Archile's End of the Year Best and Worst of 2025 Part II

 Time to finish the fight, now in plastic, for the second time.

 Unlike the last year, I was ready this time, so I had a much easier time making these lists, plus, since there were less figures to cover, it was easier to make. Well then, time to go on, right? But first, we have to cover the two Star Wars sub Categories!

Best and Worst Star Wars Figures

Runner-up) Anakin Skywalker (Ahsoka)

 This figure is a mess. Most of its articulation is outdated, which is surprising since the General Kenobi figure was so good, but even if I ignore that... the arms are just too long, this figure NEVER looks good, no matter the angle, no matter the pose, there's no way that this figure will ever look good. At least it has decent soft-good pieces, and the head sculpt is actually really good, which is the only thing that kept this guy as the runner up...

Loser) Captain Poe Dameron

 Because this Poe figure doesn't even have that going for him! Terrible sculpt, terrible articulation and it doesn't even look like the actor! The Sequel Trilogy was so bad that it even spawned terrible action figures.

    

Runner-up) Nightsister Merrin

 It hurts having Merrin's run on the lists end here, because she is truly an exceptional figure, but that's simply just how fantastic the winner is...

Winner) SDCC Anakin Skywalker & Obi-Wan Kenobi

 But what can Merrin do when facing the excellence of this two-pack? Both action figures are exceptional, being the best figures that The Black Series have EVER released, and the included diorama is such a cool extra... Honestly, I don't see how The Black Series will ever top this.

Best and Worst Action Figures of 2025

 Well, my friends... now it's time to end the lists, these are the best and worst figures I played with this year. 

8) Anime Heroes Aiolos

 Anime Heroes actually had the least bad showing this year. Aiolos is not so much bad as it is limited. Because the sculpt is pretty good, the golden plastic is quite flashy... but armor just limits his articulation so much that it hurst. I'm sure that there were ways to allow him better movement, but they preferred to put the sculpt first. Not a good idea when dealing with Action Figures. I'd buy a statue if I wanted a good sculpt!

7) DC Direct Brainiac (New Krypton)

 Another figure that prioritized sculpt over articulation, but this one is even MORE limited, with elbows and knees that don't even hit 90 degrees, but also an arm that comes off and an overall unappealing design. I just wanted a Brainiac figure. The classic green and pink look just isn't for me, and the one I like the most is the blue-skinned one from TAS, but... I went with this. Maybe I didn't need a Brainiac.

6) S. H. Figuarts Okarun

 A Figuarts below DC Direct figures? Well... yeah, because I actually expected better from Tamashii Nations. As a matter of fact, this figure was actually on my Most Disappointing list for a while before I decided to put other figures there. I mean, there's a reason I gave it three Worst Of awards this year. Ugly sculpt, limited articulation, problems just standing up... Tamashii released more than a few blunders this year, eh!

5) Marvel Legends Blood Storm

 Storm got done dirty. For a figure released in late 2024, this kind of dated elbow articulation is just unacceptable, add to it those lanky legs that aren't even pinless, and a version of Storm that I think nobody ever wanted... There's not much good I could say about this figure. Maybe that at least it came with a BAF piece?

4) Power Rangers Lightning Collection Dino Charge Red Ranger

 But this guy didn't even include a BAF piece. And the worst bit about him? Despite how tight his arms are, he has gone up in price a lot. There are other expensive Rangers, but they are usually really good figures, this one has NOTHING going for him, so if you want him, you have to overpay for a poorly engineered figure. Lame!

3) Star Wars The Black Series Captain Poe Dameron

 Hasbro took their job seriously when it came to making figures from the Sequel Trilogy, because they managed to capture the quality of the films in a single figure. I'll give it this much, having this guy is a good point of comparison to see just how much the Black Series has evolved. How now they manage to capture the likeness of the characters much better, how now they go for sleeker sculpts and better joints, and how even the packaging has improved. So, thank you Poe, for showing me just how much this line has improved.

Runner-up) Game of Thrones Legacy Collection White Walker

 The entire Legacy Collection is a mess, but this one had the most issues I've had with any figure from this line. While other figures lost arms or legs and I had to superglue them back together, this one only lost a wrist... but it doesn't mean much since he has two right biceps. But even if he had the right(heh!) biceps, they can't even hit a 90 degree bend. At least the sculpting and the paint is good, I mean... Jon Snow and Daenarys didn't even look like their actors, and I think he sorta looks like a White Walker, so that's something... I guess.

