Hi, welcome back. It’s time to share my top 10 toys of 2023 with you. Better late than never, right? At the end of the post, I also have a little life update for you, which you can skip if you’d like. But I’m still alive and still thinking about this silly website.

Here are the parameters for this top 10– all of these toys came out in 2023 (or close to it), and older toys I bought last year don’t count. If older toys did count, almost none of these items would make this list. But there’s still some good stuff here!

2023 Honorable Mentions

I’ve never done an ‘honorable mentions’ section before, but I feel like 2023 was a pretty damn good year for new toys, so here are a few things I loved that didn’t make the actual list. I didn’t take any photos of them, though, so you’ll just have to use your imagination (or Google image search).

5. Mobile Suit Gundam G-Frame Gundam Aerial (Bandai) – It’s a little bit on the fiddly side, but still a very nice toy of a great design that fits right into my Gundam collection.

4. Star Wars Retro Collection C-3P0 and R2-D2 (Hasbro) – They are lovely and shiny.

3. GI Joe HasLab Skystriker Ace (Hasbro) – I was very disappointed in Scarlett, but I knew what I was getting into with Ace. He looks great in my ExoSquad reissue Veritech, too.

2. Transformers Legacy Evolution Needlenose (Hasbro) – One of my favorite childhood Decepticons got a pretty fun little update. I like it!

1. Masters of the Universe Origins Lady Slither (Mattel) – I missed the preorder window and overpaid for this toy, but it’s still excellent. I love the Snake Men and I welcome all new MOTU characters. Plus, she looks fantastic and has a ton of fun options.

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The Worst Toy of 2023

Super7’s Ultimates! Bludgeon is easily the worst toy I bought last year. That’s a hard pill to swallow because Bludgeon is my all time favorite G1 Decepticon, and I buy basically every Bludgeon toy that comes out. I grew up with the original Pretender toy and I thought this would be a fun update– a well-articulated, non-transforming figure seems like a perfect match for a Pretender shell, right? In this case, it was not.

The joints are extremely floppy. You can shake the toy around and it moves like a rag doll. The helmets don’t fit properly, even with heat. The tank turret shield peg will not fit into the arm. In fact, mine stressed and cracked when I tried. And it’s an expensive toy, to boot.

I’ve never done a “worst toy” section before, but this Bludgeon deserves it. It’s total dogshit.

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Now, let’s move on to the top 10 toys of 2023.

#10 – Transformers ReAction Unicron (Super7)

See? I don’t unilaterally hate Super7. This tubby weirdo is a perfect example of what Super7 does perfectly. It’s a brilliant representation of a never-released Unicron prototype toy from the 80s. It captures the design perfectly, and it’s something we’re not likely to ever see again in any other format.

The articulation is laughable, but that’s true for most ReAction figures. The colors and sculpting are spot-on, though, and it’s just such a joy to behold. I wish Super7 did more stuff like this little oddball.

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#9 – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles The Last Ronin (Playmates)

There’s so shortage of Last Ronin toys, and why should there be? The comic was amazing. But I didn’t buy any of that fancy stuff from NECA. Instead, I bought Playmates’ offering, which is done in their venerable vintage TMNT style.

This Last Ronin figure fits in very nicely with classic Playmates Turtles, but features updated articulation and a ton of accessories. It’s not going to pose like a Figma or a Mafex figure or anything, but the added joints make it a joy to fuss with. Plus, the paint is on point and it comes with a ton of weapons– most of which can store on the figure!

I love this toy.

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#8 – Masters of the Universe Origins King Randor, 200X Version (Mattel)

I grew up with He-Man and co. as a kid, but the original toys were before my time. I had a smattering of New Adventures toys, but that was it. When MOTU Classics came out, I got heavily into the franchise again and binge watched the 200X cartoon series. Randor instantly became one of my favorite characters and I’ve been desperately wanting a toy of that version ever since.

In 2023, Mattel finally delivered! And it’s a toy that fits in nicely with the rest of my collection, too. I feel like this figure is basically perfect. I do wish he came with a sword, but I understand why he didn’t. All of those new parts (head, armor, staff, leg brace) probably really add up. This is a figure I never thought I’d see (or own) and I’m absolutely delighted it exists.

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#7 – Marvel Legends Retro Series Ghost Rider (Hasbro)

Johnny Blaze, the classic pre-Hammer Road version, is my favorite comic book character of all time. I love the cute blue jumpsuit. I love his reluctant heroism, his depressive redneck personality, and his cool occult powers. Those old 70s and 80s comics just tickle my fancy like few other things do. He was a great supporting character in the 90s Ghost Rider series, as well.

The 4″ scale Marvel Universe toy line (and its many sister series) make up the bulk of my Marvel toy collection, so I was thrilled to add this one. The articulation is sparse, but it’s a perfect rendition of my favorite comics weirdo that fits in perfectly with what I already have. The motorcycle is amazing, the figure is vibrant, and it’s basically the best Johnny Blaze toy I could ever ask for. The old Marvel Universe version was good but, aesthetically, this one beats it out in every way.

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#6 – Transformers Legacy Minerva (Hasbro)

Technically, this Minerva figure came out in late 2022. I never found her until early 2023, though, and I think that was the case for a lot of people. So I’m going to count it.

Ever since I got the internet at home as an early teenager, I’ve wanted a Minerva figure. In those days, The Japanese-only release (a repaint of Nightbeat) was a sort of mythical thing that I knew I’d never own. When the character finally got a somewhat wide release as a Walgreens exclusive, I was overjoyed.

