Buying Guides
Soul of Chogokin Explained: A UK Collector's Guide
Written by Zero Variant · Published
Soul of Chogokin is Bandai's collector line of robot figures built with die-cast metal parts. It sits under Tamashii Nations and has been running since GX-01 Mazinger Z in December 1997. If you recognise the GX numbers but are not sure what separates one release from another, this guide explains how the line works and how to choose a figure from it.
What is Soul of Chogokin?
Three names appear on the packaging. They are layers of the same business rather than rival brands.
- Bandai Spirits is the company. It was founded within the Bandai Namco group in February 2018 to take over Bandai's products for older fans and collectors.
- Tamashii Nations is Bandai's brand for adult collector figures, launched in 2008. By its own description it covers lines such as Chogokin, S.H.Figuarts and Metal Build, centred on tokusatsu, anime and robots.
- Soul of Chogokin (超合金魂 in Japanese) is one product line inside that brand.
Chogokin itself is older. Popy, a Bandai group company, released Chogokin Mazinger Z in February 1974. The word translates roughly as "super alloy" and became the name for Bandai's die-cast character robots. Bandai Spirits' company history dates Soul of Chogokin to December 1997, when GX-01 Mazinger Z recreated that toy with modern engineering.
The line is defined by its approach rather than by any one franchise. Many releases are anime robots, from Mazinger Z to Blue Gale Xabungle, but live-action tokusatsu is covered too. The Zyuranger set later in this guide comes from Super Sentai. What connects them is the aim: the proportions and colours of the screen design, the weight of metal and the play features of the original toys, reworked for adult collectors.
What makes the figures different?
Materials. Soul of Chogokin figures combine die-cast metal with plastics. Tamashii Nations lists both GX-60R God Sigma and the GX-72 and GX-78 set as die-cast, ABS and PVC. Die-cast on the box describes part of the figure, not all of it. Plastic still carries fine detail and the parts that need to stay light.
Die-cast content on its own does not decide quality. Metal gives weight and a solid feel. It also means heavier parts for the joints to hold. Accurate design, well-engineered joints and modes that hold together firmly matter at least as much as the proportion of metal.
Transformation and combination. Many releases recreate a gimmick from the source material. Some are separate machines that combine into one robot. Others change from a robot into a vehicle. Not every release does either and methods vary, so read the individual product description rather than assuming a mode change works without replacement parts.
Articulation and accessories. Releases are generally articulated and many come with weapons, interchangeable hands and stands. GX-60R, for example, includes hands for each of its three robots and for the combined God Sigma, plus stands for its weapons and its Big Wing.
Practical trade-offs. A transforming figure may need space for its longer mode, or a decision about which mode stays on the shelf. A combining set means more parts to keep track of. A heavy figure needs more care when handled. Do not assume everything arrives ready to display either. The GX-38X set below includes kits to cut from runners and assemble.
Iron Gear shows the footprint question clearly. In Walker Machine mode it stands about 280mm tall. As a landship it runs to about 450mm long, which is the measurement to plan a shelf around.
Understanding releases and editions
Every release carries a GX number, often with a letter after it. The suffix does not have one consistent meaning across the line, so treat it as part of the complete model number and check what Bandai says changed. Examples from the current range show how different the answers are.
- GX-60 and GX-60R God Sigma. The original GX-60 was released in July 2011. GX-60R, the Renewal Version, followed in September 2018 with changes Tamashii lists one by one: a newly sculpted clear V-shaped chest part, a Σ-mark buckle, a grip for drawing the Musou Sword, a new face for Kuuraioh and a new pair of silver-plated God Tomahawks. The current GX-60R release is a reissue of that 2018 Renewal Version, due in Japan in February 2027.
- GX-38 and GX-38R Iron Gear. Tamashii describes GX-38R as the first renewal of the 2007 GX-38: the main figure's specification is unchanged while the set contents and packaging have been revised. The 2007 box included 15 Walker Machines, three vehicles and the Buffalo landship. GX-38R includes Xabungle and Walker Gallia, which fit in its chest hangar. Contents lists from the old release do not carry across.
- GX-38X. A different kind of product altogether. It is a companion set for GX-38R rather than another version of Iron Gear.
- GX-72 and GX-78. Daijyujin was first released as GX-72 in April 2017 and Dragon Caesar as GX-78 in July 2018. They were combined into one set first released in November 2023. The current release is a reissue of that set, dated 31 October 2026 in Japan.
That gives three distinct cases. A reissue produces the same product again. A renewal or revised release changes specific parts or contents, which the manufacturer lists. A new design is a new figure with its own number. Before ordering, check the complete model number, whether the listing says reissue or renewal and the contents list.
