Kinnikuman Soldier (M.U.S.C.L.E. Figure #116)
by Professor Terry
The Kinnikuman Soldier is certainly one of the most popular figures, particularly in Japan, based on the sheer number of different sculpts that are available in the Kinnikuman lines.
What attracts me to collect the figure is the great facemask he wears as well as the soldier outfit. It must have something to do with my love of collecting army men as a child.
There are couple Kinnikuman Soldier figures that stand out to me, but the Deka Kinkeshi and the bootleg thumb wrestler that is a replica of the Deka Kinkeshi may stand tallest. I find it unusual that the mohawk isn’t present on the bootleg. I would assume it’s to avoid the reference to the Kinnikuman line as all the other bootleg thumb wrestler figures I have are identical to their Deka counterparts.
The other figure that I have that is similar are the two Romando figures. In a number of cases, I have bought Romando figures that are simply the same figure painted in a different color scheme. In this case it is slightly different. The color scheme is identical from the waist up (there is no shirt on the 2nd figure).
What’s different is the color scheme chosen for the legs, they are clear for 80% of the legs. I wonder if this is to insinuate that the legs are blown off in battle? Bit of an unusual way to show that but I guess you can’t sell an amputee figure to people. That fact that is was unusual and cheap (under $10) convinced me it was worth buying.
The other Kinnikuman Soldier figures I have collected consist of the usual suspects in my collection. The M.U.S.C.L.E. figure and the 1991 Kinnikuman sculpts; my two favorite lines of figures because they are so similar. I like the fact that the Kinnikuman Soldier is one of the very few figures that have two different sculpts in the 1991 line.
The Kinnikuman Solider is an interesting Kinnikuman variant, but which is variant to collectors like the best?
Be sure to vote in this week’s poll, “Which version of the four Kinnikuman variants is your favorite?”
