#KINGDOM HEARTS CHARACTERS TOYS SERIES#

All the circles and points you would expect are present, molded in a silver plastic with red accents and black handles. His weapons - referred to as chakrams, apparently - are damn-near identical to their digital counterparts. The coat itself is made from the same hard plastic as the rest of the figure, which restricts articulation, but I’ll go into more detail later. The sleek, almost form-fitting black coat is elegantly recreated and bears the appropriate accents, such as the silver zipper and drawstrings.

Personally I like this iteration, but can also understand why someone wouldn’t.Īxel’s clothing is more representative of the in-game model.

The signature details are all there - such as the facial tattoos and spiky red hair - but this can’t be considered a 1:1 rendition of the character by any means. The face looks a bit more realistic than fans may be used to, making Axel look a bit off. Here, this plastic rendition is instantly recognizable even from a distance, but closer inspection may raise a few eyebrows. I suspect Axel will be the headliner for most people, having been embraced by fans due to his backstory and overall role in the stories. The second set contains Axel, King Mickey, and a Shadow. The grinning face and cartoonish helmet look fantastic, as do his impish boots, pointed fingers, and a perfect Heartless crest on its torso. This enemy design has always been a favorite of mine from the games, and it has been perfectly recreated in three dimensions here. Lastly, we have the lowly Heartless Soldier. Unfortunately, a visible seam where the lower jaw attaches to the rest of the head marrs an otherwise great looking figure. Its head is the standout here, from the perfectly recreated crest on the upper flat surface, to the eerie mouth within a mouth. The detail work is minimal but accurate, with raised black stripes and silver studs accenting the primarily white body. It features a lithe body with elongated limbs and a vaguely shark-like head, just as the in-game model did. It stands taller than Sora - albeit with help from a transparent display base, due to the design of its feet. The Dusk has proven to me more captivating in person than I originally expected. Thankfully, none of those small touches get lost anywhere in the sculpt, with my personal favorite aspect being the crown necklace positioned on the chest. You can kind of see a few thin lines molded into his hair if you look closely enough, but for the most part it appears as though Sora is wearing a spiky brown helmet.Īll of the detail work on the body is a much better representation of Tetsuya Nomura’s brand of character design, bearing all of the zippers, belts, and buckles you would expect. His eyebrows, lips, and eyes are all well sculpted and clearly defined, but his hair suffers from rather soft, bland detailing. His head sculpt is decent, featuring his trademark wild hair and a goofy smile.

#KINGDOM HEARTS CHARACTERS TOYS SERIES#

Sora is clearly the standout here, being the primary protagonist of the video game series and the character most fans will gravitate toward.

The first pack consists of Sora, Dusk, and a Heartless Soldier. Past DST releases have seen some incredible artwork printed on the panel, but here we only get a rather bland image of the Kingdom Hearts logo. If I have one complaint about this packaging, it would be with the side panel. What’s more, each figure is nicely displayed and clearly visible within - an important note for those who prefer to keep their collectibles sealed. Series 1 of the Kingdom Hearts action figures consists of two packs containing three characters each - not counting several store exclusives - resulting in minimal wasted space inside the blisters. While some collectors have complained of the sheer size of this packaging in the past, it makes total sense here. The traditional DST packaging is used again here, featuring a large blister pack with a cardboard backing and side panel. Those who collect Diamond Select Toys’ other lines of detailed action figures will see a familiar sight. As a part of this, Diamond Select Toys has released a set of 7” action figures. Believe it or not, the long-gestating Kingdom Hearts III will see the light of day in the near future - and an onslaught of related merchandise is ramping up.

Kingdom hearts characters toys