Something we didn’t know we needed in our life? The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles putting their karate skills to the test against our favorite characters from Cobra Kai.
Thanks to a new series of action figures from Playmates Toys, all ’80s-obsessed collectors can see their favorite sewer-dwelling turtles take on the Karate Kid himself, along with Daniel Larusso and others from the popular spin-off series. This figure line includes four two-packs: Leonardo vs. Miguel Diaz, Raphael vs. John Kreese, Michelangelo vs. Daniel Larusso, and Donatello vs. Jonny Lawrence.
Each matchup comes in cool, display-worthy packaging that features both the TMNT and Cobra Kai logos, the characters’ names, and the figures posed as if they are mid-fight. The back of the box has a blurb about the match-up between these characters, alongside illustrations of all four pairings from the collection. This pop-culture mashup doesn’t have any precedence — the sewer-dwelling turtles haven’t met the Karate Kid or anyone else from the Cobra Kai universe in any comic books or movies — which makes this line all the more fun!
The figures themselves are of decent quality for the price. They are definitely designed with kids in mind, which isn’t a bad thing. There are some fun details to discover, like a monogrammed belt under each turtle’s gi, which is made with fabric, and the Cobra Kai logo on the back of Johnny Lawrence’s gi, which is made of rubber. The paint detailing was consistent across the six figures I opened, too, without any significant errors. It was about what you would expect for a $20 price point per figure. The turtles also come with their iconic accessories: Michelangelo has nunchucks, Leonardo is brandishing swords, and so on.
The best feature, by far, is the figures’ articulation. Each character features dozens of articulation points, including a mid-foot joint on the Cobra Kai figures, articulated fingers on the turtles, and rotating thighs on every figure. This emphasis on posing ability makes sense, considering the natural inclination to contort these characters into complex karate positions. The only downside, however, is that the figures don’t come with a display base. They are able to stand on their own, but only with both feet. You’ll need to use your own stand, putty, or other tools to display these martial arts masters in action poses.
Overall, especially considering the price point, these collectibles are a fun, unexpected combination for pop culture fans. Add them to your collectibles shelf in-box, utilize the articulation for some epic display potential, or get them for the young fans in your life to introduce them to two iconic brands — the possibilities are endless!
