Spotlight

I didn’t think that it would be easy to pick a Figure of the Year, but I didn’t think it was going to be this hard. Because let me tell you: this year has been an absolute banger year for action figures. Despite grim economic clouds on the horizon, including “unfortunate” price-hikes, there has been a literal deluge of great figures this year. So what was my favorite? And is “my favorite” also “the best”? Well, I think we can eliminate “the best” right out of the gate, because with so many innovations and must-have characters crossed off this year it would maybe be impossible to say who’s “best.” Is that absolutely beat-perfect Hasbro Marvel Legends X-Men ‘97 Sentinel “the best”? It could be, if you want a premium figure that 100%...

Every year I think I'm going to jump in on the usual Top 10 figures of ____ trend that everyone takes part in, but end up never doing it because I don't feel like sorting through and figuring out exactly what I bought over the prior 365 days. But a little peer pressure never hurt anyone and when the rest of the AT crew were doing their figures of the year, I couldn't be the odd man out! I had a figure who immediately jumped to mind because it's one that I was most excited for this year and really have no issues with, despite the fact that it was such a simple figure. But I sorted through my years worth of Instagram posts and stories to remind myself what all came out in 2025 to see if I could make a "sexier" pick and still couldn't...

When I started preparing to write this, I didn’t spend much time thinking about what my top figure of 2025 was going to be. The moment the idea was brought up, I knew it was Savage Crucible’s Ball-and-Chain Warrior from Harvinger Studios. Every time I tried to challenge that initial reaction, I only came away surer that I was right. If you asked me what was my favorite overall toy line of 2025? G.I. Joe Classified, hands down. Consistent, solid offerings that keep me excited about the future and enjoying the current collection. But my personal best figure of the year? That’s a different thing altogether. That's ignoring the impact of a line and just focusing in on what figures I've liked most this year and which one, I think, is just...

Let’s establish some ground rules: my best-of picks amalgamate quality and need. My figure of the year choice almost always fills a specific hole in my collection, and looks good doing it. As my collection nears “completion,” there aren’t many glaring omissions left. Last year, I started a new Dungeons & Dragons-inspired display. With a new shelf came a new hole. Enter Savage Crucible. Thanks to NECA’s superb Dungeons & Dragons line (RIP?) and Four Horsemen Studios’ ever-expanding ranks of Mythic Legions, building a D&D shelf was easy. Mostly. Skeleton baddies? Check. Party wizard? No problem. Party tank? Done. Party cleric? Yep. A third-party mimic even came in clutch to complete the mise-en-scène. (We get fancy here on AT.)...

A big thanks to Beamish for running the vote! Without further ado, our inaugural top 10: Top 10 1) Skurge the Executioner (18 votes) 2) Attuma (13 votes) 3) Jack of Hearts; Mantis; Psylocke (11 votes, tie) 6) Rachel Summers (10 votes) 7) Swordsman (nine votes) 8) Baron Blood; Feral; Firebird; Hepzibah; Thor (seven votes, tie) Build-a-Figure 1) M’Baku (nine votes) 2) Annihilus (eight votes) 3) Armor; Stegron (seven votes, tie) HasLab/Made-to-Order 1) Mangog (eight votes) 2) Awesome Android (six votes) 3) Atlas (five votes) Maximum 1) Iceman (11 votes) 2) Dr. Doom (six votes) Boxset 1) Warriors Three (10 votes) 2) Guardians of the Galaxy 3000 (four votes) 3) Invaders (four votes) For complete results, visit the voting...

I'm glad you're here! I joined my first action figure forum 19.5 years ago. Over that time, we shared opinions, bickered, and laughed; sometimes about toys and sometimes not. We forged relationships over a shared love of media and the collectibles inspired by it. Above all else, we built community. I created Articulated Thoughts to recapture that community—a community that I felt was slipping away. It was a last-gasp effort to save something I loved. With more than 50 members in the first week, clearly you felt similarly. I mean, how else would we know if X-23 was a Marvel legend? I wouldn't be me without the first 19.5 years. Here's to the next 19.5.