Welcome to our review of the Marvel Legends Erik Killmonger, part of the Okoye Build-a-Figure Black Panther wave from 2018. Killmonger was released alongside MCU figures of Black Panther and Nakia, as well as comic book figures of Black Bolt, Namor and Iron-Man. All but the Iron-Man figure included parts to allow you to build an MCU Okoye 6 inch figure.
Packaging 5/5
Killmonger is packed in the standard scooped side packaging. The Black Panther colour scheme is really striking with a golden backing card that contrasts well with the black of the packaging and the black colouring of the Killmonger figure. To either side the artwork is draw with blue and black hues and it also brings in the gold with some highlights on the helmet and claws.
On the rear of the packaging is a picture of the figure, albeit with a slightly odd pose with one of his weapons. To the side of this sits the usual short bio text
"A warrior of physical and mental strength, Erik Killmonger slashes into battle with unrivaled intensity"
Sculpt & Paintwork 3/5
The figure on the whole is cast in a dark plastic with a good amount of sculpted detailing around the suit and the head. These intricate patterns are very impressive at this scale - but the painting of them is pretty poor as you can see from the images below. The gold is almost dry brushed on rather than painted neatly to match the pattern. The eyes are also not quite right with one not fully painted.
Beneath the paint the head is a good shape and a decent match to what we saw on screen.
The necklace piece is painted much better and is bright and bold with those silver teeth segments. There are a couple of other gold highlights around the waist and wrists and these quite a bit neater to the head thankfully.
As you handle the figure more you will als start to see the body is not quite what it first appears. While the body parts are cast in a dark plastic there is a pattern painted on top with black and this gives him another dimension in terms of mimicking the fur of a Black Jaguar and its striped patterns in very subtle dark shades.
Articulation 5/5
Killmonger includes a second set of hands in the pack, allowing you to have two clawed hands or two holding hands - or indeed a combination of both. These slot in and out of the wrist segments really well with a satisfying click.
The figure boasts an impressive 21 points of articulation, a couple more than the standard male buck. The head is ball jointed as usual with a good range of mobility thanks to the pivot on the ball peg, There is a ratcheted chest section which bends forward and back, and then the waist will rotate. The legs have ball jointed hips, thigh swivels, double jointed knee joints and ankle rockers. The arms see the extra joints having had two butterfly joints added next to the shoulder which allows the shoulder and arm to be pivoted forward or backward. The arms then go into the usual ball joint shoulder, bicep swivel, double jointed arms and wrist pivot.
Accessories 4/5
Killmonger comes with two of the tribal weapons he arms himself with at the climax of the movie when he is about to face down Black Panther. These are cast in slightly softer plastic which does make them very prone to warping in the pack and coming out a bit skewed.
THe spear is very well sculpted with wound twine round the handle and blade. This is painted a sandy brown while further trussing on the blade is a dark brown tone - the blade is then silver. All the paint apps are neat and well executed. The blade is a little plain in comparison being made up of a large hatchet type blade in silver, and a black handle. Upon closer inspection the handle is a similarly wound twine effect.
The weapons can fit in either of the two gripping hands provided so you can adjust how Killmonger brandishes the weapons. The grip is not overly secure so there is a bit of work needed to hold them in the position you want them to be in. It might have been good to have a way of mounting the weapons on Killmongers back when not in use - this is how we see them in the movie, albeit at that point he is not using the Golden Jaguar suit.
With the articulation and these weapons you wont be short of posing opportunities for Erik. My favourite is to get him on a flight stand (not included) and have him leaping into battle.
Summary
Erik Killmonger is first and foremost a well sculpted and well articulated figure with a huge array of display options and posing - using either the alternative hands or the weapons provided.
The head however is a let down with messy gold paint on what should have been the most detailed part of the figure. I'd have liked to see more care taken over this. Looking at the 2-pack version with Everett Ross (released after this one) the paint seems to be crisper, so if you aren't chasing down the Okoye BAF then that might be the one to go for?
I score Erik Killmonger a just above average 3 out of 5. Great sculpt, body decor and articulation spoiled by the messy head decor.
