Review of Joffrey Baratheon
Game of Thrones deluxe sixth scale action figure

Introduction

There is no shortage of really terrible, vile, evil characters on the Game of Thrones. Occasionally they redeem themselves, but generally they die a much deserved painful death.

None is more representative of this than Joffery Baratheon. A mewling, petulant narcissist, he gets exactly what he deserves, but not before he spreads his bile around and creates plenty of suffering.

ThreeZero has kept rolling with their sixth scale series based on the show, and have just started shipping their Joffrey. He's available in a regular and deluxe version, with an extra accessory being the difference. You can expect to pay around $175 for the regular release, with the deluxe coming in about $10 - $15 higher, depending on the retailer. I'm reviewing the deluxe tonight, but I'll point out the only real difference when we get there.

Packaging - ***1/2
The outer slip cover has a nice embossed lion, the family sigil. Inside, everything is held in place in a couple plastic trays, all quite collector friendly. There's some instructions as well, although not having them in English was a bit frustrating. Thankfully, things are simple enough that pictures  get the point across.

Sculpting - ***
I'm very happy with the final in hand result on Joffrey. The early prototype photos had me a bit worried, but the reality is that he's simply hard to shoot. In hand, they've done an excellent job capturing the character's likeness.

I think it's a combination of the eyes, lips, and nose. The second head shot I included is a bit of a profile, and shows off the petulant expression quite nicely. ThreeZero doesn't often get the credit they deserve for these sculpts, focusing more on the couple misses and less on the majority of hits.

This would normally be a ***1/2 star score from me, but I did have one issue that pulled it down. They went with a removable hunk of hair that can then be switched out for the hair wearing the crown. It's actually a good idea in theory, and had they nailed the seam, it would have been great. But sadly, the seam is too obvious. both with the regular hair and with the crown. It's worse with just the hair, and I think most folks will end up going with the crown, but it's still enough of an issue to pull my score down a half star.

He stands about 11 1/2" tall, about right when compared to the other characters in the line and assuming this is a final (his) season version.

Paint - ***
The paint work here isn't extraordinary, but it's in line with the current average market style and pricing. The skin tone is realistic, with a slight mottling and freckling, and the blue eyes are sharp and clean. The thin lips look great, as do the eyebrows. The hair has some nice sculpting detail, but the flatter paint work doesn't really make it pop.

Articulation - **1/2
My biggest grip with this figure is the underlying body. I couldn't get much out of the elbows or the ankles, making posing him more frustrating than usual.

The ball jointed neck works well enough, and the shoulders, wrists, hips, knees, and torso all have a reasonable range of movement. But the elbows couldn't give me any great two handed cross bow poses, and the single piece hard plastic boots take away the ankle mobility. You won't be posing and re-posing this guy, instead finding one decent relaxed pose and sticking with it.

Accessories - ***
I'm looking at the deluxe, with one (technically two) extra accessories.

Both the regular and deluxe come with six extra hands to go with the relaxed pair he comes wearing. There's a set of fists, a set of tight grips, and a set of grips more designed for the crossbow. I had a wrist peg pop apart at the ball while swapping, but they include two extra for just such an issue.

As I mentioned, the crown issue is handled with a separate hunk of hair. Pop off the normal hair and you can easily put this second piece in place. The gap I mentioned earlier was my only real issue with it, although I do think the sculpted crown itself could have a bit more detail. The sculpt is a bit soft, although gold does tend to have a soft appearance.

The big extra is his crossbow, a 'toy' he enjoyed a little too much. There are five bolts, and these can be stored in a bag on his belt. The bow actually works! Pull the string back to catch it on the hook, insert a bolt, and pull the trigger. It fires further than I expected, considering the weak string. The sculpt and paint work are great, and it's easily his best extra.

The deluxe includes one more goodie - the Widow's Wail sword, along with its scabbard. The sculpt is reasonable, although it's nothing exceptional. If you skipped out on paying the extra ten to fifteen bucks, don't feel bad - you got the best accessory with the crossbow, and the one most likely to be used in displays.

Outfit - ***1/2
While I like the portrait, my favorite aspect of this figure is the costume. They did a terrific job with the floral tunic, using a high quality material that matches the on screen look extremely well. Add in the red velvet sash, a nicely sculpted belt (with bolt pouch), and well tailored pants, and you have a sharp costume.

The boot sculpt is nice, but sadly, it's a once piece affair. It really didn't need to be, thanks to the many folds in the upper, but they went with the single piece design and the ankle articulation suffers for it.

Fun Factor - ***
You'll get a pose or two out of this guy, and the real changes over time will be with whom you pose him, rather than how. Obviously, going with Cersei is a good look, but there's some nice Tyrion display potential as well.

Value - **1/2
The regular release is in the $170 or so range, which is well below the $200 - $225 average we're seeing on the market right now. The quality of the costume is above that price point, while the rest of the figure is pretty much in line.  He's light on accessories though, and if you pick up the deluxe, you aren't getting a lot more.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing. I did have one wrist peg pop apart at the ball, but it looked like it was a problem with that specific post. They also include a couple extras for just such an issue.

Overall - ***
I suspect some folks won't like the attached crown, wanting to futz with it themselves. Personally, I think this was a smart move, since getting the crown in the perfect spot and keeping it there could have been maddeningly frustrating. I do wish the seam was hidden better, but it's my only nit with the sculpt.

The costume is excellent, far superior to the one we saw with Cersei. He's light on accessories, but the price point is solid, and he'll make an excellent - and critical - addition to the GoT display. We have at least two more figures still to come, and the early photos look great of both Tormund and Bran.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth is at $178 for the regular and $190 for the deluxe, but has free shipping.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other ThreeZero Game of Thrones figures include the Night King, the second Jon Snow, Tyrion from Season 7, Brienne, Cersei Lannister, a White Walker, Arya, Daenerys, the Hound, Jaime Lannister, the first Tyrion, Ned, and their first Jon Snow.

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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