Marvel Legends Nakia figure review
Among the dozens of reasons I loved Black Panther so much was because of the well fleshed out supporting characters. Okoye and Shuri got most of the attention, but I really liked Nakia as she was a hero beyond Wakanda’s borders long before T’Challa and the others.
While I typically don’t get a lot of MCU figures, I definitely wanted the Marvel Legends Nakia figure. And with Black Panther out now on Blu-Ray/DVD, I figured this was the perfect time to review her figure.
Packaging: Hasbro is using the same package layout for years and there’s no dire need to change it. Especially when they can add unique elements like changing up the accent colors to provide some measure of personalization.
I like this shade of blue with orange accents and the inner panther lining. Nakia is the only non-comic character in this wave, but her side portrait drawing is solid even if the likeness to Lupita Nyong’o is off. The bio is also not quite accurate as it states Nakia is a member of the Dora Milaje. This may be a case of Hasbro just not knowing her role until after the film’s release so I won’t knock them for that.
Likeness: Over the last year, Hasbro has dramatically improved the likeness to the actors. There’s no mistaking that this figure is based off of Nyong’o and I’m very impressed with how stellar this likeness turned out. The hair reflects a natural hairstyle in a way we don’t normally see with black action figures so major kudos to Hasbro.
Nakia sports maybe the most intricate look we’ve seen from a Marvel Legends figure. It’s not 100 percent accurate to Ruth Carter’s costume design, specifically in the leg section, but that’s mostly a matter of some paint alterations. Again, that’s likely something that changed on Hasbro midway through the film production process.
It’s hard to complain seeing all of the obvious work that went into this figure. This isn’t one simple pattern repeated — Hasbro got all of the etching, line work and small details like the necklace down.
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Scale: Nakia is about the same height as the standard Marvel Legends female.
Paint: Here’s where a lot of the side by side comparison with a screenshot reveals the issues with an exact likeness. Nakia wore black pants with red, brown and lighter brown paneling. The figure lacks that and makes it look like Nakia is wearing weird pantyhose.
There’s a ton of paint apps on this figure though and Hasbro did a nice job specifically with the smaller, more intricate pieces of the costume. I might try to fix the pants and add some more gold to the arms, but I’m still pretty happy with this paintwork.
Articulation: With so much more work than a typical Marvel Legends female, I was hoping Hasbro would go the final mile and add in the bicep articulation. That would really be useful with her weapons. Beyond that missing useful piece, the rest of the articulation is solid and allows for a number of fun pose possibilities.
Nakia has:
- neck
- ball-jointed shoulders
- elbow
- wrist
- wrist hinge
- waist
- hip
- thigh
- knee (double-jointed)
- ankle
Accessories: Nakia doesn’t get cheated in this category. She comes with the two blades she used in the final act. The blades lack the black and blue detail, but they do sport some very nice patterns and detail work to show off Shuri’s handiwork. There’s also a dagger I don’t remember Nakia using, but it’s nice to have another weapon.
Additionally, Naki comes with the Build A Figure Okoye torso and spear. And at this point it just makes sense for me to track down the MCU Black Panther and Killmonger to complete the set and build Okoye.
Worth it? I found Okoye at Target for the regular price of $20. Considering the high level detail, astonishing likeness and fair amount of accessories, this feels like a bargain.
Rating: 9.5 out of 10
With correctly painted pants, this would be in the running for best female figure of the year. It’s still close, but Nakia is definitely one of my front runners so far.
Where to get it? Check Target first since they still have this line’s remnants and restocks in some cases. Wal-Mart has been hit or miss with Marvel Legends for awhile. You can check out Amazon or Entertainment Earth.
Buy Marvel Legends Nakia from Amazon.com here.
