S.H. Figuarts Younger Toguro 100% Review – Amazing Figure, Wrong Character

There are action figures that disappoint you because they are bad.

Then there are action figures that disappoint you because they almost could have been legendary.

The S.H. Figuarts Younger Toguro 100% falls painfully into the second category.

And damn, that hurts.

Image: box back showing action poses, accessories, Yu Yu Hakusho scenes, and product text.

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The Problem With Making Toguro “Pretty Good”

If Bandai had made a mediocre figure of some random nobody from Yu Yu Hakusho — Dr. Ichigaki, Rinku, whatever — most collectors probably would have shrugged and moved on.

But this is Younger Toguro.

This is the monster standing at the center of one of the greatest tournament arcs in anime history. The calm, terrifying giant whose mere presence made entire rooms feel smaller. Toguro isn’t just another villain. He is one of the defining antagonists of 90s shonen anime.

And collectors have been waiting DECADES for a truly articulated, high-end Toguro.

Image: box front- figure in window box, gray muscular character with alternate head, branded BANDAI logo.

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I personally have wanted one since I was fifteen years old.

So when Bandai finally announced an S.H. Figuarts version of his iconic 100% form, expectations went through the roof.

Unfortunately… they dropped the ball where it mattered most.

Image: A tense duel is about to erupt on a subway-style platform.

In the foreground stands a shirtless martial artist with a lean, muscular build and light skin. His bright orange hair is styled in a swept-back wave that leaves his face fully exposed. His expression is cool and composed, head turned slightly as if keeping his opponent in the corner of his eye. He wears loose, high-waisted blue pants secured with a slim black belt, and black shoes planted in a solid, balanced stance.

Gripped in his right hand is a dramatic energy effect: a translucent orange blast that erupts from his fist in a long, jagged spear of flame-like spikes. It starts as a concentrated burst around his hand, then stretches outward, suggesting a powerful projectile or slashing attack that’s just about to be fired.

Behind him, closer to the tiled wall and yellow safety strip, a towering gray-skinned brute advances. His body is heavily muscled, with thick arms, broad shoulders, and a deeply sculpted chest and abdomen. He wears dark blue pants with angular patches and a belt, along with sturdy black shoes. His posture leans forward, one arm hanging down and the other slightly bent, giving the sense that he’s stalking the fighter, ready to pounce.

The background is a pixelated, video-game-like tunnel scene, with vertical columns and abstract textures that evoke an underground station. Combined with the platform edge and tile pattern, it turns the whole setup into a frozen moment from a side-scrolling action game: the fiery striker facing forward, power flaring in his hand, while the hulking monster closes in from behind.

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The Good Stuff First — Because There Is Plenty

Let’s get this out of the way right now:

This is NOT a bad action figure.

Honestly, if this had been an original character, or some lesser-known brute villain, people would probably be calling it one of the best muscular figures Bandai has ever released.

The articulation is insane.

Seriously, the engineering here deserves praise. Toguro can crouch, twist, hunch forward, throw heavy punches, and hit intimidating stances better than most giant muscular figures ever released in the 1:12 scale. The range of movement is absurd considering how bulky he is supposed to be.

Image: A towering, silver-skinned monster stands center stage on a subway-style platform, caught in the middle of a menacing transformation.

His body from the waist down is human-shaped but unnaturally powerful: long, muscular legs wrapped in tight, metallic blue pants with torn, diamond-shaped patches on the thighs and shins, as if something has ripped through from the inside. A gold-buckled belt anchors the outfit, and heavy boots plant him firmly on the ground.

Above the belt, his form becomes more monstrous. Thick, layered folds of flesh or cloak-like muscle swell out from his chest and shoulders, curling around his torso like ghostly wings. The sculpted folds radiate outward, giving the impression that his body is blossoming into some otherworldly shape. His arms are folded protectively across his chest, fingers digging into the layered mass as if he’s either containing a surge of power or savoring it.

His face is sharp and severe, with a strong jaw, narrow eyes, and short, ridged hair. The expression is cold and almost regal, like someone fully aware of his own terrifying strength. Dramatic lighting creates hard highlights and deep shadows over the silver surfaces, making every muscle striation and fold stand out.

Behind him, a pixelated tunnel backdrop and a yellow platform edge frame the figure like a boss encounter in a stylized video game: the creature standing absolutely still, gathering power, daring anyone to challenge him.

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The sculpt work is also fantastic.

