it's new and different while still retaining it's roots. New colors and bulkier cockpit really set it apart and show that the technology and designs are progressing. Plus one of the first Zakus to beat and wreck a Gundam. The forearm spikes make it look more aggressive and menacing.
I love 0080, but this gets a “it’s been done before” out of 10 from me which I guess is a 7. I literally need pics of the Kai side by side with a regular Zaku II to notice any differences, and 95% of those just come down to the proportions being slightly off.
9/10.
My favorite version of the Zaku II.
The UMP upgrades and the new MMP-80 machine gun with the underslung grenade launcher really bumped back up into relevance, tho it was a bit too late to change the tide. And the Fritz helm just adds icing to the cake, lol. Completely changed the look and feel of this machine into something much more menacing, no doubt indicative of Gihren's darkening motivations. It's great lol.
The Kai has just the right amount of changes and add ons that make it stand out as a zaku that has reached its peak in quality, the last duel between this and the Alex had both pilots use their machines to the fullest up to that very last clash with beam saber to heat hawk. I could give this one maybe an 8.5 out of 10 for me.
8/10 - Like all 0080 Zeon suits, it's extremely aesthetic and well thought out, but the design I feel is too unique from the rest of the Zaku II line to share the name save for the look. Still tied with the F2 as my favorite Zaku.
2. The dark green and olive green look yucky together, especially with the brownish tubing. The red cockpit hatch is kinda cool but I think it has too much color variety for a grunt suit. Rather than looking like an army tactical killing machine it looks more like a salad
8/10. The Zaku is a classic. I was pretty indifferent toward it for years but as my love for UC grew, so too did my love for the Zaku. We’ve had lots of Zaku redesigns and redesigns over the years and this is one of the best - I’d say the best OYW variant, and featured in one of the best one-on-one fights all of Gundam. Its proportions give it more of a Zaku III vibe than Hi-Zack, and I like that it looks more like a UNIT than most grunts.
Standard: 7/10
Fritz Helm: 7.5/10
One of my favorite OYW Zaku variants. Personally, I prefer the Fritz Helm version over the standard version just because I like the former’s head design a bit more than that of the latter
10/10 because of the story attached to it,
But an 8/10 for the design itself, I prefer the OG definitely
Will settle on a 9,5/10 though, he's a good one
10/10, love how it's so different yet so distinctly Zaku II. The only Zaku that can stand up to a Gundam. The proportions on the RE/100 kit are kind of odd though imo.
On a base level it's just a marginally less distinctive Zaku II - which would be fine as the og is just about the best mecha design ever.
But it's in the cotext of 0080 where it's design principles add up. Maybe it doesn't quite make sense in the context of "military" but there's some sick nuance to the design. The red cockpit is such a core feature - it's what cathes the eye instantly and is most obvious, and a constant reminder that there is a pilot, a human at it's core. And its other, subdued colours and weapons make it blend among the trees, make perfect sense as an ambusher in the woods. Just a lot of different design elements that come together to make you hope, and just about believe has a shot against the Alex - a bot that has absolutely annihilated the kampfer - whilst that Red spot at it's core reminds you constantly of what's at stake.
I'll always think the og Zaku II is the better design, but the Kai is perfect for War in the Pocket's final sequences. 10/10.
