Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Ultraman Nexus Anphans

Release Date: April 2026

RRP: 8800 yen

It's been nearly ten years since Bandai Tamashii Nations closed the curtain on the Ultra-Act line and integrated Ultraman into the S.H. Figuarts line, and in that time they've come pretty close to covering all of the titular heroes from the franchise's 60 year history. With the last few years having yielding the trinity of Tiga, Dyna and Gaia in the Shinkocchou Seihou series as well as Mebius and Cosmos in the standard line, it's clear that the focus at the moment is very much on the Heisei era - and as such the release of S.H. Figuarts Ultraman Nexus Anphans was the obvious place for them to go next. Nexus' base form comes as a standard retail release, kicking off what has the potential to be a wide number of releases from this unique instalment in the Ultra Series.

S.H. Figuarts Ultraman Nexus Anphans comes in standard Ultraman packaging, using a fitting dark grey colour scheme alongside the usual black borders and white text. The front of the box features a nice big image of the Anphans suit alongside a window section showing off the figure inside, as well as all the familiar series and company logos. One side of the box simply features the character name and Figuarts logo, while the other one has the familiar bookend style image that's adorned all of the Ultraman Figuarts releases. On the back of the box are a wider selection of images showing the figure off in a variety of poses/together with its accessories, and then inside all of the contents are neatly laid out on moulded plastic tray. As tends to be the case with most recent Figuarts releases, instructions on parts-swapping are printed on the inside flap of the box.

Ultraman Nexus offered a darker, more serialised take on the Ultraman mythos, with its titular hero also featuring a design that immediately stands out from the others. While all the hallmarks of a traditional Ultra hero are still there, the main thing that immediately stands out with Nexus is the predominantly grey colour scheme - a far cry from the usual red (and in Cosmos' case, blue) to go with the silver. This design also follows on from the character's prior appearance in Ultraman the Next, with both Next and Nexus being devolved forms of Ultraman Noa. Nexus' design takes things a little step further however with his distinct helmet-shaped head, based on traditional samurai armour. Bandai have done a great job getting all that detailing into the Figuarts version, with mix of silver, black and grey (the latter of which has a slightly greenish tint to it) given Nexus a very layered and detailed look. The black parts even have ridged moulding, which helps give the suit a slightly more organic look. At a push you could perhaps argue that the silver would benefit from being a little shinier, but overall it's pretty in line with what they've always been doing with their Ultraman figures. The area this figure really shines however is the translucent parts - from the V-shaped Energy Core to those piercing yellow eyes, as well as the four tiny crystals adorning his forehead. One final splash of colour comes from the wrists, which add more of that traditional Ultraman red into the mix.

Naturally some improvements have been made over the years, but for the most part Bandai have stayed fairly consistent with the articulation on their Ultraman figures. Nexus proves to be no exception, with the figure featuring;

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

- Butterfly joint shoulders

- Swivel hinge shoulders and ankles

- Double hinge elbows and knees

- 'Drop down' ball jointed hips

- Single hinge toe sections

- Thigh swivels

In place of a bicep swivel lower arm movement comes from a slight bit of swivel from the elbow joint, which isn't a huge amount but enough to get all the essential poses out of him. For example, the butterfly range is more than enough to get his arms crossed for the beam pose. Nexus' more layered colour scheme also helps at hiding some of the more obvious joint cuts in the sculpts, particularly the shoulders and those drop down style hips. Like Cosmos before him, Nexus also has a really good range of motion in the ankles - reinforcing that this is one area Bandai definitely have made improvements on. 

In addition to its unique colour scheme, Nexus' Anphans form is also notable for not featuring a traditional colour scheme. While his evolved forms also add a more traditional-looking "Oval Timer" just above it, Anphans only has the Energy Core - an organ which reacts to the physical strength of Nexus' host. This means the Figuarts version is also one of the few Ultraman Figuarts to come without a replacement timer, the Energy Core instead fully embedded into the figure's chest. That aside, Nexus' accessories aren't really that far removed from what you usually see on an Ultraman release. Included here are five additional pairs of hands (open/relaxed, grappling, knife-strike, beam pose and another knife-strike-esque pair with the fingers curved) and two "Cross-Ray Schtrom" effect parts - one for charging the attack and the other the beam itself. The hand selection might seem fairly routine, but it covers all the necessary ground to provide plenty of different posing opportunities. The Cross-Ray Schtrom beam effect is also very similar to the ever-growing library of Ultraman beam attacks, with Nexus' sporting a clear to orange gradient colour scheme. As with most beam effects, it is also permanently fixed to an additional right hand. All of the hands are easy enough to swap, though the beam effect did prove to be a little tighter than the standard hands. However, despite its small size, the charging effect is perhaps the most interesting piece in the selection simply for how unique it is. The effect is simply a small trio of lighting bolts that slip over Nexus' hand, creating the illusion of him gathering energy between them. Once fitted it stays on the hand pretty securely, and gives the figure a cool-looking pose that feels wholly unique to Nexus.

S.H. Figuarts Ultraman Nexus Anphans is another great release in the Ultraman range, one that doesn't really stray too far out of the line's usual comfort zone but stands out thanks its more unique design and colour scheme. The accessories are great too, and just go to show that sometimes the smallest pieces can be the best. As well as bringing the line one step closer to a "complete" Ultraman line up, Anphans is a great base for Bandai to produce Nexus' Junis and Junis Blue forms (hopefully in the not too distant future), as well as kick off what will hopefully be a fairly extensive Ultraman Nexus range.