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Fans of the Spyro the Dragon video game series rejoice! NECA has brought Spyro to life with a stunning 7-inch action figure that’s perfect for collectors and gamers alike. Released in 2019, this action figure pays homage to Spyro’s classic look from the original games. The figure is slightly longer than 7 inches, measuring approximately 8 inches with its tail fully extended. It’s designed with intricate detailing and vibrant colors, capturing Spyro’s playful yet adventurous personality.

NECA’s Spyro isn’t just a figure; it’s a portal back to the vibrant worlds of the Spyro the Dragon series, where whimsical charm meets epic adventure.

The paint applications on this Spyro figure are impressive, especially considering the level of detail NECA typically puts into their figures. Spyro’s vibrant color scheme is faithfully reproduced with several key features:

• Purple Body: The body of Spyro is a rich, deep purple that perfectly captures his appearance in the original Spyro the Dragon games. The shading is subtle but adds a nice level of depth, especially along the arms, chest, and under the wings.
• Orange Underbelly: The orange on Spyro’s underbelly is nicely applied, providing a good contrast to the purple. It’s cleanly painted and stands out, but there’s a slight gradient in places to add some natural variation and depth.
• Eyes and Facial Detail: The eyes are expressive, with a bright yellow that pops against his purple face. There’s a dark outline around the eyes that adds definition. Spyro’s mouth and teeth are painted in clean, well-defined lines, maintaining the character’s cartoonish but determined look.
• Horns: The horns have a nice gradient from white at the base to a light yellowish hue near the tips, giving them a more natural, aged look. The detailing along the horns is also sharp, adding texture that complements the smoothness of the figure’s body.

The NECA 7″ Scale Spyro the Dragon action figure stands out as arguably the best Spyro action figure on the market for several reasons, particularly due to its articulation, sculpting, and overall attention to detail. 

NECA’s Spyro figure excels in terms of overall accuracy to the character from the Spyro the Dragon series.

• Proportions: The proportions of Spyro are faithful to his character design from the original PlayStation games. His head is slightly larger in comparison to his body, in line with his cartoonish appearance. His limbs and wings are appropriately positioned and scaled, capturing the charm and unique silhouette of the original character.
• Sculpting: The sculpting is impressive, with fine detail in the scales, spikes, and wings. The scales on Spyro’s body have a noticeable texture, and his tail is sculpted to replicate the tapered, pointed look seen in the games. The wings themselves are molded with a nice texture and are painted with a gradient that feels true to the character’s classic design.
• Pose and Stance: While Spyro is relatively static in his pose, his stance is accurate to the character’s often relaxed yet ready-to-take-flight posture. The figure’s articulation allows for subtle adjustments in pose, though it doesn’t go for extreme dynamic poses like some other action figures.
• Articulated Wings: One of the major drawbacks of many other Spyro action figures is that they lack the ability to pose the wings in any meaningful way. NECA’s Spyro, however, offers a full range of motion for the wings, allowing you to recreate Spyro’s iconic flying stance or set him in more grounded, relaxed poses. This attention to detail—where the wings are a central part of the character’s design—is a defining feature that makes NECA’s figure stand out.

The paint on Spyro’s tail helps bring the character’s look to life with some subtle yet effective details.

• Base Color: The tail is primarily painted in purple like the rest of Spyro’s body, maintaining consistency across his design. The color match is close to the body tone, ensuring that it blends smoothly into the rest of the figure.
• Accent Colors: The tail’s fin or pointed tip has an orange hue that mirrors the color of Spyro’s underbelly. This slight contrast helps differentiate the tail from the rest of the body and adds visual interest. The transition between the purple of the tail and the orange at the tip is clean, with a smooth but noticeable blend.
• Scale Detailing: The scales on the tail are well-painted, with a slightly darker wash in the recesses between the scales. This helps accentuate the sculpting and gives the tail some depth and dimension. The scales themselves are subtle, but the wash ensures they stand out, even though they’re not overwhelmingly pronounced. This touch helps the tail feel more lifelike.
• Overall Paint Quality: The tail’s paint job is clean, with no significant overspray or misaligned colors. The transition between the purple body and the orange tail tip is well-executed, offering a smooth gradation that matches the character’s design in the games.

When it comes to fully articulated action figures, NECA tends to excel in offering a blend of expressive, dynamic poseswhile still maintaining a high level of stability and realism. The Spyro figure is no exception and includes several key points of articulation that significantly improve the posing options and overall playability.

• Head: Spyro’s head is articulated, allowing for subtle movement. This gives you the ability to tilt his head slightly forward or backward and pose him in various ways to give more life to the figure.
• Arms: The arms feature standard articulation at the shoulders, elbows, and wrists. This allows Spyro to extend his wings, mimic gestures, or raise his arms in a more dynamic stance, much like how he appears in the games. This level of movement adds playability, even for collectors who enjoy adjusting their figures to different poses.
• Wings: The wings are fully articulated with multiple points of movement, allowing you to adjust them in several ways. You can raise, lower, and even angle them forward or backward to simulate different flying or resting poses. This articulation in the wings is particularly noteworthy because it allows Spyro to mimic his iconic winged flight from the games, something that earlier Spyro figures (such as older static toys) lacked entirely.
• Legs & Feet: The legs have articulation at the hips, knees, and ankles. This provides Spyro with a great range of movement in his legs, allowing him to adopt different stances, from a more crouched position to standing tall. The feet can rotate slightly, adding to his balance when trying to pose him in dynamic positions.
• Tail: The tail is articulated with a ball-joint, providing a flexible range of motion. This allows Spyro to adjust the tail’s position to suit his overall pose, whether it’s curled slightly or extended in an action-ready stance. This is a rare and valuable feature compared to other Spyro figures where the tail is often static.

These points of articulation make the NECA Spyro far superior in terms of poseability compared to many other Spyro figures on the market, particularly those that feature limited articulation or are designed for display only.

While articulated figures often struggle with balance—especially for creatures with large wings like Spyro—NECA has done a great job ensuring that Spyro remains stable even with his wide, expansive wings. Despite the articulation, Spyro’s base design is well-balanced, so you don’t need to worry about him tipping over easily. The legs, tail, and wings are all structured to maintain a stable pose without falling over, which can be a problem with poorly designed figures that feature large, unwieldy parts. The wings and tail are well-supported and maintain their position when posed, thanks to careful engineering. This stability ensures that Spyro won’t easily tip over or lose his balance, even with his larger wings.

In conclusion, the NECA Spyro the Dragon 7-inch action figure is a stunning addition to any collector’s display. With its accurate detailing, poseable design, and ties to one of the most beloved video game franchises, it’s no surprise that this figure has become a fan favorite. It’s a top-tier action figure that outperforms other Spyro figures in almost every way—making it the definitive Spyro collectible for any fan.