Action Figure Review: Finn Balor from WWE Elite by Mattel

 I'm a WWE fan and I think Mattel is releasing some incredible action figures in their Elite series but, let's be honest, often the figures are just different men and women in different trunks and boots. There just aren't as many "gimmick" wrestlers as there used to be. Enter Finn Balor, AKA the Demon. Finn is an Irish wrestler who is currently part of WWE's NXT. Balor is an incredibly talented wrestler and has some amazing entrances when he shows up wearing his demon themed body paint and entrance attire. Finn Balor here is a figure that might just grab your attention even if you don't have much appreciation for sports entertainment due to his incredible paintwork and unique appearance. Ready for a closer look at Finn Balor, part of Mattel's WWE Elite series 41? Then join me after the break...

The Facts:

Height: 6 7/8ths inches

Articulation:  Rocker ankles w/ hinges, calve swivel, double hinged knees, swivel thighs, ball jointed hips, swivel waist, hinged mid-torso, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel biceps, hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, and a ball jointed head.

Accessories: Headdress and two sets of demon tendrils

Non-Scalper Price: $20 dollars

 The Positives:

*  I totally repeat myself on these WWE Elite figures but it's just the truth: These are durable, well constructed, well articulated action figures. Honestly, I wish Mattel would opt to use this style of articulation on their DC comics figures. I like it way more than the standard DC Universe Classics articulation and I wish Mattel would adopt it there.

 * Let me assure you that there is a very good Finn Balor sculpt here. Of course, it's tough to see because of all of the paint. That's not a negative, though, as the paintwork is awesome. It's seriously what sells this figure. Finn uses this Gaelic demon inspired body paint for some of his entrances and it looks insane! He has so much presence when he uses this style. I had heard of Finn Balor but first saw him do the demon entrance when watching the Beast in the East event last Summer and I was amazed.

 * Turn Finn Balor around and you can see that the paint is just as detailed as on the front. There's what looks like flames and some dragon inspired wings. Mattel went all out on this dude and it shows.

 * And check out these cool boots and knee pads. How wicked, right? Not only are Finn's boots fiery looking but his knee pads have some awesome demon teeth painted on them. This figure seriously has some nice paintwork, particularly for a figure in this scale and sold at mass retail.

* Finn usually keeps his hair pretty short so this demon headpiece really changes the look of the figure and gives him a really unique appearance. It fits nicely on his head and looks incredible. What a crazy looking figure, huh? It's cool to see such a dynamic looking figure in this line.

  * Finn also comes with two sets of tendrils that clip over his wrists. These are really cool as they're definitely kind of similar to some of the strips of fabric and such he wears during his demon entrances. The various strands are either red or black and they just look wicked cool.

The Negatives:

*To be honest, I really don't have any. This is one of my favorite WWE figures in quite some time.

 While Finn Balor just lost the NXT Championship to Samoa Joe, he is currently the longest reigning NXT Champion with 292 days (Adrian Neville is second with 287 and Bo Dallas is third with 280. Yes. Bo Dallas). Who knows what plans WWE has for him next but it's a sure bet that it's just a matter of time until he hits the main roster. He's a stellar talent and if they time his arrival right, he could make a heck of an impact. Oh, and this figure? It's just as Epic as Finn Balor. Seriously, this one is worth picking up even if you don't like wrestling. He's just a cool looking toy in general!

I haven't reviewed any other Finn Balor figures, but I have reviewed plenty of other WWE figures from Mattel, including:

WWE by Mattel
AJ Lee (Series 53)
Bray Wyatt (Series 55)
Charlotte
Lana
Paige (Series 57)
Stephanie McMahon (Series 40)
Tyler Breeze

WWE Battle Packs by Mattel
Big E & Kofi Kingston
Konnor & Viktor 
Nikki Bella & Brie Bella (Series 38)

WWE Elite Collection by Mattel
Bad News Barrett (Series 34)
Bo Dallas 
Bray Wyatt
Bray Wyatt (Series 36)
Brock Lesnar (Series 37)
Cesaro (Series 33)
Damien Mizdow
Daniel Bryan (Series 38)
Dean Ambrose (Series 36) 
Dean Ambrose (Series 41)
Dolph Ziggler (Series 39)
Erick Rowan
Goldust (Series 36)
Hulk Hogan (Series 34)
John Cena (Series 40)
Kane (Series 31)
Luke Harper (Series 35)
Mark Henry (Series 32)
The Miz (Series 37)
Paige
Randy Orton (Series 35)
Roman Reigns (Series 38)
Rusev 
Ryback (Series 41)
Seth Rollins (Series 37) 
Stardust (Series 36)
Stephanie McMahon (Series 37)
Triple H (Series 35) 

WWE Elite Collection: Hall of Fame by Mattel
Sargent Slaughter
Stone Cold Steve Austin

WWE Elite Collection: Wrestlemania XXX by Mattel
Bray Wyatt

WWE Elite Collection: Wrestlemania 31 by Mattel
Seth Rollins (Seth Cashes In!)