With the return of Game of Thrones to TV, as usual I got really excited about the franchise. I debated watching the show over again from the beginning, but then I thought to myself why not start reading the series! Returning to the early days of the story, back to when Eddard Stark, Ned, was still alive. Played by Sean Bean on the show, anyone who had not read the books didn’t see his early departure coming. It is a scene that still haunts the characters on the show, and one that will always stick in my head. I am really glad that Ned Stark is a part of the first series of these figures.
Funko and Gentle Giant have been doing a great job replicating the characters from the show into action figure form, but I think that this is my least favorite of the bunch. Just to get it out of the way, I don’t like the face sculpt. Not that it doesn’t look like Sean Bean, but Ned’s eyes giving him a look of total surprise, which doesn’t portray the character well. The hair is done as a separate piece just like the rest of the series, something I have come to appreciate. Also, I would have rather seen him in his Winterfell fatigues, instead of his “Hand of the King” look, but other than my personal preference the work on his body is top-notch. As usual per these figures, the detailing on their armor and clothing is highly detailed, with belts, scabbards, jewelry, and more getting some great attention. This sets the figures aside from others at the same price point on the market.
The paint is extremely clean and detailed as well. There is a great deal of shading on the figure which makes it look that much more real. It would be way easier, and cheaper, to paint the legs and boots the same color but they didn’t. Ned’s undershirt is a great example of this. Instead of making it plain and ordinary, the sculptors detailed it almost in a quilt like pattern to give it more depth. They even gave him a different colored shirt underneath that. All of these levels of color and sculpt make this action figure a work of art compared to just a mass-produced piece of plastic. Ned’s tunic, a perfect example of this, is created in two pieces. The top part is hard plastic but looks perfect when compared to the soft plastic that makes up the rest of his tunic.
The articulation of this figure is decent compared to the other figures in the line, and an expected standard for these:
- Ball-joined head,
- ball-hinged shoulders,
- ball-hinged elbows, ball-hinged wrists (side-side swivel),
- ball-hinged hips, swivel thighs,
- front-back hinged higher and lower knees, and ball-hinged ankles.
I had a problem with Ned’s left hand breaking off, so be careful. A lot of these figures have had quality issues, at least the first wave. I found this Ned a couple of weeks ago at my local Barnes and Noble, so he could have been a part of that initial release. Both Ned and The Hound have hand issues actually. Both figures come with two different swords but their hands are fixated. You actually have to cut the thumb apart from the other fingers in order for them to hold their weapons. An easy fix, but unnecessary at the same time.
Speaking of swords, like I said before, Ned comes with two. First the larger of the two, and his signature weapon, Ice. The second, a random broadsword fits nicely in his scabbard (unlike a couple of the other figures this one hasn’t fallen off yet, knock on wood).
All in all this a great figure and that’s why I am giving the Funko Legacy Collection Game of Thrones Ned Stark Four outta Five Stars. All of the issues listed above may have been dealt with after the initial release, let’s hope so. I am hopeful that this line remains popular and we get the Winterfell version of Ned. This is one character that your Game of Thrones collection cannot exist without, a character that still plays a role in the story even though he hasn’t been around for almost 3 seasons now. Check out my other reviews from this series! These figures are everywhere now and you can find them at various online retailers and stores. Now is the perfect time to jump on the collection with Series 2 right around the corner!
~CynicNerd
