Do you ever add a new action figure collection to your collection and immediately wonder what you have gotten yourself into? Well, with the new figma release of the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Link and Zelda figures, I have gotten a tingling of that, and, man, it is a good “problem” to have.

Legend of Zelda is riding a bit of a hype train right now with the release of the new Nintendo Switch system and the first Zelda game native to the console, Breath of the Wild. While there is not a Link (or Zelda) figure based off of that game quite yet (the Jakks Pacific version should be hitting soon), Good Smile Company, via their extremely popular figma imprint, timed the release of these two figures quite well to coincide with the press that the property is getting. This release is significant to me personally as well because, while I don’t have much of an attachment to the TP game, this is actually my very first real Zelda figure, and Link might be the best figma I own. If you are looking to avoid TL;DR with this, here is your takeaway: both Link and Zelda are AMAZING action figures, and have a ton going for them.

When these figures were announced, I actually spent a couple of days waffling on them because, even though I could tell they were going to be impressive figures, my lack of experience with the game was holding me back. Legend of Zelda is my favorite Nintendo property, but my desire to get figures based on the classic NES and SNES games is really strong, so each time figures are announced that are not those, I feel a little gut-punched. However, since I have a Link Between Worlds figure holding a pretty good approximation to the classic Link, I decided to swallow my angst and get on board with both of these. In fact, I bypassed the standard release Link and went straight for the DX (that is, Deluxe) figure with added weapons and accessories.

As you can see by the sheer number of pictures here, there is a LOT to cover. Trying to get my head around how to discuss everything included with these figures (especially Link) was daunting in and of itself, so I had to just go right for it and keep this very much on task. As I said, Link is probably the best figma that I own, and Zelda is no slouch either, so I want to give them each their due here. I am going to start with Zelda, and not because of some outdated code of chivalry, but simply because, due to Link’s deluxe status, she does not have quite as much to cover.

PRINCESS ZELDA

I wasn’t lying when I said this is the first real Zelda action figure I have ever owned. Sure, it’s not the first to be produced (I have an 8-Bit Dots Zelda), but all previous incarnations seemed to fall a little short for me. So, while I have waited an inordinate amount of time to add this important and titular character to my collection, boy, was this figure worth the time. Much more than Link, Zelda’s costuming and designs have increased in detail and complexity, and she has come a long way from that 8-bit look in a plain green dress. Or blue dress. Or red dress. It really did depend on your ring status when you took down Ganon in that original adventure.

She has also come into her own in terms of characterization, so while rescuing her is still a large part of the overall mythos, Zelda has become much more active in shaping her own destiny, even in the face of constant evil. Her Twilight Princess design, and subsequent figure, reflects that well, and even before you start posing the figure or play around with the included accessories, Zelda already has a lot going on. To say her costume is very adorned and complicated is a definite understatement, but even for a figure in a long dress with gaudy shoulder armor, she moves about pretty well. I like that Zelda has been brought into stories as a more active player in the game, so her figure needed to be able to handle the various implements and weaponry supplied.

From a movement standpoint, I have to say that, above the waist, she moves as well as you would need her to. That is to say that, even with her large golden shoulder armor, her articulation allows fluid movement and the natural posing that you would expect from a figma. The ornate detailing, especially in the armor, is integrated as well as you could possibly imagine while maintaining a good range of movement. Most of this is due to unique shoulder articulation, which, if not obscured by that armor, would be rather unsightly. But leave it to Max Factory/Good Smile/figma to figure out a solution. Sure, the range of movement in the head is more limited (even with the articulated hair), but I had already resigned myself to that long ago.

Now, naturally, due to the dress, Zelda’s lower half does not move nearly as well as the top, but I have to say that it moves a lot more than I was expecting. When you get into dresses, robes, and log capes, you find yourself in a trade off of form and function. I am a tried and true supporter of plastic as I HATE soft goods, and if companies like GSC keep making advances, the future is looking bright. So to answer the first question, yes, Zelda is a fully articulated figure, and while they are obscured by the dress, she has hips and legs every bit posable as Link. Of course, therein lies the challenge with that dress, but any limitation of movement is not due to lack of trying.

