Here we have M. Bison in hand, and he is quite the whooper when it comes to his girth! Befitting his stature in the games, he gets a bulky sculpt purpose built specifically for him. If this was a Hasbro line, they would have use the Hyperion body or something for M. Bison, which would not work in the slightest. Though he has red take up most of the suit, the blue for the zipper line as well as the silver and black on the forearm gauntlets, boots, and belt. Some gold is applied to the buckle and the hat, resulting in a power-hungry look that befits a character like M. Bison. The suit itself also has some texturing applied to give it a sense of looking like fabric. Speaking of, though the cape isn't the same materials as on a McFarlane or MAFEX figure (presumably), it's great seeing a 1/12 scale figure come with one at the same price more or less as the McFarlane offerings; even better is that unlike either the Gold Label version of Action Comics 1000 Superman or Armored Batfleck, the bottom of the cape is also wired for even better display potential. All around success in the looks department.
His head sculpt, though stern and somewhat uncanny with the white eyes, at least manages to fit the artwork associated with the character, and Jada made sure not to add any denser paint apps for the lips while also adding some black outline to the whited out eyes to make them feel more dimensional. His articulation consists of the standard affair for the Jada Toys line, with the neck on double ball pegs, the shoulders swiveling front and back as well as hinge in and out, rotation at the biceps, double jointed elbows, wrist rotation, and inward hinges for all of the hands. There are butterfly joints, two joints for the torso (one for the diaphragm and one connecting the lower torso to the waist). The hips move front and back, in and out (with the skirt being flexible PVC), thighs swivel, knees bend at two points (which are pinless along with the elbows), and the ankles can hinge and pivot. He comes with a punch effect piece as well as a set of alternate hands for some of his more gestural poses. He also has an alternate head with a snarling expression and a hint of pupils to showcase what little humanity remains within him. He also has the option to be displayed careless that via a set of shoulder pads that go over the assembly pieces between the torso and the shoulders. Very ingenious method without heavy modifications.
As far as variants are concerned, a Player 2 skin is also available for anyone who wants to recreate the days of wanting to play as the same character but with a different color scheme. The resulting appearance makes him look more heroic in a way, though he could almost look comparable to Highlander. These repaints are generally easier to get than the McFarlane variants.
For a comparison with some other Jada SFII figures, here he is with fellow staples Chun Li and Ryu. I love seeing a character like M. Bison stand above his line mates as well as remain bulky. Makes me want to get Zangeif soon.
And here he is with Marvel Legends Magneto, showcasing not just how much they have in common aesthetically but also a reminder as to how a smaller toy company somehow does a character with bulky proportions better justice than a major conglomerate. Seriously, Hasbro deserves to be bashed for constantly screwing over Magneto. Not that he needs to be the same as M. Bison, but how is the current buck he uses acceptable?! Let this be a reminder that if Jada Toys can do it, why can't Hasbro? This is their best Street Fighter 2 figure yet, and I don't know how else Jada can top themselves unless we get a sculpt far more impressive than M. Bison. Get this figure no matter the circumstances. Just remember that for you, the day Bison graced your review, was the most important day of your life. But for me and him, it was Tuesday...or the very Wednesday this review was posted.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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