Gundam models, or Gunpla are model kits depicting the vehicles and characters of the fictional Gundam multiverse by Bandai.

 

These kits became popular among mecha anime fans and model enthusiasts in Japan and nearby Asian countries beginning in the 1980s. Gundam modeling spread in the 1990s with North America and Europe being exposed to Gundam through television, video and manga.

 

The name Gunpla derives from the phrase “Gundam plastic model,” most kits being made of plastic.