Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Tony Tony Chopper -Drum Island-

Release Date: May 2026

RRP: 4400 yen

Whilst Bandai Tamashii Nations may have completed the Straw Hat crew as they appeared in the Romance Dawn Arc, that doesn't mean they're slowing down on One Piece S.H. Figuarts any time soon. As well as continuing forward with a number of figures based on the Marineford Arc, they are also expanding the pre-time skip era with additional Straw Hat members that joined at a later date. S.H. Figuarts Tony Tony Chopper -Drum Island- is the first of these subsequent releases, with the crew's doctor the next to come aboard the Going Merry during the Drum Island Arc. As with the previous crew members Chopper is a retail release, and also the second Chopper figure in the line - a Future Island Egghead version having been previously released in 2025.

As expected the Drum Island version of Chopper comes in the familiar packaging that's been seen across the whole relaunched One Piece range - predominantly white (featuring grey map detailing) combined with a secondary colour specific to the character. Chopper's is a pale pink that not only compliments the colour of his iconic hat nicely, but also the cherry blossoms that fell across the island during his departure. Given his smaller size the window section has more than enough space to look at the figure in its entirety, though most of the accessories remain partly obscured by the images of the figure accompanying it (alongside the character name and usual brand/series logos). One side of the box features a small image of the figure alongside the character name once more, whilst the other shows off all of the faceplates included with the release (as well as the bonus Luffy face). The back of the box shows the figure off in various poses, and then inside both the figure and 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.

Despite this figure being based on the pre-time skip version of Chopper as he appeared in the One Piece anime, it's worth noting that it uses the modern proportions for the character (that are more in line with the post time skip version) rather than the larger-bodied version that originally appeared in both the anime and manga. Which on the one hand is disappointing for anyone who prefers Chopper's original design (myself included) to the modern chibi-fied mascot version, but with this being how Oda chooses to draw him even now even in his pre-time skip form I can also see why Bandai went that route. That said, they certainly nailed the specific look they were going for, offering a cute little palm-sized figure that looks like Chopper leapt off the screen. As has been the case with most One Piece figures the face print is immaculate, whilst the body and face both have moulded fur detailing to give them some texture. The hat has moulded using an uneven texture to give it that fuzziness it has onscreen, which doesn't feel quite the same without all the black linework but still gets the sentiment across. His left antler features the studded silver ring, which stands out against the figure's predominantly pastel colours.

The figure includes a separate back piece for the head, which has a large plug sticking out of the top for the hat to slot onto. As well as needing to disassemble the head in order to place the hat on the figure, Chopper's antlers also need to be removed and then re-inserted into the hat. Thankfully this is all very straightforward to do, with both the face plate and back pieces of the head coming off the internal plug very easily and the antlers simply slotting in and out of the sockets on their respective sides.

Despite his small size Chopper still has plenty of articulation on offer, even if it isn't quite the same as what you'd expect from a larger S.H. Figuarts release. Altogether he features;

- Ball jointed neck, waist and hips

- Swivel hinge shoulders, wrists and ankles

- Hinged elbows

- Bicep swivels

One slight point of contention is that the figure uses visible pin joints on the elbows, a fact that was omitted from both the initial promotional pictures of the figure and the pictures featured on the back of the box. Whilst given how thin the arms are, the relatively low price point of the figure and the fact the Egghead Chopper also had them the pin joints don't both me personally all that much, but mis-advertising a product is always something to raise an eyebrow at no matter how minor it may be. That aside, Chopper features a particularly good range of motion in his arms whilst the rest feels a bit more akin to a Nendoroid or similarly chibi figure. The ball jointed hips on my copy rotate nicely at the joint but is very stiff when it comes to turning the whole leg part (and given how small they are I'm extra worried about accidentally snapping something), which can make posing the feet any way other than straight forward difficult. The feet are however more than enough to balance the figure despite his large head for the most part, which was a bit of a concern given Bandai included a display stand with the figure. Whilst there isn't anything ground-breaking here nor are you likely to get any sort of dynamic poses out of the figure, Bandai have done a reasonably good job here given its size.

In addition to both his hat and the alternate head piece, Chopper also comes packaged with his backpack, two additional face plates (flattered and shocked) and a small clear plastic stand with two different display arms - one for plugging directly into the figure, and the other into the backpack. The arms attach to the base via ball joints, with the end result being very similar to the kind of stands you see included with smaller trading figures. The back pack is identical to the one that was included with the Egghead version, plugging directly into the socket on Chopper's back for extra security. Fitting it onto the figure requires taking one of the arms off to wrap it around the body, but despite how fragile the limbs might seem the arms come off at the bicep joint quite easily so there shouldn't be too much risk of anything breaking. Rounding off the accessories are the face plates, and whilst there are only two included it should be noted that they are much larger than any standard figures' are. The flattered face was essential for capturing those iconic "Your compliment doesn't make me happy" poses, and the shocked face goes wonderfully with the rest of the crew's exaggerated pointy teeth shocked/shouting faces. Due to its larger size, Chopper's looks particularly good with its bulging eyes, moulded teeth and visible sweat drops running down the side. No crying face is a bit of a disappointment though, especially considering how significant that scene is. It's also worth noting that the faces from the Egghead Island version are not compatible with this release and vice versa, which is again a bit disappointing but not that surprising given how much more there's going on with the Egghead costume. It's a pretty basic assortment of accessories that keeps the overall cost down, but it would have been nice to see some alternate hands holding medicines or a rumble ball just to give it a bit more variety. In fact, no alternate hands whatsoever feels strange - especially when the Straw Hat Party Set includes one for him to hold his tankard. There's quite a lot this figure could have come with so it definitely feels more incomplete compared to the other Straw Hats.

And of course you can't forget about the bonus Luffy face, an accessory that's been a staple of every One Piece release since Bandai relaunched the line and quickly made Luffy the record holder for the Figuarts with the most face plate options. With Chopper comes an open mouthed shouting face, which not only matches a specific moment from the Drum Island Arc but also perfect for whenever Luffy's about to make a particularly bold proclamation. Another fine addition to the ever-growing collection, that's compatible with all four Luffy figures available in the current range (Romance Dawn, Raid on Onigashima, Future Island Egghead and Marineford).

S.H. Figuarts Tony Tony Chopper -Drum Island- isn't likely to be anyone's favourite One Piece release, but it's a nice little figure that fills another key gap in the Straw Hats line-up. Its low price point is both a blessing and a curse, because whilst the figure itself may have more to offer than you might expect the release as a whole definitely feels a lot more incomplete than many other One Piece figures. That said, given that a Heavy Point Chopper feels like an obvious release somewhere down the line there's every possibility Bandai could bolster that out with more accessories for this figure. Which wouldn't be ideal, but also pretty standard practice for them. The point is, even if this Chopper does leave you feeling slightly underwhelmed, odds are you won't have paid much for it in the first place either.