S.H.Figuarts Avengers Loki Figure Review

When a Norse trickster god who looks like Tom Hiddleston tells you to kneel, you better kneel.

That's practically what I did when I found out Bandai was releasing their version of Loki from Marvel's The Avengers. Seeing as he's the best thing about that movie, I knew I had to have him. No need for the Mind Stone, I was willing to cough up $100USD out of my own volition.

Unfortunately, COVID came knocking and, thanks to a series of lockdowns all over the globe, my Loki was stuck in various customs offices for months. Thankfully, it arrived in one piece recently, and so here I am sitting in my office chair, ready to review this piece of action figure art! 

It was love at first box glance. Swathed in Loki's favorite green color and etched foil liveries, S.H.Figuarts Avengers Loki in box feels like a premium product. As a Premium Bandai (P-Bandai) Web Exclusive, I expected nothing less. But as much as I'd like to just stare at the box all day, the real fun happens when you take the fig out of it!

The detail on this figure is nothing short of amazing. Every armor piece is painstakingly sculpted and painted, and the different textures  and armor lines are well done at such a small scale. There's no denying that this is a screen-accurate depiction of Loki as seen in Marvel's The Avengers, and for a geek like me who's a stickler for accuracy, this is a godsend.

The biggest selling point of this figure for me was the likeness of Tom Hiddleston as Loki in the film, and on-hand S.H.Figuarts Loki knocks it out of the park. No matter the angle, the sharp, chiseled features of Hiddleston is apparent. Good job, Bandai!

S.H.Figuarts Loki has the standard Figuarts articulation scheme, most of which is unfortunately hindered by his costume. Even then, Loki's soft plastic coat is pliable enough that you can pull off some reasonable poses. As this is a $100USD figure, I'm not brave enough to find out just how pliable everything is.

I was pleased to find that S.H.Figuarts Loki is filled to the brim with some relevant accessories! Aside from the usual alternate hands, he comes with multiple faceplates that depict Loki's various emotions.

There's the default stern face, and then there's a smiling/laughing face that doesn't look like Tom Hiddleston at all, although I can forgive this affront to Tom simply because the shit-eating grin face is peak Loki.

There's also a muzzled Loki face, as seen at the end of Marvel's The Avengers and even Avengers: Endgame! The sculpting and paint on the muzzle looks great, and handcuffs are even included so you can live out your Loki fantasies display S.H.Figuarts Loki in full prisoner mode.

Loki ain't Loki without his Stick of Shenanigans (TM), and so we get not one but two miniature Loki's Scepter with the figure! The shortened scepter is painted well for its size and the details are accurate to the film, right down to the blue gem that holds the Mind Stone. 

An extended staff version of Loki's scepter is also included, and it fits into the figure's hands well.

To complete the look from the movie, Loki's iconic horned helm is also included! It comes in two parts for easy display changes, and you can even swap out face plates to mix and match. The sculpting on the helm is amazing and accurate, and I have to say the figure looks much better with it on!

Finally, a miniature Tesseract is also included with S.H.Figuarts Loki. It's cast in clear blue plastic so not much to say about it here except how dare you, Bandai. *Infinity War flashbacks*

But as much as I'd like to sing praises for S.H.Figuarts Loki all livelong day, it's not altogether perfect. For one, the figure's cape is just one solid piece of green goddamn cloth, with nary an effort of even the most basic pleating to give it a semblance of life. As it is, S.H.Figuarts Loki looks absolutely cheap when seen from the back, and not what I expected from a $100USD figure!

There's also the issue of size. Granted, I've known long ago that S.H.Figuarts and most Japanese import figures operate on their own scale, so I can't really complain about how minuscule S.H.Figuarts Loki looks beside American toy lines. But in my heart of hearts I wish Bandai injected just a bit more plastic into the mold, ya know? I mean, he's got Frost Giant blood in his veins, goddammit!

But ratty cape and sad scale aside, the verdict is clear: S.H.Figuarts Avengers Loki is the definitive movie Loki action figure. The accessories alone blow any other Loki figure out of the proverbial water, and it feels good to finally have an amazing toy of one of the best villains from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

More than $100USD, though. Yikes. Toy collecting is just getting more and more expensive every day.

I hope you found this review helpful! Join me in singing praises for Tom Hiddleston's Loki in the comments! Thanks for reading, and don't forget to wear a mask and maintain social distancing!