Jazwares AEW Luminaries Surfer Sting review (2025)

Missing out on more Surfer Sting figures from Mattel really…stung. That was my main takeaway from one of my favorite wrestlers leaving WWE to sign with AEW. Mattel was just starting their Ultimate Edition figures and revealed an early Crow Sting figure. Jazwares has done a decent amount of Sting figures, but I hadn’t felt the need to get any more after they revealed a Luminaries Surfer Sting.

I’d eased up on my AEW purchases, but for the opportunity to get another Surfer Sting figure, it was time for a new purchase.

Let’s see if this Luminaries Surfer Sting gets wiped out or is the start of another method of getting more Sting figures for the NWA/WCW display.

Packaging: I like the Luminaries packaging as Jazwares added some blue foil around the ‘crown’ section, the character name and for the Luminaries tag. There’s a decent Photoshop image of Sting in this particular face paint/tight combo. The image looks like the kind of artwork we’d see with an NWA/WCW ppv poster.

The left side features a slightly larger version of the image. On the rear, it’s just a wider version of the artwork with a facsimile of Sting’s autograph. Below is the cross sell of the other figures in Unmatched Series 11. I still wish they’d include some form of bio to tell the story of the wrestler or their particular attire.

Likeness: Unlike anything Mattel did with its highlight articulated Elite line, the Luminaries Surfer Sting actually has a build more fitting to his physique.

The Jazwares figures aren’t awful, but it does feel like Mattel has left them behind with the switch to pinless limbs. The round pins are more noticeable with wrestling figures and Jazwares uses larger pins than most companies.  Jazwares can’t switch to pinless joints fast enough from an aesthetics perspective.

Details like Sting’s boots with the straps on the back are appreciated.

Jazwares went an oddly intense head sculpt. Luminaries Surfer Sting has a gritted teeth expression. I’d love a basic neutral expression sculpt. Sting would get hyped, but he wasn’t always the Tasmanian Devil.

The default head sculpt for Luminaries Surfer Sting also has a rat tail suggesting this was a much younger version of The Stinger.

Jazwares’ basic muscular body has a decent frame that smartly matches up with Mattel’s WWE figures.

Scale: Sting was 6’2” which puts him an inch taller than the 6’1” Ric Flair and an inch shorter than the 6’3” Lex Luger. Fittingly that puts him at the same height as one of his great rivals, The Great Muta. He matches up pretty well with the Mattel Elite figures height and width wise as well.

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Paint: I’m pretty sure the NWA/WCW license means Jazwares can’t do any actual Sting face paint designs. Apparently, the early scorpion logo he wore is fair game or as long as Jazwares makes it slightly different enough.

White with light blue is a color scheme Sting didn’t rock too often so it’s a smart choice since it’s not tied to a particular event or match.

Despite my issues with the AEW figures, the paintwork is normally on point. That’s still true with the Luminaries Surfer Sting, who could have been especially challenging with the face paint and scorpion logo. Even the hair is the right shade of platinum blonde.

The bigger is the use of mismatched hues for the skin tone. The upper and lower torso have noticeably different shades.

Articulation: Jazwares figures tend to have very good articulation provided their joint are tight.

Plus, the figure’s stable sense of balance to make it easier to get unique maneuvers like the Stinger Splash and the Scorpion Deathlock.

Luminaries Surfer Sting has:

• neck
• bicep
• ball-jointed shoulders
• elbows (double-jointed)
• wrists
• wrist hinge
• torso
• waist
• hips
• thighs
• knees (double-jointed)
• ankles

Accessories:  Luminaries Surfer Sting gets a generous number of accessories considering the Jazwares limitations for all the viable options.

He comes with three alternate sets of hands — grabbing, pointing and fingers spread. The latter doesn’t make as much sense as the other two since Sting wasn’t some big submission wrestler, but they’re another display option.

His main accessory is his secondary portrait. Ironically, this is the version sporting the paintjob based on the packaging art.

The paint apps on the face paint is good though there is some overspray of the blonde from his hair. Again, I wish Jazwares just went with a neutral expression even if they used the same face paint for both head sculpts.

Worth it?  The Unmatched line has remained steady at $19.99. I appreciate that since the figures aren’t quite an appropriate match compared to the WWE figures at $22.99.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Save a missing neutral portrait, this is a pretty decent Surfer Sting stand-in for a Mattel Elite figure and adds another option for a diverse Sting display.

Where to get it?  Luminaries Surfer Sting will be hard to find in stores though you can try Target. Otherwise, you can check Amazon for any appearances.

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