The veins, stretched skin texture, monstrous upper torso, and facial expressions all capture the raw brutality of Toguro’s transformed state beautifully. In-hand, the figure FEELS powerful. You can tell the designers genuinely cared about making him expressive and dynamic.

There is real craftsmanship here.

Image: A gray-skinned powerhouse is locked in a perfect, almost acrobatic handstand, turning raw strength into a display of control.

His weight is balanced on his outstretched arms, palms planted on the ground with fingers spread wide. Long, sinewy muscles run down his forearms and biceps, every striation standing out as he supports his entire body upside down. His broad chest and sculpted abs face forward, giving him a proud, imposing presence even while inverted.

Above him, his legs are bent at the knees in a tight, angular pose. Dark blue pants cling to his powerful thighs and shins, decorated with torn, diamond-shaped patches that suggest battle damage or rough wear. A small gold-buckled belt cinches the waist, and sturdy boots point outward, emphasizing the dynamic, gymnastic shape of the pose.

The pixelated tunnel backdrop and yellow platform edge behind him frame the move like a stylized action-game moment: a brutal enforcer casually showing off impossible balance and agility by holding a rock-solid handstand in the middle of the subway platform.

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But craftsmanship alone is not enough when the core identity of the character is compromised.

And that brings us to the elephant in the room.

He’s Too Damn Small

Not “slightly underscaled.”

Not “a little shorter than expected.”

No.

He is flat-out too small for what this character is supposed to represent.

Toguro at 100% should tower over the line like a walking natural disaster. Instead, he feels like a Toguro designed for 5-inch figures accidentally packaged into the Figuarts line.

Image: Young Toguro stands at the front, giving the scene a strange mix of casual confidence and menace. He has light skin, short, ridged black hair, and dark sunglasses that hide his eyes. His long olive coat hangs over a green shirt and gray slacks, with black shoes grounded on a pair of clear block bases that lift him slightly. Clinging to his back is Elder Toguro, his thin, pale arms wrapped over Young Toguro’s shoulders so that only his head and upper torso peek out from behind the coat, like a sinister shadow riding along with him.

Behind them is Younger Toguro in his 100% powered form, but the scale difference is immediately striking. Despite being in his fully transformed, hyper-muscular state—with bulging gray muscles, a bare, deeply sculpted torso, and tight dark blue pants—his head doesn’t quite reach as high as Young Toguro’s, even with Young lifted only modestly on the risers. His proportions look huge in bulk yet noticeably shorter overall, making the powered-up body feel oddly undersized next to the “regular” version.

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The comparison gets even more ridiculous when standing him beside older non-articulated Banpresto Toguro statues — including base form Toguro figures that are nearly a head taller than this supposedly maxed-out monster form.

That’s crazy.

Image: Young Toguro is posed in profile at the front, calmly striding along the platform with Elder Toguro clinging to his back. Young Toguro has light skin, short ridged black hair, and dark sunglasses. His long olive coat flows back over a green shirt, gray slacks, and black shoes, with his feet resting on simple block bases that raise him slightly. Elder Toguro’s thin, bluish-gray arms drape over Young’s shoulders and chest, his long dark hair and gaunt face peeking out from behind, giving the pair a fused, parasitic look.

Behind them stands Younger Toguro in his 100% powered form, also in profile. His body is massively muscled and gray-skinned, with deeply carved arms, chest, and abdomen. He wears tight dark blue pants with jagged, patch-like tears on the thighs and shins, a gold-buckled belt, and heavy black shoes. Despite the exaggerated bulk, his overall height is noticeably lower than Young Toguro’s; even without Elder’s extra mass on top, the 100% form’s head sits well below Young’s, making the supposed ultimate transformation appear underscaled.

The pixelated tunnel backdrop and yellow platform edge provide context, but the composition clearly emphasizes the size discrepancy: the lean “regular” Young Toguro carrying Elder still reads as the taller, more imposing presence, while the hulking 100% Younger Toguro looks surprisingly short standing behind them.

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And before somebody says:
“Who cares? The figure itself is good.”

Okay.

Imagine waiting years for a premium 1:12 Magneto figure.

You finally get it.
It costs an arm and a leg.
It doesn’t come with his helmet.
And he’s only five inches tall.

Now you understand exactly why Yu Yu Hakusho fans are annoyed.

Image: Two hulking bruisers share the frame, posed like they’ve just stepped into the same arena for a direct size comparison.

