While different in tone than some, the Dragon Quest franchise deserves to be held in the same regard as the rest of video game royalty, and we are finally getting some AMAZING figures.
Dragon Quest has been a part of the video game landscape for over 30 years. In 2018, the series reached its 11th installment, and that, coupled with several spinoffs, helps to make for no shortage of adventures and characters for gamers and fans to enjoy. A role-playing platform, the adventures and world are immersive and complex, and while the Slimes are by far the most well-known characters to casual observers, many of the characters from the series, including Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age are now getting their due thanks to the relatively new Bring Arts line. Both game and figure imprint being a product of Square Enix, this marriage makes perfect sense.
Bring Arts is essentially the execution I have been waiting from SE. The Play Arts Kai, etc., are cool figures, but their scale and stylized nature fall outside of my usual collecting habits. This new imprint speaks to my exact preferences, though, and Dragon Quest is a nice jumping off point for me. I have never been a diehard fan of the series as immersive role-playing style games are just something I have never had the time or commitment to fully engage, but the story and design elements are things that have always appealed to me. The announced figures all look great, so it seems we will have a very nice collection in just a few short months.
They are starting with the “Hero” of DQXI, and for this installment, he is being titled the “Luminary” who is eventually given the name of Erdrick. Adopted and raised in a small village called Cobblestone, he sets out on the fateful journey of his destiny at 16, after he learns he is the reincarnation of an ancient world-saving hero. Adventuring around Erdrea, the Luminary will be joined by Erik form DQXI, and then other prominent characters from the game series in upcoming Bring Arts releases, all filling classic character and design archetypes to make for a well-rounded collection that I am looking forward to building.
If Square Enix wanted to join the figure space currently inhabited by heavy-hitters in Bandai and figma, they are certainly making a big splash with this release. These Dragon Quest characters have very interesting and intricate character designs, highlighted by very colorful palettes, and I have to say that, right out of the box, this Luminary figure is very, very impressive. Yes, I know that SE has been making action figure for a long time now, but any time a new imprint is in its infancy, there are some bugs to work out, and since this is my personal first foray into the line, color me impressed. There is a LOT to take in here, and the best way I can describe the release in simple terms is that it feels like an SH Figuarts or figma release, and I mean that in the best possible way.
Along with the figure itself, you get four swappable hands to help facilitate the use of the other accessories, which include: the Cobblestone sword, Hero’s sword, Hero’s shield, Slime, Kurucchi, Fish Hero, and base. While the box is of a pretty good size, needless to say, it is packed to the gills, so if you like options, you most certainly get them. One of my favorite things about action figure releases is getting a little “sidekick” or accompanying small character with a main release (the original TMNT line got me into it, and did it so very well), and the inclusion of the Slime, Kurucchi, and Fish Hero (SPOILER ALERT! (it’s the Luminary)) make this a great release for this, times three. This figure averages between $60-70 USD online, so it is most certainly not cheap, but at least you get a LOT of extras included to help buffer that out of pocket cost.
All of the accessories are certainly nice, and while all of the little pack-in characters will make the display shelf, I think I actually like the more simplistic Cobblestone sword for choice of weapon. The Hero’s sword is just a bit too garish for me, and that is ridiculous, I know, since these are very much Japanese in terms of design and style (designed by the same person who does the DBZ designs, I believe), but sometimes, straightforward is best. The costume colors being what they are, they just kind of clash with the gold and blue of the Hero’s sword, so I am totally good with my choice here. Again though, it is very nice to have the options.
For a collector-grade, and somewhat complex figure, everything about this release is actually pretty damned impressive, and that is hard to ever say that about something with so many parts, joints, and materials. However, the fact is, this figure has a beautiful sculpt, even more impressive paint applications, and an articulation scheme that is on-par with the other Japanese collector lines you have been buying for awhile. So, where do we go from here? I guess first, I would say that if you are a Dragon Quest fan, or a fan of good action figures in general, go ORDER THIS FIGURE RIGHT NOW. If pressed to say much more, as crazy as it sounds, I think the boots are my favorite part of the figure. I have never said that before, but the design and impressive paint applications really make them unique, and they certainly stand out. The paint should be mentioned overall, too, because the hair, outfit, and just about everything else have multiple paint hits, and there is some very nice subtle shading throughout.
The articulation scheme is most certainly in-depth, and the number of points put this figure on the same level of just about any other super-articulated figure I collect, but if I had to pick a weakness in the figure, it would be here. Seriously though, it is not like it is bad, because it most certainly is not, but I have a weak ankle on this figure, and the shoulder joints are extremely stiff, so it makes me a bit worried to move them too aggressively. My main nit with with the articulation through, is while the points are ample, the figure just doesn’t pose or move as nicely as some other figures I have. Yes, the numbers are there, and all of the joint choices make sense, but the Luminary is still a bit stiff, if you understand what I mean.
That said, this is still a great figure and one of the better recent surprises I have gotten. I have never been fully immersed in playing the Dragon Quest series, but I really appreciate the story and the character designs, so I look forward to adding more Bring Arts figures of these characters to my collection. The sculpt, paint, and accessories are most certainly high points, and with all of the little figures included with this and upcoming releases, this collection is going to get pretty big pretty fast.
