Collectors, real collectors, know that among the many things to know about collecting is to always go for quality items. They also know that this can be a rather expensive hobby and that it is always important to have a partner that supports and appreciates this hobby. Because, and let’s be honest, you have to be upfront about it. Trying to hide those Big Bad Toy Store credit card charges on the monthly statement is never a good idea and pretty much guarantees a few nights on the couch.
When I first started collecting, I went after rare treasures and quality metal builds and among the earliest I started buying were the Armor Plus Ronin Warrior figures from Japan. Those figures were pricy and they were hard to come by outside of eBay but now, I was shocked to find that they are being re-issued for a relatively decent price and with Collector Grade Packaging through Big Bad Toy Store.
I should start by saying that while I love BBTS, and that I typically buy like 70% of my collectibles online from them, this post is not sponsored, promoted, or affiliated with them in any way. I simply wanted to share my finding with them because I am stoked to add all these to my collection and figured some of you might as well. That said, if anyone at BBTS reads this, you can hit me up via email at [email protected] or via Twitter @marctammer and I will happily take discounts in return for sponsored, promoted, or affiliated posts.
For those unfamiliar, the Ronin Warrior Armor Plus figures consist of seven figures in total. Of the seven, six of them are the Ronin Warriors themselves which are Shuu of the Stone, Cye of the Torrent, Touma of the Sky, Seiji of the Halo, and Ryo of the Wildfire. However, Ryo comes with two different armor sets- his red Wildfire and an upgraded armor variant in white called the Inferno armor.
The seventh is the Black Inferno armor worn by Mukala of the Sun, an African warrior who appears in one of the anime OVAs. Unfortunately, the Black Inferno is not being sold by BBTS just yet (or possibly ever) but the other six figures are either in stock or up for pre-order, each averaging around $165-$200 USD a piece.
It should also be noted that these figures are Special Color Editions and are exclusive to BBTS, which is why the price is so high. The Standard Editions for Ryo of Wildfire, Touma/Rowen, and Ryo of Inferno are currently available at a slightly cheaper price on BBTS. I am not sure if the other characters had Standard Editions at some point or if they will again since I personally opted for all of the SCEs for each myself. That said, the Special Color Edition figures are not too much more expensive than the Standard Editions and are totally worth the price difference if you are considering any at all.
Below, you can find all the pictures that BBTS has for each of the figures in addition to their pricing. Currently in stock are Shuu (Kento), Cye, Touma (Rowen), Ryo Inferno, and you can pre-ordered Ryo of the Wildfire but it looks like Seiji (Sage) of the Halo is sold out.
Shuu of the Stone – $179.99 USD
From the classic anime series, Ronin Warriors comes a special color edition of Shuu of the Stone as part of the Armorplus series! Measuring around 6 inches tall, Shuu comes with his iconic Kongou armor, including helmet and mask parts, hair parts to display him unhelmeted, weapons, and alternate facial expressions.
Product Features
- 6.1 inches (15.5cm)
- Made of ABS, die-cast, and PVC
- Based on the Ronin Warriors anime
- Part of the Armor Plus line
- Special color edition
Box Contents
- Shuu of the Stone figure
- Alternate yelling face plate
- 2 Pairs of alternate hands
- 3 Kongo weapons
- Armor set
- Figure frame
Touma of the Sky – $189.99 USD
From the classic anime series, Ronin Warriors comes another Armor Plus figure, featuring Touma of the Sky in a special color edition! This gorgeous figure measures around 6 inches tall and includes multiple posed hands, bow, and a whole set of shiny blue armor.
Product Features
- 6.3 inches (16cm)
- Made of ABS, PVC, and-diecast
- Based on the Ronin Warriors series
- Part of the Armor Plus figure line
Box Contents
- Touma of the Sky figure
- 5 Alternate hands
- Alternate face plate
- Shoha bow
- Armor set
- Armor stand
Cye of the Torrent – $184.99 USD
From the classic anime series Ronin Warriors, also known as Legendary Armor Samurai Troopers, comes an Armor Plus figure of Cye Mouri in his Blue Armor of the Torrent! This articulated figure includes all of his white armor pieces seen in the series, along with his spear, a small sword, and alternate facial expressions.
