Captain Toy Picks...
The Top Ten Sixth Scale Female Figures

Various

Date Published: 2017-08-09
Written By: Michael Crawford

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Hot Toys Pepper Potts action figure

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Introduction

I've covered a lot of different categories with my Top Ten picks. Best Sixth Scale Figures, Best Female Action Figures, Best Hot Toys Male Portraits, and Best Sideshow Action Figures as a few examples, all of which are closely related to today's list - Best Female Sixth Scale Figures. You'll see figures from those previous lists end up here of course, but you'll also see some new ladies, based on the very specific requirements of this group.

I'm not just doing portraits, like I did with the Hot Toys Male list. These female figures are more than that, and the costume and accessories will have some effect. This is also more than just female action figures - it's more specific, singling out just the sixth scale releases. But other than being female and being sixth scale, there's no real restriction.

So let's get to the list!

10 - Ghost, Triad Toys
While it would be simple to merely pick ten Hot Toys female figures, that wouldn't be completely accurate, at least for me. There are some older figures that might not quite stack up in terms of portrait or articulation to modern releases, but they are still favorites on my shelf.

Ghost is one of those. Back in the day, Triad did a lot of female figures, and yes, they were generally over sexualized. Then again, the characters they were portraying - like Ghost - were pretty much the same way. Their top heavy body worked for Ghost, and the bright white costume was really stellar. Even the cloak and hood looked great, and she remains a favorite for me.

Triad Toys Ghost action figure

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9 - Nurse from Eye of the Beholder, Sideshow
I've put this pair of figures on several different lists, and so it's no surprise that the Nurse from the Eye of the Beholder set by Sideshow would make it here. Yes, she's an older figure with a pretty ugly body thanks to obvious joints everywhere...but the head sculpt is really well done, capturing the unique make up from the show perfectly. While I've replaced a lot of other figures from this far back in my collection, these two will be a permanent part of the display.

Twilight Zone Eye of the Beholder action figures

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8 - Catwoman, Takara
Another older figure is the generic Catwoman from Takara. Again, there's some really great modern releases that are technically better than this figure, but this figure was a turning point, at least for me. I remember really being impressed by the overall release, from portrait to outfit to accessories to articulation, and thinking that it was a first for a sixth scale female figure. It helps that I really like the costume design, and it's somewhat prophetic that the portrait has a bit of an Ann Hathaway thing going on.

Takara Catwoman action figure

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7 - Angelica, Pirates of the Caribbean, Hot Toys
Some of my favorite female sixth scale figures were not my favorite when I first received them. Such is the case with dear Angelica from the POTC line by Hot Toys. This was one of their early attempts with rooted hair, and while the portrait is quite pretty, it's not entirely accurate. But over time I've really come to like this figure, and I think it is greatly underrated. Of course, the excellent costume helps with a lot of that...

Hot Toys Pirates of the Caribbean Angelica

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6 - Maleficent, Hot Toys
I believe in some cases a figure is underrated because of a handful of actual issues, like in the Angelica figure above. Other times, I think it's because the property or character it's based on takes a beating, and therefore the figure never has a chance. My example of just such a situation is Maleficent.

I enjoyed the film, thanks entirely to Jolie's portrayal of the main character. Hot Toys did a smashing job on the likeness and paint work, and while the costume needs some futzing, the final overall result looks fantastic.

Hot Toys Maleficent action figure

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5 - Harley Quinn, Sideshow
Unfortunately, Harley didn't make my best Sideshow figure list, edged out by too many male figures that were exceptional. But she's still a great release, and this is easily my favorite Harley in this scale to date. Hot Toys Suicide Squad version might unseat her...but I haven't opened the box yet.

This Harley also has some other pluses going for her, including some amazing accessories and a second portrait. They've produced some very nice comic inspired figures for both Marvel and DC, and Harley is one of the best of the bunch.

Sideshow Harley Quinn sixth scale figure

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4 - Princess Leia, Hot Toys
You didn't think Hot Toys would be gone for long, did you? They've produced a ton of great female sixth scale figures over the last 4 or 5 years, and based on their showing at SDCC, they have some amazing releases scheduled for the next 18 months as well.

I'm not completely enamored by every aspect of their Leia, and I think they have a couple new ones coming - especially the Hoth version - that will unseat her. But let's be honest, there hasn't been any Leia produced in this scale by any other company that comes close to the overall quality of this one. The tailoring of the dress could be a little better, and the blank stare can be frustrating, but she's still the most beautiful and accurate release we've seen.

Hot Toys Princess Leia action figure

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3 - Rey, Force Awakens, Hot Toys
Hot Toys is cruising full throttle with their female figures over the next year, and the first two Rey versions won't be their last. I prefer the original, which I picked up in the two pack with BB8. It has everything going for it, from sculpt to paint to outfit, and getting the excellent droid was just icing on the cake.

Hot Toys Star Wars Force Awakens Rey action figure

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2 - Black Widow, Winter Soldier, Hot Toys
Hot Toys has also done their fair share of Black Widow figures, and I don't see them slowing down any time soon. Out of the plethora released so far, the Winter Soldier version remains my favorite. I can't argue with the improvement in the Scarlett likeness with every release, which might imply the Avengers version is the best...but I'm not a fan of the hair style. I much prefer the mid-length straight hair we got with the WS version, and the rest of the costume and accessories are the usual exceptional quality.

Hot Toys Black Widow Winter Soldier

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1 - Hermione Granger, Star Ace
Are you surprised in any way that this one is my top pick? The original release included the terrific outfit and accessories, but it's the portrait that's really the reason for it's place at the top of the list. They captured not only the likeness, but the personality of the character beautifully. No silly mannequin look here, and nothing so over the top and dynamic to become ridiculous. Add in the issues with a child's portrait - no extreme wrinkles, scars or aging to give the sculptor something to work off, which means they often end up quite doll-like - and it's all the more amazing.

Star Ace Hermione Granger

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Conclusions:

Putting together this list reminded me of two things - the quality of female figures being released today is so far beyond what we were seeing just a few years ago that it's astounding, and the sheer number of different characters is truly heartening. With the increase of bad ass lead female characters in action, science fiction, and horror movies and shows, I expect that to be the trend for quite some time.

If you're enjoying this top ten concept of Captain Toy Picks or have a suggestion for a future list, drop me a line and let me know! I've added a section below with links to all the past Captain Toy Picks... features:

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Photos and text by Michael Crawford.

Captain Toy Picks... The Top Ten Sixth Scale Female Figures

Captain Toy Picks...
The Top Ten Sixth Scale Female Figures