The Loyal Subjects
WWE Figures
We've discussed on this site my affinity for collecting various lines of wrestling minifigures, which include but are not limited to: Mighty Minis, Teenymates, Ooshies, Pint Size Heroes, something called the Beverly Hills Teddy Bear line and Nano Metalfigs... and that doesn't even include the various lines created by Hasbro, Jakks, Mattel and Galoob over the years.
Here's yet another minifig line you may have never heard of...
The Loyal Subjects is a toy company responsible for producing many lines of tiny, articulated minifigures, ranging from Mega Man to Nickelodeon and from Predator to Masters of the Universe.
TLS' first series of WWE figures came out late last year, and they only recently invaded store shelves in Canada.
Unlike many of the aforementioned wrestling minifig lines, The Loyal Subjects' series are meticulously sculpted and have a RIDICULOUS level of detail. For example, you can see muscle definition, boot details and chest hair on AJ Styles - aspects of detail that are normally reserved for much pricier and larger action figures.
Not only are these figures very detailed, but they're also very poseable and articulated. This figure of Randy "Macho Man" Savage, for example, has points of articulation in his neck, arms, chest and knees. There aren't many figures that size that are quite that flexible. Plus, Savage comes with a ring bell -- a very cool accessory for those of us who remember his rivalry with Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat.
Even the way these figures are packaged is kind of interesting. Many are clearly visible in the package so if, say, you need a Sting for your collection, it's easy enough to find. But a handful of the figures are in blind bags, so you don't know what you're going to get until you open it. At a price point of $16.99 (Canadian), I want to know what I'm buying before I bring it home.
Each figure comes with some sort of accessory, be it a chair, baseball bat, a piece of the collectible ring or a different championship belt. Unfortunately, my blind bag Brock was supposed to come with the Universal Championship, but he must have left it in Suplex City instead. Also, his left foot was broken off in the package, forcing me to superglue The Beast's foot back on.
My favorite in the TLS line (at least, of the ones i currently own) is of Shinsuke Nakamura. Not only does The Artist have an incredible in-character look on his face and the trademark half-shaved head, but he's also brandishing a kendo stick, which, unfortunately, keeps falling out of his hand whenever I attempt to display him with the other TLS figures.
In addition to the figures in my collection, there are also figures of The Undertaker, John Cena, Roman Reigns, Sasha Banks and Generic WWE Referee. In addition, there are variants of each, such as non-Demon Finn Balor, All-American Randy Savage and yes, an alternate version of the referee.
On top of that, the series is sold in exclusive two-packs, plus I've seen versions of Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Ultimate Warrior, among others (perhaps for the second wave?).
But for me, the price point is too expensive to collect them all, plus the figures are REALLY hard to display while holding their various accessories. On paper, these minifigs are awesome but in theory, let's just say I'm not necessarily a loyal Loyal Subjects subject.