While the attempted relaunch of The Predator franchise didn’t quite resonate with fans or movie goers, the film did provide all new Predator designs for collectors and fans. The Fugitive Predator was the focus of the marketing, but the most dangerous creature in the film was the “Ultimate” Predator, who is also known as the Armored Assassin Predator. In the film, it’s concluded that the Yautja have been split into rival factions. The majority opting for genetic experimentation, taking on the strongest traits of the prey they hunt. While the others feel this is against their code. The Fugitive Predator heads to Earth, in the hopes of bringing a “gift” to mankind that will even the odds against the upgraded Predators looking to take the planet from humanity. The Assassin Predator is larger, stronger, faster and more resistant to attacks.
Our friends at NECA have sent over the Armored Assassin Predator figure for us to check out. The figure is set to hit stores within the next week or so (if it hasn’t shown up already). We have a full photo shoot and review. Check them out after the jump.
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The Predator – Armored Assassin Predator 7″ Scale Figure by NECA
Pros
- Massive figure
- Excellent sculpted details
- Great articulation
- Strong paint work
- Easy to swap out parts
Cons
- Can be tough to stand
Overall
The Armored Assassin Predator is packaged in a large flapped window box, with a similar design to the previous 2018 Predator figures. It features artwork of the Assassin fighting the Fugitive on the front (as opposed to a movie poster image). The back of the box showcases the figure and the included parts and accessories. The figure sits in a plastic tray, with a few ties holding it in place. Included are two sets of interchangeable hands, two interchangeable portraits, a removable gauntlet blade, a gauntlet cannon, and a small piece to cover the peg on the left hand gauntlet.
Before I opened the figure, it’s easy to tell how large this figure will be. The window box towers over most of the normal Ultimate figure boxes. The Assassin stands over 11″ tall when his legs are fully straitened. The Fugitive Predator doesn’t even come up to the chest of the Assassin. The figure essentially feels like a small 1/6 scale figure. The larger size was put to good use, as the sculpted detail is excellent here. The skin texture, the small spikes, and the gauntlets all look great. Figure joints are also handled nicely, as they blend well into the figures anatomy, for a mostly natural look while posing. There’s a good amount of articulation here, with well over 20 points of movement. Range of motion is strong, as there’s no armor to hinder joint movement here. I didn’t run into any overly tight joints, and there were no paint locking issues. Special attention was paid to the leg design, as the Assassin had legs similar to that of a bird. this causes the Assassin Predator to mainly stand on his toes. NECA gave the figure as much flat surface on the bottom of the feet to help with standing, but I’d recommend having a stand handy for displaying on the shelf. The figure is quite hefty, and this can cause the figure to topple over when in some more dynamic poses.
While the paint work is mostly a very dark gray-blue, there are some smaller details that stand out. The red stripes throughout were easy to miss in the movie, and the paint on the eyes and mandibles is handled well. If you looks closely, you can see some light washes of yellow and orange as well. Separation lines are clean, and the eyes are sharp. The figure includes a small assortment of swap out parts and accessories. The two heads are spot on. One includes a closed mouth, while the other has the mandibles fully opened, which makes for great battle poses. The two sets of hands included closed fists and open palm hands. Both the heads and hands swap out without any issues. The large wrist blade attaches without issue. The left wrist gauntlet is unique, in that the cannon (which usually resides on a Predator’s shoulder” is located there. The cannon features a few points of articulation. When not displaying the cannon, you can cover the hole with a small silver piece included with the figure.
As with many fans, I wasn’t a huge fan of the film, but I have definitely enjoyed the collectibles that have come from it. The Armored Assassin is a very unique release. It’s NECA’s largest 7″ scale Predator so far, has some great sculpting, plenty of articulation, and looks great with the Fugitive Predator. Check out a few select photos below, and the full gallery after that.
CompaniesNECA
CharactersAssassin Predator
Scale7 Inch