Review – Masters of the Universe Classics Faceless One

Released in 2011, and based on his appearance in the 200X Masters of the Universe animated series, the Masters of the Universe Classics Faceless One* is one of the cooler figures in the line . . . if only because of the remarkable design of the cartoon character and the way in which the Four Horsemen tackled adapting the character’s look to action figure form. He’s not exactly all that dynamic and poseable — the massive cape section restricts poseability and disrupts the figure’s balance — but I love the look enough that I’m happy for him to stand and look menacing on my shelf.

One Significant “Accessory”

So where do we draw the line between accessory and figure sculpt? The Masters of the Universe Classics Faceless One* just wouldn’t be the same without his cape, shoulder armor, and torso armor, but all three of those are a single piece of semi-soft plastic that rests on the figure’s shoulders and not a part of the action figure body itself. And if it wasn’t for that accessory — as well as the soft plastic belt and skirt piece — all the figure would be is a basic Masters of the Universe buck with a new head. As the review at The Fwoosh points out, the figure uses Keldor’s boots and Count Marzo’s amulet-grabbing hand to change up what is otherwise a very basic body.

But clearly the Faceless One* is way more than just a simple repaint, but it really is all due to that huge accessory — the cape/armor piece really bulks the figure and adds a lot of heft — and the new head which, some may complain, isn’t exactly “faceless.” I’d go into the whole face/no face issue, but it’s far easier for me to direct you to Poe Ghostal’s review of the figure where he discusses the face/no face situation and even shares a still from the animation.

What Makes it Great?

To me, it’s both the look and the thought that went into making the Faceless One* without resorting to sculpting and tooling an entirely new torso. I may not be an action figure designer, but I feel that I learn a lot just watching how Mattel and the Four Horsemen have approached parts reuse in the Masters of the Universe Classics series. Looking at their work on the line, and especially the way in which the standard MOTUC buck is transformed through the addition of one soft plastic accessory, makes me really appreciate the effort sunk into keeping the line going without resorting to simply rejecting some character designs as too expensive. This entire series truly is incredible and will certainly go down as a historical precedent as other action figure lines abandon store shelves and change to direct sales to collectors.

Only One Minor Problem

My own Faceless One* action figure has weaker leg joints than I would like, meaning that unless I get everything perfectly balanced — which requires that I bend the ab joint back a little more than is natural — the weight of that cool cape/armor accessory actually forces the toy to pitch forward and fall on its face. And since I got the figure on the aftermarket months after it was released I can’t send it back to Mattel for a replacement; all I can do is hope that I have him balanced well and that a shock or breeze doesn’t cause him to tumble down and land on the floor . . . where he would instantly become a chew toy for the dogs. Toys are meant to be played with, dogs, but not eaten!

Closing Thoughts

Even though he’s not an eighties character design, the Masters of the Universe Classics Faceless One* is a fantastic action figure that fits wonderfully with the classic characters while looking like he came out of the 200X cartoon series. That cape/armor accessory is truly what makes this toy so very neat, and even though the soft plastic accessory hinders the articulation I’m calling this design a success and recommending it to anyone who likes the look of the figure.

I may complain about the way in which Mattel handles their promotion and sales of the line, but I cannot argue with the resulting figures and as long as more designs as fun as the the Masters of the Universe Classics Faceless One* are released then I’ll try to keep in mind the fun and ignore the frustrations associated with the series.

He may be a repaint with a few new accessories — and a new head — but he’s one awesome repaint and looks as amazing as you would expect once he’s in place on a shelf of Masters of the Universe Classics action figures.