MOTUClassics.Com
Faker Review

I love Faker. It’s a simple equation really. I’m into the evil doppelganger thing and he’s blue. I mean here’s this guy and he’s supposed to convince people that he’s He-Man, but he’s blue. People might think that’s crazy, but it’s rather ingenious. No one would doubt him – why would a He-Man impersonator be blue? They would instantly blame Orko (OrrrrrrrrrrKO!) for turning He-Man blue somehow and then Faker is in like Flynn. He could wreak havoc before they knew what hit ’em. It all makes a sort of Faker-sense, if you will.

I might also add that I was desperate to have Faker as a kid and never, ever, got him. Heck, I still don’t even have a commemorative one (someday, I will… someday…). I did have a friend that had one, so I got to play with it, but that made not having him all the more difficult! But, now twenty-five years later, Faker is my favorite MOTU Classic. There might be some situational issues going on there, but let’s keep it simple. He’s my favorite because he rocks. And because he’s blue.

This Faker was released on Feb 6th as an NYCC 2009 Exclusive and then slated for a March 17th release on MattyCollector when Mer-Man fell behind schedule. I couldn’t wait for Faker and a friend working at the con grabbed him for me. When Faker finally went up for online sales, he sold out in just a few hours.



Faker, since he’s trying to impersonate He-Man, is made from mostly He-Man parts, but with Skeletor’s armor. Faker has been featured in all three incarnations of the toyline and they all follow the same pattern. Mattel takes a He-Man, makes him blue and purple with orange Skeletor armor and a robot sticker underneath, and then makes him somewhat difficult to obtain. The first Faker was released early on and was one of the few figures to not get rereleased annually as the toyline went on. When they did release him again, it was so late in the line that it is probably rarer than the original. In 200x, Faker was a ToyFare exclusive, and he was slated to have a staction figure but it never got to retail. Now, the Classics Faker was an exclusive to NYCC. I don’t know what it is about Faker, but if it’s not a chore to get him, it’s just not right apparently.



Faker has what I will call a curious lack of accessories. He does come with both the full and half versions of an orange Power Sword, but does not have a shield or an axe. It’s like Mattel is perpetuating the original oversight – not one Faker has ever included those accessories. (The staction would’ve had a shield, but it doesn’t count because it didn’t actually come out.) Since Faker is a straight repaint, it would have been nice to see something extra with him for the money, but instead we got less! If Mattel ever has the ability to do a weapon’s pack or continues with the bonus accessory program, the line needs an orange shield and axe. Faker has been waiting for them for twenty-five years, so Mattel needs to pony up on the orange stuff.

In terms of paint, Faker didn’t need a lot, but what he does have is solid. Skeletor’s armor is bright orange, but it is also painted to be a little dirty and the bone emblem is highlighted in metallic paint. The robot tampo on his chest is a recreation of the original and just slightly sticks out from under the armor to let you know it’s there. The other painted details like the cuffs and belt are all very sharp and more like the first few figures in the line in terms of quality.



One funny thing about Faker, when you take pictures of him, it’s very easy for the lighting to give him the saddest face you’ll find on an action figure. I’ve tried to recreate it with He-Man, but the glossy paint on him just doesn’t reflect the same way. I don’t know why it fascinates me so much, but if you compare the picture above with the one below, it doesn’t look like it’s the same head sculpt.



Overall, for most folks I can see Faker being a middle of the shelf figure. He is mostly a repaint and his lack of accessories is a bit of a turnoff. My love for his concept set the bar high, and I think even being a repaint those expectations were met. I would still buy a Faker with an angry head (particularly if he were to come with 2 Shields, and 2 Axes!), but I am more than happy to have this version of Faker on the very front my MOTU shelf.

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

15 thoughts on “MOTUClassics.Com
Faker Review

  1. I can see blaming his blue coloring on Orko, that could work. I just don’t think anyone would let him into the castle wearing blatantly evil looking armor. Maybe I’m just more observant than the residents of Eternia though.

  2. How can you expect the guards to be observant when there’s always a party going on.

  3. I’ve heard complaints about the reuse of parts on Faker before, but don’t people pay attention with this line? It’s all the same body with a few different feet, hands, etc. But give a guy a reused head and all of a sudden reuse is an issue.

  4. SPOILERS!!!!!! Nuuuuuuuu!!!!!

    @Hurley: It’s not our job to be so observant of things that can’t really be because logic wouldn’t let them… we’re just supposed to sit there and drool over it all. 😉

  5. dudes, i some how envision him having a singing voice ala tom jones. thanks for that.

    so, how long till we get a photo of the motuc crew doing guitar hero? cue a little reo speedwagon MC Noisy!

  6. great you guys spoiled it for sil, spoiler alert guys spoiler alert.

    I don’t know what would have happened if you had mentioned cringer becomes battlecat…

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