The original Tron finally gets its due from Diamond Select Toys with Kingdom Hearts Select Series 3 from Diamond Select Toys. There have been very few great Tron figures, or even worthwhile collectibles, over the years. So it’s great to see the classic versions of the characters, even though they’re based on a video game appearance. The third wave of figures is based on the Space Paranoids world from Kingdom Hearts II. In the game, Sora, Donald Duck and Goofy travel to the Grid and meet up with Tron and face off against the villainous Sark. DST brings a few of these guys together in two 2-packs. The sets include Tron and Sora, as well as Sark and Goofy.
The figures are in stores now. Each set retails for about $25. You can check out my gallery and thoughts after the jump.
Kingdom Hearts Select Series 3 Action Figures by Diamond Select Toys
Pros
- Great looking Tron and Sark figures
- Articulation on Tron and Sark is mostly good
- Sora has surprisingly great articulation
- Nice sculpts overall
Cons
- Elbow articulation is severely lacking on Tron and Sark
- No Identity Discs included
- Goofy lacks any elbow articulation
- Misaligned paint in some areas
Overall
The figures are packaged in the standard “Select” book end style packaging. The figures sit in plastic trays held in by twist ties. The only accessory included is a Keyblade for Sora.
I was probably a bit over excited when these figures were announced. I had been hoping for reasonably priced figures from the original Tron for some time now. I feel it’s one of those licenses that, in the right hands, could be a hit with collectors. Based on sculpt alone, this is probably the best action figure representation of Tron and Sark from the original film ever made. There have been some great statues and busts, and even really hard to find 1/6 scale figures of the original Tron and Kevin Flynn. Pricing on all of those will prohibit most modern fans from ever owning them, so these two are a solid alternative. I mainly picked these sets up for Tron and Sark. I don’t have any real attachment to the other figures, so those felt like bonus additions to me. Getting four unique figures for $50 is a steal in this day.
Before getting into the meat of the review, Tron and Sark, I have a few quick notes on Sora and Goofy. Sora is actually a pretty stellar figure for the size and price point. Decent articulation, can hold the Keyblade with both hands, and no glaring quality control issues. Goofy is a little less successful. While the sculpt is spot on, he complete lack of elbow articulation makes posing him look a bit awkward. Just standing straight up though, he looks great with Sora and the gang. Paint is a bit hit or miss. There’s some paint bleed and misalignment here and there, especially where the blue lines are concerned.
Sculpting on the figures is outstanding, and are great representations of how they looked in the game. Articulation is great in some areas, such as the legs, while the arms are a bit frustrating. The legs have double jointed knees and ankle rockers by the feet. The placement of the elbow articulation, and the way the wrist gauntlets are sculpted, prevent any meaningful elbow movement. I wound up heating the plastic up with a hair dryer to get some of the poses seen here, but once the plastic hardened back up, I lost that bit of extra movement. So while you can plant the feet perfectly in most dynamic poses, the arms are just kind of there. The hands are sculpted to perfectly hold Identity Discs, but none are included, which is a really odd omission. Well the discs are there, but sculpted on the back. For this shoot, I used the oversized discs that were included with Medicom’s Tron and Sark Kubrik’s, which were actually perfectly sized for a 7″ scale figure. Paint work is fairly nice on these. Colors are spot on, with a great light gray body and vibrant blue and red paint used for the circuitry effects on the costumes. A few bits of sloppy paint application do pop up, but overall, they’re good.
I am ecstatic to own great looking figures of Tron and Sark, and actually hope that DST finds a way to include more Space Paranoids themed Kingdom Hearts figures in upcoming 2-packs. Limited elbow articulation on Tron and Sark, as well as a lack of discs are a bit disappointing. However, with classic Tron collectibles so rare these days, it’s hard not to recommend these. If you’re a fan of the game series, then you should be pretty pleased with the Sora as well. Check out some select photos below, and the full gallery after that.
Kingdom Hearts Select Series 3 - Toyark Photo Shoot
I really dig the classic characters in the str8 up stances. Shame they don't have the range for other posing. And your BGs rock here.
Oh man, didn't realize that there is a waist swivel on them lol...I tried to move that area on tron but he didn't budge so I figured there was nothing there. I wish the shoulder pads didn't prohibit the movement as much but that's pretty much my only gripe with them. Wasn't really expecting too much in terms of articulation to begin with. Awesome pics!
I managed to snag these on Amazon at regular price, and the Tron and Sark are great. I cannot understand why the license seems to be held so tightly, as I think plenty of people would snap up a run of Tron figures - I know I would. The only thing I can think of are likeness issues with Bridges and Cindy Morgan hold up the rest of the team.
It bugs me that these versions don't have discs, especially when the Minimates versions do.
Your shoot is eye candy as always Joe! And thanks for your review.
I was waiting for decent TRON action figures for what seems forever and when these packs were announced I was excited.
But why are the discs not included? They had just ONE accessory to do!
My only hope is that someone more talented than I can custom mold and sell some on eBay...
interested only in the tron and sark figs. if i get these, ill sell the other figs. you can probably dremel out the discs from their back
It'd actually be just as easy to make a mold of the disc on their back ( if you know how or know someone who does).
Just tried to move Tron's waist...holy shit, there's some serious grinding going on. I guess I'm good with never moving it again.
The thing that's good about the Tron Kubricks, which is where I got the discs from, is they're still really inexpensive. Like $20 - $25 for the Tron and Sark 2-Pack if you look around and are patient.
Ok now this i may have to get. Tron is one of my all time favorite films!
If only the Tron figures were available separately from those hideous KH characters...
^That. Skip the other stuff and release the Tron figures separately -- at a fair price. <sigh>
@ Joe: Thanks for the great photos and write-up.
The only reason I can think of to withhold disc accessories is swallow risk. Implicitly, this line is meant for children. So, it's doubly surprising that the Tron and Sark figures are so realistic compared to the rest.
Diamond has done single packs of their KH figures in the past so maybe? But it's not as if the 2 pack is really expensive anyway.
DST said late last night that Tron will be getting an alternate pack as a Gamestop Exclusive. No mention of Sark though.
Shouldn't be too long before they release the exclusive, should it?
Full Thread: KH Series 3 - Tron and Sark - Toyark Photo Gallery
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