Bahamut (Final Fantasy X)

Some action figures transcend themselves. They become more like works of art than a child’s play toy. Bahamut is one of these figures – rising above others like a plastic deity. (I mean, c'mon. Just look at it!)

Bahamut is a sight to behold and we should all own one, regardless our interest in Final Fantasy X. That’s about all I can say.

Breaking him down into component parts, such as sculpt and paint, is hard to do

because the overall presentation is so strong I forget about individual aspects. But for the purposes of this review, I’ll try.

The sculpt accurately depicts his video game likeness and even though he seems too big and bulky for any articulation, he has lots. His wings (that span almost 1.5’) are not articulated, but his neck, head, feet, hips, arms, shoulders, and wrists, more than make up for this fact. What’s more, none of the articulation

is glaringly obvious. This all means, that even close up the presentation is seamless. Some of this is owed to the extremely good paint job. Just look at him – the color contrast and the gradual fades on some parts make him a joy to look
at, especially because everything has a metallic sheen. Even on the small touches, there is no oversplash. Ideally you want Bahamut in a well-lit area, but even under low light he stands out.

Obviously, some of Bahamut’s appeal is his size. You’ll definitely have to clear a large section of shelf space. The sectioned tail (that you put together) means you’ll need even more space than you think. (Display tip: Put him on top of your PC monitor.) He comes packed with a display stand but you don’t really need it since the tail balances him out quite well.

My one gripe with Bahamut is that the “rising sun” that pegs into his wings doesn’t peg in that well. While there are two pegs on the sun and a hole in both wings, only one peg can be inserted at a time. Even though no one might ever notice, you’ll know and the tiny flaw will drive you to distraction. And other than the sun, the other pieces you might lose are the pieces of tail (there are two). But if you’re like many serious display collectors, you’ll Krazy glue those parts to keep everything together.

While Bahamut could be considered a “flying toy” because of his impressive wings, I strongly recommend against actually playing with him. Let me ask you, would you use the back of the Mona Lisa as a message pad? Or the Hope Diamond to cut interesting designs on your windshield? Of course not. Besides which, Bahamut weighs a comparative ton and could cause you (or someone you love) serious bodily harm. Pose him, pick him up, look at him, but don’t actually put him in the ring with your He-Man figures. Up until now, without exception every figure reviewed was subjected to a rigorous, not so with Bahamut. I couldn’t bring myself to hit him with heavy objects or fling him out windows. However, even without the usual battery of tests, I still performed some minor ones. Bahamut is solidly constructed and you shouldn’t feel anxious about fiddling with him. I was most concerned with the “feathers” on the wings, which looked like they could be ripped off. No, they can’t – at least with the amount of force I used.

In the end, Bahamut is one great display figure. If you consider yourself an action figure collector or a moderate fan of Final Fantasy X, you absolutely need this figure. (If you're either of these you probably even budgeted for this figure. For everyone else, save your pennies – your life is an empty void without Bahamut displayed proudly on your dresser.)

- Omni