In the back stands Younger Toguro 100% powered. His skin is stone-gray and heavily muscled, with exaggerated anatomy across his chest, arms, and abdomen. He’s bare-chested and wears tight dark blue pants with jagged, diamond-shaped torn patches on the thighs and shins, a gold-buckled belt, and black shoes. His stance is fairly neutral, legs apart and arms slightly bent at his sides, giving a good read on his full height.

In front of him, closer to the camera, is a metallic blue and silver armored character. This figure is also very muscular but sleeker, with a smooth, comic-book-style body. The helmeted head, chest, and legs are a deep metallic blue, while the arms and sections of the torso are bright silver, sculpted with segmented armor plating. Hands are open and slightly clawed, and the pose leans subtly forward, like he’s ready to charge.

Because the blue-and-silver character is nearer to the viewer, he appears noticeably larger and bulkier than Toguro, even though they clearly inhabit the same scale. The result is that the supposedly “100% powered” Toguro looks a bit undersized and less imposing in comparison, especially in overall height and limb length. The pixelated tunnel backdrop and yellow platform edge simply frame them; the real foc    us is how the more stylized armored figure visually outclasses Toguro in presence and size.

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Missing Signature Effects and Accessories

The frustration gets worse once you realize Bandai also cheaped out on some of Toguro’s most iconic attacks.

No proper finger-flick bullet effect.

No air-pressure blast effects.

No major energy accessories at all.

For a character whose entire fighting style revolved around overwhelming force and explosive energy output, the release feels strangely incomplete.

(This is what he should at least be able to do)

Image: Younger Toguro 100% powered is staged in a dramatic, darkened subway setting, lit almost entirely by deep blue light. The illumination rakes across his gray, hyper-muscular body, carving his chest, abs, and arm muscles into stark highlights and shadows. He stands with legs apart on the platform, wearing his tight dark blue pants with torn, diamond-shaped patches and a small gold-buckled belt, black shoes braced as if he’s anchoring himself for a massive attack.

His right arm is raised and extended forward, and from his hand erupts a vivid orange energy effect. The blast is shaped like a jagged, tapering spear of flame, starting in a bright, spiky cluster around his fist and stretching outward into a long, glowing streak. The warm orange cuts sharply through the surrounding blue, making the attack look searingly hot and dangerous.

To one side, a row of bright blue LEDs shines like harsh industrial lights, reinforcing the underground, arena-like feel. Against the pixelated tunnel backdrop, the figure reads as a boss character mid-special move, standing in a pool of blue darkness with a single, blazing projectile tearing out from his hand.

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Instead, Bandai included an alternate faceplate for Yusuke.

Now look — I understand why companies do this. It’s marketing. They want you buying multiple figures in the line.

But if I’m spending premium money on Toguro, maybe focus on making Toguro complete first.

I’m not interested in buying Yusuke just because you tossed his face into the box.

Image: This is an alternate faceplate for an anime-style figure, lying on a flat surface under purple lighting.

The sculpt is a narrow, angular face with a sharp chin and defined cheekbones. The skin tone is a light, warm beige. You can clearly see one eye, painted with a dark iris and a small white highlight, giving it a focused, intense look. The eyebrow above it is thin and sharply angled downward, adding to the serious expression. The mouth is closed and subtle, with a faint line suggesting a neutral or slightly stern look.

Because the piece is a swappable part, the top and sides of the head are cut off in straight edges, and there are small connection nubs along the lower edge where it would plug into the rest of the figure’s head. The dramatic shadow cast behind it makes the face look a bit more ominous, but it’s essentially a standard, serious-expression anime faceplate.

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NECA pulled this same nonsense with their Gargoyles line and it was annoying there too.

Sell me the figure I paid for.

Don’t hold accessories hostage across the line.

Image: The scene captures a split-second standoff on a subway platform between Younger Toguro and Yusuke Urameshi.

At the top, Younger Toguro 100% powered strides along the yellow platform edge. His gray, hyper-muscular body is twisted slightly as he walks, one leg stepping forward, the other back. His right arm hangs low and heavy, while his left is bent up in front of his face, fist near his jaw in a casual guard. He’s bare-chested, every muscle sharply defined, and wears tight dark blue pants with jagged, torn patches on the thighs and shins, plus a small gold-buckled belt and black shoes. His posture feels relaxed but hunting, like a predator pacing the upper level.

