But without further ado, onto my top ten favourite toys of 2025!
Although I've largely moved away from Black Series this year (due to a combination of their rising cost and prioritising other toy lines), this was one character I've wanted for a long time. Merrin is my favourite character from the Jedi games, and the figure really does her justice. The face sculpt looks fantastic, and the articulation a good example of just how good modern Black Series engineering can be. I will at the very least be buying the Seventh Sister Inquisitor at some point next year once she's released, and I can only hope she's as good as this.
Not every figure on this list is necessarily going to be a masterpiece of sculpting and/or engineering - sometimes it's just a figure I've really wanted for the longest time. The Anthony Ainley Master has been the biggest gap in mine (as well as many other Doctor Who fans)' collections for the longest time, having only ever been released once 15 years ago and not in the costume everyone wanted. The Vortex Collection has provided the opportunity to fill in some of these gaps with a much better quality than the B&M releases can deliver, and this Master is pretty much the perfect package. Like I said in my review of the figure, they could announce the end of the toy line today and I'd be perfectly happy now that I've got this.
The first of many Shinkocchou Seihou releases to appear on this list, a Showa era Kamen Rider has been a common occurrence for the last few years. Although I'd say Stronger is actually one of the weaker releases in the "Seven Legendary Riders" line-up, it's still a damn good release and the significance of completing that line-up is more than enough to earn Stronger his place. Even though it's a bit more bare bones than some of the others, the quality and detail of that sculpt continues to impress. With plenty more Showa era Riders still to come in the Shinkocchou Seihou range, as long as Bandai keep pumping them out they'll likely remain a mainstay for several years to come.
Oh top of just releasing great figures this year, the Shinkocchou Seihou range also stood out for expanding beyond just the mainstay franchises of Kamen Rider, Super Sentai, Ultraman and (to a lesser extent) GARO. Okay so Gridman isn't really too far removed from the Ultra Series, but he's still different enough to stand out from the crowd. Another Shinkocchou Seihou that matches up to the onscreen suit almost flawlessly, together with a great selection of accessories to make it the perfect package. Not having fragile wrists like the Ultra-Act is also a bonus too.
But ultimately when it comes to Shinkocchou Seihou Kamen Rider is still the main focus, and Bandai promised big things in 2025 when they revealed that Kamen Rider Ryuki would be the next series to join the range. While the figure did draw some slightly unfavourable comparisons to the original release because it didn't include Dragredder this time around (although not everyone necessarily wants a big dragon taking up shelf space on top of the figure), it definitely makes up for it with the line just continues to improve with every new release. The new ankle articulation is fantastic, and the light-piped eyes a fun gimmick that isn't too difficult to swap in and out. We already know Ouja is coming in 2026, but fingers crossed Knight and Zolda aren't too far behind as well.
Wingman was a surprise hit of 2024, but what's even more surprising was that Bandai were interested enough in the series to release the titular character as a Shinkocchou Seihou figure rather than a standard S.H. Figuarts release. As with Gridman any Shinkocchou Seihou that isn't from one of the big franchises is going to grab my attention, and Wingman was definitely a release that justified his price point. With one of the most impressive accessory counts I've seen on a Figuarts release in some time, Wingman is both a must-see show for fans of tokusatsu/henshin hero shows and a must-have figure for Figuarts collectors. Bandai clearly loved the show too because there's a further two Wingman releases coming next year (including a two-pack), but neither of them feel quite as essential as this.
It's been a lot of fun collecting the One Piece Figuarts now that Bandai seem truly commited to them, but the general consensus seems to be that a lot of the figures fall just short of perfection. Ace however is by far and away the best release so far. So good that it almost makes you wish all One Piece Figuarts were Tamashii web exclusives, because the extra level of effort they put into them is astounding. Optional soft goods clothing, fire effect parts, a great selection of alternate hands and faces - what more could you want from an Alabasta arc Ace? The figure is so good that Bandai are already re-releasing in Marineford flavour, albeit with a slightly reworked deco and accessories.
