Another unreleased prototype hits Masters of the Universe Classics with the first-ever (and modernized) Darius. He was up for consideration in the 1980s - there's even a prototype you can see. Darius 2016 is a pretty faithful update, but it's also one I have little doubt will irritate fans who were hoping for an update of someone else, especially in light of recent news about the line's likely future. The figure itself is nice, but at least on mine the portrait is lacking in precision. Since the figure wasn't really integral to the original line, its appearance here scratches the itch of Toy Legends but probably not fandom.
The fun thing about a line like this is some things get better as you go, and Darius gets to benefit from something most figures lacked. He has bend-and-swivel wrists, rocker ankles, swivel boots, swivel thighs, and the usual compliment of ab-crunches ball-jointed necks and everything else. He has no probnlems standing or holding his gear, plus he has a slick cape that snaps on shoulder armor quite nicely. Heck, even the armor looks good - it fits better while featuring great bronze and silver highlights. Even his belt buckle is cool - it's the Galactic Protectors symbol, which you'll also recognize from such exotic locales as this very figure's packaging.
Sculpted detail is consistent with the rest of the line, but mine has a sloppy face. The sculpt is good, but you can see flesh paint in the wrong spots. You can also see brown poking through the flesh. The included helmet helps distract from these shortcomings, but doesn't hide them. Since each figure is unique, this may not be a problem for you.
The shield belongs to Battle Punch He-Man - not produced, but at least you have his gear - while the mace and cape and helmet were all parts of the original prototype. It's a decent update, and everything fits on him just fine. I can't say any of these things are particularly exciting, but it looks sort of like a weird sci-fi Randor meets Burger King hybrid. It's not bad, but it's not something a lot of you are clamoring to add to your toy box either.
I'm not gonna lie to you - I'm probably going to find a way to stow this one away and get my MOTUC horde organized. I don't dislike New Adventures, but Darius is no Optikk. With no real emotional connection to the figure, or really much space left, he's likely to disappear. Sad, sure, but given how many other fabulous figures we're getting I don't see this as a tragic thing. I mean, I've got a pretty swell Vultak, Despera is coming, and there's a friggin' awesome Horde Wraith, too! Granted, some of these are also on the new side but the designs are a little more magical. Darius is a fairly well-executed design, but the design itself is one I don't think the world was really mourning. Get it if you feel like it, but be sure to scrutinize the face before making a purchase.
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