Zelda’s dress is sectioned in several pieces, and they are actually articulated together to allow the dress to move to allow for more varied posing. It is in several sections and they can all move mostly independently of each other. Now, you are not going to get any high kicks or horseback riding capabilities here, but it is a pretty good balance between retaining the integrity of the look of the dress, and being able to achieve a bit of variety in posing. At the very least, you can get natural poses with Zelda as she wields her various weapons. Speaking of …

Zelda comes with some nice a varied accessories:

• Figure stand
• Alternate face plate
• Fist hands
• Grip hands
• Arrow-grip hands
• Closed hands
• Splayed hands
• Sword
• Bow
• Arrow
• Accessory bag

This is actually pretty standard in terms of number for a regular figma release and with these, coupled with the quality of the figure, I feel it makes Zelda worth every penny in terms of her price. I love that TP allowed Zelda some action abilities, and she looks great with both her sword, and especially her bow and arrow. The arrow is, of course, ridiculous in terms of design, but the extra given to the figure to ensure it can pose very naturally in a a rather complicated arrow-shooting stance is very much appreciated.

This Zelda pretty much has it all, and even though I would rather have a figure based off of a classic game appearance, this figure is certainly nice, and an incredible first Zelda figure for me to own.

DX LINK

As nice as Zelda is, due to the deluxe status, Link really shines here. I think Link was going to be the easier win in terms of constructing a successful figure due to his more streamlined and accessible outfit, but as you can expect, it is the accessories that put him over the top. His outfit stays pretty true to the iconic look that has stood the test of time, and while Zelda’s royal dress is ornate and perhaps a touch over designed, Link’s duds are intended for plenty of derrying-do, so posing him is absolutely not going to be a problem. I do want to mention that, like Zelda, the designers seemed to go out of their way to ensure that Link can be posed with his bow and arrow naturally, so his shoulder joints allow for an incredible range of movement, and he even has two specialized hands to help properly grip is bow and arrow.

While the standard version of Link comes with a nice amount of accessories, this figure is absolutely LOADED with stuff, and I actually cannot recall ever getting a figure that included more. So, here it is:

• “Serious” face plate
• Yelling face plate
• Mask
• Fist hands
• Grip hands
• Splayed hands
• Arrow-grip hand
• Bow-grip hand
• Sword
• Sheath
• Hyrule Master Sword
• Hyrule sheath
• Shield
• Mace
• Hookshot
• Hookshot chain
• Bow
• Arrow
• Figure stand
• Accessory bag

Okay, so did you get all of that? I am not entirely sure what accessories are unique to this DX release over the standard, but I wish I had multiple figures to display all of these goods. First and foremost, it is cool to get the hook shot and mace, and they are fun to play with, but pretty cumbersome to pose, especially on the shelf. I am not at all minimizing them because I love the real chains and such, but aside from some action pictures, I am likely not to display them. I had to take over 80 pictures just to cover everything included with these figures, so I do have plans to come back and revisit them for some more dynamic posing. Someday.

That said, of all of the accessories, I think the bow, arrow, and plain sword are my favorite. The design of the modern Master Sword is getting a bit stale for me, but the other sword, while plain, is solid with a good design, and much more imposing. That said, while I always pose my Link figures brandishing his sword and shield, this will be the first time I have a Link wielding his bow and arrow. This figure just looks so damned good doing it (and natural), that I would be doing it a bit of a disservice by just tossing the bow and arrow in the accessory bag and forgetting them. Posing the figure with these pieces is really fun, and definitely impressive due to the well-conceived engineering of the figure.

Well, I think I am going to cut it off here because honestly, I could go on all day long with these two figures. For not keeping the Twilight Princess game close, this Link and Zelda are simply two of the nicest action figures I have acquired in my recent memory. Taken on their own merits, I could possibly imaging wanting more for a figure, especially with this DX Link. He literally (almost) has it all in terms of accessories and he feels every bit worth he $65 asking price. If you value yourself as a LoZ fan and figure collector, I HIGHLY recommend both of these, and they are still available, so go and get them. These guys are going to keep me busy taking tons and tons of pictures, so I hope to be back soon to share more.