12" Aragorn as Strider
from Sideshow Collectibles

Special thanks to the folks at Sideshow Collectibles for producing an absolutely awesome 12-Inch lead off for the Lord of the Rings line! The 12-Inch Aragorn as Strider figure is superb in nearly every aspect...and we have Sideshow and Mat Falls to thanks for prodcution of this cool addition to your Lord of the Rings collection!

The first ever Lord of the Rings 12-Inch figure from Sideshow is a far cry above those offered by Toybiz when the Lord of the Rings trilogy of movies hit theaters starting back in 2001. This first offering in the form of the 12-Inch Aragorn as Strider figure is something to marvel at. While the facial likeness is a bit off, the reality is that no company has yet to master the likeness of Viggo Mortensen to date…Toybiz, NECA, Gentle Giant, and now even Sideshow had a little trouble getting it perfect. With that said, the folks who worked the sculpting and costuming of this figure have to be congratulated…it is a masterpiece that is more than welcome among the Lord of the Rings collector community. The packaging is friggin sweet to behold as well with very cool color schemes and great descriptions and imagery of the figure and his accessories:

"A descendant of the lost line of the ancient kings of Men, Aragorn is fated to one day claim the empty throne of Gondor. Few know his secret heritage and destiny, amongst them the wizard Gandalf and the elf-lord Elrond, and some of the Dúnedain, better known as Rangers, who follow him. At Gandalf's advice, Aragorn and his followers take up the defense of the Shire, a small land full of very small people known as Hobbits, and he became known among the peoples just outside the Shire's borders as Strider.

In the common room of the Prancing Pony, an inn in the town of Bree, just outside the Shire, Strider befriends Frodo Baggins and his three hobbit companions. Strider leads the party in their difficult journey to reach Rivendell, elf-haven and home of Elrond. Once there, they join with an elf, a dwarf, a wizard, and the son of the Steward of Gondor to become the Fellowship of the Ring."
  • Authentic likeness of Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn from The Fellowship of the Ring
  • Fully articulated male body with 30+ points of articulation
  • Authentic costume includes:
    • Grey Shirt
    • Sleeveless Jerkin
    • Trousers
    • Long Duster
    • Ranger Belt
    • Boots
    • Sideshow Exclusive Hooded Ranger Cloak
  • Accessories include:
    • Oil Pouch
    • Sharpening Stone Pouch
    • The Evenstar Pendant
    • Utility Knife
    • Sword
    • Sword Scabbard including Utility Knife Scabbard
    • Bow
    • Arrows x 5
    • Quiver
    • Arrow Sleeve
    • Bed Roll
  • Unique hands:
    • Gloved Right hand
    • Sword Grip Left Hand w/ Ring
    • Gesturing Left Hand w/ Ring
  • Sideshow Exclusive Pipe
  • Sideshow 12-Inch Figure Display Base with Lord of the Rings logo

 

Packaging..........


Packaging: As has become the standard method for Sideshow for shipping their 12-inch figures, the external shipping container has a detailed description of the contents on the outside stating that what is inside is indeed a 12-Inch Aragorn as Strider figure (Exclusive or Regular Edition). The box is only slightly larger than the figure box and the figure box is wrapped neatly with a bubble-wrap baggie. The figure box construction has a neat jagged edge folding cover, almost like you are opening a set of double doors to reveal the Aragorn figure. On the front cover is both a large picture of the figure itself and a subdued picture of the character as seen in the movie. A very cool color scheme seamlessly blends the two together nicely. The inside flaps of the cover have detailed descriptions of both the Strider character as well as a detailed descriptions of his most important accessories and how hw used them! The main box (in the center) reveals the figure itself with all of his many accessories displayed around him. The artwork behind the figure creates a great illusion that we are in the depths of some great chasm (like Moria). Finally, the back of the packaging has background image of Moria with the Balrog in the midst. In the foreground are pictures of the front and back of the figure as well as more details about the Lord of the Rings line as well as a very cool quote from Strider/Aragorn:

“If by my life or death I can protect you, I will.
You have my sword!”

Unpacking: The figure is packaged very similarly to the 12-Inch Star Wars figures…very little in the way of twist ties and nearly no stick-um or tape to be found with the only exception of the tape used to hold the two parts of the clamshell together. The accessories stay put very well and are secured well with tightly molded plastic homes. The figure is snugly encased with the EXCLUSIVE Ranger cloak and the head is wrapped with the now standard holder that looks like a set of ‘teeth’ made from the same plastic as the clamshell that holds the head in place and help with paint rubs and scuffs. All in all, the packaging is very comparable to the Star Wars packaging…secure, little to frustrate in opening, and down right very cool to display! The only reason we have for dropping the score by a half point is that it would have been a bit better to make the cover art and internal artwork (especially the BACK COVER)) a bit BRIGHTER…the darkness of the packaging, while somewhat appropriate for the character, could stand to be brightened a bit to enhance the figure imagery and the textual descriptions!

 

Sculpt/Costume..........

