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Published on September 25th, 2011 | by Sharp-O

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Mint in Box: Thundercats

This coming December sees the release of the highly anticipated Thundercats line from Bandai in the UK. I’ve heard it’s selling really well in the US so it’s no surprise that they’re hyping up the launch of the show (Did you see Peaches Geldof dressed as Cheetara? Meow!) and the upcoming toyline looks to be offering a hell of a lot for both young and old fans alike. I’m breaking out my Sight Beyond Sight to give you guys a peak at what to expect from this line.

I’ll kick off with the Classic Collector Figures since there’s less of them. As the name implies, this line focuses on the classic 80’s designs but with today’s modern engineering and the result is the 8” Lion-O and Tygra. The 8 inch scale is one that’s not often utilised  but it differentiates these figures from a lot of others which is a good thing. The figures come with a multitude of accessories, from extra hands, Tygra’s signature bolo-whip and the Sword of Omens in both its long and short forms. The sculpting and paint are very good but the old designs were very basic, but the paint apps are crisp, clean and iconic, making these perfect for fans of the show or 80’s nostalgia.

This action figures based on the 2011 cartoon come in two sizes (so far) 6 and 4 inches respectively. The 6” figures are more collector focused and the 4” figures come in both basic and deluxe, the latter having some form of action feature. All the basic characters are represented and interact with vehicles and playsets utilising an embedded magnet system called “Thunder Lynx” that activates special features. It kind of reminds me of the old STARCOM toys. Lots of articulation provide a greater range of motion than I‘ve seen in other figures of this scale.

Roleplay items are also available, the highlight being the Deluxe Sword of Omens. With an extendable blade, lights and sounds, this is hot tipped to be this years best-seller. A smaller Sword of Omens and Claw Shield will also be available.

The vehicles that utilise the Thunder Lynx feature are the Lizard Cannon with Slithe, ThunderRacers with either Lion-O or Tygra and the daddy of them all, the mighty ThunderTank! With Snarf. Hehehe I love me some Snarf so getting a ThunderTank and a Snarf is great. Snarf also uses Thunder Lynx to activate sound effects and lights while the ThunderTank itself fits most 4” figures. It’s a great design and I can’t wait to see it released.

Bandai is doing a decent job of catering to fans of both new and old with this brand. Their lines are diverse, seemingly well made and offer a lot of value for money. I’ve seen some of their newer Power Rangers products (Namely the 4” figures) and they’re finally matching the articulation and sculpting that some of their competitors have been doing for years. I hope to see more of thisin the future and will be checking out some of the figures once they get released (Hope the paint holds up to the images we’ve seen).


The prices for the figures, playsets, vehicles and roleplay items will run from between £7.99 to £39.99 but I expect that there’ll be a couple places putting them on offer for the Christmas rush. You can feel the magic and hear the roar this coming December!

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