The term Gunpla refers to the mecha models, characters or plastic vehicles from the Japanese Gundam franchise and marketed by Bandai; it results from the contraction of "Gundam plastic model". Appeared in 1980.

THE GUNPLA PHILOSOPHY: THE MODEL FOR EVERYONE! "without glue or paint

All Gundam models are characterized by two essential properties:

- the parts are nestable

- and they're molded in color.

Gunpla are classified by ranges (called "grade") according to their quality and/or size. The main ones are :

- NG No Grade (1980), although the term only appears much later, it refers retrospectively to the first models released as early as 1980.

- HG High Grade (1990), first range of higher quality at a scale of 1/144.

- MG Master Grade (1995), of higher quality than HG High Grade with, for example, the internal mechanics fully modeled at a scale of 1/100.

- PG Perfect Grade (1998), the most technically advanced range at a scale of 1/60.

- FG First Grade (1999), the inexpensive clip-on range.

- HGUC High Grade Universal Century (1999), a popular re-edition of the Universal Century robots.

- EX-model (2001), range dedicated not to robots but to vehicles and related flying machines.

- MS Mega Size (2009), 1/48 scale range.

- RG Real Grade (2010), similar to the MG Master Grade with a pushed internal skeleton but at a size called 1/144 like the "HG High Grade".

- RE/100 Reborn One Hundred (2014), new range of 1/100 scale gunplays.

- Super Deformed Gundam or SD Gundam is a Japanese animation franchise whose works are parodies of the Gundam saga, adopting the graphic codes of the super deformed.

However, the exhaustive classification is much more complex, since it depends on the scale (from 1/550 to 1/35), improvements (the master grade range exists in versions 1.5, 2.0 and 3.0) and special events (a Ver.G 30th range was released for the thirtieth anniversary of the franchise for example.