Toybox REVIEW: S.H. Figuarts Dragreder & Kamen Rider Ryuki Option Parts Set

Release Date: June 2026

RRP: 12,100 yen

One of the main reasons the original 2011 release of S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Ryuki was so popular is that Bandai Tamashii Nations made the surprise decision to include Dragreder with it, and while the same sadly couldn't be said for the 2025 S.H. Figuarts Shinkocchou Seihou version that doesn't mean he has to go without his contract monster. With the S.H. Figuarts Dragreder & Kamen Rider Ryuki Option Parts Set comes a brand new version of the monster alongside additional accessories and display parts for Ryuki himself. This one however is not only a Tamashii Web exclusive but also considerably more expensive than the original Ryuki release, which just goes to show how much prices have changed in the last 15 years.

In addition to much being larger than your average S.H. Figuarts box, the design of Dragreder's packaging is quite interesting as well. As previously seen with the Shocker Combatman (Evil Showa Kaijin Edition), the layout is nearly identical to that of a Shinkocchou Seihou release despite not technically being one itself - instead being labelled a regular S.H. Figuarts meant to be paired with a Shinkocchou Seihou. The one key difference however is that this is a standard flapped box rather than the more lavish two-piece one. The front of the box features a nice big picture of Dragreder against a white backdrop, with a fainter picture of Ryuki rider kicking alongside his contract monster just beside it. Both sides of the box feature the release name in bold white lettering (as opposed to Shinkocchou Seihou's silver foil) against a solid black background, whilst the back of the box features a number of images showing off the contents of the set alongside Ryuki. Inside the contents of the box are spread across two plastic trays - the larger one holding the bulk of the parts whilst the mirror base is house in a thinner one underneath. Also inside is a small instruction leaflet explaining the contents of the set, which is particularly handy in this case for understanding how all the stand parts connect together.

The new 2026 edition of Dragreder is constructed in an almost identical manner to the original 2013 version, but at a slightly bigger scale to match the larger proportions of Shinkocchou Seihou Ryuki. As to be expected of a newer (and considerably more expensive) release the sculpt and details are much sharper here, but perhaps the biggest difference of all is the colour scheme. Whereas the 2013 Dragreder had a deep metallic red paint job, the new one instead has more of a candy apple red finish. It's still metallic, but nowhere near as pronounced as the previous version - leading it to often look more matte in images. The immediately drew criticism from some collectors, particularly coming off the back of the controversy surrounding Kamen Rider Gavv Amazing Gummy's paint job. But while the paint might feel slightly less "premium" from a certain point of view, it certainly isn't any less screen-accurate. With the way the CGI was all the way back in 2002 the shade of red can vary scene by scene, and there are plenty of examples where this new colour scheme looks spot on. It's also worth mentioning that some of the older Ryuki figures suffered from their metallic paint fading over time, so that hopefully shouldn't be an issue here.

Dragreder's long body is supported via a rather elaborate display stand, consisting of a large mirror display piece and a number of clear plastic display arm pieces that can be connected together in a number of different ways. They can be a little confusing at first (the instructions really help in understanding how they all fit together), but once you wrap your head around the modular nature you realise just how versatile how they are. You can position them all at a variety of different heights across the length of the base, allowing Dragreder's body to raise and lower as well as twist. And despite the arms not directly clipping onto Dragreder's body for absolute security, the arms can jut out at different heights for the body to lean and/or rest upon. Make sure that there's plenty of places for the body to lean on, and the stand is capable of comfortably supporting the figure in all sorts of poses.

Dragreder's body is made up of eleven segmented parts, each connected with a ball joint to give you full control of how it twists and contorts. On top of that, the jaw is hinged and legs feature swivel hinge joints at the shoulders and then separate swivel and hinge joints and the wrists. It doesn't sound like much written down, but it's more than enough to give the contract monster all the articulation it needs. Together with the modular nature of the stand arms, Dragreder can be posed in a wide variety of ways, whether it be rising high into the sky or showing off its length at a much lower level. 

Moving onto the "Kamen Rider Ryuki Option Parts" element of the set, also in the box are two loose pieces from Dragreder's body to be used as the Dragshields - twin armaments that Ryuki can summon using the Guard Vent card. The Dragshields can either be mounted on Ryuki's shoulders by removing the silver stud pieces on them, or held by hand by attaching additional handle pieces to them. In either scenario the Dragshields have ball jointed movement so can be positioned accordingly, however when mounted on the shoulders their size/bulk does mean they clash with the arms quite a lot - particularly the left arm since it has the Dragvisor on top of it. Their size do make for impressive armaments though, giving Ryuki some heavy defence as well as rounding off his core accessories.

However in order to be fully accurate with this release, Bandai have also made it so that the corresponding parts can be removed from Dragreder's body and used as weapons by Ryuki. Both leg plates can be removed to be used as alternate Drag Shield pieces, and the tail can also be removed and used as an alternate Dragsaber. Dragreder's body parts aren't completely identical to the loose accessories however, with the tail/Dragsaber being much larger than the standard version and the body/Dragshields being considerably smaller. They also slightly differ in deco as well - the Dragreder tail has sharper black paint apps on the blade, but lacks the additional black lines on the pommel. Meanwhile Dragreder's legs feature the same glossy red colouring as the rest of its body, whilst the Dragshield pieces are a metallic red similar to the original Dragreder release. The arms are also moulded in a straighter position (and without the shoulder articulation, although the wrist movement has been retained) so that they lean up against the body plate more naturally. The instructions make no reference to Dragreder's head being removable to use as an alternate Dragclaw, but even if it can it would be comically oversized. The pieces all function in the same way, so ultimately it's just a matter of preference as to which you pair alongside your Ryuki. Still having the option to remove them is great, but the joy of them all being included as additional parts as well means that you can always display both at the same time.

The mirror base can be used as a standard display base for Ryuki as well as Dragreder (with the two looking particularly good when posed on top of it), but can also be propped up via a standard Tamashii Stage to be used as a shattered mirror backdrop for the figure. The surface shows off a full (albeit slightly distorted) reflection, making it the perfect portal backdrop to Ryuki's mirror world or shattered mirror diorama in the vein of the show's iconic opening titles. The sheer size of it also makes it one of the largest/most elaborate display bases Bandai have done in recent memory, and should serve future Kamen Rider Ryuki figures just as well as it does Ryuki himself.

The S.H. Figuarts Dragreder & Kamen Rider Ryuki Option Parts Set is a great release that enhances the already excellent Shinkocchou Seihou Kamen Rider Ryuki, but there's no denying that the price is going to deter some collectors. The difference in paint job to the original really isn't as big of a deal as some are making out (in my opinion it's actually better, but your milage may vary) but considering back in 2011 you were getting both Ryuki and Dragreder for 3850 yen suddenly having to potentially fork out 22,000 for the pair (9900 yen for Ryuki, and then a further 12,100 for this) is a huge leap. But on the other hand, 2011 was a long time ago and these kind of price increases are just as much as the shifting economy as they are Bandai's greed. The mirror stand is a really nice addition to enhance the set, but whether it helps justify the asking price is another matter. If you had the original Ryuki this might be a slightly harder sell, but if that's the case you'll also know why that set was so beloved - and in turn why this one is great too. Dragreder is incredibly fun to pose, and together with Ryuki arguably makes one of the best set pieces you'll find in any Kamen Rider collection.