Release Date: January 2026
RRP: 7700 yen
Given both the overwhelming popularity of One Piece and how long the S.H. Figuarts line has been going for, it’s amazing (but ultimately not all that surprising) that Bandai Tamashii Nations haven’t given fans a full Straw Hat lineup yet. 2026 is the year all that changes though, with the release of S.H. Figuarts Sanji -Romance Dawn- completing the crew from that initial arc of the story. Sure it may be doing it on a technicality as only half of them were around during that time, but it’s still the closest Bandai have ever got. The Straw Hats’ faithful cook and lover of women everywhere kicks off the 2026 slate of One Piece releases as a general retail figure, and is actually the third release of the character – not only following on from the Raid on Onigashima from 2023 but also an Enies Lobby version released all the way back in 2011.
Sanji’s packaging follows the standard box design seen across all of the relaunched One Piece S.H. Figuarts line – predominantly white (featuring grey map detailing) combined with a secondary colour specific to the character. In this case it’s light blue, which initially seems like an odd choice for Sanji but corresponds nicely with his shirt colour. The front of the box sports a big transparent window partially showing off the figure and accessories inside, accompanied by a large image of the figure as well as the character name and all the usual brand/series logos. On side of the box features a small image of the figure alongside the character name, whilst the other shows off all of the faceplates included with the release (as well as the bonus Luffy face). Finally the back of the box shows the figure off in various poses, and then inside both it and the accessories are neatly stored on a moulded plastic tray. Instructions on how to parts-swap/use the accessories are printed on the inside flaps of the box.
As per the figure’s name and like the rest of Straw Hat crew released from this era, this version of S.H. Figuarts Sanji is based on the Romance Dawn arc of the anime – more specifically the Baratie section, which is of course his first appearance in the story. The design however largely matches up with his general look prior to the series’ time skip, with the main signifier here being the blue striped shirt he wears underneath his signature black suit. One thing the relaunched One Piece line has continued to nail is the look of these characters, the sculpt capturing his leaner build from those early episodes as well as his overall likeness. The face sculpt is excellent, complete with signature curly eyebrows as well an orange gradient on the blonde hair to give it some extra depth. The cigarette is fixed directly onto the face and cannot be removed, but at the same time is sturdy so shouldn’t ever break off in ordinary situations. The suit itself is predominantly black, with gold paint apps for the blazer buttons as well as a soft plastic lower section. The shirt’s paint apps are also noticeably sharp given how little of it is actually on show, its striped pattern visible on both the cuffs and collar section. The glossy finish of the boots works nicely with the matte finish of the outfit, effectively conveying the sense of different clothing materials. Looks-wise it’s another slam dunk for the One Piece line, and Sanji looks superb alongside his fellow Straw Hats from that era.
Sanji's articulation hasn't been massively altered from the Raid on Onigashima version, which was praised for its range of motion but also criticised for loose parts in certain areas. Whilst I have never handled that version, my personal experience with the Romance Dawn figure has been nothing short of excellent despite some collectors raising the same complaints. Altogether the figure features;
- Ball jointed head, neck, torso, waist and wrists
- Butterfly joint shoulders
- Swivel hinge shoulders, hips and ankles
- Single hinge elbows, knees and toe sections
- Bicep and thigh swivels
One of the key problems people seem to highlight are the arms popping off at the bicep joint, but while it's worth highlight there's no such issue on my copy - everything fits nice and securely and the joints move exactly as they should. The design of the shoulder joints do take a bit of getting used to, but with careful rotation whilst positioning give Sanji plenty of arm movement. The black colouring of the suit also does a great job of hiding the joint cuts. Despite have a soft plastic jacket piece covering his torso Sanji also has excellent motion in both his torso and waist joints, again giving him plenty of motion in his upper body. However the most important thing for a Sanji figure is that he has even better lower body articulation to pull off all those dynamic kick poses, and this is another area where the figure delivers. The hip joints have an excellent range of movement, with the legs able to lift up far higher than you'd expect. Incredibly, the figure also manages to balance on one foot really well, further adding to how dynamic these poses look. Posing the legs is one area where I did experience bits popping off every now and again, but it felt like less of a nuisance and more of a learning experience on just how much the legs can move. If the leg popped off at the hip joint it was an easy fix to pop it back on again (more often than not in exactly the same position), and I'd rather have a figure that has bits pop off if you push it to its limits than one where the parts just outright break. Usually I'll also be the first one to complain about the use of single jointed elbows and knees but Sanji is proof that they can work just as well as double joints with certain sculpts, with both sets of limbs being able to bend well. Top that off with some fantastic ankle motion, and Sanji turns out to be a figure full of surprises.