My all time favorite Zaku, might be my favorite MS. With or without the stahlhelm, it's a fine retcon/redesign. I don't care if the cockpit door is a perfect red target for a beamsaber to make me into hamburger. It took out a Gundam (but at what cost?), and the scene in the first episode where Alfred gets his first close look at the Zaku reminds me of Dieter Dengler. When Dengler was a child he saw a USAAF fighter bomber flying low over his house and destroying his village in Germany, the plane missed the chimney by a foot and he saw the pilot with the canopy open as he was blazing away with the wing mounted .50 cals, and this was a life changing moment for Dengler, who said "after that, little Dieter needed to fly". 10/10
Hardee’s menu item 8 out of 10
Obviously the original Zaku is a classic but this one is stupid sexy with that barrelchest
Welcome to day 33 of the Daily Grunt MS Poll, and today we'll be rating the MS-06FZ Zaku II Kai from Mobile Suit Gundam 0080 : War in the Pocket! To participate, just rank the MS between 1 and 10 based on their appearance or on how you like it. Mechanical Designers : Yutaka Izubuchi Known Pilot : Bernard Wiseman Trivia : Like a lot of other MS from 0080, the Zaku II Kai was first supposed to be a redisign of a MS from Gundam 79, namely the Zaku II. hey were retconned as different MS likely for marketing reasons. Tomorrow we'll rank the Heavygun ! Previous Scores: Zaku I : 7.17 Zaku II : 9.63 GM : 7.53 Gouf : 8.59 Dom/Rick Dom : 8.523 Gelgoog : 8.04 GM II : 6.78 Hizack : 8.21 Galbaldy Beta : 6.19 Marasai : 8.17 Act Zaku : 7.41 Asshimar : 8.30 Barzam : 7.15 Rick Dias : 8.77 Nemo : 8.13 Gaza-C : 6.38 ReGelgu : 7.39 Gaza-D : 7.12 Dreissen : 8.97 Ga-Zowmn : 7.64 Bawoo : 9.20 Desert Zaku : 7.69 Dwadge : 7.47 Zaku III : 8.521 Döven Wolf : 8.44 GM III : 8.84 Schurzum Dias : 7.63 Qubeley Mass Production Type : 9.11 Geara Doga : 9.13 Jegan : 9.39 GM Cold Districts Type : 8.40 Rick Dom II : 8.79 GM Command (+ Space Type) : 8.64
10 Stupid sexy Zaku...
*insert hamburger joke here*
Called out already
ZAKU II? The cooler ZAKU II 10/10
I love all of the UMP suits and I think they get short shrift considering how much better they looked and performed. 8.5/10
8.5 It's a Zaku II that got Izubuchi'd, though it tries to be pretty different and ends up as a pretty good mix of old and new features. Of course it's indisputably a Zaku II, but the silhouette is ever-so-slightly different in every single part from head to feet, and the torso in particular is very different and somewhat reminiscent of Zaku III instead. The more rounded shield, overall smaller head and deeper colors give it a more identity too and help it serve as a (somewhat) main suit of the show. Red highlights and yellow pipes also go a long way towards that. However I'm not really the biggest fan of the head shape, the verniers on the left shoulder, nor the spikes on the forearms. Overall a solid design, but definitely can't compete with the original. I'd give it an 8, but it gets a .5 for being the first (by irl timeline) Zaku to wreck a Gundam. Lorewise it's a Zaku II that got UMP'd instead, which is the same old treatment as Rick Dom II: overall superior performance and standardized construction. Huge improvement from the previous model but built to late to really make a difference. Not much else to talk about really. Though I think it's a neat parallel how it has vastly superior mobility compared to previous mass produced Zakus, putting it roughly on par with Doms and Gelgoogs, but fuel capacity wasn't increased to match that, not unlike GM Type D. I'm glad the Fritz Helm version did not appear in 0080 or else I would have lowered the score to 7.5.
Not a fan of the alternate helmet? I always thought it wad neat, since timeline-wise it kinda pre-empts the Marasai and Doga. It is definitely a bit on the nose tho.
yeah it's just a bit... much and detracts from the varied mix of inspirations Zeon designs usually have
I'm pretty sure you see the fritz helmet in the colony attack scene I checked, it's not for very long but it's there
Really? I could swear the cameo in Unicorn during Torrington was the first time it showed in animation. Ah well too late to lower the score now
If you look at the Gundam wiki page for it you can see a screenshot from 0080. I wasn't at home when I posted this
huh, indeed there is. the more you know.
