Action Figure Review: Dhalsim from Ultra Street Fighter 2: The New Challengers by Jada Toys

 

   Jada Toys' Ultra Street Fighter 2: The New Challengers is the Street Fighter toyline I've always wanted. The figures are incredibly well articulated, come with great accessories, the character selection is wonderful, and they're quite affordable. I'm amazed that Jada Toys showed off the complete cast of 16 characters from the Street Fighter 2 era at SDCC 2024 and have started teasing some other characters, too. I mean, how companies would you expect to launch a series with 16 core characters and show them all ready for release in less than a year after the line has started. Usually companies like to drag their feet and not reveal the full main cast until later in the line. God bless you, Jada! You know what we want! Today I'm checking out another of the series 2 figures: Dhalsim, the Yoga mystic from India who can stretch his body beyond belief. Let's take a look at Dhalsim, a guy that loves meditation and curry, after the break...

The Facts:

Height: 6 inches

Articulation: Swivel/ hinge ankles, shin swivels, double hinged knees, swivel thighs, ball jointed hips, ball jointed waist, balljointed mid-torso, swivel/hinge shoulders w/lateral pec hinges, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, balljointed neck, and a barbell jointed head.

Accessories: 4 swappable hands, 2 swappable portraits, 2 extended arms, 2 standard arms, 2 extended legs, 2 regular legs, necklace, 2 piece stand, and 2 bracelets.

Non-Scalper Price: $25 dollars

The Positives:

* Dhalsim is instantly recognizable and looks fantastic, like he just stepped out of the game or one of the anime shows. He's definitely thinner than some of the other figures though he's not quite as slim as in the games, where Dhalsim sometimes appear to be almost malnourished. I think the slender build is fine, here, though, and fits the character still. His trunks are really cool. They're very basic and look like they're well worn with tears and fraying on the legs and just a simple cord tied and knotted to keep them up.

* Dhalsim seems to be somewhat influenced by the Kapalikas and wears a necklace of skulls around his neck. Apparently, these aren't just fake skulls; they're actually the skulls of children from his village who died in a plague. So Dhalsim now wears their skulls as a necklace. It's not as morbid as it sounds, though, Dhalsim competes in the Street Fighter tournaments to help raise money for the poor and the children of his home village.

* Dhalsim has silver circlets on each of his wrists. The ones on his standard arms are removable (when you pop the hands off, that is) while the ones on his "stretchy" arms are not. I love how they're actual separate pieces and not just sculpted on. They look really neat and just seem very dynamic when he's posed.

* Dhalsim comes with two portraits. First up is a regular portrait showing Dhalsim looking pretty serious. He's a very focused guy and he's sporting a white bindi on his forehead. That's seen as a mark of piety and it's located at a place on his forehead that is considered to represent the third eye and the ajna, the place where concealed wisdom sits. The sculpt is excellent and captures this line's aesthetic well with a nice mixture of video game sprite and anime style.

* Dhalsim has two hoop earrings, one in each lobe. They're actually little metal rings. How cool is that? Each of his portraits has them. 

* The second portrait is more expressive, showing Dhalsim letting loose. He might be a mindful mystic who doesn't seek to truly hurt his opponents or kill them, but that doesn't mean that there aren't times when he just has to let loose with some yoga fire. I love the open mouth and the angry eyes! Does anyone else hope that someday Jada will release a set of defeated heads on their website? I could see that being a cool pack. Embrace Japan put out a set of these a few years back as little statues. I'd love to see these as a pack of headsculpts on Jada's Next Level site.

* Dhalsim's articulation is incredible. Pinless joints that function wonderfully and nicely blend in with the sculpt. Dhalsim can take nearly any pose you desire and he'll look good doing it. I would gladly put Dhalsim's articulation up against figures from any other company, including imports. It's that good. I mean, look how effortless this yoga pose is!

* For regular hands Dhalsim comes with two pair: A pair of grasping or grappling hands or a pair of flat palms. They're easy to swap and let you change up his poses nicely.

* Let's talk about extra arms! Dhalsim has two of them. His extended arms swap out at the bicep swivel, giving him two rubbery, bendable arms that can be attached to show case his mastery of yoga. How cool are these? They look awesome with a fist on each one and a bracelet, too. 

* Dhasim also comes with swappable legs. They're crazy long and swap out easily as well. The join is hidden in the legs of his shorts and these just swap out. They're also pliable and flexible. Seriously, how cool are these? Let him make some super impressive kicks or effortlessly dunk the ball; he's down for all of it.

* To help aid in some poses Jada Toys also included a 2 piece stand that helps keep Dhalsim's leg up in a kicking pose. It swivels at the base and some hinges on t to get it where you want it. 

   I would say that Dhalsim is my favorite figure in this line so far. He's just an impressive looking figure with incredible articulation and a really fun gimmick with the swappable limbs. You're really getting your money's worth here as Jada packed a lot of value in here. This is an Epic figure! I'm really hoping that we'll see a variant of Dhalsim with the grayish-purple skin the flame effects. Jada has been releasing some nice deluxe sets through their Next Level site and Dhalsim seems like an ideal candidate. I've got a few more Ultra Street Fighter 2: The New Challengers reviews coming soon, so stay tuned.

Looking for more of Dhalsim? I've also reviewed the Dhalsim M.U.S.C.L.E. mini from Super7.

For more Ultra Street Fighter 2: The New Challengers reviews check out the following:

Chun-Li
Ken