Bandai Spirits

The collector division of a toy empire, spanning affordable arcade figures, model kits, and premium metal-part engineering

At a glance

Status: Active. The collector and hobby division of Bandai Namco Holdings.
Based in: Minato in Tokyo in Japan.
Known for: S.H.Figuarts; METAL BUILD; Gunpla; Robot Spirits; Banpresto prize figures; Ichiban Kuji.
Good fit: collectors who want entry points ranging from Q posket to premium metal figures and model kits.
Before buying: check Premium Bandai and Tamashii Web Shop when a release is missing from standard retailers; limited ordering periods can close quickly.
Research coverage: Extensive

TL;DR

Part of Bandai Namco Holdings, Bandai Spirits oversees Gunpla, meaning Gundam plastic model kits, Tamashii Nations collector lines, and Banpresto's affordable arcade-prize figures.
Its enormous range includes S.H.Figuarts, Robot Spirits, Chogokin, Ichiban Kuji lottery figures, and the large-headed Q posket line.
Gunpla reflects decades of engineering refinement at the Shizuoka factory, while Banpresto figures provide lower-cost options.
Some releases are sold only through the official Premium Bandai and Tamashii Web Shop sites during limited ordering periods. Standard retailers do not carry every item.

From Textiles to Gunpla

To understand Bandai Spirits, you have to untangle one of the industry's most convoluted corporate family trees. It starts in 1950, when Naoharu Yamashina founded Bandai-ya as a textile wholesaler in Tokyo. The company pivoted to toys in the 1950s and reincorporated as Bandai Co., Ltd. in 1961. From there, Bandai built itself into one of the largest toy companies in Asia through a combination of shrewd licensing (Ultraman, Kamen Rider, Gundam) and manufacturing muscle.

The modern era began in 2006, when Bandai merged with arcade giant Namco to form Bandai Namco Holdings. But the collector figure business didn't get its own dedicated identity until February 15, 2018, when Bandai Spirits was established as a standalone subsidiary focused specifically on hobby products, collector figures, and adult-oriented merchandise. This wasn't just a rebrand. It was a structural recognition that the collector market had grown large enough to deserve its own dedicated company within the group.

The Banpresto story runs parallel. Founded in 1977 as Hoei Sangyo, it became Coreland Technology in 1982 and then Banpresto in 1989, eventually becoming the largest and most influential name in arcade prize figures. On April 1, 2019, Banpresto was absorbed into Bandai Spirits as a brand rather than a separate company. The Banpresto name lives on (you'll still see it on prize figures and Ichiban Kuji lottery products), but the corporate entity behind it is now Bandai Spirits.

Model Kits, Collector Figures, and Affordable Prizes

Tamashii Nations launched in 2008 as a collector-focused label for Bandai's premium lines. S.H.Figuarts covers articulated characters from Kamen Rider, Dragon Ball, Marvel, and Star Wars. METAL BUILD combines detailed engineering with cast-metal parts and can exceed ¥30,000/$200 USD. Robot Spirits, also called Robot Damashii, focuses on robot action figures, while Chogokin and Soul of Chogokin continue a metal-part robot tradition dating to the 1970s.

Gunpla, Bandai's Gundam plastic model kit line, is arguably its most iconic product. Manufactured at the Bandai Hobby Center in Shizuoka, Gunpla has been in continuous production since 1980 and has sold hundreds of millions of kits worldwide. Modern kits snap together without glue. Parts molded in different colors sit on plastic frames called runners, while increasingly sophisticated inner structures support movement. Figure-rise extends the model kit concept to anime characters beyond Gundam.

Banpresto's affordable arcade-prize and lottery figures round out the portfolio. Ichiban Kuji is a lottery in which every ticket wins an item. Q posket offers stylized figures with oversized heads, while DXF, Grandista, and Banpresto Chronicle provide other low-cost starting points. A Q posket figure might cost ¥1,500 ($10 USD) at retail, a fraction of a premium figure's price. Creating something appealing within those limits is its own craft, and the best releases use economical designs well.

Entry Points at Every Budget

The Bandai Spirits family offers entry points at every budget level. Prize figures (Q posket, DXF) start under ¥2,000 ($13 USD). S.H.Figuarts occupy the ¥5,000-¥15,000 ($35-$100 USD) range for most releases. METAL BUILD and Soul of Chogokin sit at ¥15,000-¥50,000+ ($100-$335+ USD). The breadth means you can start small and scale up as your collecting appetite (and budget) grows.

Tamashii Nations showrooms in Akihabara, Shanghai, and New York offer hands-on previews and exclusive products. Online exclusives are also a major part of the lineup. Many sought-after S.H.Figuarts and Robot Spirits releases are sold only through Premium Bandai or Tamashii Web Shop during limited ordering periods. International buyers may find them difficult to acquire, and copies are often hard to find later.

Ichiban Kuji products deserve special mention. The lottery format can make a specific figure difficult to obtain at retail, but the resale market for prizes is active. The 'Last One Prize,' awarded to whoever draws the final ticket in a set, is usually the most sought-after piece and often serves as a showcase figure for the lineup.

Q posket Goes Global

Bandai Spirits remains a major force in figures and model kits. S.H.Figuarts continues regular releases from new anime seasons, Japanese special-effects productions, and Western entertainment licenses. METAL BUILD keeps extending what premium figures with cast-metal parts can achieve. Gunpla remains a global phenomenon, with international demand driving capacity expansion at the Shizuoka factory.

The prize figure segment, inherited from Banpresto, is evolving with sharper sculpting and character selection. Q posket in particular has expanded from its Disney and anime roots into a broader pop-culture brand.