Action Figure Review: Dhalsim (Deluxe Player 2 Exclusive) from Ultra Street Fighter 2: The New Challengers by Jada Toys

 

   Jada Toys is still on a slow but steady pace with their Ultra Street Fighter 2: The New Challengers line and even their deluxe releases of Player 2 variants are well worth your time and cash. For SDCC 2025 Jada had two deluxe exclusive sets available: Dhalsim and M. Bison. Today I'm checking out Dhalsim since I received him in the mail first and he was actually one of the Player 2 variants I was most looking forward to. Most of the World Warrior variants simply have different colored outfits and gear, which makes sense, but Dhalsim stood out as he had different skin tones. Well, a few others had slightly different skin tones, and Blanka changed, too, Dhalsim's P2 variants really seemed different. Why is he purple? It turns out that Dhalsim might have been intended to look like his body was covered in ash, a practice among Sadhus, or Hindu holy men. The ash is called vibhuti can be made from burnt wood, cremated human remains, or even burnt cow dung. That's an interesting detail that makes Dhalsim seem a bit more grounded and less like Street Fighter 2's version of Faker (and not a fakir). Not only is this a variant of Dhalsim, but it also contains some pieces for the standard Dhalsim and a second figure: The fiery sprite used for characters hit by fire attacks (like Dhalsim's Yoga Flame). Let's check out Dhalsim (Deluxe Player 2 Exclusive) after the break...

The Facts: Dhalsim

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: 8 swappable hands, 4 swappable portraits, 2 extended arms, 2 standard arms, 2 extended legs, 2 regular legs, necklace, 2 piece leg stand, 2 piece fire effect stand, Yoga Flame, Yoga Fire, and 2 bracelets.

The Facts: Flame Sprite

Height: 5 1/2 inches (curled and crispy)

Articulation: None

Accessories: None

Non-Scalper Price: $45 

Comparison:

* Just for fun, here's a look at the standard Dhalsim (left) with the Player 2 variant Dhalsim (right). They are the same sculpt, though this set includes new portraits and new hands for both figures. The Yoga Flame and Yoga Fire effects only come with this set, though. 

The Positives:

* Dhalsim is instantly recognizable and looks great, especially with this new color scheme. It's quite unique on the shelf! It's a grayish purple that's really appealing without being overly vibrant. He's definitely thinner than most other figures in this series, though he's not quite as slim as he appears in the games, where Dhalsim sometimes appear to be almost malnourished. I think the slender build is fine, here, though, and fits the character quite well. His trunks look good and fit the look of a Hindu holy man as they're simple and basic;  well worn with just a simple cord tied and knotted to keep them up.

* Everything the standard figure came with also comes with this version of Dhalsim, though the paint is subtly different. He seems to be somewhat influenced by the Kapalikas and wears a necklace of skulls around his neck. Apparently, these aren't just decorative skulls, either; they're the skulls of children from his village who died in a plague. Dhalsim wears their skulls as a reminder of them and to show his dedication to his mission as he competes in the Street Fighter tournaments to help raise money for the poor and the children of his home village.

* The silver circlets on Dhalsim's regular 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 nice with the figure and add a bit of dynamic flair when he's posed.

* This set comes with four swappable portraits, three of which are for the Player 2 variant. First up is a 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 the look of a video game sprite with an anime style. His face paint is lighter here, now pink rather than full on red. Perhaps it's toned down because of the ash he's covered with.

* Each of his portraits also has real metal hoop earrings. The ear is actually pierced and the earrings move around a bit.

* Dhalsim's second portrait is more expressive, showing him 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! This guy really seems like he's lost his chill. Maybe he just needs to step back, meditate, and then destroy you. 

* This is the new portrait and it's Dhalsim using his Yoga Flame or Yoga Fire maneuver. My wife got into Yoga for a few years a bit back and I always asked her when she was going to learn to breath fire. Older Street Fighter II sources say that Dhalsim could breathe fire due to eating a lot of curry (ala Super Smash Bros.), but now the story is that this ability is a blessing from Agni Deva, a Hindu god of fire. That makes more sense because I eat curry once a week myself and I've never breathed fire. Not one time. And believe me, I've tried.

* Something pretty cool that Jada has been doing is packing in alternate heads and hands for the standard figures with the deluxe releases. Want your regular Dhalsim to be able to perform Yoga Flame or Yoga Fire? Just pop this head on. It's nice to have so much versatility in the line. 

* Like most other figures in this series, Dhalsim's articulation is incredible. He uses pinless joints that function wonderfully and nicely blend in with the sculpt, meaning 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. Since he's a fairly thin figure without much excess gear to inhibit his movement, he feels like he moves even better than most of the other World Warriors. Take advantage of the included stands and you can really get him to do some impressive things.

