Minifigure Review: Fisto and Stridor from Masters of the Universe: Revelation Eternia Minis by Mattel

 

  

 A couple weeks ago I reviewed the first of the figure and vehicle packs from the Masters of the Universe: Revelation Eternia Minis series and today I'm checking out the second: Fisto & Stridor. What's funny is that while this set is released under the MOTU: Revelation banner it could easily fit in the main Eternia Minis line as well as both of these are very vintage inspired toys. While Fisto does appear briefly in Revelation (this figure was also released in the single carded Revelation Eternia Minis line) Stridor does not. Well, not technically. At the beginning of the series Faker, disguised as He-Man, rides into Castle Grayskull on what appears to be Stridor. It turns out, though, that it's Night Stalker in disguise! So, yeah, Stridor doesn't even technically appear in the show. Still, this is a cool set and since I have great memories of receiving the vintage Fisto and Stridor set in my Easter basket as a little tyke I'm always partial to these two paired together. Let's check out Fisto and Stridor after the break...

The Facts: Fisto

Height: 2 1/8ths inches

Articulation: Swivel waist, swivel shoulders, and a ball jointed head.

Accessories: None

The Facts: Stridor

Height 3 1/8ths inches

Articulation: Swivel neck and swivel hips (x4)

Accessories: None

Non-Scalper Price: $10 dollars

Comparison:

* The Fisto included in this set (on the left) is almost identical to the single carded Fisto (right). What's different? This Fisto has redder hair and his purple torso armor seems to have a bit of a glitter effect in the plastic. He doesn't come with a sword, however, which the single packed figure does. 

The Positives:

* Fisto still looks like Fisto, and that's a good thing. He has a look that captures everything you love about most previous versions of the character. Purple and silver banded armor? Check. A big, red beard? Check. A giant metal fist? Check!

* Fisto fits in perfectly with the rest of the previous mini MOTU figures. His stylized appearance looks great and I love the detail on his beard. Very manly! He looks like a pretty intimidating toy for only being around 2 1/8ths inches.

*  These little guys have four points of articulation which may not seem like a lot except you gotta consider they're only a little over 2 inches tall. That's not bad for that scale! They're very durable little figures and would probably fit in well with lines like Imaginext and the Hasbro Heroes figures, so if you have a little one who's into MOTU these could be some decent starter toys. They're fun to play with and have a lot of shelf presence!

* Fisto's massive metal fist looks fantastic. These are really simple toys but the design on this is pretty solid. Imagine getting clobbered in the face with a punch from this beast? Dang. That's gotta hurt!

* Stridor looks really good in this scale and style. The colors are excellent and he definitely gives me a very nostalgic feeling. He's been simplified and redesigned just a bit to accommodate a figure riding him but overall it's a nice look. My biggest complaint is the missing laser cannons on the sides but I'll get to that in a minute.

* The headsculpt is fantastic. I love how truly horse-like he looks here. I'm also digigng his battle helmet. If there's something a robotic horse truly needs it's a helmet.

* The back of Stridor shows off his rear mounted laser turret and his tail. It's cool to see these details here and overall they look pretty swell.

* Stridor has a nice amount of articulation with his swivel hips and his swivel neck. You're not going to get any crazy poses out of him but it's more than I expected. It's more than the vintage Stridor had, too!

* Rather than sit in a cockpit the rider actually straddles the saddle more like on a real horse. Well, they're standing on a platform with a footpeg at least. Fisto stays on securely and looks good riding his epic mount.

The Negatives:

*  Like on the standard figure the silver bands of armor on the front don't go all the way to the back. They're sculpted but only one of the bands is painted. It seems like a cost saving measure which is kind of disappointing. 

* I'm a bit disappointed Mattel included the same figure with this set that they just released. Want the sword? You gotta buy the single pack. Want Stridor? You gotta buy this pack. A repaint or a different figure would have been very welcome. 

* Stridor is missing the laser cannons on his sides and that's a big loss. How cool would it have been if they were removable and could be used bythe figures like the Skeletor and Roton set?

   I really like this set but the fact that we're getting the same Fisto again (without his sword) and Stridor with no laser cannons mounted on his sides detracts from my enjoyment a bit. It's still a Good and a 1/2 set and if you didn't pick up the previously released Fisto figure you'll probably be even more satisfied with it. It is a fun set and I do look forward to getting this mold again as Night Stalker but hopefully the figure selection will be better on that release. It'll likely be Jitsu but hopefully with a cooler repaint.

If you're a Fisto fan, check out my review of the MOTU: Revelation Eternia Minis Fisto, Fisto from the M.U.S.C.L.E. Masters of the Universe #1 set, the Loyal Subjects' Fisto, the Mega Construx Fisto and Fisto & Cliff Climber, and the Club Grayskull Fisto.

If you're a fan of Stridor make sure to check out my reviews of the vintage Stridor and the Masters of the Universe Classics Stridor from Super7.

For more reviews from Masters of the Universe: Revelation Eternia Minis check out the following:

Beast Man 

Beast Man & War Sled

Fisto

Metallic Whiplash

Skelegod  

Whiplash