Old favourites and obscure characters from a range of source materials featured in the 2013 list. The set saw the completion of the characters from the first three waves of the Vintage line with Ram Man and Jitsu.
NETOSSA
CAPTIVATING BEAUTY
Netossa comes from the Princess of Power line. The Classics version is quite a good figure. The original toy’s cloak was a net which could trap enemies. That feature was discarded for the updated figure.
JITSU
EVIL MASTER OF MARTIAL ARTS
Classics Jitsu is a good version of the character although the head looks a bit squashed. The back of the armour has two small slots which can hold the kama (sickle) weapons.
RAM MAN
HEROIC HUMAN BATTERING RAM
Classics Ram Man is a great update to the character. The colour scheme is the same as the Vintage toy. There is no spring mechanism this time around but the knees bend. A slot was added on the back for the axe.
FANG MAN
EVIL FANGED MINION OF SKELETOR
This character originates from the He-Man cartoon. It’s an interesting and likeable figure, but the animated look doesn’t fit neatly with the broader Classics aesthetic.
KING HE-MAN
HEROIC RULER OF FUTURE ETERNIA
Classics King He-Man is a good figure. The character represents an extension of the rather muddled canon which was invented to support the line.
STROBO
LIGHT POWERED COSMIC ENFORCER
Strobo was a character who appeared in a Vintage-era story but was never made into a toy. The extra head is for Zodak. The blaster rifle was not included with the figure but appeared in the End of Wars Weapons Pak.
SNAKE FACE
MOST GRUESOME OF THE SNAKE MEN WARRIORS
Classics Snake Face uses new arm designs in a very effective way. The mechanism of the Vintage toy is not replicated here, but a second head and plug-in chest snakes imitate the effect.
KARATTI
BONE BASHING MUTANT
Karatti is a rare example of a He-Man (New Adventures) character who translates well into the Classics line. He is one of the Space Mutants.
SHIELD MAIDEN SHERRILYN
HEROIC ATTAK TRAK PILOT
Shield Maiden Sherrilyn was included in the Fighting Foe Men three-pack with Ditztroyer and Dawg-O-Tor. Their designs were based on vehicle pilots on licensed Vintage-era artwork. Sherrilyn is a good Classics figure.
DITZTROYER
EVIL ROTON PILOT
Ditztroyer is a good Fighting Foe Men figure. Fighting Foe Men was an early working title for the Masters of the Universe. The figure, like his companions, includes a Horde chest logo to represent allegiance to that faction.
DAWG-O-TOR
HEROIC TALON FIGHTER PILOT
One of the Fighting Foe Men set, Dawg-O-Tor is a nicely designed figure. Obscure characters with roots in the Vintage era are often more interesting than better known characters from the spin-off lines.
OCTAVIA
WICKED TENTACLE-SWINGING WARRIOR
Octavia is an Evil Horde character who appeared in a couple of episodes of the She-Ra cartoon. She works well as a Classics figure but the articulation is fairly limited.
CLAMP CHAMP
HEROIC MASTER OF CAPTURE
The head sculpt for Classics Clamp Champ is quite detailed. Clamp Champ has a Vintage-style clamp with a working mechanism and a smaller one with no moving parts.
HE-MAN
GALACTIC PROTECTOR
This He-Man originated in the He-Man (New Adventures) toy line. This was the awful reinvention of the Masters of the Universe brand as a science fiction story. Two heads and two sets of armour were included.
ICER
EVIL MASTER OF COLD
Icer is a very effective figure. The clever paint highlights look like a dusting of snow. He was a character in the He-Man animation, but the Classics interpretation doesn’t look like a cartoon version.
ROKKON
YOUNG HEROIC BATTLING BOULDER
Classics Rokkon was sold in a two-pack with Stonedar. He is quite a good design although keeping the rock pieces clipped in place is a challenge. An extra piece was included for the folded-down position.
STONEDAR
HEROIC LEADER OF THE COMET WARRIORS
Stonedar was part of a two-pack with Rokkon. Fixing the rock pieces in place is tricky but the figure nevertheless looks quite good. An extra rock section is used when the figure is folded down into his disguised form.
CASTASPELLA
ENCHANTRESS WHO HYPNOTIZES
Castaspella is another character who comes from the Princess of Power line. This is a reasonably good figure with a decent head sculpt. The spell-blast effect is rather odd.
SHOKOTI
EVIL WITCH OF ETERNIA
Shokoti is a character from the He-Man cartoon. The figure is, for that reason, too plain for the Classics line. She was given the same title as Battleground Evil-Lyn.
BATROS
EVIL MASTER OF THEFT
Batros is another cartoon character who was added to the Classics line. The figure is sculpted quite well and the wings are cleverly attached to the arms.
SKY HIGH
HEROIC AIRSHIP ADVENTURER
Sky High was packaged with the Jet Sled vehicle. He originated as an illustration on a marketing poster for the Vintage line. The helmet is quite stylish but suffers from the lack of symmetry which plagues the line.
MANTENNA
EVIL SPY WITH THE POP-OUT EYES
Classics Mantenna is the definitive version of the character. The figure has a great design. The face is expressive. There is no eye-extension mechanism, so two pairs of eyes were included to replicate the Vintage feature.
LORD DACTUS
HEROIC BAT WARRIOR
Lord Dactus originated in 200X-era media. Despite the wings and extra parts, the figure is rather plain. A missed opportunity to create a textured sculpt.
NEPTHU
WICKED SUN SORCERER
An obscure character from an episode of the He-Man cartoon. Nepthu is meant to be a villain but the face design does not express that in any way. The amulet is called the Sun Scarab. The bird is a crystal version of Zoar.
HORDE TROOPERS
EVIL MECHANICAL ENFORCERS OF HORDAK
The Classics Horde Troopers were released in a two-pack. The two figures are identical except that one has damage marks on the helmet and collar. The design is good. A selection of weapons was included.
GELDOR
EVIL BARBARIAN OBSESSED WITH IMMORTALITY
Geldor is a minicomic character. The design is fairly basic but works quite well. The small vial relates to his minicomic story. He was obsessed with finding an elixir of immortality. A good action figure.
SEA HAWK
HEROIC ETHERIAN PIRATE
Proving that rather too many cartoon characters were included in the 2013 selection, Sea Hawk is another plainly designed figure that doesn’t really fit into the Classics style.
PLUNDOR
EVIL RABBIT SEEKING RICHES
Another character from the He-Man animation, Plundor is actually sculpted quite well. But he’s still a cartoon rabbit and seems entirely out of place in the Classics line.
STRONG-OR
EVIL POWER-PUNCHING WARRIOR
Yet another cartoon character, Strong-Or was originally called Strongarm in the animation. The figure is clearly based on the Fisto concept. Another fairly plain design.
HORDAK
SPIRIT
This translucent edition of Hordak represents the projected form of the Evil Horde leader when he communicates across dimensions. It’s a curious reuse of the Hordak design that actually works surprisingly well.