Life‑Sized Unicorn Gundam Statue Concludes Its Run
After almost 10 years, the life-sized Unicorn Gundam statue in Odaiba, Tokyo, has ended its operation, drawing thousands of fans for a final look at the towering mecha.
The current 19.7‑meter statue, installed in 2017 outside Diver City’s Gundam Base store, replaced an earlier RX‑78 Gundam replica. It has become a local landmark, attracting visitors even beyond the fan community, and its evenings featured light shows that moved its visor and other effects.
To celebrate its legacy, a special musical event on August 29 showcased composer Hiroyuki Sawano and vocalist SennaRin, who performed an insert song for the recent Gundam Hathaway film.
Fans recorded its final moments (recording its final moments), took photos (taking photos), and shared emotional messages (sharing emotional messages).
Many were similarly slow to leave the area (Many were similarly slow to leave the area), knowing it was their last chance to see it.
謎のカウントダウン、3分前あたりから「ユニコーン」の雄叫び時々リディ。
そして、バナージからメッセージでした。
バナージの「お疲れ」を聞いて、ユニコーンは機能停止、サイコフレームは光らず、周囲のライトにも照らされなくなったよ……。#実物大ユニコーンガンダム pic.twitter.com/MlX8wBqG0g
— パナ (@i_am_pana_) August 31, 2026
That being said, as of the morning of September 1, demolition of the Gundam has not yet begun, though it will likely not be long until the statue is removed from the plaza. Bandai Namco is also yet to confirm what (if anything) will replace it, with speculation over a number of recent mobile suits from the series, including XVX-016 Gundam Ariel from Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, being mentioned by fans as potential choices for what could take its place.
Living in Japan, a visit to Odaiba never felt complete without seeing the life-sized Gundam, making it genuinely a little sad to see it disappear after all these years. While I’m sure it’ll be replaced before too long, what will take its place (and how long it will take to receive that replacement) remains to be seen.