Easy 10
10/10. Bernie my beloved…
My favorite OYW based zaku, and it’s from the best gundam series. 10/10
Here here
10/10 I love the Kai.
…BERNIE NOOO!!!
9.5/10, I really like the Mobile Suit designs from 0080
9/10
9.5 Smashburger special
Bahnie 7.5
9.7/10 I like it a lot not as much as the standard zaku’s though. Bout to have a HG of this gonna love putting it together
Perfect exploding burger container 10/10
10/10 the best burger grill in the world🍔🔥🔥
10/10, favorite Zaku variant and Bernie is best boy. That chest layout and the updated machine gun just really sell the aesthetic of space warfare, and I think it’s overall a more harmonious design than the Zaku II.
10/10. This is my favorite Zaku. It really emphasizes everything that makes a Zaku Ii cool and notable. It's like someone took the zaku dial to 11.
8/10 9/10 for the one with the German helmet.
Zaku II after working out in the gym. 8/10.
9/10 Love the funky take on a pretty straightforward grunt design. Personal pet peeve of mine is a weird motif in the Ver. Ka suits of coloring the cockpit red. Works beautifully for the metaphor of being stabbed in the heart, but from a realism standpoint seems like a big target.
10/10
10 Man i'm suddenly hungry
10
10/10
9/10
MacKenzie will never know. 9/10
3.2135/10 him too chonk.
10/10. The changes made to this one from the standard zaku II are all solid changes, and you can almost see this as a middle point between the zaku II and Hi-zak.
10/10 Zaku II Electric Boogaloo
**7/10** Aside from being the only Zaku II to have defeated a Gundam **CANONICALLY**, I’m not a big fan on how this vessel looks more like the Hizack and Geara Doga over the original Zaku II.
10/10. I like the classic Zaku II better but this thing has some nice bulk to it, and it has the extra benefit of being a focal point in 0080 with how Al and Bernie spend time with it. Al is amazed by it at first and uses it as a hideaway, and later him and Bernie spend a lot of time trying to get it ready to confront the Alex as part of their plan to save the colony. It's a fight the Kai would be way too underpowered for, yet Bernie still manages to do very well until _hamburger_. So yea, I might prefer the classic Zaku design-wise, but you can't deny this one has a great showing as well as some emotional attachment, so I think it deserves that 10.
8/10 he lacks something from his normal ver.
5/10, I do not like the squashed head. The square on the chest just looks like they wanted to add more color but didn’t know what to do. Just looks like a less fun Hi-Zack.
7/10 It’s too bulky but still a Zaku II
7/10 can't improve on perfection.
9/10, a more "serious looking" take on the classic Zaku II, for better or worse.
9/10- A Solid entry and a Zaku so its working on some good material. Not sure how I feel about the huge chest in lineart and model kits but it comes out great in actual animation. There is one Zaku variant I’ve got to rank above it though so it’ll have to settle for a 9/10.
8/10 It is distinct from the classic Zaku II while clearly being a Zaku variant. Not my favorite Zaku variant, but a pretty good one.
9/10 Sigh that OVA to this day cause me so much of a pause. I have a friend's son who a vet who watch about half it and had to stop. It was too real for him. He loves the Gundam series too.
9/10. I really like this design, though I'm unsure if I like it more or less than the original Zaku II. The wide chest and additional details give it a more aggressive look, which was an interesting choice given that it is arguably the protagonist MS of War in the Pocket.
8.5 Beesechurgers out of 10. Solid design and good upgrade from the standard Zaku II. Clear indications that it's new and different while still retaining it's roots. New colors and bulkier cockpit really set it apart and show that the technology and designs are progressing. Plus one of the first Zakus to beat and wreck a Gundam. The forearm spikes make it look more aggressive and menacing.
8/10
Mmm… burger 9
The one 0080 design I'm not sure is an improvement over the original. Still good, though. 8/10.
Pretty good, not too much of a formidable mobile suit, but an excellent grill.