Choosing a first purchase
Start from the robot rather than from the line. A figure of a machine you care about will hold your interest longer than a better-engineered one you have no attachment to. After that, three questions narrow it down.
- How much space do you have? Measure for the largest display mode. Iron Gear needs room for 450mm of landship. God Sigma stands about 300mm tall when combined. Its three robots stand about 190mm to 200mm each if you display them separately.
- What is the budget? Prices vary considerably across the line. A companion set adds to the cost of the main figure. The product cards below show current prices.
- Transformation, combination or neither? Combination gives you several machines and one large robot. Transformation gives you two very different shapes from one figure.
How the releases in this guide suit different collectors:
- GX-60R God Sigma suits someone who wants to try a combining robot in one box. It works as a single robot or as three, with nothing else needed for the full display.
- GX-38R Iron Gear suits a Xabungle fan, or anyone who wants a transformation with a dramatic change of shape and has the shelf length for the landship.
- GX-38X Walker Machine Set suits someone who already owns or is buying Iron Gear and enjoys a small build. It is not a place to start on its own.
- GX-72 and GX-78 Megazord and Dragonzord suits a Power Rangers or Zyuranger fan who wants the complete six-machine combination. It is the most extensive set of the four, with six Guardian Beasts, three combined forms and more individual parts to store and combine.
Examples from Zero Variant's range
GX-60R God Sigma
The GX-60R God Sigma comes from the 1980 anime Space Emperor God Sigma. Three robots, Kuuraioh, Kaimeioh and Rikushin'oh, combine with the Big Wing to form God Sigma at about 300mm. It is a straightforward way to see how a Soul of Chogokin combination works. It also shows why the edition matters: this is the 2018 Renewal Version produced again, not the 2011 original.
GX-38R Iron Gear and GX-38X Walker Machine Set
The GX-38R Iron Gear is the land battleship from the 1982 anime Blue Gale Xabungle. Tamashii puts its weight at over 1kg. It converts between Walker Machine and landship modes. It includes Xabungle and Walker Gallia to store in the chest hangar.
The GX-38X Walker Machine Set is sold separately and does not include Iron Gear. It is built differently from the main figure. Tamashii's description mentions no die-cast parts and our listing records the set as ABS and PVC. It contains painted Xabungle, Walker Gallia and Fake Xabungle figures with weapons based on the experimental video BLUE GALE XABUNGLE SIDE R, plus the Xabungle Car, Gallie Hover, Gallie Will and Sub-Xabungle. The rest arrives as partly painted parts on runners, moulded in grey and brown, for you to cut out and assemble: two each of Blakary, Dakker, Prometheus, Government, Crab, Trad 11 and Gallop, 14 kits in total.
GX-72 Megazord and GX-78 Dragonzord
In Japan these robots come from Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger, the 1992 Super Sentai series. Daijyujin is formed from five Guardian Beasts: Tyrannosaurus, Pteranodon, Mammoth, Saber Tiger and Triceratops. Dragon Caesar is the sixth. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers adapted Zyuranger's battle footage in 1993. Those two machines became the Megazord and the Dragonzord. Tamashii's own English site uses both names for the individual releases. It spells the dragon Dragon Ceaser.
The GX-72 and GX-78 set brings all six Guardian Beasts together. They form Daijyujin, Goryujin (Dragon Caesar with Mammoth, Saber Tiger and Triceratops) and Jyutei Daijyujin, which uses all six. Tamashii lists Daijyujin at about 260mm and Dragon Caesar at about 230mm.
How the four compare
| Release | Role in the range | Key buying consideration | Another purchase needed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| GX-60R God Sigma | Three robots that combine into one | A reissue of the 2018 Renewal Version | No |
| GX-38R Iron Gear | Transforming robot and landship | About 450mm long in landship mode | No. Xabungle and Walker Gallia are included |
| GX-38X Walker Machine Set | Companion set for Iron Gear | 14 of the machines are kits to assemble | Yes, GX-38R for the intended display |
| GX-72 and GX-78 set | Six Guardian Beasts and three combined forms | The most extensive set here, with the most parts | No. Both robots are in one box |
Buying Soul of Chogokin in the UK
The current line-up is on the Soul of Chogokin collection page, with wider Tamashii Nations releases alongside. UK delivery is free and international orders ship with DHL.
Upcoming releases are offered as preorders. The product page shows whether a preorder takes a deposit or the full amount. With a deposit, the balance is taken when the item is ready to ship. A preorder can be cancelled at any point before release and anything paid is refunded. Release dates come from the manufacturer and can move. The shipping and returns page has the detail.