McFarlane Toys Deathstroke the Terminator action figure review (2025)
Deathstroke the Terminator was the subject of one of my all-time favorite single comic book issues, the third chapter of The Judas Contract.
Someone at McFarlane Toys might have an affinity for that classic storyline as well with the recent release of Nightwing in his debut attire and this classic version of Deathstroke the Terminator.
Slade Wilson has had some decent outfits over the years, but his original look has proven too good to top. This has been one of my most anticipated figures of 2025 so let’s see if this fulfills the contract or needs to get cancelled.
Packaging: Deathstroke the Terminator is part of the Collector Edition line, so he’s got the silver accents swapping out for the white.
CE figures have a wider window showing off the accessories and a nice clean look at the figure. The side panel doesn’t offer much insight on the inspiration through the look is obviously based on the George Perez take on the character. Ironically the artwork on the back was done by Mike Zeck.
Likeness: When McFarlane Toys wants to crank out A+ figures the result can be stellar. Add Deathstroke the Terminator to that list. This is an amazing figure seemingly designed to be the end-all, be-all Deathstroke figure. It’s really, really close, but the DC Icons still tops this one in terms of being the most comic book accurate.
His head sculpt is intense with his furrowed brow evident even through the mask. He’s got his studded neck collar piece with no cheapening out on the sculpt. The circular portion around his collarbone is also separately sculpted from the upper torso segment. His right bicep has the smaller pouches accurately sculpted, but his left bicep should have small circles around it. With all the other costume details intact on this obviously new sculpt it’s a little surprising they missed that one section.
Deathstroke the Terminator has flared gloves that could be done a bit more dramatically here. The left wrist should also have the small discs around it although this is not a consistent costume element carried over with other artists. He wears a bandolier slung around his left shoulder. His belt with larger pouches also has grenades on them in the Perez look, but not the Zeck version so that is accurate here.
Another tiny omission is the lack of bands securing his holster to his right leg. These look like small strips but are a normal aspect of his costume. His buccaneer boots have the necessary flare, which look good. To simulate his chainmail without sculpting that, McFarlane Toys opted to use the textured Green Lantern lower torso, midportion of the arms/elbows and legs. That was a savvy workaround as it looks like a lighter mesh armor.
All of those minor details missed with this version of Deathstroke the Terminator? They’re all done with the DC Icons figure making it the best sculpted Deathstroke figure.
Scale: At 6’4″ Deathstroke the Terminator is one of the taller humans in the DCU so he’s looking down at the 6′ Hal Jordan, 6’2″ Batman and even the 6’3″ Superman. He definitely should not be eye to eye with the 5’10″or 6′ Nightwing, who messes everything up by being way too tall. That’s not Deathstroke’s fault as he’s fairly well scaled.
Paint: McFarlane figures don’t normally have paint issues, which is something McF detractors don’t acknowledge. It’s nice to not have to worry about lousy paint applications for figures. Deathstroke the Terminator has a really cool color palette so it’s nice to see it done so well with this figure.
The darker midnight blue section has a gloss to it, which creates a nice pop. The bodysuit has a lighter blue that matches the color piece save the sheen placed on that portion. With such deep blues, the orange provides a great contrast without needing to be an obnoxious neon style hue.
In a touch I wish was more the norm for the line, the holster, shorts and boots have black shading. That gives more of a comic book look to it. His gloves have some shading, but not at the same level. His gloves do have gold lining though it should be more prominent
The biggest question mark with the paint is the inclusion of black paint around his eye. Deathstroke doesn’t wear eye black so that was a weird decision. His bandolier is painted grey when it’s typically painted the same shade of blue as the lighter sections. The eye black is something that hopefully can be an easy fix provided you have a small enough brush and a steady hand.
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Articulation: Deathstroke the Terminator gets the usual solid articulation scheme with the standard 22 points of articulation. He doesn’t have any restrictions with his movement due to a costume design.
As an elite level fighter, he needs to be able to punch, kick and aim his weapons with no trouble. The butterfly shoulders certainly help with his ability to wield a sword and carry guns that would make Cable or Deadpool envious.
Deathstroke the Terminator has:
- neck
- ball-jointed shoulders
- butterfly shoulders
- elbow
- wrist
- wrist hinge
- torso
- waist
- hip
- thigh
- knee
- ankle
- toe
Accessories: Deathstroke didn’t need expressive faceplates so he could get loaded up with gear, specifically weapons.
Unlike some other characters who would have benefitted from them, Deathstroke the Terminator gets an impressive arsenal with four guns.
He’s got a smaller pistol with a scope that’s actually painted red. It looks like he’s got an M-16, an assault rifle and a machine gun.
To hold that gear, he’s got a set of clutching hands.
Finally, he gets the usual trading card and black circular stand. Here’s a shot of him withe Icons Deathstroke’s accessories.
Worth it? Deathstroke the Terminator clocked in at $34.97, which shows the sharp increase in the cost of the Collector Edition line.
He has a good number of accessories though the missing ones do mean you’re gonna need to scourge around to find a sword and staff to complete his look. Those would make the price point feel justified, but I certainly think he’s a good value.
Rating: 10 out of 10
Deathstroke the Terminator is a fun variant, but he’s missing way too many important details of the new costume to warrant too high of praise. The gesture is appreciated even if the execution is lacking.
Where to get it? Deathstroke the Terminator is available in stores like Target and GameStop. If you can’t find him in stores, you can grab him from Amazon.
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