Sanji’s accessories include two additional pairs of hands (both open, one with the fingers splayed and the other together), an additional right hand holding a cigarette, four additional faceplates, a swappable pair of hip joint parts and two plates of soup. The faces featured include two standard expressions (angry and smiling without cigarette) and two more over the top anime style expressions (overjoyed and another angry one with sharp teeth, similar to the ones included with Zoro and Nami), giving him a really good variety for display. The hand selection is definitely small compared to the rest of the crew, but since all of his attacks are kicks he doesn’t really need as many as the others - the open hands are perfect for holding the soup and/or lovestruck poses, while the default closed fists are all he really needs for action poses. The cigarette holding hand is a bonus, and adding nicely to poses representing all aspects of his character. The alternate hip pieces are an interesting inclusion, moulded with hands into the pockets that the wrist joints can plug directly into for more natural posing. While it’s easy enough to just hide the wrist joints under the blazer, the attention to detail they offer is pretty cool. They’re also A LOT easier to swap than you’d initially expect – the legs pop off their joints really easily, and then it’s just a case of swapping the front plates on the unimpeded hip part. Some fans have expressed disappointment that the figure doesn’t come with any fire effects for his kicks, but given this is an East Blue version it’s a pretty ridiculous complaint given his kicks didn’t do that at this point in the story. The plates of soup are a much better option, both from a story perspective and having him include something with signifies him as the Straw Hats’ cooks. Besides, there are plenty of flame effect parts available (Bandai or otherwise) that are perfect for the figure. A more disappointing omission would be the lack of a heart eyes face – the overjoyed face is good, but it doesn’t quite capture that ridiculous side of Sanji’s character as much as his signature heart eyes would. My only guess is that Bandai didn’t want to straight up copy a face the Raid on Ongashima version has (even if it would be slightly different due to his post-time skip design changes), but it’s still unfortunate nevertheless.
Finally of course there’s an additional Luffy face included as well, with the character now having so many options that it’s gone beyond the 26 options the initial lettering designation offered. This particular face has “AB” printed on the back, and is another tongue poking out face similar to the one included with Mihawk. But whereas that one had a wide-eyed angry expression, this one is much happier with closed eyes and the tongue poking out of an enormous grin. Another fun expression that plays into Luffy’s cheery demeanour, and compatible with all the standard versions of the character released in the relaunched line so far – Romance Dawn, Raid on Onigashima, Future Island Egghand and the forthcoming Marineford version.
As well as just being a fantastic release to round off the original iteration of the Straw Hats, S.H. Figuarts Sanji -Romance Dawn- is also just an incredible release in his own right. While the figure doesn't quite reach the heights Usopp did, Sanji definitely still ranks up there as one of the best of the bunch. The poseability is excellent, giving Sanji all the wild leg articulation he needs whilst also providing a surprising amount in the top half as well. The only knock against it is perhaps the lack of a heart-eyes face, but even then the range of faces included do a great job of covering Sanji's wide range of emotions. With the Romance Dawn era Straw Hat crew now complete, it's time for the One Piece line to venture forth into the Grand Line with Chopper and hopefully the rest of the crew from there.
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