Loser) JADA Toys Robocop 3.0

 I would've never expected to have JADA as the Winner(Loser?) of the Worst Action Figure of a year, but here we are. In their defense, this figure came years before their resurgence with Street Fighter, but still. I think the single key element that says everything that needs to be said about this figure... is that the elbows can't even hit a 90 degree bend forward... but they go beyond if you bend it backwards. I thought I got a dud that came with the wrong arms, but... nope, I looked up Robocop's design, and the arms are right, it's just that the engineering is so bad. At least he can turn on his visor, right? Because once the battery dies, his visor will be black, while it was red in the movie. Brilliant design choice!

8) DC Direct Batman Rogues Gallery The Penguin

 The worst of the best! This is another one of those figures that is so lacking on the articulation front that it might as well just been an statue... but the sculpt is so deliciously good that I just can't help but give it a pass. So much work went into this guy that I just can't hate it, so I'll take the hit on the articulation so that I can have a devilish looking Penguin figure!

7) Anime Heroes Sabo

 There's been so much Sabo this year, Jesus! But, well, he is my favorite One Piece character, and it's not my fault I got two great figures depicting him! In Anime Heroes case, this is a really good rendition of his initial black ensemble, and the simple design is a great match for Anime Heroes simplicity. Yeah, this is a great budget Sabo, and if it's the only one you could afford you'd be pretty happy with him.

6) Power Rangers Lightning Collection Crimson Hawk Ryu

 Equal parts Street Fighter and Power Ranger, Crimson Hawk Ryu was a figure that didn't need to be made, but it got made and we are all the better for it. A great looking design that translated beautifully into plastic, with a nice amount of accessories to display him with and the line's standardized articulation that let's you pose him in all sorts of ways... An excellent offering from the line, and unlike the Dino Charge Red Ranger, this one's very cheap!

5) Savage Crucible Who-Man

 Who? Who-Man, of course! Medieval action figures just don't get any better than this, the guy seems tailor made for me, with the beautiful fire-y swords and the gorgeous golden armor, this is, like, my ideal medieval fantasy hero... and as much as all his spikes hurt my fingers, it's hard to keep my hands off him, because he is such a fun figure to pose.

4) JADA Toys Sagat

 And the only way to clean my palate from the awful Robocop 3.0 figure would be to write about JADA's modern work, in this case, Sagat. He is such a beast! Sagat is massive, which allowed JADA to have fun sculpting all his muscles and giving him a mean ol' face or two. I don't think there was ever any doubt that JADA would continue to make fantastic action figures, and all of their Street Fighter offerings this year was excellent, even their Cyberpunk 2077 were top of the line, but I had to go with Sagat because he is just this extra bit more badass than any other figure they have released so far. Let's see if they can somehow top themselves next year.

3) S. H. Figuarts Sabo

 Anime Heroes' Sabo was perfectly fine for what it was, but if you are willing to hurt your wallet a bit more... Figuarts did the best 6 inch Sabo figure on the market. It's so good that I eventually wound up preferring this look to his original one, because playing with him I realized just how many cool poses I could hit with Sabo looking like this. It's a fantastic little work of art that I kept playing with every now and then this 2025, and I still think it might be one of the finest figures Tamashii Nations has released. And now, finally, I'm done writing about Sabo!

Runner-up) Marvel Legends Nemesis (Build-A-Figure)

 Just like I wrote on the previous entry, this figure is too cool for a Marvel Legends, with the amount of gritty detail and the color scheme, this looks straight out of DOOM. And, yeah, this might be one of the most Heavy Metal figures I own, if not the most, and I've loved posing him as a villain to various different groups of figures this year, always trying to find excuses to just pop him in my displays. It's a badass figure in every single way. 

Winner) Star Wars The Black Series SDCC Anakin Skywalker & Obi-Wan Kenobi

 It almost feels like cheating because this is a pair of figures, but... you can't talk about this pack without mentioning the Diorama, and who'd get the Diorama, Anakin or Obi-Wan? I just can't help it but value it all together. And, well, both of the action figures are spectacular. They are the best figures that have come out of The Black Series before and since, and no other has matched either one. From the likeness to the characters and actors, to how they made the sculpt of both characters look layered, to how smooth they made the cuts for the joints making both figures look very sleek... and that's not even getting into the lava-floater diorama that takes both figures to the next level. This was one of the most annoying action figures to get EVER. While working I would refresh Hasbro Pulse over and over again HOPING I'd see it back in stock because Pulse Members had bonus time to get it. Then, while walking back home, I'd see that it briefly came back in stock and I hated EVERYTHING. And then I woke up the next day VERY early just for a chance to get it... and I did! And I was so happy. It was such an ordeal. But, y'know what? It was worth it. I HATED having to do it, but when I finally had it on my hands... it felt like such a treat! This was everything a Prequel Fan could've ever wanted and then some. Much like JADA, the Black Series team is gonna have a hard time topping themselves next year.