STARSHIP TROOPERS - Mobile Infantry - Model Kit 1/12 18cm

Discover one of the most influential depictions of the Mobile Infantry from *Starship Troopers* with this 1/12 scale Mobile Infantry model kit, produced by WAVE. Standing approximately 18 cm tall when assembled, this model reproduces the motorised armour conceived for the Japanese edition of Robert A. Heinlein’s novel *Starship Troopers*. The design was developed by Kazutaka Miyatake of Studio Nue and subsequently illustrated by Naoyuki Kato, whose work has had a profound influence on the aesthetics of Japanese mechanical science fiction.

The kit captures the massive silhouette of the Mobile Infantry with its angular armour, various weapon systems and integrated thrusters. WAVE based the model on Naoyuki Kato’s 3D model, and Kato also oversaw its conversion into a three-dimensional model. The various joints, weapon components and thrusters are articulated in accordance with the original design. The hatch located at the head can also be opened, revealing a pilot’s head inside.

Technical specifications

• Manufacturer: WAVE
• Range / Collection: Starship Troopers / Mobile Infantry
• Manufacturer’s reference: PS-003
• Licence / Work: Starship Troopers / 宇宙の戦士
• Subject: Mobile Infantry / Powered Suit
• Original design: Kazutaka Miyatake – Studio Nue
• Illustration and supervision: Naoyuki Kato
• Planning / Development: Yoshikazu Asahina
• Product type: model kit / plastic model to assemble
• Scale: 1/12
• Height when assembled: approx. 18 cm
• Material: plastic
• Articulated parts: yes
• Movable parts: joints, weaponry and thrusters
• Head hatch: opens
• Pilot’s head: included
• Decals: included
• Assembly: glue required
• EAN / JAN: 4943209500031

Character background and universe (Lore)

The Mobile Infantry is the military unit at the heart of Robert A. Heinlein’s science fiction novel *Starship Troopers*. Unlike the more conventional infantry depicted in some film adaptations, the soldiers in the novel fight using heavily armed motorised suits, designed to significantly increase their mobility, protection and firepower.

The model reproduced here is therefore not taken directly from Paul Verhoeven’s 1997 film. It is inspired by the artwork created for the Japanese paperback edition of *Starship Troopers*, published by Hayakawa in 1977. Kazutaka Miyatake, a member of Studio Nue, conceived the Mobile Infantry, whilst Naoyuki Kato produced the illustrations. This mechanical design quickly became a major reference point amongst Japanese science fiction enthusiasts.

Its influence extends far beyond *Starship Troopers*. The accompanying material for this reissue presents this Mobile Infantry as one of the designs that helped lay the visual foundations for future Japanese ‘real robots’, thanks to its functional approach to armour, weaponry and mechanical systems. The WAVE kit aims precisely to recreate this historic interpretation in three dimensions, under the supervision of Naoyuki Kato and based on his own 3D model.