As a wee lad I was not keen on King Hssss or the Snake Men as a whole. The 2002-era show didn't help much, either, and this figure is OK but I don't much love it.
Generally speaking figures in this line don't do much unique in terms of engineering. In many respects it's basically the same articulation as the rest of the line-up, but it can split apart at the waist to switch from "humanoid torso" to "pile of snakes torso." This simulates the transformation of the original toys and the later cartoon, and no doubt adds some cost to the figure. The snakes are bendable, a rubbery skin covers a wire armature plus the jaw of the central snake can open. It looks vaguely 1980s, with a glowing red eye and strange proportions. The sculpting is great, with unique armor and great boots. The figure's only real flaw in its execution comes from the shoulder pieces, which were swapped in assembly/design and as such are a little wonky. Well, if you notice. I personally didn't notice for a while until it was pointed out to me, as the pattern of the outfit flows pretty nicely.
I really like how the human head looks, but his accessories don't make him a lot of fun to play with. I'm not sure where I should be storing the spare alternate torso, and the shield and staff aren't a lot of fun. What's he supposed to do, defend himself from He-Man by waving around a snake stick?
As Eternian bad guys go, it's probably one of my least favorites. He's not as cool as Skeletor or as ominous as Hordak. People tell me Stinkor is a dumber idea for a figure, but I like Stinkor more. King Hssss in many ways feels like a nod to Hasbro's "Cobra" baddies from G.I. Joe, as it was pretty universally regarded that snakes were evil in the popular culture of the 1980s. If you're contemplating making the King Hsss purchase, I can tell you that he's exactly as good as he looks. Rattlor, the generic Snake Men, Kobra Khan, and their buddies are so much more fun to futz with but if you have a tribe of evil snake people you really do need a leader. Even if he's not very snake-y in one mode and ridiculous in the other. If you just want a snake toy, go grab a Triple Threat Snake. They're cheap and don't take up a lot of room.
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