With Go-On Red having been revealed at the Tamashii Nation event in 2024, many collectors probably assumed that would be the Super Sentai Shinkocchou Seihou release in 2025. But with the franchise celebrating it's 50th anniversary this year, there's no doubt that Akarenger deserved the slot more. Yes a previously unreleased character might have been more exciting, but this figure improves on the original 2014 release in practically every single way - which is no small feat given that figure is also excellent. An incredible sculpt that's further improved with a soft goods cape, one of the best selection of accessories on a S.H. Figuarts release in recent years (very much rivalling Wingman in that respect) as well a cool 50th anniversary display base to top it all off. Not just a great figure OR one of the best figures of 2025, but the best Super Sentai S.H. Figuarts release period. THAT'S how you celebrate a 50th anniversary.
Galactron was without a doubt my most anticipated figure of the year (the only reason it wasn't on last year's "Toys I'm looking forward to" list was because it hadn't been announced at the time), and did not disappoint. As (in my mind at the very least) the most iconic Ultraman kaiju of the New Generation era this figure has been a long time coming, and if it were not for these figures being so expensive (as well as being a Tamashii web exclusive) I'd be half tempted to own more than one. From the beautifully detailed sculpt to the gimmick-laden arms and super poseable tail braid, I don't think there's a single aspect to this figure that could be bettered. I will be first in line for preorders when Bandai get around to soliciting the Galactron Mk II they revealed at the Tamashii Nation event this year.
![S.H. Figuarts Mecha Gigantron [Ultraman: Rising]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJLLIg7xYOm9_rfuEAeDIY8qBIdCKRj1BwORQuACxbu1XfsLKcAt7pAo3j5aE-5jrWT3jamDWUTBdVAk_k8KSKAtEDFRiZrxfotgrED5L82VWNUus0AuK8n0lmVKPtBgCUuVu8rGuESH_6m3nVAU8Jbn-ccCFJEiUxrFj61DhXwvLHQVjrLzthhZuUYwI/s2500/sh-figuarts-mecha-gigantron.jpg "S.H. Figuarts Mecha Gigantron [Ultraman: Rising]")
With both Ultraman: Rising coming out strong as one of my favourite films of 2024 and Ultraman kaiju proving to be some of the best releases S.H. Figuarts had to offer, I was already looking forward to how Bandai were going to tackle Mecha Gigantron. But even the hype wasn't enough to prepare me for just how good this thing is in-hand. Don't get me wrong at 22,000 yen it's an expensive piece, but unlike a lot of S.H. Figuarts releases these days I'd argue that it's worth every penny. First of all the size of the thing is incredible even without factoring in the wingspan, which didn't make it the easiest thing to photograph inside a moderately sized lightbox. The accessory count was pretty good too - small, but still far more extensive that a lot of kaiju figures are these days (a MonsterArts Godzilla having a beam effect is a rarity rather than the norm). But I think what really makes Mecha Gigantron stand out is that animated aesthetic - a style so different from all of the other Ultraman kaiju yet it still slots right in. These aren't the easiest designs to translate into toys, but Bandai didn't just get all those stylised proportions right - they also made it feel surprisingly sturdy despite so many fragile-looking parts. An absolute triumph in design and execution, as well as raising the bar for Ultraman Figuarts.
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And there we have it! All that's left to do now is wish everyone reading a happy and healthy new year and to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to visit. While I've posted slightly less in 2025 than in previous years (I definitely didn't get around to doing as many show reviews as I wanted - I blame One Piece sucking up a lot of my time as I frantically try to catch up before the Elbaph Arc starts in April), I like to think that the quality of what's posted has gone up - both in terms of photography and writing. Site traffic hit an all-time high this year as well, which is all thanks to you. While I've never done this for profit or anything like that, seeing things like that on my end makes it all feel worthwhile. 2026 is going to be a very big year as Super Sentai bows out (for the time being at least) with No.1 Sentai Gozyuger and the age of Project R.E.D. begins with Gavan Infinity. Naturally I'll be watching and sharing my thoughts, so I hope you'll join me once again for the ride! What were your favourite toys of the year? Is there anything else you'd like to see on My Shiny Toy Robots in 2026? Let me know in the comments below!
1 comment:
Whilst I haven't collected many toys myself this year, always look forward to your reviews for inspiration.
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