"Change is not always growth, but growth is often rooted in change."
Hasbro’s Dungeons & Dragons Golden Archive series of 6-inch figures was initially launched to bring us characters from the 2023 movie Honour Among Thieves. It has now branched outwards into what they are terming Dungeons & Dragons ‘Lore’ releases - figures and creatures based on the long history of D&D. One of the first of these is a new Drizzt Do’Urden figure, celebrating the character's 35th Anniversary and working with author R. A. Salvatore.
This new Drizzt release utilises the same packaging as the other Golden Archive figures. This is essentially a squared-off box with an upper hanging tab, but with a small cut-out on the right corner that does perhaps nod to the dice used to play games of D&D. The base colour of the box is black but with a lot of golden scrollwork surrounding an illustrated image of Drizzt. The figure itself is pictured as an insert and detailed further on the reverse. The front image also includes a replicated signature of R. A. Salvatore and the figure release is named as “R. A. Salvatore’s The Legend of Drizzt”. While the opportunity is not taken on the reverse of the box to add some character detail, there is a short piece of text on the side spine that talks about the 35th Anniversary of Drizzt. The packaging is plastic-free so there is no window, and inside the figure is held in a plain cardboard insert - but is beautifully wrapped up in waxy paper that also carries the R. A. Salvatore signature.
This is not the first 6-inch scale Drizzt figure that Hasbro have released, and back in 2020, we had a Heroes of Icewind Dale Drizzt Do’Urden released as a two-pack with Guenhyver. I had expected this new release to borrow heavily from the first figure - but in reality, there are hardly any re-used parts with just the feet, upper thighs and upper arms obvious. Drizzt has been developed based on his very early appearances and the figure looks more youthful than the 2020 release. He is wearing a grey undersuit over which are burgundy armour panels - applied as either sculpted parts or soft plastic overlays. The majority of these panels work fine, but my figure did arrive with a poorly applied shoulder armour which sticks out at the top.
The body is devoid of any significant paint application, being cast in the base colour. There is paint detail added to the bronze rivets of Drizzt’s armour, and to the black straps with gold buckles of his chest piece. The whole body is lacking a wash or weathering to give the armour a more worn look. The head is a younger Drizzt and very smooth in its features. It is difficult to talk about likeness when there is nothing other than the R. A. Salvatore novel illustrations to go off. The head does use some applied decor to blush up the cheeks slightly and add more realistic eye detail. One of the eyebrows on my figure is painted more pronounced than the other which sadly looks odd.
Drizzt comes with his green cloak which is made in a rubberized plastic piece, cast in green and with white fur-painted trim. This fur is messy in places bleeding onto the green of the clock and like the rest of the figure, needs a wash to add definition. The cloak fits over Drizzt when posed in a neutral stance, the hood sitting snugly against the head. Any motion in the arms does push the cloak up and back spoiling the look a little. We also get a strange accessory, a translucent green piece that is not named or described on any of the promotional materials. Fans will know that this is meant to be the Crystal Shard, Crenshinibon, from the 1988 story in which Drizzt made his debut. The accessory is replicated well enough as a translucent green shard, but Drizzt does struggle to hold it and it will be best served as a diorama piece alongside the figure.
Accessories include Drizzt’s twin scimitars Icing Death and Twinkle. Twinkle appears at first to be the same accessory as the 2020 release, but is slightly shorter. Icing Death looks entirely new. Both swords lack a bit of definition but are painted well so you can see the gold scrollwork on Twinkle, and the red gem eye on the pommel of Icing Death. The swords can be sheathed with two working sheaths attached to Dizzt’s belt. These are too far forward on the figure and due to that position the swords clash with the upper body and cause the weapons to bend. They would have been better served sitting further back like the original figure - and as seen on the artwork on which the figure appears to have been based. The only reason I can see is that putting them around the back would have maybe interfered with the cloak.
The first figure came with twin effect pieces to attach to the sword to recreate their magical powers. This 2023 release reduces that to one piece, a more fluid-looking effect designed for Icing Death but that will also slot over Twinkle if you wish.
There are a single set of hands included with Drizzt and these as we have seen can’t really hold the Crystal Shard. They also struggle to hold the scimitars as they seem to lack length in the fingers and thumb that is turned too far inward. Once the weapons are in place they are not overly secure. There are 21 points of articulation across the figure, all pinless. The torso joints do see another clash with the sheathed swords, interfering with the rotation. I also found the ankle rockers a frustration in getting Drizzt to stand with the left foot in particular not articulating far enough to sit flat. This tendency to fall back is worse with the cloak as that adds extra weight.
This 2023 release of Drizzt Do’Urden sadly does not improve in any aspect on the first release other than providing a differing look for Drizzt based more on his early novels than the Dark Alliance videogame that inspired the first figure. Considering the exclusivity and higher-than-normal retail price on Drizzt it is disappointing he comes with some quality issues like the misplaced shoulder armour and the uneven painting on the face. The figure also suffers from the restricted ankle rocker operation, the design of the hands, and the odd positioning of the Scimitar sheaths. Drizzt represents the start of an awesome figure but needed a bit more love in terms of his execution and additional parts as well as a wash to weather him, his armour and his cloak. The positive here though is Hasbro’s intention to further explore the D&D lore and bring us characters and creatures outside of the recent movie and allow us to grow our D&D collection. The next logical step - as it was in 2020 - is to continue with a focus on the Heroes of Icewind Dale, and the real beauty of these figures would be to see them displayed together as a party of adventures, just as D&D intended.
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About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...