Review of Gandalf the White
Lord of the Rings Sixth Scale Action Figure

Introduction

Asmus Toys has been doing their sixth  scale Lord of the Rings figures for a long time. Their very first member of the Fellowship was Gandalf the White, and it was a rocky start. Over the next few years, they had some great figures, and some not so much. But the last few years, really starting with Gimli in 2018, they've been consistently well done. In 2021, they released the first figure in their 'Crown Series', Gandalf the Gray. These figures sport high quality rooted hair and other high end features.

The new Crown Series release is Gandalf the White. They've come full circle from the very first Fellowship figure, but they also recognize that some folks who bought that version aren't going to want to spend the $380 on this one. While there are major improvements to the costume and accessories (that $380 gets you Shadowfax too!), it's really the rooted hair head sculpt that you're after with this release, so Asmus did something amazing - they offered just the head sculpt for $120, so you could upgrade your original version if you prefer! Very few companies do anything like this, and Asmus remains a very customer focused organization.

Packaging - ***1/2
The figure comes with a brown shipper box labeled with the contents, as well as a beautiful white art box. The figures and accessories are resting in heavy duty foam inside, with the head packaged in a small box, separate from the body.

There's some instructions included, but the figure actually comes kitted up with the belt and cape already in place, so all you need to do is insert the sheath and you're good to go. That's a plus - getting the belt wrapped just right can be frustrating.

While it's very attractive and very secure, I did notice that two of the corners of the white box are starting to tear on their own. Sizing the outer white box for the inner white box a bit better would have helped.

Sculpting - ****
This is a beautiful portrait, capturing the look of the character in sixth scale with amazing accuracy.

The face itself isn't all that different than the gray portrait, but there's one major difference - no adjustable eyes. One of the main complaints with the earlier Crown Series release was the eyes were set too deep, due to the adjustable nature. This is always going to be an issue with that type of eyes, and Asmus decided - wisely - to skip that feature this time around.

That gives this version a leg up on it's predecessor. The rooted hair has also improved, even though the work on the first figure was terrific. The same attention to detail with the edges and hair line is here, and the rooted mustache looks great. There's some product in the hair, working to keep the unique look at the top of the forehead, but there's less throughout the rest. You can style it and work with it with a fine tooth comb or toothbrush to get the look you want.

The beard on mine is shorter than what we saw in the original marketing photos, although since these are probably done entirely by hand, I'm betting there will be variation from head to head. Looking through images from the film, it varied there as well, but it looks pretty accurate to certain scenes. I wouldn't complain if it were *slightly* longer, but I'm good with how it came out. This rooted hair is more realistic in appearance when it comes to length and body than the Gray version.

As I mentioned, this face is close to that one, and the wrinkles, bags, and aging is excellent. They didn't try to root the eyebrows, a smart move, as the sculpted versions are subtle and unobtrusive, blending in nicely with the rest of the face.

Paint - ***1/2
The paint work is excellent as well, another area where Asmus is as good as other major players in the market.

The skin tone is life-like, with freckling and age. The eyes are angled up slightly, giving him a determined, tough expression, and the glossy material creates natural catch lights. The bleached blonde color of the hair is also very realistic, and the detail work on the accessories is high quality. Shadowfax is particularly nice, with a slight wash that brings out the details in the skin texture.

I did knock them back a half star though, due to the slightly darker skin tone. It's not as dark in hand as it is in photos, but he's still tanner than he was in the film.

Articulation - ***
The body Asmus is using has all the usual articulation, and there's plenty of movement possible.

The rooted hair doesn't restrict the ball jointed neck of course, and while there's a couple layers of clothing, the shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, torso, and waist all work great. He can take shallow to deep poses easily, hold the weapons high or in two handed poses, and he can sit on Shadowfax bareback, without toppling off.

I did dock them here though as well, and pretty hard too. The boots are the real deal - soft leather material, laced up with real laces, complete with hard soles. and these soft boots allow for great ankle mobility, normally a big plus. But the ankles on mine are loose, and the soft boots do nothing to help. Getting him to stand can be tricky because of this, although you can with a little patience, and I was able to keep him upright. Since most people will be posing him on Shadowfax, it becomes less of a problem, but still worth noting.

Shadowfax is not articulated - he's a solid polyresin statue. That's a plus in my book, as it makes him look better on the shelf, and it makes it easier to keep Gandalf on his back without them both falling over.

Accessories - ***1/2
There's not a lot with Gandalf, and that does mirror the character. He wasn't as personable as his old self, more standoffish and less interactive. The accessories he does have are the critical ones.

That includes ten hands - a gripping set he comes wearing, plus several others for specific looks. These swap easily, and there's a couple extra pegs just in case.

He also has Glamdring, in die cast metal, and the sheath, this time in white, to hold it. These fit inside the belt, if you follow the instructions.

His white staff looks terrific as well, and he can use it in one or two handed poses, and hold it above his head for effect.

The big extra here is Shadowfax. As I mentioned, the horse is sculpted in polystone, and has a rooted mane and tail. This rooted hair includes a lock for his forehead, a very realistic touch.

The skin texture looks like hair as well, with a ton of detail including some veining. The scale is good, and Gandalf looks great on his back or standing next to him. There's no saddle, as Gandalf rides bareback.

Finally, there's a small display stand with crotch support. The stand has flocked grass on the top, which looks great and seems to be a very high quality.

Outfit - ****
There's several layers to the outfit - undershirt, shirt, long vest, cloak, pants, and skirts. There's the belt for the scabbard, as well as the boots I mentioned earlier.

All of the materials are very high quality and the stitching and manufacture are excellent. The tailoring fits the costume to the body perfectly, and the cape hangs naturally over the shoulders. The vest has beautiful stitched patterns that matches the on screen look, and overall this release is much more accurate than their first attempt.

The boots don't do much to support the ankles, but that's not their fault. If the ankles were tight, these soft, natural material boots would be perfect.

Fun Factor - ***1/2
Because of Shadowfax, you'll have a lot of display options. He can be riding or standing, and using the sword and staff will add to the set up. Of course, he goes best with the rest of the Fellowship, and thanks to Asmus, you can actually have a complete group.

Value - **1/2
At $380, he's very expensive. But the first Crown series figure was over $300, coming in at around $330 depending on the retailer. This figure is an improvement on even that release, and it comes with a sixth scale horse, completely cast in polyresin and sporting flocked hair! The horse would cost you at least $100 from most companies, so that takes the cost of the figure down below $300, making it a solid value. My score here is average, which means it won't improve or reduce my Overall at the end.

Things to Watch Out For -
Take your time working with the hair. I wouldn't get too crazy and muck around with the front hairline, because getting that look again could be tricky. But you should be able to work with the rest of the hair and beard, with a little patience.

Overall - ***1/2
My complains come down to just two things - the skin tone is a little too tan even in hand, and the ankles are weak. That's the only criticism I have, and the overall figure is truly impressive on the shelf. Asmus continues to improve with their rooted hair work, and I can't wait to see what's next in the Crown Series.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ****
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - ***
Accessories - ***1/2
Outfit - ****
Fun Factor - ***1/2
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Check out their earlier Crown Series Gandalf the Gray, or the slightly cheaper version they did earlier. They also started with Gandalf the White, which was almost 10 years ago!

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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