Toybox REVIEW: Hero Action Figure Zone Fighter (Ver. 2)

Release Date: June 2025

RRP: 12, 980 yen

For Showa era tokusatsu fans, Evolution Toys' Hero Action Figure line has been a godsend for getting classic characters untouched by other companies - from Toei legends like Inazuman and Zubat, Tsuburaya greats like Mirrorman or Redman and even lesser known heroes such as Iron King. There is however one rather significant downside - the figures themselves aren't too great, especially when compared to some of their nearest competition. However just like the company's name the line continues to evolve, with many of their original releases now coming around again with improved "version 2" releases. Among this roster is Hero Action Figures Zone Fighter (Ver. 2) - the titular hero from the 1973 series of the same name (also known in Japan as Meteor Man Zone) and good friend to the King of Monsters himself, Godzilla. Have there been enough improvements to finally make HAF a credible rival to the likes of S.H. Figuarts?

The HAF packaging hasn't changed all that much between the version 1 and version 2 figures, but there are enough differences design-wise between the two Zone Fighters to tell which is which. Hero Action Figure Zone Fighter (Ver. 2) uses all new images and a darker, more dynamic background that feels more appropriate to the series itself. The figure is showcased through the clear window section, with a posed image in the bottom corner. The Evolution Toys logo is featured in top corner, while the character name runs along the bottom (along with the "Ver. 2" confirmation). Both sides of the box feature a half-bust image of the figure alongside "Zone Fighter" in English text, and then on the back of the box is where you'll find the usual array of stock images showing the figure off in various poses. Inside Zone Fighter and his accessories are stored on a moulded black plastic tray, in a manner that's pretty much identical to the original release.

First and foremost it's important to note that these version 2 HAF figures aren't complete overhauls of the originals. In fact according to Evolution Toys themselves, only the lower torso, crotch and lower legs are brand new parts. However looks were never this toy's biggest issue to begin with, and what we have here is a pretty great representation of the Zone family's eldest brother. While it lacks a lot of the finer details that make it look more like the onscreen suit, there are little hints like some moulded folds/creases in the crotch plate. Generally though it's just a really solid looking Zone Fighter figure, with vibrant silver paint and translucent plastic detailing on the eyes and belt. The head crest feels relatively secure, but could be prone to breakage if not handled with care. The little Zone Family insignia on the left shoulder is quite nicely painted given its small size. For those unfamiliar with the line it's also worth note that these figures scale around just under 7" tall - meaning they don't fit in too well with S.H. Figuarts. They do however scale rather nicely with S.H. MonsterArts, which is good news for Zone Fighter and his best buddy Godzilla.

However comparing the v1 HAF figures to the v2 ones it's the articulation where I saw the most notable improvement. Altogether this Zone Fighter features;

- Ball jointed head, neck, torso, waist and wrists

- Swivel hinge shoulders and ankles

- Butterfly joint shoulders

- Bicep swivels

- Double hinge elbows and knees

- Drop-down ball joint hips

- Single hinge toe sections

While this isn't actually any different to how the original one was engineered, the most significant difference I noticed was that here the joints actually moved the way they're supposed to. Granted that I've never owned the original Zone Fighter release, but on all three of my other HAF figures certain joints (particularly the elbows and knees) were stiff to the point where sometimes it felt like the limbs were about to snap. The ankle tilts weren't very good either, which meant they were fairly restricted when it came to dynamic posing. But here everything moves like a dream, with no obviously stiff or loose joints as well as ankles that actually tilt. Sadly though HAF are still working with pretty outdated articulation here, particularly when compared to the likes of S.H. Figuarts. These are the kind of drop-down hips that Bandai threw out years ago. Zone Fighter feels like handling a Figuarts figure from a decade or so ago, but rather than it feeling like a knock against it it's more of a reminder but that level of articulation still holds up reasonably well today. Does it fully justify the price? Perhaps not, but Zone Fighter is still a lot of fun to mess around with and pose.

Zone Fighter's accessories remain the same as his previous release, consisting of two additional pairs of hands (giving him closed fists, open hands and knife-strike hands in total) and his signature "Meteor Missile Might" wrist-mounted gauntlets. Attaching the gauntlets to the figure involves removing the entire glove sections from the arms and then replacing them outright. The gauntlets also have their own wrist joints attached to them so there's no worry about removing/reattaching those. While I can't honestly speak about how the swappable parts were handled on the original release, here it's a really easy switch to do - with the parts coming off the arms easily but also feeling secure once attached. As with the articulation, there never feels like there's any risk of breakage when swapping the gauntlets or wrists. While it might not seem like many accessories (and ultimately it isn't - Zone Fighter has plenty more attacks that could have been included), "Meteor Missile Might" is his signature finishing attack so it's good to see it both represented here AND represented properly.

Evolution Toys and the HAF line are still years behind the likes of Bandai and S.H. Figuarts, but if Hero Action Figure Zone Fighter (Ver. 2) is anything to go by then improvements are definitely being made with these version two releases. Appearance-wise there doesn't appear to be much difference, but functionally it's a whole different ball game - all the joints move exactly as they should, the accessories are easy to switch in and out and as such Zone Fighter is a lot of fun to play with and pose. There's still some ways to in regards to sculpt and pricing before they can really rival Figuarts, but at long last they're enjoyable figures that feel like a viable alternative to the more obscurer tokusatsu heroes that Bandai don't seem to want to touch.