The Overall Sculpt:The sculpt is yet another done by renowned Sideshow Artist and Sculptor Mat Falls...well known for his sculpt work on many of the Star Wars figure including the 12-Inch Jedi Luke Skywalker. The sculpt work on the head is very well done, but, as we stated in the opening paragraph, the likeness is somewhat off from Viggo Mortensen. We are not sure why his likeness is so difficult to capture, but no one has yet to nail it just right. Needless to say, the facial sculpt on this figure is pretty darn convincing as Strider. The detail on the hair and facial coloring reveal the mysterious nature of the Strider character as he watches and approaches Mr. Underhill! The eyes are a bit staring…meaning they hold little emotion, but it does, in no way, take away from the overall impact of the figure. Also, the sculpted hair over the eyes is a nice added feature that makes the figure that much more realistic. The detail on the hands is also very well done. The ring of Aragorn on both the closed and open LEFT hand is well sculpted and detailed…nice added touch here to an already great figure. Also, the sculpt of the Evenstar of Arwen is pretty well done in such a small scale…you can distinctly make out the leafy pattern of the brooch given to Aragorn by Arwen! While the brooch is not given to him until AFTER he becomes a part of the Fellowship, it is still a major kudo to Sideshow for including the accessory!

The Costume:The Strider costume is down right exceptional. If you are fortunate enough to have the Exclusive Edition, you get the Ranger Cloak AND the PIPE smoked by Strider in Bree! These are some very cool exclusive accessories and very appropriate ones for Strider and Aragorn. The outer leather coat worn by the figure is well stitched and durable…about the only thing wrong (and this is a minor point of contention among fans) is the WEAR of the coat…many fans feel that the coat should be more WORN IN…rougher, more dirt…made to appear that the coat is often slept in by the Ranger donning it! The leather jerkin worn under the coat has a nice added touch of a leather ‘patch’ used to protect the jerkin from wear from the scabbard and sword being worn by the Ranger…a sweet touch. The pants are BLACK and well fitting. The shoes/boots are molded plastic with a cloth cuff that brings out the realism of the boots. The leather jerkin also has individual rope ties for the fasteners as they appeared in the movie.

 

Display Base: This display base is a great added accessory for this figure. It is rapidly becoming a standard accessory for Sideshow’s 12-Inch figures as well. The Lord of the Rings logo on the stand is cool and the stand holds the figure nicely with very little bulging!

Summary on Sculpt and Costume: A couple points docked for the facial likeness, but this is well made up for in the costumes and accessories. Overall, the figure is well outfitted and well sculpted. By no means is this a figure that you should have missing from your Lord of the Rings collection!

 

 

Paint Application......

The Paint Scheme: The paint application on the 12-Inch Aragorn figure is very well done...the face looks warm and worn as Strider and the detail on the eyes is quite well done. The eyes appear a little emotionless, but that may be simply to the look being portrayed by Aragorn…The hands are painted well, especially the Ring of Aragorn on the LEFT Hands…very nice details added with the paint scheme. Also, the accessories are painted well with little running and bleeding of colors. The paint apps on the sword and attached dagger are spot on with the movie counterparts as well as the apps on the arrows and quiver. The nice added touch with the bow and quiver is the cloth bag used to hold the arrows…a nice touch showing Sideshow’s dedication to getting the accessories correct with the costuming from the movie. Well done…and great detail! The only minor negative that has been pointed out on some of the message boards (i.e. Sideshow Freaks) is that the figure has too much of a BEARD and not enough of simple scruffage…a little less paint application on the beard area would perhaps have solved this minor nuisance.

 

The Accessories......

Plethora of Accessories: The sheer amount of accessories for this figure nearly give it the perfect 5 out of 5 alone. But the fact that the accessories are not only appropriate, but movie accurate in nearly all aspects give this figure’s accessories a well earned perfect score. The Dagger that is attached to the sword, the PIPE and the Ranger cloak…spot on! The fact that a cloth bag was included to hold the arrows is another sweet accessory that just makes me appreciate Sideshow’s attention to the smallest details. They even included the small pouches on the scabbard straps (although these are not ‘accessories’ by any stretch of the imagination). The sword is well made and sturdy…no Toybiz melting swords here! The one very minor negative for the accessories is perhaps the Bow string. It is not very stiff and only looks realistic if an arrow is cocked on the bow…otherwise is hangs much too loosely. This is by no means a detractor, just a minor annoyance.

For over 60 images of the figure, check out the new 12-Inch Aragorn as Strider archive pages located HERE!

 

OVERALL..........

I found it very difficult to find negatives for the Exclusive 12-Inch Aragorn as Strider figure outside the much beleaguered talk about the Viggo Mortensen likeness (or lack thereof). Some minor annoyances and perhaps a bit added WORN look to some of the accessories would have worked a bit better. But if this is what we have to look forward to in future 12-Inch Lord of the Rings figures…I say…BRING THEM ON! This is a fantastic 12-Inch figure and one that is welcome with wide open arms in my LOTR collection! The figure is well sculpted (even despite the likeness issues, one must admit, the sculpt is well done), the accessories are plentiful even if you do not have the Exclusive Version with the Ranger Cloak and Pipe. The paint apps are pretty well done on the figure and the accessories and the packaging simply rocks! Can’t wait for more...