Review of Brienne of Tarth
Game of Thrones sixth scale action figure

Introduction

Game of Thrones is gone, but not forgotten. While some fans were disappointed with the finale, I was not one of them. Rewatching the entire run, I was again impressed by how tremendous the story telling, the depth of characters, and the intricacy of the plot.

Which means I remain all in on the release of ThreeZero's Game of Thrones sixth scale figures. The latest to hit the porch is Brienne, one of my personal favorite characters. She comes in two versions - a regular (around $180) and a deluxe (around $200 or so). I'll be reviewing the deluxe tonight, but the difference is but one extra accessory.

Packaging - ***1/2
The outer slip cover is heavy duty cardboard, with a nice embossed front. There's a deluxe sticker, and the cover can be removed to see the underlying large window. Inside, the figure and accessories are safely packed in a single plastic tray, and there's various pieces of plastic included to keep the cloth and armor apart while in storage.

It's all collector friendly, but getting some of the plastic off, especially around the waist, can result in tearing it. Also, the large cloak is simply in a bag, taped to the underside of the tray. I prefer when the cloth extras are placed within a tray as well.

Sculpting - ****
I'm just going to say it - this is the best portrait ThreeZero has had in this line, hands down. Photos don't do her justice. When I pulled her out of the box, I was wowed.

The character/actress accuracy is excellent. The shape of the nose, the lips, the forehead and hair, and most importantly, the jawline are all dead on. There's a ton of fine detail in the hair too, which really makes a short style like this pop.

There's a subtle skin texture, enough to be realistic without aging her too much.  Add in a resolute but not extreme expression, and you have an excellent all around portrait.

That's not to say I don't have any suggestions.  My one real issue is with the eyes, which are part of the sculpted face, rather than separate plastic. For comparison, look at one of the best portraits released this year - Hot Toys Bucky Barnes. Notice that the eyes are made from a different material, separate from the face. It gives them more life, more depth. If ThreeZero begins to do this, it will take their portraits to the next level.

She's big of course, and stands a solid 13" tall. The sculpted armor looks good - more on that in a minute - and the included hands are designed to work with the accessories. They are on the manly side, but I'm assuming they simply went with the stock hands for this larger body.

Paint - ***1/2
They still need to improve the paint work a bit, but they are certainly getting closer.

The eyes are again my biggest issue. These are flatter, less realistic than the best work on the market. They are clean and even, well painted in this style, but I would like to see them move to a more life-like material.

The skin tone is even, with just a very slight realistic mottling. The light blond hair looks great, and the hair line has a subtle translation from skin to hair.  I don't love the black lip line, used to create shadow and depth, but at least this one is very, very faint, and the lip color is realistic without looking like makeup.

Articulation - ***1/2
The underlying body is gangly, but for this character that works perfectly.

The ball jointed neck has plenty of tilt and lean, even with the one piece head/neck design. The shoulders, elbows, and wrists are not unduly restricted by the armor or clothing, and you can get some very natural arm poses.

Likewise the hips, and knees work great, and the joints are ratchet style. This means they click into specific positions, and will hold that position much longer, with less flop.  The two piece boots allow for decent ankle movement too, although I could always use a bit more rocker.

The only joints to be really restricted here are in the torso. There's very little turn, lean, and tilt and zero crunch, thanks to the armor.  Still, that's not very far off from reality, and she's about as mobile as you'd be in the same costume.

Accessories - ***
She's a tad light in this category, but she does have a couple key extras.

Of course there's some additional hands. She comes wearing a relaxed set, and there's a set of fists and a set of gripping hands to swap in. There's a couple extra wrist pegs too, but I had no trouble swapping hands.

She also has the Oathbreaker, the sword given to her by Jaime. It fits neatly in a very intricate scabbard, which in turn slides into two tight loops on her belt.

The deluxe includes a large cape with fur collar. It's a really nice extra, but I'll discuss it more in detail in the costume section.

Outfit - ***1/2
The outfit consists of multiple layers, including her shirt, pants, undershirt, boots, armor, belts, and cloak.

The quality of the materials, especially the soft goods, is excellent. ThreeZero is particularly skilled at adding dirt, grime, and wear, and it's apparent on the pants and boots. Some people don't love the plastic armor, but I think they do a terrific job with it overall. I do think the shape of the breast plate is a little off, not having quite enough curve across the chest. I believe we saw this same thing with Jaime as well, but it's a fairly minor nit with an otherwise great looking costume.

The deluxe includes the cloak, with big fur collar. The material is particularly nice, with a soft feel and enough weight to hang naturally. The big collar can be adjusted around a bit, thanks to the straps across the chest. There's a metal buckle in on one of the straps, which can be tighter or looser depending on your preference.

Fun Factor - ***
Add in the Hound and you can have an epic battle scene. The articulation is good enough to allow for lots of re-posing, and the huge cloak adds another set of possibilities.

Value - **
The regular release is $180, which is a little more than some of the ThreeZero figures, but the quality is pretty much in line. I'd give that figure an extra half star here, bringing her up to an average value. I'm knocking the deluxe down slightly, because even though the cloak is very high quality, I'm not sure it's worth almost $30.  I paid $207 - if you can get her closer to $200, I'd go that extra half star as well.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing. Everything is sturdy and well made, and you have very little to assemble.

Overall - ***1/2
I've been generally happy with the ThreeZero GoT series, and pre-ordering every release hasn't been a question. But I was not happy with the overall final result with Cersei, a figure hampered by a terrible outfit and mediocre paint work. This release is a huge step up, and I'm hoping that with the upcoming Bran, the Night King, and Joffery, as well as a new Jon Snow and Tyrion, this trend will continue. Sadly, I can't afford the huge Drogon, but for those that can, he'll be a real centerpiece to the entire collection.

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

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth is at $190 for the regular but with free shipping.

- or you can ssearch ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Other ThreeZero Game of Thrones figures include Cersei Lannister, the White Walker, Arya,  Daenerys, The Hound, Jaime Lannister, Tyrion, Ned, and Jon Snow.

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

Discussion:
Want to chat about this review?  Try out one of these terrific forums where I'll be discussing it!

Enjoyed this review? Be sure to head back to the main page to find thousands more just like it!