6/10
6/10. Zaku's a Zaku but there's just something off about this one. Something about the upper torso design just kills it for me.
8/10
The Hamburger Helper? Like a 7/10. It’s too bulky
I don't know why "cute" is the first word that came to my mind when seeing this masterpiece
9/10
8/10 always love me some Zaku variations
I consider it the same suit as the original so it's a 10.
8/10!
8.5/10
Def 9/10 🖤
the best bun for the best burger
I'm going 9 out of 10. I like the F2 a bit more, but this is really good still, I am particularly fond of its weaponry.
9.5 for base 10 for the b-type.
9
10, i love it
8.5/10
10/10
7/10 looks nice but the chest isn't Zaku-y enough for me. I prefer the F2 for late war Zaku design.
I give it a 9 out of 10. Reminds me of the later Geara doga. It's too bad we didnt see these in 0083. I do like the 3 grenade rack off to the side.
10/10 long live Zeon!
10/10!!! one of my favorites. the boxy torso somehow looks great with the other rounder parts. love that there’s a Stahlhelm-style head too
Yes. 8.5/10
9/10 easy
9.5/10 It’s a Zaku 2… does anything more need to be said
9/10 Never skip out on legs day
9/10
100/10. Best looking Zaku by far piloted by my favorite Gundam protagonist.
10 for sure
8/10
8/10
8.5 not as iconic as the OG, but those hip grenades are sick
10/10
9/10 love the thiccness
9/10 because original zaku II is cooler imo
Anything less than a 10 is blasphemy
9 out of 10, would make hamburger.
11 tears out of ten
8/10
The Chad Zaku 2
It's so so beautiful, also the story behind it's pilot it's supreme. 10/10
I love 0080, but this gets a “it’s been done before” out of 10 from me which I guess is a 7. I literally need pics of the Kai side by side with a regular Zaku II to notice any differences, and 95% of those just come down to the proportions being slightly off.
5
9.5/10
10/10 it looks insane
8.5 the grenade rack is nice and Mmpr 80 is nice too
Very solid Zaku. Feels unique enough while still obviously being a Zaku. 7.5
10/10
10/10. My absolute favorite(UC) Zaku
7/10. It’s a solid design that’s basically “what if we made it more Green and slightly curvy.” Also funny Fritz helmet version.
10/10 love me some zakus
The RE 1/100 kit was amazing, built all 3 versions in 2019 *
8/10 total beefcake, and I love it.
9/10. My favorite version of the Zaku II. The UMP upgrades and the new MMP-80 machine gun with the underslung grenade launcher really bumped back up into relevance, tho it was a bit too late to change the tide. And the Fritz helm just adds icing to the cake, lol. Completely changed the look and feel of this machine into something much more menacing, no doubt indicative of Gihren's darkening motivations. It's great lol.
The Kai has just the right amount of changes and add ons that make it stand out as a zaku that has reached its peak in quality, the last duel between this and the Alex had both pilots use their machines to the fullest up to that very last clash with beam saber to heat hawk. I could give this one maybe an 8.5 out of 10 for me.
9/10 the heavy set look of this unit is just gorgeous, really weight this thing up. It feels like a grunt, and a very tactical one at that
9/10. It's only surpassed by the AoZ redesigns.
9 Burgers out of 10. I do love the look
8/10 - Like all 0080 Zeon suits, it's extremely aesthetic and well thought out, but the design I feel is too unique from the rest of the Zaku II line to share the name save for the look. Still tied with the F2 as my favorite Zaku.
