I've come to enjoy all the little traditions I've created doing this website over the last decade or so, but these end of year lists are definitely my favourites. As always I'll be ending the year with a rundown of my ten favourite toy releases, but before then I like to look forward to some of the figures coming in 2026 first. Bandai definitely continue to dominate here, but I like to think there are a few surprises in the list in amongst the usual Figuarts fare. With a few of the figures on last year's list ending up of my forthcoming "Favourite Toys of 2025" piece, I've got high hopes these will also be similarly impressive in-hand.
At one point does one own too many Spider-Man figures? The answer is perhaps never when they just keep getting better and better. While the passing interest I had in Gamerverse Cyclops wasn't quite enough for me to order it, the promotional pictures for Spider-Man really impressed me. Those Marvel Vs Capcom poses are just spot-on. It's just a shame that licensing issues have led to the release of this figure being cancelled in certain territories, and that anyone affected by it will be able to source an order from elsewhere at a later date. Fingers crossed it leads to some more interesting Gamerverse MvC releases too - Sentinel and Doom would be must-haves.
4. S.H. Figuarts Hyper Zetton
Ultraman kaiju have been a particular highlight for S.H. Figuarts collectors over the past few years, and while Birdon is probably the big ticket item for next year (that's been announced so far), it's actually Hyper Zetton that I'm looking forward to more. The Zetton line are my favourite kaiju in all of Ultraman so I will happily pick up any variant Bandai want to announce (Pedanium Zetton would be the dream). Hyper Zetton is a great design - a sleeker, more articulated version of the original kaiju that will undoubtedly translate to a really fun figure. The added gimmick of the arms also doubling as Hyper Zetton Scissors weapon accessories for Ultraman Victory is also a nice touch.
3. Transformers Haslab Liokaiser
I'm a sucker for anything Transformers Victory and after being seriously impressed by both the Victory Saber and Deathsaurus (the latter of which I still need to review) Haslabs there was no way I wasn't going to pick up Liokaiser as well. I'm not going to sit here and justify the price or argue whether or not these should have been retail releases, but I'm never going to own a vintage G1 Liokaiser so I'm more than happy to buy a modern version for a fraction of the price. Collecting the Constructicons this year has really given me a taste for combiners, and with Liokaiser and Bruticus being my two favourites it's going to be a hell of a good year for this Decepticon fan.
2. Chogokin Metal Gear Rex
These days I'm trying to stick to only a few toylines or series simply because I don't have enough space to collect everything I have a passing interest in, but every so often a big ticket item comes along and you just have to say to yourself "yes I need this". The first Metal Gear Solid is one of my favourite games of all time, and I've wanted a high-end yet affordable (3A's gorgeous release was a little too rich for my blood) for years. While I did pick up the Kotobukiya kit earlier in the year, I'd been holding off on doing it until I had time and means to do the paint job justice. But now it seems Bandai have come along and done the job for me. Not only does their Chogokin Rex look great but the size also suits me perfectly. I know a lot of fans have concerns about the quality on Chogokin figures these days but I'm hoping for the best - this is the toy 11 year old me dreamt about.
1. S.H. Figuarts -Shinkocchou Seihou- Kamen Rider 2 (Kamen Rider vs Shocker Ver.)
With lots of great new figures out in 2026 and several larger items lower down on my list, you're probably wondering why such a basic Kamen Rider figure has taken the top spot. It's quite simple really - this is the Kamen Rider 2 figure I've dreamed of. There's a reason it topped my "Top 5: S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou Kamen Rider Remakes I'd Like To See" list I made last year. As is the case with Rider 1 I vastly prefer the original appearance colours to the later "Shin" suit (although the swappable black helmet on the new "Legendary Showa Masked Riders Edition" figure has made that far more appealing), and Ichimonji's tenure is my favourite part of the original show. I'm also glad this release came late enough that it has the soft goods scarf rather than the plastic version seen on the older figures. The little sculpt details it has to properly distinguish from Rider 1 are incredible too, rather than simply just being a repaint (though we all know that isn't the way the Shinkocchou Seihou line does things). It'll go beautifully with the Rider 1 Sakurajima Ver. figure we got earlier this year, and if it's anything like that quickly become one of my favourite pieces in my collection.
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What toys are you looking forward to in 2026? As always let me know in the comment section below!
1 comment:
Oh, I'm looking forward to Hyper Zetton too.
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