First off, Figma figures are action figures. They just have more features and accessories than your standard action figure does. Figma figures, for example, will often come with multiple hands, faces, and other parts and accessories so that you can pose and display your figure in a wider variety of ways than you can with a typical Hasbro figure, for example.
Focus on Attractiveness and Aesthetics
Another thing that makes Figma figures unique is the focus on making the figures attractive, specifically making sure the faces are visually pleasing and accurate to their on-screen counterpart. Figma figures are made to attract people who buy anime figurines/statues, but are looking for something that has some more versatility, since figurines are stationary by design. According to the official Figma website, Figma figures are described as “a collection of PVC action figures that incorporate both ‘Beauty’ and ‘Articulation’ in their designs”.
Why Are Figma Figures so Expensive?
I have a whole article dedicated to the reasons why action figures are so expensive as a whole. For a more detailed answer to this question, I recommend checking that out. Basically, licensing fees, cost of materials, cost of labor, cost of distribution, and inflation are all factors. There are some other factors with Figma figures, however, that contribute to higher price tags.
- An older audience – Figma figures are targeted at an older audience than the typical Fortnite action figure you’re going to see on the shelves of Target or Wal-Mart. Older demographics tend to have more money so they can be charged more.
- Quality – Figma figures offer a level of quality that is lacking in your run-of-the-mill action figure. People are willing to pay more for that quality, specifically for the PVC plastic and the detailing.
- Rarity – Figma figures are not mass produced in the same manner that Hasbro’s lines of action figures are.
- Demand – People are willing to pay higher prices for these figures, therefore the company has no problem charging high prices.
Are Figma Figures Worth the Money?
This is it subjective. If you feel that the finer detailing, additional accessories, PVC plastic, and articulation makes it worth the money for you, then it’s worth the money for you. For me, yes, they are worth the money. I buy the Overwatch Figma figures, and I can say with absolute certainly that they are much better than their Hasbro counterparts in terms of accuracy and articulation.
I’ve never really liked action figures made for human characters because of the inaccuracy, sloppiness, or uncanny nature of the faces. I don’t have any of those complaints with Figma’s figures—at least when it comes to their Overwatch and anime figures.
Pricing is not so much an issue for me because Figma Overwatch figures do not come out super frequently, with only four figures being released in 2019, and only two the previous year. Also, I look for good deals on eBay when possible. Though, you always need to keep an eye out for scammers when shopping for expensive toys on sites like eBay and Amazon. Knockoffs are big problem, but if you know what to look out for, you can avoid them.
Hasbro Ultimates Overwatch vs Figma Overwatch
A great display of the difference between Figma figures and Hasbro figures specifically in this case can be seen when comparing Hasbro’s Ultimates line of Overwatch figures with Figma’s Overwatch figures. The quality difference can be seen when comparing the faces of the Hasbro Ultimates Tracer figure with the Figma Tracer figure.
The difference is more than noticeable. While the Hasbro Ultimates figure (right) looks fine when not compared to its Figma (left) counterpart, when you put the two side by side, its clear that the Figma figure is superior. The precise detailing, texture, and coloring of Figma figure is just objectively better and makes the Hasbro figure look sloppy by comparison.
The Figma Tracer also wins out in the area of articulation, being far more posable, and therefore able to achieve more personality.
Finally, let’s talk about parts and accessories. While the Hasbro Ultimates figure does come with some cool stuff—handguns, muzzle flares, and extra hands; the Figma figure has it beaten in this category as well. The Figma Tracer figure includes:
- 3 different faces
- 2 handguns
- Her bomb
- 10 different hand poses
- A display stand
Figma of course wins in the department of accessories. I should mention that having a lot of accessories is not necessarily unique to Figma figures. There are other companies that do this for their figures as well, but generally mass-produced action figures by companies such as Hasbro and Mattel aren’t going to include all of these accessories.
Who Are Figma Figures Made For?
Generally, Figma figures are more suitable for older audiences, and I wouldn’t really recommend getting a Figma figure for your seven year old due to small pieces that can easily be lost or eaten, some very sharp pieces, and some delicate parts that can easily be broken if you were to get rough with them.
Conclusion:
The Figma action figures line is produced by Max Factory and distributed by Good Smile Company. You can find Figma figures made for characters from video games, Marvel, DC, numerous anime, and more. Their figures are high quality, highly detailed, contain many accessories, and, of course, are pretty expensive. These figures are great for people who like action figures but might be looking for something a little more attractive, or “pretty”, for lack of a better way of putting it. If you’re looking for these characteristics in an action figure, it might be worth looking into what Max Factory has to offer with their Figma figures.