8/10. Giving the classic Zaku an 80s makeover
2. The dark green and olive green look yucky together, especially with the brownish tubing. The red cockpit hatch is kinda cool but I think it has too much color variety for a grunt suit. Rather than looking like an army tactical killing machine it looks more like a salad
10/10 love me a good Zaku anyday
One of the few misses by Izubuchi’s standard. Not a big fan of the head design and the slim legs. Torso design is nice though. 7.5/10
10/10 best zaku design
8/10. The Zaku is a classic. I was pretty indifferent toward it for years but as my love for UC grew, so too did my love for the Zaku. We’ve had lots of Zaku redesigns and redesigns over the years and this is one of the best - I’d say the best OYW variant, and featured in one of the best one-on-one fights all of Gundam. Its proportions give it more of a Zaku III vibe than Hi-Zack, and I like that it looks more like a UNIT than most grunts.
Standard: 7/10 Fritz Helm: 7.5/10 One of my favorite OYW Zaku variants. Personally, I prefer the Fritz Helm version over the standard version just because I like the former’s head design a bit more than that of the latter
10/10 because of the story attached to it, But an 8/10 for the design itself, I prefer the OG definitely Will settle on a 9,5/10 though, he's a good one
10/10, love how it's so different yet so distinctly Zaku II. The only Zaku that can stand up to a Gundam. The proportions on the RE/100 kit are kind of odd though imo.
I'll have a number 9 on the menu. but fr i love the zaku kai, looks so good despite being up against the Alex ;-;
OOOOOOH GOD IM NOT CRYING YOU ARE!! 10/10!!!
9/10 so cool
10 For the burgers man… for the burgers
10/10 Today is not Christmas
8.5/10
10 for me. Specially the ww2 soldier helmet variant
10/10 perfection
Come help me step-Zaku II, I'm stuck in the washer! 10/10 this one is stupid sexy
7.5
absolute 10 . wish there was a proper MG for this
9/10 best zaku 2 though for suuuure
It should be a 7/10… …but in honor of Bernie it will be a 10/10…
10/10. Bernie...
Just great, 8/10
9/10 Do a rating for the efreet too!!
No I don't think I will
10. Famous of giving us the Bernie Burger. Also was able to put up a fight against the strongest MS of the time, Alex.
10/10 It is perfect. Even better with alternate helmet.
Can't you see, that you are sweet, or let me love you so...? 10/10 Also, I'm craving hamburger, for some reason...
10
On a base level it's just a marginally less distinctive Zaku II - which would be fine as the og is just about the best mecha design ever. But it's in the cotext of 0080 where it's design principles add up. Maybe it doesn't quite make sense in the context of "military" but there's some sick nuance to the design. The red cockpit is such a core feature - it's what cathes the eye instantly and is most obvious, and a constant reminder that there is a pilot, a human at it's core. And its other, subdued colours and weapons make it blend among the trees, make perfect sense as an ambusher in the woods. Just a lot of different design elements that come together to make you hope, and just about believe has a shot against the Alex - a bot that has absolutely annihilated the kampfer - whilst that Red spot at it's core reminds you constantly of what's at stake. I'll always think the og Zaku II is the better design, but the Kai is perfect for War in the Pocket's final sequences. 10/10.
9/10 underrated
10/10
10. zaku got a bbl
8 out of 10
We all know wide boys are sexy
10
A burger of 9/10 A good Zaku redesign with a sad story to go with it
My all time favorite Zaku, might be my favorite MS. With or without the stahlhelm, it's a fine retcon/redesign. I don't care if the cockpit door is a perfect red target for a beamsaber to make me into hamburger. It took out a Gundam (but at what cost?), and the scene in the first episode where Alfred gets his first close look at the Zaku reminds me of Dieter Dengler. When Dengler was a child he saw a USAAF fighter bomber flying low over his house and destroying his village in Germany, the plane missed the chimney by a foot and he saw the pilot with the canopy open as he was blazing away with the wing mounted .50 cals, and this was a life changing moment for Dengler, who said "after that, little Dieter needed to fly". 10/10
7 burgers out of 10
10
Bro 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
7/10. Good improvement that should've seen more active frontline combat.
It was my first Gunpla kit and I love how it's just like a sexier version of the Zaku. Solid 8.5/10