Tygra ULTIMATES! First Look with Toy Bro
Oh goodie! It’s day two of our Wave 2 discussions with ToyBro, Jared Elswick, and we’re talking about the latest ThunderCat to join our good guy ranks. It is none other, of course, than Tygra – presently the divider in the collecting community who either hate or love the final product. It’s time to pull out the big guns and talk with our friend and trusted reviewer, who has just whipped (pardon the pun) up another review for your viewing pleasure…
TC.org: We’re back and this time we have your favorite ThunderCat to talk about. We’ve looked forward to this chat for 2 years. Describe how you’re feeling holding this figure in your hand.
TB: It’s very satisfying but of course he unfortunately has issues which are a bummer. I’m still incredibly happy to have him, nice to finally get the Cat I’ve wanted for so long, and even with his issues he’s still the best Tygra to date, there’s a lot to like here.
TC.org: Tygra has taken a long journey to our collections. Some collectors got off the bus after the initial delays, more got off when Wave 1 was not pin-less. Others got back on when Wave 3 arrived, while another group left the party early because of Cheetara being pulled. Do you think that now that this group is here, that the majority of ship jumpers will return? Or is there yet another reason for them to abandon the Cats on Third Earth?
TB: I think had the waves come out in order this wouldn’t really be a question. There is a clear progression from Wave 1 through 4 in terms of quality. A lot of this wave FEELS like 3 and 4, which is a very good thing. But then again this wave has some issues with Tygra and Pumyra, so it’s a give and take. I don’t think this is even close to a reason to jump ship, but Cats has had the bumpiest of roads to travel for sure.
TC.org: Let’s touch on the subject of his color. There has been lots of confusion in the past two years about what color he will be. And now we can see. Did they do him justice?
TB: In a sense, yes. Tygra’s color is not consistent, plain and simple. You could watch the show right now and often times he’ll look blue. But look at animation cels and he’ll skew green. I think the bigger issues is that the figure changed from proto to sample to production so we weren’t really sure what we were getting.
TC.org: Would you consider this figure cartoon accurate based on the original animation cels, LJN representative or a mixture of both?
TB: I’m landing somewhere in the middle, but it’s hard to say without knowing motivation for WHY he looks this way. The original proto looks close to production, but the sample at PowerCon was more blue. Either way this color is based in reality since you can readily find cels that match him quite well, and of course it instantly ties him into the vintage line.
TC.org: Would you have preferred another version of him? Perhaps like the original prototype with the blue hues?
TB: I’m personally fine with these colors, I get the confusion and annoyance from folks, though. That said, I’d rather have both versions, if I could have my way.
TC.org: How do you feel about the head sculpts we get with Tygra? Could there have been any improvements to his expression, his sculpt or even his hair?
TB: I think the neutral head is really nice, he’s got a slight smirk that works well. The alt head is ok, I feel like maybe there’s a bit of a miss when it comes to him being “angry” though, the head comes off more as a “wincing” type expression.
TC.org: Which head will you use to display your figure?
TB: The standard head for sure, I just like it better in general.
TC.org: There are of course a soft goods and plastic whip. Which is your favorite and why?
TB: I think both have their places, it comes down to what you want to do. For a somewhat dynamic pose, the plastic works pretty well, it easier to use than I initially expected. But if you want to have Tygra wrap it up like in the intro, or tie up a Mutant, then the fabric one is of course better.
TC.org: Is this the ultimate Tygra to own?
TB: For now I’d say it is, though there isn’t much competition. If he had the elbow pad on his arm I think it would of course be even Ultimate-er.
TC.org: If there were any accessories you could’ve asked for with Tygra, what would that have been?
TB: What I’d really like to have gotten is a head with glowing eyes, I know that’s not as deep cut as other stuff we’ve gotten in the line, but I’m wondering how those other heads are going to ever come out, if they aren’t given with the figure itself. Can’t bank on Booster Packs every wave. Beyond that I feel like Tygra in particular could have used a Treasure of ThunDera, just to keep that trend up in some form, since he comes with nothing that isn’t “standard Tygra” equipment.
TC.org: Tygra can have several variants produced as well. Which ones would you like to see in the future?
TB: I think the immediate thought goes to an invisible Tygra done up in translucent plastic, that’s an instant winner for me. And as much as it’s probably NOT on the list of figures to make anytime soon, I’d absolutely love a way to get Old Tygra from when he goes into the Cave of Time. Of course a set of ThunderCubs would also be cool, too.
TC.org: Now that Tygra is on your shelf, is he your favorite figure of the line?
TB: Unfortunately not, and honestly I’m not surprised. Even if he didn’t have some issues, it’s incredibly hard to top Mumm-Ra at the moment.
Jared “Toy Bro” Elswick is a longtime toy collector and hobbyist. In 2017 he turned his passion for action figures into a YouTube channel in order to have an outlet for expressing his views on the properties he collects. It has since become a huge part of his daily routine to review, discuss and promote action figures on YouTube and across social media.
