MOTUClassics.Com: King Randor Review

While it’s been a frenzy-filled ride of frustration and fun in 2009 for MOTU Collectors, the Classics line has to be the best thing that’s happened to He-Man fans since well, ever. MOTU Classics toys have been some of the most fun to review and play with this year. The excitement of opening up a toy every third (usually) week of the month has been something I’ve grown to really look forward to and hope it will continue to happen for years to come.

This month, the Club Eternia figure was King Randor, the Heroic Ruler of Eternia. Ours arrived yesterday and we’re still not sure why we were spared the shipping problems that many subscribers have experienced, but the Facebook page and the .Org lit up with more and more fans receiving shipping notices today, so hopefully DR has their latest mistake cleaned up and more fans will be receiving their shipping notices (or be able to track by reference/order number) in the coming days. If you still haven’t heard anything about your Randor, there’s a thread at He-Man.Org for you to post your information.



King Randor utilizes the basic He-Man buck with a left forearm borrowed from Tri-Klops (to make the bracelets match). He features a unique head sculpt and armor with cape.

We’ve all heard the Burger King jokes. Toy Guru even stated that the 4H sent a one along with the figure when he was finished. And while it’s certainly present when you look at him, it’s also a killer head sculpt and a great update on the original figure right down to the nose. There have been reports that some heads come with flushed cheeks and others don’t. All of the ones that IAT received yesterday did not have red on the cheeks.

The armor has been slightly redesigned instead of being an update of the original. The cross is more 200x in design. Along with other subtle differences, they make the armor more unique to Randor (thought a Jitsu reuse is likely, unfortunately). The cape is a separate, but attached, piece. The armor is still bulkier than I would like, but a nice thing about Randor’s armor is the ease with which it’s removed and replaced. On the previous armored figures, I always had a difficult time getting the armor to close back around the figure. On Randor, it’s secure but pops off easily. While he looks great armored up, I also like him without it.

Articulation is standard for Randor and all the joints on this figure were sturdy and unstuck. Randor also has great range on his head. The up movement is somewhat restricted by the hair and cape, but down, side-to-side, and tilt are great.

Paint is an issue with Randor. Nothing on mine is what I would call horrible, but there was a general level of sloppiness on the figures I saw yesterday. The paint lines on the armor bled into red areas easily. The dry wash from the loin cloth and the blue paint from the boots were speckled on the orange leggings and white fur. While I’d like to display him armorless, there were even flesh-colored paint spots on the torso under the armor. The back of his cape collar has a gold paint smear. Finally, his right hand was washed in a dry red and his left scuffed with black paint. All for the low price of $20. Now, it is Randor and I love this figure, but I’d love it more if it were a little cleaner.

Randor includes two accessories both patterned after his 200x design, a staff and a sword. The 4 Horsemen have this uncanny ability to create designs that never existed. These accessories look like “un-updated” versions of the 200x weapons. The best way to explain it, is that it looks like what his weapons would have looked like before they were updated for 200x. Got that? They’re like a retro version of the modern design. I can’t stress enough that the 4H are the Atlas to Mattel’s heavens. They’re nothing short of amazing.

Overall, I’m glad we got Randor so soon in the MOTUC line. All too often, a supporting character like this can go years without receiving a figure (if he ever gets one at all). In the vintage line, he was one of the last to make it out before the curtain fell. In the 200x line, he was produced as a staction twice, but didn’t make it in the main line from Mattel. In MOTUC, he made it during the first full year. That’s improvement.

The only thing he’s missing? His wife. Randor’s appearances in MYP and his quick entry to the toy line show some much deserved respect, but Marlena is even more overdue since she’s never been captured in toy form. As for Randor? He’ll be happily sitting in the front of my shelf awaiting his Queen. Despite that (and the paint issues), the King deserves a front spot on my shelf and the 4H ensured the figure deserved it to.

For more MOTU reviews, check out our MOTU Classics Collector’s Guide.

30 thoughts on “MOTUClassics.Com: King Randor Review

  1. I would LOVE to see a Marlena figure beside Randor. That would just be so perfect (though, hopefully, she’d have fewer paint blotches than her king). Whata re the chances of us loyal “He-Fans” getting a Marlena in the future?

      1. What do you mean “not sure”? She’ll look like Teela. All Eternian females look like Teela.

    1. LOL, sorry. I bought two. One was a “extra guard” and another to be the properly-mustached MAA. I stole the extra armor bits for MAA too. I thought it looked cooler thatway!

  2. He looks awesome!

    Can’t wait to get mine . . . next bloody week. 🙁

    Would definitely not say no to a 200x version, too: real boots, more muted repaint, and the more streamlined crown.

    1. Hoepfully, you have him by now. I’d love to get both version of him.

      I still kinda wanta green pliable plastic tunic to pull over his armorless-figure.

  3. Randor could easily be one of my favorites…I figured his colors would just drive me crazy, but no I’ve grown to actually like them.

  4. he’s truly a king. i love randor! the face looks a young sam elliott if he forgot to shave for a week, i love the red and orange pajamas, the mondo meaty sword… i have also taken to displaying my randor w/out his “royal armor” which is reserved for special ceremonial displays, and equipped him instead w/ the extra he-rness sharella came w/, that way, randor has a spot to hang the sword.

    BTW, for those who have NOT recieved their randor, might i ask to compile a few facts? are you a subscriber? did you place a supplemental order in addition to your subscription? is anyone here a “pile of motuc” subscriber and have those folks gotten theirs yet?

    in my case, i placed a supplemental order (i’m also a monthly ship subscriber) and got those first, and my sub JUST shipped.

  5. Good review. Glad to see the magazine cover back again. I’m still looking forward to my Randor as he hasn’t arrived yet.

    dayraven, I’m a subscriber and my Randor shipped just before the holiday while my order for the other items arrived already.

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