Down on the lower part of the platform, Yusuke Urameshi is crouched in his signature Spirit Gun pose. He’s dressed in his bright green school uniform: buttoned jacket and matching pants, with black shoes. His body leans forward, one leg bent and the other stretched back for balance. His right hand is thrust out in front of him, thumb raised and index finger extended like a gun, while his left hand grips his right wrist to steady the shot. His face is focused and intense, eyes locked ahead, dark hair swept back from his forehead.

The pixelated tunnel backdrop frames them on different levels of the same environment, making it feel like Yusuke is lining up a decisive Spirit Gun blast while Toguro prowls above, moments away from charging into the attack.

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The Weird Proportion Problem

After messing around with the figure more, I started noticing something odd about the body proportions.

The thighs are too short.

Like… REALLY too short.

If you bend the knees fully, the feet almost reach the back of his waist. His lower legs are absurdly long compared to the upper legs, which creates this weird compressed look that subtly ruins his overall scale.

Honestly, if the thighs had been proportioned correctly, there’s a good chance the figure would have gained enough height to feel accurate.

Which makes the entire thing even more frustrating because the problem feels fixable.

Image: Younger Toguro 100% powered is staged in an almost horror-like pose, crouched low on the subway platform as if he’s about to spring.

His body is bent forward, spine arched and shoulders hunched, so his massive back dominates the shot. Under the cold blue lighting, the gray flesh looks like sculpted stone, with deep grooves and ridges running from his neck down to his waist, creating a twisted, organic pattern across his upper body. His arms are spread wide, elbows bent and hands clawed toward the ground, giving him a spider-like, predatory stance.

His head is lowered, the short, spiky hair catching just a hint of light, making the top of his skull stand out against the shadows. Below, his dark blue pants stretch over his bent legs; one knee is thrust out to the side, the other braced, as if he’s coiled and ready to lunge. From behind his waist, a tight cluster of bright white LEDs shines directly into his back, making the muscles glow with an eerie, almost supernatural radiance.

Set against the pixelated tunnel backdrop and the yellow platform edge, the figure feels like a monster crouched in the dark of an underground arena, gathering strength before it explodes toward its opponent.

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So… Is It Worth Buying?

That depends entirely on what kind of collector you are.

If you love articulation, dynamic posing, muscular sculpts, and Yu Yu Hakusho in general, this figure is still impressive. In motion and in-hand, it feels powerful and fun to mess with.

But if you specifically wanted the DEFINITIVE Younger Toguro?

This probably isn’t it.

Not at this price.

Not with the scaling issues.

Not without proper effects.

Not for a character this iconic.

Image: This is a highly muscular, gray-skinned monster collectible, shown in a close-up from the waist up. The sculpt really emphasizes exaggerated anatomy: deep-cut eight-pack abs, swollen chest, and thick, sinewy arms with layered, stretched “skin” textures that look almost like tightly bunched cloth or tendons.

The creature’s head is thrown slightly back, giving it a menacing, unhinged feel. Its face is long and gaunt with heavy wrinkles running from the nose down the cheeks and around the mouth. The eyes are small, bright white circles with tiny pupils, which makes its stare look crazed. It has a flat, short, brush-like hairstyle sculpted in a row of tight spikes across the top of the head.

The figure’s costume is minimal: gray “skin” from shoulders to hips, then dark blue pants with a wide belt. On the right side of the belt there’s a small, neatly painted gold buckle or clasp that stands out against the darker blue.

The plastic finish is mostly matte, but a cool blue light is catching the torso and side of the abs, creating shiny highlights that accentuate all the sculpted definition and give the monster an almost stone-statue presence.

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What stings the most is that Bandai got so close. You can see the masterpiece hiding underneath the compromises.

And maybe that’s why collectors are so vocal about this release.

Because nobody waited thirty years for “almost right.”

Image: The scene captures a tense face-off between two figures as if paused mid-battle.

On the left, the gray-skinned brute from the earlier image charges forward. His massive, muscular body leans aggressively toward his opponent, right leg extended in a long stride and fists clenched. His head juts out, mouth slightly open, giving the impression of a roar or challenge. The sculpted folds along his torso and arms make him look like a living slab of stone barreling ahead.

On the right, a swordsman in black-and-white robes stands his ground. He’s posed in a calm but ready stance, feet planted with one heel braced on a white base. His black hair spikes upward, framed by a white band. Both hands grip a straight sword held across his body, angled defensively toward the oncoming monster. His posture suggests focus and discipline, as if he’s waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Behind them, a pixelated, game-like environment serves as a backdrop, reinforcing the feeling that this is a dramatic clash frozen at the moment just before impact, staged entirely with collectible figures. 

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