Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Shocker Combatman (Evil Showa Kaijin Edition)

Release Date: December 2025

RRP: 7150 yen

With both S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou Kamen Rider 1 and Kamen Rider 2 getting new "Legendary Showa Masked Rider Edition" re-releases, Bandai Tamashii Nations were wise to bring back another iconic figure from the original 1971 series. The Shocker Combatman went through many evolutions over the course of the series, but the final "Bone" version is arguably considered the most recognisable - having gone on to reappear in later shows and just become part of the franchise iconography as a whole. The S.H. Figuarts Shocker Combatman (Evil Showa Kaijin Edition) figure is the third version (of this variant) of the evil organisation's expendable henchmen to be released in the line - following on from the first edition in 2013 and then a second in 2018.

Despite being a standard S.H. Figuarts release, being a partner piece of sorts to the Shinkocchou Seihou Double Riders means the Shocker Combatman comes in some rather usual packaging. The box is basically a faux version of the Shinkocchou Seihou one - featuring exactly the same design layout but as a normal flapped box rather than a two-piece one. The front of the box features a big image of the figure with its new gritted teeth head sculpt against a white backdrop, while the sides are completely black with the character name (and "Evil Showa Kaijin Edition" subtitle) written in bold white lettering. The back features a number of images showing the figure off in various poses (as well as facing off against the "Legendary Showa Masked Riders Edition" version of Kamen Rider 2, who released on the same day), again in a layout identical to Shinkocchou Seihou boxes. Inside the figure and accessories are neatly laid out on a moulded plastic tray, with instructions on how to switch parts printed on the inside flaps of the box.

The "Evil Showa Kaijin Edition" of the Shocker Combatman is effectively a re-release of the 2018 version of the character, albeit with some slight deco tweaks to bring it more in line with current releases. These include slightly sharper paint apps, particularly on the face which now has far more defined eyes with black outlines. While Bandai haven't gone for photo-realism with these releases, the linework is nice and sharp and feels like a slight upgrade to the previous version. That said, the two having slightly different faces works well as it makes them look like two different people despite the identical uniform. Throw in the 2013 version (which is slighter taller, but with inferior paintwork and articulation) as well as you have a nice little trio of Combatmen with differing features and/or body types. Probably not intentional on Bandai's part, but a nice little extra to army-building them nonetheless. The design is pretty simple but has stood the test of time for a reason, with the addition of the bone detailing exactly what was missing from those plain black bodysuits. The suit itself also features some moulded wrinkles to give it a more realistic look. The oversized belt buckle also looks great, complete with the Shocker emblem moulded into it. A straightforward figure that Bandai had previously done well on, with some little refinements here and there to make it even better.

No changes have been made the articulation of the figure, which remains pretty reflective of what S.H. Figuarts was doing back in 2018. The Shocker Combatman features;

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

- Butterfly joint shoulders

- Swivel hinge shoulders, hips and ankles

- Double hinge elbows and knees

- Single hinge toe sections

- Bicep and thigh swivels

While the sculpt may be nowhere near detailed and/or realistic enough to be considered a Shinkocchou Seihou, in terms of overall poseability the Combatman is pretty much on par with what the Double Riders can do - both of which were also originally released around this time. The joints are perhaps a little looser and the shoulders engineered slightly different (they can pull out away from the torso for extra movement, but doing so can make them look a little disjointed if not done carefully), but in terms of movement there isn't much in it at all. Perfect for saluting, looking threatening and then getting their ass kicked by a Kamen Rider. Which is pretty much everything you could need from them.

The major upgrades to the 2018 version come in the form of the accessory count, which includes all the pieces from the previous figure as well as a few new bits as well. The returning accessories are three additional pairs of hands (open, saluting and accessory-holding to compliment the default closed fists), kukri knife and staff. Both weapons are Shocker-branded, with the kukri featuring the organisation's logo on the blade whilst the staff has an eagle head on either end. Both weapons are relatively simple in design, but the moulding and paintwork is excellent - particularly that tiny Shocker logo on the kukri. They fit comfortably into any of the Combatman's hands, and are of course also compatible with any version of Kamen Riders 1 and 2 as the pair often liked to steal their weapons and use them against them. The accessories exclusive to this new Evil Showa Kaijin Edition are two brand new head sculpts - one with an angry gritted teeth expression and the other a pained expression for when they're taking a beating. The expression looks more than a little odd out of context, but actually looks fantastic paired alongside a Rider punch or kick. As it's only the faces that are different these technically could have been alternate face plates rather than completely new heads, but that probably would have also meant tooling the original head slightly differently. Thankfully the heads come on and off the neck joint really easily too, so switching between them repeatedly shouldn't be a worry. Overall a nice little spread for a generic character, arguably more than some named ones get a lot of the time. 

Though perhaps a little too on the expensive side to properly army-build, the S.H. Figuarts Shocker Combatman (Evil Showa Kaijin Edition) is a fantastic figure and perfect partner piece to the Shinkocchou Seihou Double Riders. The little tweaks to the paintjob and new head sculpts are a great way to "refresh" the figure, allowing it both to be enjoyed by anyone who missed it the first time round and enough to justify anyone who did to get another (after all, one can never have too many Combatmen). Just a really solid S.H. Figuarts release that doesn't necessarily do anything special, but is a lot of fun nonetheless. While this version of the Shocker Combatman will always be the most iconic, it would be great to see some of the older variants (as well as other enemy combatants from across the Kamen Rider franchise) to get similar treatment as well.