* Three sets of hands are included for Player 2 Dhalsim: A pair of flat hands, a pair of grappling hands, and a pair of fists. The flat hands and grappling hands were included with the standard figure, though now they're cast in purplish-grey, but the fists are new for Dhalsim. Not only are they great for punching but they're useful for Yoga Flame poses as he clenches his hands into fists when using the attack. 

* Wait... is your original Dhalsim jealous because he doesn't have fists? Well, here you go: Jada threw in a pair of fists for the standard Dhalsim, too. How neat!

* Not only does Dhalsim have extra hands, but he also has extra arms to recreate his legendary flexibility and stretchiness.  Gum-Gum Rocket!  His extended arms swap out at the bicep swivel, giving him two rubbery, bendable arms that can be attached to showcase his mastery of yoga. He's a rubber man and he didn't even have to eat a Devil Fruit! How cool are these? They look awesome with a fist on each one and a bracelet, too. The fist and bracelet on these arms are not removable, just FYI.

* Dhasim also comes with swappable legs and they're crazy long and swap out easily as well. The joint is hidden in the legs of his shorts and these just swap out easily with no issues whatsoever. They're also pliable and flexible. Seriously, how cool are these? He can be incredibly tall, deliver powerful kicks, or just curl them up when he's sitting Criss Cross Applesauce. 

* A 2 piece stand is included to help keep Dhalsim's leg up in a kicking pose, or maybe even keep one of his extended punches nice and straight. It swivels at the base and has some hinges on so you can get it where you want it. 

* Let's talk about a new accessory: The Yoga Fire! Dhalsim spits this fiery projectile out of his mouth (like Bowser in the original Super Mario Bros.) to stop his enemies. Pretty wild! It's a simple effect with a blend of translucent colors and it's fun for making a battle scene.

* The included stand is different from the hinged stand above. This one is sturdier with a round tip on top (though you can get the Yoga Fire on that one with a little effort).  

* Next up is the Yoga Flame effect. Yoga Flame! I love it. This thing is wild in the game and the accessory is pretty cool. It's like a big burst of fire with a tip that fits right into Dhalsim's mouth. 

* Do you know what the best part of this figure is? The included figure of the flaming warrior. There's no official name for this, but it's instantly recognizable to Street Fighter II fans: Get hit with fire and you're flying backwards while on fire. This is a pretty solid piece that fits on top of the included thicker stand and it just looks really impressive. It's a great representation of the sprite from the game. I love the colors and the design. 

* This is a really neat figure. It's not articulated at all, so some may consider it just an accessory. If so, then it's one of the best accessories of the year. The paint is really cool and just captures the look of the flaming sprite from the game. The flaming edges are nice and choppy and look great. Obviously there no motion but they kind of feel like they're flickering, you know?

* What might be the neatest thing about the flaming warrior is that the outer layer of the figure with the flames and such is transparent. Inside you can see what looks like a red, burned, fleshy body. There's not really any discernible details that make this gruesome, but it is an incredibly cool effect. It kind of reminds me of the corpses from the McFarlane X-Files figures from 1998. 

The Negatives:

* My only complaint with Dhalsim is that the only stand that functions with his Yoga Flame is just too darn short to be used for it without having him down on his knees. It's the proper height for the flaming body, but not for the stand. But, if you use this for the Yoga Flame, how do you have the body on display too? We really needed two stands like this, one with a longer post.

   This is an Epic set and you're really getting a lot of good stuff here. Dhalsim on his own is fantastic, so just what was included with the basic figure was already very impressive, plus now you're getting the cool and unique greyish-purple color scheme. This set just adds more extras that you'll definitely want: The Yoga Flame and Yoga Fire accessories, a another alternate head and hands for the basic figure, and the flaming warrior figure. This is just such a cool pack. Again, I do wish a post for the Yoga Flame was included that was a bit taller, but I can't deny that this is probably my second favorite of the SDCC exclusives this year (my favorite is the Marvel Legends Snap/ Savage Land set). It's just terrifically executed and lots of fun. M. Bison's deluxe set is coming up for review sometime soon, too, along with Vega (who just arrived yesterday).


Looking for more of Dhalsim? I've also reviewed the standard Jada Toys Dhalsim and 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:

Blanka

Cammy

Chun-Li
Chun-Li (Deluxe Player 2 Exclusive)
Dee Jay
Dhalsim
Fei Long (Deluxe Player 2 Exclusive)
Guile
Ken
M. Bison

Sagat
Violent Ken (Deluxe)