Review of Saru - Star Trek Discovery
Sixth Scale Action Figure

Introduction

In today's sixth scale market, we are seeing a lot of overpriced product. Thankfully, EXO-6 continues to produce the finest Star Trek figures at a cost collectors can still afford. They are hitting up every Star Trek property, and they are doing it with a consistency and speed we've never seen before.

Their latest release is from one of the newest Star Trek shows, Discovery. We just recently got Commander Burnham, and they are following this up with Commander Saru. He's based on his appearance in season 2 of the show.

This figure was an immediate shipment if you ordered directly from EXO-6, and started going out just this last week. He will run you around $215, depending on the online retailer of course.

Packaging - ****
The packaging looks great, and is designed with collectors in mind. Of course, it's all collector friendly, and you can remove everything without damage. It's also attractive, showing off both the figure itself and the others in the line.

There's a couple features designed to ensure the box makes it to you in pristine shape. First, there's a special plastic tray inside designed to create additional strength and support.  Second, there's small plastic corners between the exterior shipping box and the interior art box, allowing for space between the two and extra strength at these corners.

They've also included a QR code you can scan, and it will take you to a very useful instructional video on the figure and accessories.

Sculpting - ****
Another excellent sculpt from EXO-6, capturing the look of the Doug Jones character perfectly.

He's a big one too, coming in at about 13 3/4" inches. He'll tower over Burnham of course, as he should. This height is accomplished with some special pieces on the body, as well as the funky boots that manage his species' unusual foot shape.

The unique portrait has a very detailed texture, and the shape of the head, nostrils, ears, and mouth match the on screen counterpart extremely well. This accurate representation continues with the hands, as well as the overall gangly, tall appearance of the character. To create the most realistic look, they nailed the internal scale, with a perfectly sized head and hands, and the correct shape to the body overall.

They went with a simple, direct expression, not showing too much emotion but with enough life to avoid looking like a mannequin. It's truly impressive work!

Paint - ****
The paint work supports the beautiful sculpt, taking it to the next level.

The skin tone is rather unique, and they've done an excellent job capturing the subtle variations and shades. The eyes are particularly nice, with a gorgeous blue color that's even, sharp, and well defined. They have a real life to them, with natural catch lights and just the right amount of shine.

In hand, I thought the skin was a little too shiny though, at least at first. I've grown a bit more accustomed to it as I've worked with him, and it's a really minor nit, but worth noting. It's also worth mentioning that I dropped this poor guy on his head on the floor, an accident that would scuff the normal sixth scale head from any other company, and there wasn't any sign of any damage.

Articulation - ***1/2
The overall body has all the usual joints, and the figure can manage a wide variety of poses.

The head and neck are a single piece, with a ball joint at the torso. He can get good lean and tilt movement, adding personality to any pose.

The shoulders, elbows, and wrists all have a normal range of movement, and you can get good arm poses, especially with the accessories. The torso can crunch and turn, and while the upper jacket of the uniform is tight, the body can maintain these poses, allowing you to break up the straight lines of the upper body.

The knees and hips work as you'd expect, but the ankles, hindered by the funky boots, won't be able to do much for you. That's unfortunate, but not unexpected, since there's no good way with these boots to create a two piece design. Even with the big flat sole under the front of the foot, I found it difficult at times to keep him standing.

Accessories - ****
There's a ton of extras here, although many are similar to Commander Burnham.

There's six additional hands to go with the regular relaxed set he comes wearing. They swap easily, and stay in place while you're working with the figure.

There's a belt, with a communicator pouch, phaser holster, and tricorder pouch you can attach. As with Burnham, getting the belt buckle closed can be tricky, but once you do, it will stay in place extremely well.

Obviously, to go in those holsters/pouches you have a communicator, phaser, and tricorder. The phaser has a removable 'clip', and can be dissembled/assembled into the type 1 and type 2 phasers. The clip actually shows the level of charge on the side of the handle when in place! The two pieces of the phaser are held together with a strong magnet.

The tricorder has the small scanner that pops out, and it all fits neatly in the appropriate holster. The communicator has amazing detail, and the flip cover works great. He also has the phaser rifle, with folding front grip. The arms allow for some great two handed poses with this weapon.

As with the other EXO-6 figures, he comes with the octagonal base, with a crotch support rod. There's the signature or character card as well, and a small clear plastic clip you can use to attach to the base.

Outfit - ****
The level of detail and attention they give to the uniforms is truly impressive. There's very little even the most devoted fan can find to complain about!

The jacket and pants are perfectly tailored, and while it's a tight fit, it doesn't restrict the figure any more than you'd expect in real life. It's probably tough to get a good sitting pose, but this is a character you want standing on the shelf, towering over the others.

The patterns look fantastic, and the other extras - like the insignia - are perfectly applied. This is one of those costumes that looks absolutely real even in macro photos.

Fun Factor - ****
Combined with Burnham - and others - Saru will be a figure you pose and re-pose on a regular basis. It's important to have multiple figures from any one license to get the most out of them, and the EXO-6 price point makes this still a possibility.

Value - ****
At $215, they are doing amazing work at a price point $50, $75, even $100 below what some other sixth scale companies are currently charging. If they can continue to maintain a lower price, they are destined to make their mark on the industry for a long time to come.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing. I wouldn't try putting the communicator in the pouch - you wouldn't be able to see it anyway, and getting it in and out is too much of a pain. But otherwise, you should be good to go.

Overall - ****
I'm absolutely loving what EXO-6 is doing. These are excellent figures at a fantastic price point, and they are covering a wide range of figures in a single license. It's clear they love Star Trek, and their attention to detail makes these figures the outstanding series they are. The very best toy lines, the ones that go down in history, are always produced by passionate fans. That's clearly the case here.

Next up, Mirror Mirror Sulu! He should be shipping any day now...

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has him for $215, but with free shipping.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other EXO-6 Star Trek releases include Burnham, Judge Q, Mirror Mirror Spock, Janeway, EMH Doctor, First Contact Data, and First Contact Picard.

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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