Product Features
- 6.3 inches (16cm)
- Made of ABS, PVC, and die-cast
- Based on the Ronin Warriors series
- Part of the Armor Plus figure line
Box Contents
- Cye of the Torrent figure
- 2 Pairs of alternate hands
- Alternate faceplates
- Nijo spear
- Small sword
- Armor set
- Armor stand
Ryo of the Inferno – $199.99 USD
From the classic anime series Ronin Warriors, also known as Legendary Armor Samurai Troopers, comes an Armor Plus figure of Ryo Sanada in his White Armor of Inferno! This articulated figure includes all of his white armor pieces seen in the series, along with his katana and alternate facial expressions.
Product Features
- 6.3 inches (16cm)
- Made of ABS, PVC, and die-cast
- Based on the Ronin Warriors series
- Part of the Armor Plus figure line
Box Contents
- Ryo of the Wildfire (Inferno) figure
- 2 Alternate hands
- 2 Alternate face plates
- 2 Swords of Fervor
- 2 Sheaths
- 2 Katana
- 2 Sheaths
- Armor set
Seiji of the Halo – $164.99
From the classic anime series, Ronin Warriors comes a new Armor Plus figure, featuring Seiji of the Halo in a special color edition! This gorgeous figure measures around 6 inches tall and includes multiple posed hands, sword, and a whole set of shiny green armor.
Product Features
- 6.3 inches (16cm)
- Made of ABS, PVC, and die-cast
- Based on the Ronin Warriors series
- Part of the Armor Plus figure line
Box Contents
- Seiji of the Halo figure
- 6 Alternate pairs of hands
- Alternate face plate
- Halo sword
- Armor set
- Frame
Ryo of the Wildfire – $189.99 USD
From the classic anime series, Ronin Warriors comes a new Armor Plus figure, featuring Ryo of the Wildfire in a renewal edition! This gorgeous figure measures around 6 inches tall and includes multiple posed hands, sword, and a whole set of shiny red armor.
Product Features
- 6.3 inches (16cm)
- Made of ABS, PVC, and die-cast
- Based on the Ronin Warriors series
- Part of the Armor Plus figure line
Box Contents
- Ryo of the Wildfire figure
- Alternate face plate
- 2 Alternate pairs of hands
- 2 Fire katanas
- Sheaths
- Armor set
- Frame
Shuu/Kento was one of the first ones I ordered from BBTS and I am really happy with it. I refuse to take it out of the box since the box itself is mint and looks really great on my shelf. That said, I did get Ryo and Rowen from Japan several years ago when they first came out and did remove them from their boxes so I do have some experience with handling them individually.
The level of articulation and level of detail is among the best I have ever seen in a figure and they are somewhat heavy due to the die-cast and other materials. And now that I am re-ordering both Ryo and Rowen, I will likely put the first ones I bought on display without their boxes while the new ones from BBTS sit nicely on my shelf with the others.
As for the Black Inferno Armor Plus figure? Well, I am not too sure if it will be coming to BBTS but there is a decent chance it still could. When I first discovered these figures, only Shuu (Kento) and Cye were available for Pre-Order, and Ryo of Wildfire wasn’t even listed but it is now with a scheduled release for November so anything is possible. If you aren’t willing to wait, you can probably find the Black Inferno over on eBay but be prepared to pay a bit more out of pocket for it and be wary of counterfeits.
If you are interested in any of these, you had better hurry because Seiji/Sage is already sold out as a pre-order and there’s no telling how long the others will be available. And as word starts to make the rounds for the rest of these high-quality figures, you may miss your chance to get them at this relatively reasonable price. As someone who owns quite a few of these, I can tell you firsthand that they are definitely worth it and if BBTS is still reading this, feel free to contact me and give me free stuff. I am totally down for it.
Don’t wait. Head on over to BBTS and check out all the Ronin Warriors figures [here].
