REVIEW: DELUXE SAGAT & BLANKA (JADA TOYS)

I’ve been meaning to write something — and snap a few photos — of Jada’s Street Fighter figures ever since I picked up Ryu from Wave 1 almost exactly two years ago. The arrival of the first two “Deluxe” contenders in the line finally gave me the perfect excuse to hit continue.

Player Select

Jada’s Street Fighter II figures are often praised for delivering high quality “for the price point,” and I won’t be throwing any punches at that claim. These two deluxe entries cost a few pounds more, so what do we get to justify the extra coin?

First off, both fighters are noticeably larger than their predecessors — and rightly so. Sagat towers with the same intimidating presence he has in-game, while Blanka is a coiled beast, hunched and dense.

Sagat’s figure is a knockout in terms of accuracy. Blanka, while impressively articulated, feels slightly oversized. His in-game posture is more compressed, and despite the engineering effort, I couldn’t quite replicate that iconic crouched stance.

Accessory-wise, you don’t get much more than with a standard figure — but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Each comes with a solid selection of interchangeable hands, an alternate head, and energy effects that echo their signature moves. The heads and hands are scaled up appropriately, and overall, what’s in the box feels worth the few extra quid.

Round 1 — Fight!

Articulation is where Jada continues to land clean hits. Both Sagat and Blanka can be posed in a wide range of dynamic stances. Sagat was easy to position into his classic Tiger Shot and Tiger Uppercut poses.

Blanka, true to his wild nature, is trickier — his hunched posture and beastly gait are hard to nail down. Jada’s done a commendable job with his range, but I couldn’t quite capture his standard walking animation. To be fair, that’s a tough ask for any figure.

Round 2 — Erm… Details!

Paint and sculpt are relatively simple, but effective. There’s light shading to accentuate the sculpt, and the facial detailing is impressively sharp — especially for figures in this price bracket. It’s not elaborate, but it gets the job done and easily outclasses most Marvel Legends offerings.

The plastic quality is solid, with softer elements used smartly to aid articulation. Colour matching between materials is well executed, keeping the figures visually cohesive even in extreme poses.

You Win!

At around £30 each, these deluxe figures are hard to beat. They look the part, feel great in-hand, and trigger my nostalgia alarm every time I glance at them — a sure sign they’ve hit the mark. The joints are satisfyingly stiff, the posing options are plentiful, and the accessories add just enough flair for photography or display.

Storm Collectibles may be entering the ring with a similarly priced alternative, but their figures are based on later Street Fighter titles — and they don’t quite set off my retro radar. For me, the goal is clear: I fully intend to complete the Street Fighter II lineup. Jada’s figures may not be perfect, but they’re certainly worthy challengers.