Shuri was finally released in the Marvel Legends line in 2019 as part of the 2nd wave of Endgame figures that also contained Rescue, War Machine and the Endgame Hulk BAF. The wave was rounded off with comic book figures of Rock Python, Union Jack, Beta Ray Bill and Loki.
Packaging 3/5
Shuri is packed in the same packaging colour design as used for Rescue and War Machine and that is consistent with the other Endgame single release - except she carries the Black Panther logo at the front of the box. This is the first of quite a few inconsistencies with this release and if this is indeed a Black Panther Shuri then why have Hasbro deviated from the usual plan of following previously laid out colour schemes and not given Shuri the golden figure back drop or the blue and gold accented art work.
The artwork for Shuri sits on either side, and is Shuri from Black Panther with the blue coloured inlaid costume and her neck and jaw piece in place. This is not necessarily what we will get when we open the figure?
The back of the box carries the same artwork and the brief background text.
"The mastermind behind some of Wakanda's most advanced technologie, Shuri designs and distributes Vibranium-powered gear to Wakanda's greatest warriors and allies."
Once open, Shuri is presented with one of her Panther Vibranium claws attached to her right hand and the other separate. Hulk's left leg is also included.
Paint & Sculpt 3/5
In hand, it is clear this is not quite the Shuri we see on the box or in this costume in Black Panther. The costume is roughly the same, but has no blue on it at all. The jaw and chin piece is missing completely. In reality this is more like an Endgame Shuri from the final battle, and was most likely developed from concept art - hence the colour variations.
What we do get is a good likeness to Letitia Wright with the face print technology used to not only give us the facial features but also the tribal markings on her forehead and lip. The eyes are a bit too wide and staring as though she has just had a shock. The hair is part of the head sculpt rather than an individual piece and is tied up into a bun on top of her head, and then painted in black and brown to add texture.
The costume, while missing the brighter blue tones, is intricate with varying panels and textures throughout. It is painted in parts with neat gold lines down the central torso and wider sand coloured panels on the legs. The arms have upper ringlets sculpted and painted in silver. A shirt section is added over the costume as an individual piece and this carries a nice cloth texture and has an intricate belt buckle design picked out in gunmetal.
The feet are quite plain and on my figure they are cast in different shades of plastic with the right foot being glosier black than the left. Not sure if this is the same on all Shuri's (let me know) or whether the factory simply changed plastic half way through casting.
Accessories 3/5
Shuri comes with her Vibranium powered Panther Claw gauntlets. These are identical and not handed in any-way. They are cast in a grey plastic with no paint applied - which is a shame as there is a lot of detail in that cast panther head.
They attach via a clip on the inner side of the claw which is a nice tight fit round Shuri's wrist to keep them in place.
The Vibranium blue translucent effects are OK, but they are sadly fixed so there is no easy way to remove them if you'd rather not have them in your display. It would not have been outside Hasbro's gift to make these interchangeable.
Articulation 4/5
Shuri has a total of 16 points of articulation, the standard for a Marvel Legends female figure. The head, arms and upper torso all move well and the joints are tight and quite wide reaching so there is some good fight poses for Shuri if you wish.
Of course if Hasbro can crack the double jointed elbows on such as slim arm then we would be in a much better place.
Head : ball joint pivot neck
Body : ball joint torso
Arms : ball joint shoulders, single joint rotating elbows, wrist pivot
Legs : ball joint hips, thigh swivel, double joint knees, ankle rocker
The legs are a little more restricted thanks to the skirt piece, but wider battle stances are possible. Shuri stands perfectly fine with tight and secure ankle rockers and good flat feat positions.
Summary
Shuri is a welcome addition to the Legends collection, either as a Black Panther or Endgame version. Technically, despite what the box says, she is a closer match to Endgame although even then the blue is sadly missing from the costume.
Paint is also missing from the claws and it would have been nice to have the option to remove the FX pieces.
Articulation is good however, and the paint throughout that is applied is neat and tidy. The head sculpt too is well done. I score Shuri a solid, just above average, 3 out of 5 with the potential to be higher if they would correct the colouring and packaging.
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...
action figures, reviews, review, articulation, marvel, legends, black panther, mcu, shuri, hasbro