Review – Masters of the Universe Classics Dragon Blaster Skeletor

After reviewing Draego-Man a few days ago (review here) I thought it might be fun to review another Masters of the Universe Classics dragon, and this time Skeletor gets into the fun with his enslaved dragon. Dragon Blaster Skeletor didn’t get the most favorable of reviews (both the It’s All True review and Poe Ghostal’s review aren’t glowing), but where others weren’t fans of the dragon I personally find it to be a great design.

Dragon and Armor

Skeletor’s armor, left manacle, and the dragon are all connected by a chain and create the “Dragon Blaster” look inspired by the 1985 action figure (see he-man.org). The armor is what we expect from the Masters of the Universe Classics series (neat, clean, and works nicely), but it’s the dragon that really surprised me. Where I was expecting a design with a bit more articulation (the dragon’s head is ball-jointed and the rest of the design is static) and a meaner sculpt we get an accessory that’s a lot closer to the original action figure. This dragon’s an accessory to Skeletor and not a separate action figure.

A Different Skeletor

Above you can see the Dragon Blaster Skeletor action figure next to the original Masters of the Universe Classics Skeletor that has the alternate head from Demo-Man (review here). The forearms and lower legs (greaves) on the new figure are different from the original and, as other reviews (Poe Ghostal’s review, The Fwoosh review) have pointed out these parts were first used on Whiplash and Kobra Khan. The changes are minor, but standing the two figures next to each other it is nice to see that Mattel did a little more than the basic Skeletor with a new accessory.

Paint

Dragon Blaster Skeletor is one of those Masters of the Universe Classics toys that was cast in black plastic and then painted (see this “Ask Mattel” at It’s All True and other than some sticking joints — which worked free after playing with the toy — my Dragon Blaster Skeletor isn’t suffering from the practice. But I have seen some photos of toys where the paint rubbed off to reveal black so I can completely understand the objections to black plastic.

The painted details on Dragon Blaster Skeletor are far more impressive than on the original Masters of the Universe Classics Skeletor and show just how far the line has come. Spots of paint on the loincloth, painted nails, and more paint apps on the head are just a few of the improvements. But the paint isn’t perfect — there’s some splotchy red on the armor — though it is better than I’ve encountered on some of the other action figures in the line.

That Dragon on His Back

So while I do love the look of the dragon I do have one serious complaint with it: the weight of the dragon accessory throws off Skeletor’s balance so much that getting the action figure to stand upright takes a lot more time than it should. I decided to make life easy on myself and use one of the Castle Grayskull Stands for the photos, but once I get this guy on display I’ll need to either buy more stands or find another solution. I’m not sure what Mattel could have done to solve the weight issue, but it really is an issue and I hope they find a solution (bigger feet?) before releasing another figure with something massive hanging off its back.

Closing Thoughts

Dragon Blaster Skeletor isn’t the best action figure in the 2012 Masters of the Universe Classics action figures — I think that honor goes to either Draego-Man or Castle Grayskullman — but it’s a great update to a classic action figure and I personally find the dragon accessory sculpt far more fun than others do. Those big, goofy teeth and the silly over-sized lock are all nice touches, and Dragon Blaster Skeletor is one more fine Skeletor toy.

Definitely recommended if you like the photos of the toy. And since Dragon Blaster Skeletor is not universally loved by the Masters of the Universe Classics collectors you may just be able to find one at a reasonable price. What’s reasonable? Well, in my experience anything under $30 is basically what you would have paid if you had bought the toy directly from Mattel so anywhere from $30 to $40 is relatively reasonable.

Philip Reed should put all of his Skeletor action figures on a single shelf and let them terrify the other toys.