MG Gundam．2025．Final Dance
After the release of the MG Gundam Barbatos at the end of 2019, there was no further news. Following a long wait until the 10th anniversary of Iron-Blooded Orphans, 2025 once again brings the Gundam Barbatos Lupus, which appeared in the second season, to the forefront as a grand finale. This temporarily satisfies the eager anticipation of countless model enthusiasts (is there finally hope for the Lupus Rex...?). The box art, depicting a fierce battle with the massive Mobile Armor Hashmal amidst swirling dust, truly ignites passion once again. However, the intimidating red eye effect parts and a plethora of Trans-Am Hekija's Greatswords and other accessories are, unsurprisingly, still P-Bandai exclusives.
▼ This time, the model arrived without significant delay. Following the tradition of the Iron-Blooded Orphans series, the highly mechanical inner frame was assembled first.
▼ As the successor form of Barbatos after its repairs on Jupiter, the inner frame, as expected, reuses many parts. The included marking stickers can add further detail.
▼ New parts were added to accommodate the Lupus's physique. After completion, upon handling it, the various torso joints felt slightly tight when rotated.
▼ The arms have been significantly extended, and the shoulder armor's design has been adjusted accordingly. However, the connections still use C-clips. Although the tab areas have been reinforced to resist stress whitening, when posing, the tight inner frame joints are difficult to adjust. If too much force is applied, the C-clips can detach.
▼駕駛艙方面，目前骨架呈現狀態可從下方開啟，待之後裝上外甲，就無緣一窺究竟了。
▼ The hand joints are also exceptionally tight; when rotating them, there's a fear of twisting off the internal tabs. A common complaint about the fingers is the lack of white separate parts, requiring manual additional painting. As for whether to paint them... I'll consider it.
▼ The legs showcase extensive hydraulic pipe linkages. While not a novel design, it remains a significant highlight. As the leg bends, the pipes at the back of the calf retract to make way. One can't help but pick it up and bend it a few times to admire the mechanism.
▼ The foot area feels significantly upgraded, finally replacing the C-clips with more stable pivot joints. The toes are structured as two pointed claws. However, the articulation of these front sections of the foot is almost entirely limited to upward movement, with very little downward bend.
▼ Having generally showcased the inner frame above, let's now attach the outer armor and admire the majestic appearance of the Gundam Barbatos Lupus.
▼ Due to insufficient budget, we couldn't travel to Mars for the photoshoot. So, we had to settle for a dusty corner for posing; please bear with us.
▼ The right-arm-paralyzed Mikazuki and the seated pilot figure were also hastily painted. They were brought out for a group photo while the weather was clear.
▼裝上外甲後，多處的曲面造型裝甲，追加上不少刻線細節，彰顯天狼型厚重的獸型兵器感。
▼ Upon closer inspection of the head, the massive antenna immediately catches the eye. In contrast, the small face, compared to the original Barbatos, is reduced to just a single groove. However, the red chin has been modified into a sharper, more protruding design.
▼ The "windows to the soul" (eyes) use hollow transparent parts. Aluminum foil stickers are applied on the outside to enhance reflection. If they were slightly more elongated, revealing a fierce glare, it might appear even more sinister.
▼ Now, let's look at the chest. The previously mentioned cockpit is now completely encased by the outer armor.
▼ The forward-sliding cockpit hatch only opens this much, faintly revealing a helmet.
▼ One can only remove the hatch to get a final glimpse of Mikazuki inside.
▼ Alright, that's enough viewing. Close it up, next!
▼來到側邊肩甲處，鐵華團標誌採用鏤空分色還原，且紅色區塊多了一段可動，但拉出時絕對要小心，不要像超哥一樣把零件給捏斷，還有如前面提到過的，此處在擺動手臂時，免不了仍舊會頂到造成C扣鬆脫。
▼ After much consideration regarding the hand claws, I ultimately decided to keep them as is, as it looks cooler. Definitely, absolutely not because of laziness.
▼向下移動至腰部，小塊前裙甲簡潔俐落，干涉不大。
▼ The side skirts are different, featuring very large thrusters. Fortunately, they are quite intuitive and easy to manipulate when posing. However, the connection relies on only a thin tab, which is truly nerve-wracking, with a constant fear of it bending or breaking one day.
▼ Turning the camera to the lower body, the jewel-green transparent marking parts, with aluminum foil stickers applied internally for enhanced shine, are also a rather appealing design feature of this Lupus model.
▼ After attaching the outer armor to the feet, the sense of robust bulk immediately increases significantly.
▼觀感方面，相對壓縮了小腿的比例，在可動貼地倒是堪用，視覺上仍保有一定的攻擊張力。
▼ Turning to the back, the backpack also holds some surprises.
▼ When deployed, multi-jointed mechanical arms can extend, and external replacement parts can be attached to mount weapons.
▼最後直上全武裝，完成本次天狼型的裝備搭載型態！
▼ Even the arms aren't spared, it's truly loaded to the max!
▼ The sword-mace, measuring over 20 cm, despite its front section being a two-part assembly, features different parts for color separation at the upper and lower ends of the grip. Thanks to the tighter hand joints, it can be held steadily without drooping.
▼兩把小型錘矛，舉起來小不隆咚，也是頗有喜感的～
▼ The two wrist-mounted 200mm cannons rotate 180 degrees forward for firing and can also slide slightly. However, the connection point to the forearm quickly wears down and becomes very loose, making them prone to falling due to gravity.
▼ After a brief play session with this Gundam Barbatos Lupus, its overall performance is commendable. Although some structural designs still need improvement, the overwhelmingly cool design, the improved and refined inner frame, and the rich variety of weapon equipment make the years of waiting worthwhile, finally seeing a glimmer of slow progress. We hope they strike while the iron is hot and complete the Iron-Blooded Orphans series with those long-awaited mobile suits that have almost become a source of regret. Don't stop now!
Barbatos, you don't want to stop either, do you?
