The Ultimate Foot Soldier is headed your way as part of NECA”s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Classic Cartoon Series, and you will be able to find the figure at Target in the U.S., and Zavvi – U.K. for international fans. This Foot Soldier is based on the episode “Trouble’s Afoot” from the classic cartoon, and introduces Alpha One, a new smart Foot Soldier created by Krang and Shredder to lead the Foot Soldiers in battle against the Turtles, as Rocksteady and Bebop proved to be incapable of winning. Their new creation leads a revolt against them, and it takes the combined effects with the Turtles to defeat him.
Thank you to NECA Toys for providing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Classic Cartoon Series Foot Soldier Ultimate Figure for review.
Availability: July 2021
The Ultimate Foot Soldier is packaged in a window box with an opening flap, and the artwork pays homage to a VHS cassette box from the 80’s and 90’s, and captures the artwork of the original cartoon on the cover. The packaging also includes logo’s and artwork on the sides, and images of the figure, a still from the cartoon, and a description on the back. The opening flap includes an image of Alpha One along with other Foot Soldiers, and the figure is packaged in a plastic tray along with his accessories.
The Foot Soldier use the same sculpt as offered before, which continues to be an impressive one for this figure. The hips however are completely new as they are ball jointed, and replace the swivel-hinged joint that have come with the previous offerings. This was probably replaced to reduce the risk of breakage, and allows better movement than previously offered. The figure has two shades of purple, which are actually lighter than the previous offerings, and is also painted in black, light grey, with a yellow foot symbol on his forehead, and yellow eyes.
What sets this figure apart from the previously offered Foot Soldier figures are all of the accessories that are included, such as the new head sculpts and several other new accessories that we have not seen yet. First off, he comes with six sets of interchangeable hands (3x grip, fist, open hand and karate chop), and two of the grip hands are new, including one being a trigger finger hand set. He also includes a communicator with Krang on the screen, two throwing stars, and several blasters that he previously came with, including the one with the retro 50’s sci-fi vibe to it.
What is new is the fan, the sword with the jagged blade, and the spear. Also included is a mutagen canister, two smaller blasters, the Security Guard hat, and of course the interchangeable head sculpts. The sculpt and deco on the accessories are also excellent as NECA has captured this perfectly.
The Security Guard hat can fit over either one of the standard head sculpts, and pays tribute to the first episode. The alternate head with the yellow foot is also a nice nod to Alpha’s episode, and if you decided to buy multiples of this figure, make sure to use that head for army building. The Alpha One head is obviously the best offering in the set, which not only gives us a brand new character for the collection, but also came out great with all of the sculpting and attention to detail. To swap out the heads, make sure to heat it up with a blow dryer first, which helps prevent breakage.
The articulation is the same as the previously offered Foot Soldier figure, with the exception of the new hips as mentioned above, as well as the ankles having a hinge-swivel joint, which allows it for a bit more ankle stability in wide stances.
Overall, The Ultimate Foot Soldier is an excellent figure and a welcome addition to the line. Getting the interchangeable heads is what makes this figure worth getting, especially with the Alpha One head sculpt that you need to place on it.
The figure is now starting to show up in-stores in the U.S., so make sure to get out there and pick him up!
Purchase:
Additional figures are available on Entertainment Earth, BigBadToyStore, Hobby Link Japan, Things From Another World, Zavvi – U.S./Canada and Zavvi – U.K.
