Review of Arya and Daenerys
Game of Throne action figures

Introduction

I read somewhere that it's been 595 days since the end of season 7 of the Game of Thrones. That seems about right, and it's been a much too long of a wait, but it's finally here! Tonight I'll be eating my GoT Oreo cookies and watching the return of one of the best television shows of all time, and hoping it will finish off in truly grand style.

McFarlane has their first wave of 6 - 7" action figures out just in time.  Earlier this week I checked out Jon Snow and the Night King, and tonight I'm following up with Jon's aunt, Daenerys Targaryen, and his cousin, Arya Stark. These are popping up at Target, where I picked them up for $20 each.

Packaging - ***
Clamshell packages certainly reduce in-store theft, and if you're a MOCer, it means they'll survive storage bins and cardboard boxes at home. You'll need a blade to get them open, but that seems appropriate considering the subject matter.

Sculpting - ***
I was quite happy with Jon and the King, but these two aren't quite at the same level, at least in terms of accuracy.

They are quite realistic for the scale. Remember, these are scaled around 6 1/2" or so, the modern 1/12, and Dany comes in at 6" tall, while Arya is 5 3/4". Considering the size, the realism is quite good.

But the accuracy is off this time. Arya is too moon faced, too round, which widens her head at the temples. It looks like Arya, if her face was slightly smooshed.

Daenerys has similar issues. The eyes are a little too big, the hair slightly off, and she also suffers from some rough areas around the chin. Both of these ladies seem like slight caricatures, rather than straight up likenesses.

Let's not get too crazy though - these are a world above the Funko 6" GoT figures from a few years ago. I've included a photo at the very end of the review of the new Jon Snow with the older Funko version, and I think you'll see what I mean.

From the neck down, both have excellent, detailed costume sculpts. Lots of super fine textures here which vary from area to area to simulate different types of cloth. The softer skirts don't restrict the articulation too much, and both costume sculpts elevate the overall appearance.

Paint - ***
We got a bit more slop than with Jon and the Night King, but it's still hard to fault them too much.

The eyes and eyebrows, as well as the hairline, are all well done on Arya. Even the lip color looks good, and it's not too distinct or distracting. However, there's some dirt on her lower face, which was likely a problem during packing.

Likewise, there's some dirt and clumps - very tiny - in the skin of Daenerys as well. Her eyes, while big, are fairly clean, as are her distinct eyebrows. Find one without the dirt and marks on both, and you'll be much happier.

The costumes exhibit none of those issues. While the clothing could be bland, they've found a way to use subtle details and color variations to add some visual pop.

Again, while I have a couple issues with the paint work, this is much more realistic in hand than the previous attempts by Funko. Check that last photo to see what I'm talking about.

Articulation - ***1/2
Both figures sport good articulation, from the neck to the ankles.

The ball jointed necks allow for some reasonable tilt and lean movement, and the hair on both, while long, restricts it less than I expected. The rotating hinge shoulders, elbows, and wrists can manage some good arm poses,and the hips, knees, and ankles can do great leg poses. Unlike Jon and the Night King, these two have good rocker movement in the ankles, and while the skirts are a little restrictive, you can still get medium depth stances.

Accessories - ***
There's some decent extras, but it's one area where they remain somewhat Spartan.

Arya has two blades, her sword, Needle, and the knife that was used in an assassination attack on Bran. The sculpts are good on both, and the knife even has the look of Valerian steel. They fit neatly in her hands, which are sculpted at an angle for good sword holding poses.

Dany has three map markers, and the sculpts on these are really impressive. They might be tiny, but the wood grain is carved right into the surface.

Both also have a small, round, black display stand with a foot peg and the GoT logo. These aren't necessary for them to stand, but it's probably useful long term.

Fun Factor - ***
The articulation allows for some good posing, and long term, I'm hoping we see a ton of figures to go with these. This is one of those lines that gets better in this category with more releases.

Value - **1/2
Keeping these at $20, considering the license and the likely low production run, is quite a welcome feat. It's the market average right now for figures in this scale, but let's be honest - Hasbro is making way more Marvel Legends and Star Wars Black figures, driving down their unit cost.

Things to Watch Out For -
The hands are quite hard, so take some care when inserting or removing the softer sword hilts.

Overall - ***
In hand, these are a huge improvement over the Funko line, no doubt about it. While I had some issues with the paint on these two, you should be able to find some on the pegs that suit your tastes. All the other issues are relatively minor, and this first wave has me stoked to see what McFarlane can do moving forward.

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

Where to Buy 
I picked these up at Target, where they were $20 each. Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth is also at $20 each.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
This is the first of the McFarlane figures, and I just covered Jon and the Night King last week. If you're looking for something bigger, check out the ThreeZero sixth scale releases, like the White Walker, Arya, Daenerys, The Hound, Jaime Lannister, Tyrion, Ned, and Jon Snow. If you're looking for something smaller, check out the 1/18 scale figures from Funko, or their 6" figures. And if articulation isn't your thing, there's the larger series from Dark Horse.

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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