When Akira Toriyama introduced the ultimate bio-android in the Dragon Ball Z Android Saga, he broke away from the traditional martial arts tournament tropes of the franchise and veered hard into terrifying, Cronenberg-esque science fiction. Before achieving his sleek, iconic Perfect form, Cell debuted in his grotesque First Form—a cicada-like, stalking monster that hunted down the helpless citizens of Ginger Town, infamously absorbing humans through a horrific stinger tail. Capturing a creature with this level of organic complexity, asymmetrical insectoid armor, and lanky proportions was long considered an impossible mountain for mass-market action figure lines.
Enter Bandai Tamashii Nations and their flagship S.H. Figuarts line. While collectors were treated to Perfect Cell and Second Form Cell variants over the years, the menacing, skin-crawling First Form was long viewed as a holy grail that might never cross the production threshold due to its awkward engineering requirements. Released to immense fan fanfare and securing subsequent reissue demand, the S.H. Figuarts First Form Cell stands as one of the most mechanically ambitious and texturally unique figures in the entire Dragon Ball line. Standing at roughly 6.7 inches tall, this bio-engineered nightmare commands attention on the shelf. But does the execution match the horror-movie pedigree of the source material? Let’s dissect every inch of the carapace.
Sculpt
Translating Toriyama’s complex biological designs from cel-animated anime frames into physical PVC and ABS plastics is a high-stakes endeavor. While Saiyans benefit from clean, humanoid gi templates, Cell’s First Form is a chaotic blend of insect anatomy, reptilian skin textures, and biomechanical paneling. Three-dimensional accuracy here requires an entirely different engineering mindset.
The sculpt captures the lanky, hunched, and predatory posture that made Cell so unsettling when he first stalked Piccolo and Android 17. Unlike the muscular bulk of Super Saiyans, this form looks malnourished yet lethally agile, complete with segmented body armor, rigid beetle-like wings sprouting from his back, and an elongated, segmented tail that looks genuinely threatening. The head sculpt is an absolute masterclass in faithful adaptation. It features the signature insectoid crown, a beak-like mouth structure, and large, unblinking eyes that radiate cold, calculating arrogance. Every ridge, node, and organic groove along his cranium has been meticulously mapped, ensuring that from any viewing angle, it looks as though it crawled straight out of Dr. Gero’s underground supercomputer lab.
Paint Applications
A figure with this many distinct color breaks can easily fall victim to messy factory application, paint bleeding, or flat, lifeless plastic tones. Fortunately, Tamashii Nations spared little expense in ensuring the color translation pops with vibrancy while maintaining a realistic organic sheen.
The primary body features a striking dual-tone gradient of deep, sickly greens separated by crisp black groove lines that segment his armor plates. Unlike cheaper figures that rely purely on solid molded plastic, the subtle washes and differing finishes—matte armor panels contrasting against semi-gloss joints—give Cell an authentic, living skin appearance. His chest, crotch guard, and neck accents feature a vibrant, burning orange that cuts aggressively through the dark greens, mirroring his distinct anime color model down to the exact hex code. The compound eyes are painted with a glossy, wet-look finish that catches ambient shelf lighting brilliantly, giving him a piercing, predatory gaze that follows you across the room. There is an immaculate precision to the tampography on his face plates and forehead sections, proving that high-end price points can indeed translate to factory-floor excellence.
Articulation
Because Cell’s anatomy deviates wildly from standard human proportions, the engineering team had to innovate clever concealment techniques for his joints without breaking the illusion of a seamless organic shell. His head rests on a double ball-jointed setup, allowing for haunting head-tilts that capture his menacing, inquisitive nature as he sizes up opponents. The shoulders utilize a butterfly hinge system hidden beneath his outer shoulder shells, enabling his arms to cross over his chest or reach forward to simulate capturing victims. Double-hinged elbows and swivel-hinged wrists provide ample range for dynamic combat poses, though the sheer bulk of his forearm armor introduces minor clearance friction.
The torso features a multi-segmented ball-joint system hidden beneath his orange chest plate, allowing him to crunch forward and arch backward surprisingly well for a character with a non-human build. Down below, the hips utilize drop-down ball joints paired with a clean cut at the thighs, bypassing the restriction of his bulky hip armor. Double-hinged knees and complex ankle rockers ensure he maintains a secure, weighted center of gravity on flat surfaces. The iconic wings on his back are mounted on individual ball joints at the base, allowing them to flare outward defensively or fold neatly against his spine. Finally, his long tail is fully articulated via internal hinge and ball joints, letting you coil, whip, and pose it dynamically for action scenes.
Accessories
Bandai packed this release with an impressive array of expression plates and specialized accessories that elevate the package from a simple statue into a definitive toy collector’s experience. You get an interchangeable alternate head option alongside multiple face plates—including a neutral stare, a sinister closed-mouth smirk, a wide-open talking/grinning expression, and a furious screaming face. Each expression completely alters the personality of the figure, shifting him seamlessly from a calm, calculating scientific mastermind to a feral monster mid-hunt.
Furthermore, the inclusion of multiple interchangeable hand sets allows for everything from relaxed dramatic palms to clawing grab stances. The crown jewel of the accessory loadout, however, is the alternate tail configuration. Alongside his standard stinger tail, the package includes a specialized suction-cup tail attachment designed to replicate his terrifying human and Android absorption sequences from the anime. While it cannot literally swallow other figures whole, pairing it with other character lines allows for unforgettable, lore-accurate display setups that scream nostalgic horror.
For years, Dragon Ball Z collectors suffered from a severe lack of high-end villain representation, with lines heavily leaning toward endless waves of Goku and Vegeta variants. The introduction of First Form Cell changed the paradigm, proving that Bandai was willing to dive deep into niche, highly requested narrative arcs rather than just sticking to mainstream marquee characters. The figure commands respect on the aftermarket and through periodic reissues because it fills a glaring hole in chronological shelf displays. Standing next to Super Saiyan Vegeta, Android 16, or Future Trunks, First Form Cell anchors the entire Android Saga layout with visual gravity. While its complex mechanical joints require a bit of patience during posing to avoid scraping paint surfaces against tight armor clearances, the payoff on a display shelf is unmatched.
The S.H. Figuarts Dragon Ball Z Cell (First Form) is nothing short of a triumph. By successfully tackling one of the most difficult character designs in anime history and rendering it with gorgeous paint applications, staggering articulation compromises, and deeply faithful lore-accurate accessories, Bandai has delivered a masterclass in modern action figure engineering. If you are a hardcore fan of the Android/Cell Saga, an avid collector of high-end anime figures, or simply someone who appreciates engineering marvels in plastic form, this bio-android belongs on your shelf. He is creepy, he is brilliantly colored, and he represents the absolute pinnacle of what the S.H. Figuarts Dragon Ball line can achieve when it steps outside the box.
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