I have to admit that giant robots will always 
hold a place in my heart. Growing up I had television shows like Gigantor and Johnny Sokko and his Flying Robot and from the big screen there was Mecha-Godzilla and Jet Jaguar. By the time the 1980s rolled around I had Robotech and Transformers. Now that I am an adult I still have a love for giant robots which is why I am a fan of the Pacific Rim movies.
When I was younger there weren’t many giant robot toys except Transformers and Robotech. Fortunately, kids today never need to know that struggle. Toys of the giant mechs, or jaegers as they are called in the Pacific Rim franchise, are actually being produced by several companies. I am partial to the line that Diamond Select Toys produces.
The reason for choosing them as my favorite can be summed up in 3 simple words: quality, poseability, and price. Not every collector has the disposable income to drop a boatload of cash for one figure. And many of the collectors that do drop a couple of hundred on a figure aren’t going to be playing with it, they’ll just pop it on a shelf. The cheer for the majority of collectors out there should be, “Never play, only Display!”
If you are a frequent reader of this website you know that people who don’t play with their toys is a pet peeve of mine. I know, it is none of my business what someone does with their collection(s) as long as I can still play with my figures….
Boy, did I get way off topic, now back to our review of the Diamond Select Jaegers from Pacific Rim: Uprising. Previously we reviewed Saber Athena (read about it here) and now we have Gipsy Avenger and Bracer Phoenix. First up is Gipsy Avenger.
Gipsy Avenger’s name pays homage to Gipsy Danger from the first Pacific Rim movie. Though both jaegers look a bit alike, Gipsy Avenger has more bells and whistles than its predecessor. Gipsy Danger had an elbow rocket, a plasma cannon and a chain sword. Gipsy Avenger’s weapons are:
- Elbow Rocket
- Chain Sword
- Plasma Caster
- Sprint Speed Upgrade
- Dual Plasma Chainsaws
- Missles
That weapon list is just the weapons that were shown in the movie. The figure itself also comes with its own arsenal, enough to go up against any Kaiju that gets thrown at him.
The Diamond Select Toys Gipsy Avenger stands approximately 8 inches tall. Gipsy Avengers has 1 set of extra hands as well as 2 sets of weaponized forearms (saws and what appears to be a plasma cannon) and a forearm with the chain sword. I do believe that you can never have too many weapons, especially when fighting off Kaiju.
All of the weapons in the world aren’t going to help you when you can’t find rhythm. You need moves to win almost any fight. It is a good thing that Diamond Select Toys knows a thing or two about articulation. According to the back of the box, Gipsy Avenger has 15 points of articulation but when I count it comes out to 18. The figure points of articulation are:
- Head
- Shoulders
- Chest
- Elbows
- Wrists
- Hips
- Knee (Double)
- Ankle
- Feet
The Gipsy Avenger figure, aside from looking great, is very hefty figure. I think the weight of the figure helps with posing. With all of the interchangeable parts your options for poses are almost endless.
Next up is Bracer Phoenix. This jaeger has a stocky design and when I first looked at him thought to myself, “This guys is a brawler.” I like how his design isn’t as graceful looking as Saber Athena or even Gipsy for that matter. Bracer Phoenix looks like he was designed for power, brute force.
Unlike Gipsy Avenger, Bracer Phoenix doesn’t come with any weapons. The only accessory included with this figure is an extra set of hands. Appropriately, the extra hands are sculpted into a set of fists. As I stated before I like the looks of this Jaeger. I love that the designer took balance into account when working on the final design. I was impressed that since the figure is a bit top heavy the knee joints purposefully hyperextend to help the figure balance.
The 16 points of articulation on Bracer Phoenix are:
- Head
- Shoulders
- Chest
- Elbows
- Hands
- Hips
- Knees
- Ankles
- Toes
Both of these jaegers are highly detailed and are poseable enough to keep playtime going. Gipsy Avenger and Bracer Phoenix sculpted by Bigshot Toyworks.
The Pacific Rim Uprising figures are available at your favorite comic shop or on the Diamond Select Website. These figures retail for approximately $24.99 and are for collectors ages 8 and up. Get yours today and cancel the apocalypse!
