On May 15, Bandai Namco announced at the Gundam Conference SPRING 2026 that the Life-Sized Unicorn Gundam Statue in Odaiba, Tokyo, will conclude its public display at the end of August 2026. Installed outside DiverCity Tokyo Plaza in Koto Ward since September 2017, the statue will have stood for 8 years and 11 months by the time it comes down.
To mark the finale, organizers will dress the statue in newly designed decal decorations for its final months, and a series of farewell events and commemorative activities are scheduled in the lead-up to the last display date in August.
What Is the Unicorn Gundam Statue?
The statue depicts the titular mobile suit from Mobile Suit Gundam UC (Unicorn), the anime adaptation of Harutoshi Fukui’s novel series. The OVA adaptation began its run in 2010 as a new chapter in the franchise’s core Universal Century timeline.
Set three years after the events of the film Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack, the story follows protagonist Banagher Links, who pilots the pure-white experimental mobile suit Unicorn Gundam during a conflict between the Earth Federation and the Neo Zeon remnant faction known as the “Sleeves.”
Physically, the Unicorn Gundam stands 19.7 meters tall — taller than the original 18-meter RX-78-2 Gundam statue that previously occupied the site — and weighs roughly 49 tons.
The structure has 50 illuminated points and reproduces the transformation from “Unicorn Mode” to “Destroy Mode” as faithfully as possible during nighttime performances. Motorized gimmicks open the head horn, alter the face configuration and expand the shoulder, waist and knee armor panels.
Will a New Gundam Statue Be Announced?
Bandai Namco hasn’t confirmed a successor for the Odaiba site, and the May 15 presentation framed the Unicorn’s removal as a finale rather than a handover. Still, the timing invites speculation.
The Odaiba location has already cycled once before — the original RX-78-2 stood there from 2009 until it was replaced by the Unicorn in 2017 — and Bandai Namco is in the middle of rolling out a steady slate of reveals tied to the franchise’s 2029 milestone. This includes a remaster of the original 1979 series, a new Mobile Suit Gundam Wing project and a “Gundam Landmark Project” facility planned for Japan.
Against that backdrop, a new statue taking the Unicorn’s place feels likely, even if nothing is official yet.
Inside the Global Success of the Gundam Franchise
The end of the Odaiba display comes as the Gundam franchise continues to grow its global commercial presence. Since the original Mobile Suit Gundam anime debuted on April 7, 1979, the franchise has produced over 90 titles. Around this anime catalog, Bandai Namco has built a broad business ecosystem spanning merchandise, video games, amusement attractions and music.
According to figures shared at the conference, cumulative global shipments of Gunpla model kits have surpassed 800 million units, while the Gundam Card Game has issued more than 630 million cards worldwide. In digital media, the mobile title SD Gundam G Generation Eternal, released in 2025, surpassed 8 million downloads globally within a year of launch.
The annual Gundam Conference serves as Bandai Namco’s main platform for announcing these business updates and unveiling future projects. Last year’s broadcast drew attention for reveals including Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX and the franchise’s pavilion at the Osaka-Kansai Expo.
While the removal of the Unicorn Gundam will change the franchise’s physical footprint in Tokyo, operations continue across multiple entertainment sectors.
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Updated On May 18, 2026
AloJapan.com