The toy itself is fantastic. It’s simple, it looks great, it’s fun and easy to transform, and it has all the articulation it needs. I love the vehicle mode, too. A futuristic emergency response car ticks a lot of boxes for me. I’m not entirely sure why one of her guns is clear, but that’s okay. She’s a medic, so the guns are kind of secondary anyway. I’m thrilled to finally own a great version of a legendary Transformers character.

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#5 – Star Trek: Prodigy Zero (Playmates)

I contain many rants about what Paramount did to Star Trek: Prodigy and how Playmates botched its very promising new series of Star Trek figures. I will try to bottle up those rants and just talk about this figure, which is excellent in every way. Despite being intended for a younger audience, Prodigy was a very good Star Trek show and Zero was one of its standout characters. They’re a Medusan wearing a cobbled-together containment suit. If they weren’t wearing the containment suit, one look at them in their pure form would drive you insane. That is cool shit.

This figure is equally cool. Zero’s limbs are all removeable and they include a little flight stand, so you can have them floating around legless like they often did in the show. The limbs themselves are well-articulated, and the figure is easy to stand up despite its odd shape. The accessories are quite good and the paint is very impressive for an affordable, mass-retail toy. Plus, it fits in nicely with my vintage Trek collection.

It’s a shame Paramount and Playmates fucked up so badly, because now we’ll probably never get Rok and Janeway to complete the Protostar crew. Grr.

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#4 – Premium Unlimited Mobile Suit Gundam White Base (Tomica)

This White Base toy is nothing fancy, but it is something truly excellent. It’s basically a Tomica die cast car in the shape of the iconic battleship from the original Mobile Suit Gundam series. The toy includes a little clear palette with wheels, which attaches to the bottom. With the clear base attached, it rolls around freely. It also makes the toy look like it’s hovering. When you remove the base, you can attach a normal Tamashii stage to the toy for all sorts of fun flight positions.

It’s functional, but it’s also beautiful. This is a stunning rendition of one of the coolest sci-fi cruisers of all time. It looks perfect, it’s sturdy, and it’s well made. It’s also cheap. There aren’t too many readily-available toys (other than models) of Gundam’s various large ships, so I adore this little thing.

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#3 – WWE Superstars Mr. T (Mattel)

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Mr. T. The Masters of the WWE Universe Mr. T figure made my top 10 of 2021, and this figure is done in the exact same style. In fact, all of its parts are compatible with that version. But, instead of being a fantasy barbarian version of my childhood hero, this figure is based on his actual wresting career. Works for me!

This toy has absolutely everything you could want– a great likeness, gold chains, gold rings, a removeable (high-quality!) cloth outfit, and bright yellow wrestling gear underneath. He has plenty of extra hands for posing personality, too. The articulation is good enough for play and display, and the figure is sturdy as hell, to boot. I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of combinations I can make with this guy and the WWEternia version.

Truly, this toy is a work of art.

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#2 – Street Fighter II Ultra Chun-Li (Jada)

I don’t generally buy 6″ highly-articulated collector figures, but I have to make an exception for Jada’s Street Fighter 2 line. As you can probably tell from many reviews on this website, I am in love with Street Fighter and its cast of characters. Jada Toys is making brilliant and affordable SF2 toys, so there was no way I could resist them. I wish they were in my beloved 4″ scale, or even done in the vintage o-ring style, but that’s a pipe dream. These figures from Jada are a very nice alternative to the more extravagant, expensive stuff coming from Storm Collectibles and SH Figuarts.

Chun-Li is probably my favorite Street Fighter character, and this version is spot-on. Everything about it is great. The articulation is plentiful and easy to use. The extra head and hands are also a joy to swap out and they look great. The included kick effect and stand work flawlessly. But, most importantly, the figure just looks perfect. This is Chun-Li. Though I wish Jada’s world warriors could interact with my GI Joe collection, I’ll still be buying the entire line because it’s just that good.

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#1 – Masters of the Universe Masterverse Motherboard (Mattel)

Masterverse Motherboard was a figure I wasn’t really planning on buying. But then I kept looking at it and kept coming back to it. It stayed in stock on Mattel’s website long enough for me to ponder it. And, in the end, I pulled the trigger. I’m very glad I did!

This figure is simply gorgeous. I can’t get enough of the colors and the sculpt is breathtaking. I love the dynamic wings, the cape, and the little cables that trail behind the figure. The articulation is good without being cumbersome. The included doll stand and extra hands are also a nice touch. This toy is also huge, and it’s a formidable presence in any photo or display. It’s ended to go with your MOTU Revelation figures, but I feel like it can be equally at home in an Origins or Classics Horde display, as well.

I’m thrilled that I took a chance on Motherboard. I wasn’t expecting much, but she easily became my favorite toy of the year.

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Signing Off

Thanks for joining me!

A quick life update– I am still alive and I am still slowly working on more reviews for this website. Unfortunately, the holidays hit me pretty hard this year. I imagine that will be true for many years to come, so you might just expect me to be pretty quiet in November and December from now on. Many of you know the reasons why the holidays are tough for me now, so I’ll leave it at that.

I got COVID around Christmas. Then I got better and, a week later, I got very sick again. I also hurt myself (accidentally) multiple times over December and January. It hasn’t been a good run.

But, even when things are quiet around here for a while, know that I always plan on returning. I love running this website, but it just can’t always be my highest priority. I’m still chugging along, though. Thanks for your support and patience.

Anyway, what were your favorite toys of 2023? Let me know in the comments!