Tri-Klops Evil & Sees Everything! He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Cartoon Collection Basic Figure Item No.: Asst. HYD16 No. JBM81 Manufacturer: Mattel Includes: Rock Softener, Horde Invasion II mini-comic Action Feature: Eye piece rotates between three different eyes Retail: $19.99 Availability: December 2024 Other: He's seen it all, he's seen everything
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Earlier in 2024, the basic version of this character was super expensive. Then he got reissued. And now there's a He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Cartoon Collection Tri-Klops based on the Filmation version, which does a pretty solid job of making sure that a patient fan on a budget could get one or more versions of one of Skeletor's more famous animated stooges.

This cartoon version delivers a different experience - if you want the 2002 Seeker Drone, it isn't here. If you want the classic toy sword, it's not here either - but you do get the Rock Softener, and of course, his famous mullet. These are good reasons to buy him.

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The chest armor is distinctive from the "toy" version, the head is new, and the boots are pretty plain. The lack of paint due to him being mostly molded in color really does a good job evoking a classic toy on a modern figure that has an impressive range of articulation for the price - it's not any worse or better than the rest of the line, so you know what to expect here.

The rotating eye piece isn't spinny or anything. You have to grab both chunks of his head and twist, and you'll feel it lock in place when it gets centered on the right spot. For a collector figure in 2024, this is pretty much exactly what any toy company should be expected to do. Nobody's doing wind-up motors or fidget spinner-powered gimmicks, but if anyone is considering it? I'd like to see how it might turn out.

Kids who had the toys will probably want the other one - but if you grew up with none of the toys, this Filmation Tri-Klops may be the best version. In the 1980s Mattel paid for a ton of episodes of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe to be broadcast over the airwaves in American homes, so it's a safe bet that any kids who were awake with a TV on saw a few episodes. The cartoon models didn't quite match the toys, so this year's collection is probably priced right to sell to those particular memories. And completists, we mustn't forget the completists.

Mattel's 2024 action figure is a little brighter with colors slightly more saturated than the cartoon DVDs, but that does keep in line with the rest of the line from the past five years. It's consistent, and the figure should fit in nicely with the rest of the Cartoon Collection. Keep in mind, these are a bit taller than the 2020-2024 "Origins" toy versions.

It was super easy to get him to hold the Rock Softener accessory, which is another two-handled gray gizmo with some painted bits on it. I think I'd have preferred the toy sword, but I imagine long-haul fans love having a new artifact rendered in plastic. He looks a little goofy holding it on a display shelf - but it's the sort of device that makes sense given how 1980s cartoons worked really hard to curb depictions of violence on shows with swords, guns, axes, and other things. These sorts of gizmos allowed conflict and danger with light beams, which kids probably couldn't have replicated at gome other than shining a light on their siblings. And then their parents would yell at them for wasting batteries.

And of course he can steal someone else's gear if needed. On the cartoons, there were fewer weapons than on the action figures.

If you like Eternia's bad guys, you'll want this one. Sure, you'll wish he had a sword, but the rotating eyes and the cartoon-specific coloring do a lot to make it fantastic. I'd almost say "I'll never need another Tri-Klops!" but that sort of claim generally foreshadows a crossover figure or some other cool unexpected thing. For the purposes of cartoon nostalgia, though, I think I'm all set with this one - he's pretty much perfect!

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