The GX-03 Combattler V was the first combining Soul of Chogokin. He comes with a ton of accessories packed in a styrofoam coffin, ready to assemble. But how does this Combattler V compare with the classic Popy toy? Is it a worthy successor? Read on to find out.

Combattler V is made out of 5 vehicles:

	Battle Jet becomes the head and is all plastic. The two spinning blades on the side are removable
	Battle Crasher forms the chest. Wings slide out from the side. Booster jets have to be added on the back of the shoulders in jet mode. These are removed and stored in robot mode.
	Battle Tank becomes the torso, and is mostly metal. The treads are real rubber, and rotate smoothly. The antenna move up and down, and the claws retract from the body. The claws are very hard to get in and out, but s you transform it a few times, it gets easier.
	Battle Marine forms the legs of combattler. A small wheel descends from the cockpit, and wings fold out on the sides and rear. The wings on the side have a tendency to fall off. Battle Marine also comes with brackets to carry Battle Tank, but Battle Marine is too rear-heavy to display in this mode.
	Battle Craft forms the feet and features spring loaded wheels and push out drills. small locks fold out inside to keep the two halves together.

Transforming Combattler V is pretty simple:

1. Slide the top and bottom of Battle Jet apart to reveal the face. Remove the spikes on the wings.
2. Remove the jet exhausts from Battle Crasher, fold up the wings, unfold the arms, and open the chest cavity. Insert Battle Jet, then lock in cavity. Pull hands out of arms.
3. Push in the claws of Battle Tank, then move the treads to the back position.
4. Snap the Battle crasher into Battle Tank.
5. Fold down the wings and landing gear of Battle Marine, and compress the hip joints.
6. Insert the cockpit of Battle Marine into the back of the Battle Tank firmly.
7. Separate the two parts of Battle Craft, and then push the yellow top parts into the legs of Battle Marine.

As with all other SOC releases, Combattler V has many accessories and weapons, including:

1. Atomic Bomber
2. Twin lancer (a metal twin lancer was offered as a Hong Kong exclusive)
3. Super Electromagnetic Spin
4. Closed fists
5. Super Electromagnetic Yo Yo

The Twin lancer can be combined into one lance, and attaches to the hands via a peg in the palms. These same pegs also hold the Yo Yo. The Atomic Bomber, variant fists, and Electromagnetic Spin all clip onto the arms once you have pushed the hands back inside. All accessories nicely fit onto the display stand.

Combattler V can also transform into Grandasher Mode, with the help of some extender bars for the tank treads.

I think the GX-03 is a fantastic toy, but like all Soul of Chogokin, it is not without its flaws. For one, the toy is very floppy, especially in the feet. If not balanced properly, it's going to fall over. Also the shoulders do not like to keep certain positions due to looseness. The other major complaint is the claws on the Battle Tank are impossibly tight. Trying to get them to come in or out when the toy is new is frustrating to say the least. Also, the tread assembly on the Battle tank, when in robot mode, tend to fall off.

Still, Combattler V is one of my favorite Soul of Chogokin toys. He is loaded with metal, and he is fun to transform. Now only if Bandai included the missile firing gimmicks of the original DX Combattler V. I still prefer the sheer mass of the original toy, but this version is a welcome modern rendition of a classic character.

Combattler V was first released in Japan in June of 1999, and retailed for ¥13,440. Bandai re-released the GX-03 in October 2004, but without any changes to the toy. A black version, GX-03B, was released in July of 2000.