Playmates Toys and Stan Sakai, the cartoonist and comic book artist that created the character Usagi Yojimbo, had a surprise figure in store for fans. This Usagi Yojimbo figure is an exclusive by Stan Sakai himself, and was temporarily available on his website and sold out in record speed. Usagi Yojimbo made his return on the current Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series, and joined forces with the Turtles when they were transported into his dimension to save a child he protects from ancient evil.
This figure has a limited product run that is less than the San Diego Comic-Con 2017 exclusive, and is a color variation featuring black deco on the clothing and a red sash.
Follow Stan Sakai on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and read his Recent Articles to see what is coming up next.
Thank you to Stan Sakai and his team for providing their exclusive Toys Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Stan Sakai figure for review.
Availability: December 2017 – Extremely Limited
The packaging features artwork showcasing Usagi Yojimbo in black and white, on the front and sides, along with the logo and a detailed background that resembles an old piece of drawing paper. The images and logo have a glossy finish over it, and Usagi Yojimbo is holding his swords on the front, and bow and arrow on the sides. The back of the box is a message by Stan Sakai, along with artwork showcasing Usagi Yojimbo fighting a villain. The inside flap has additional artwork, and this is also where Stan Sakai did the signings and drawings depending on which version of the figure you picked up at his store. The figure is stored in a window box and plastic tray, with the handles of his swords carefully wrapped in plastic to protect the paint.
Usagi Yojimbo is a rare variant figure that is exclusively available to purchase from Stan Sakai himself, the creator of the character. The figure is a repaint of the previously offered release, and is painted in a black robe and a red sash. The robe has white trim along the chest, with white circles and black dots on either side of the chest. The head sculpt features his likeness as seen in the animated series, and the facial details are also slightly different than the standard release, with the eyes now black as opposed to pink. The black deco on the face is also sharper than previously releases, making it more black and less faded. Most of the head is smooth, including the long ears that are bent backwards, but there are some sculpted hairs on the backside of the head, as well as the center of the back of the head as well as the cheeks. The ears are tied together on the top of the head that is left white, as opposed to painting the scrunchie.
The pants are sculpted thin on top, and spread out as they go down to the feet, and have some sculpted bevels that are nicely detailed around them. The feet are in sandals that are painted in orange, and the ankles have a swivel joint. Sculpted to his waist is a non-removable sheath for his swords, which can fit in nicely. The sheath is painted in black, and has some sculpted textures on the upper part that is painted in red, with the rest of it being smooth.
Just like the San Diego Comic-Con release, the handles on the swords are painted, and this time it’s metallic gold with metallic green deco. This is very nicely done, but be careful when placing it in and out of his hands, as the green deco on the swords could start to rub off. Also included is a bow and arrow that can fit in one or both hands.
Overall, the black deco on the robe makes him stand out compared to other figures offered in the current series, which looks more appealing to the eye. The extra deco on the sword handles and refined facial deco really make him stand out nicely. Fans of the character, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will definitely want to add this one to their collections, but know that because of the scarcity of the figure and the production run, most fans won’t be able to purchase one.
Purchase:
