This Leon S Kennedy action figure was a San Diego Comic-Con exclusive back in 2006 and is now impossible to find and highly sought after!
– Highly Detailed Sculpt and Paint Application
– Weapons: Pistol, Grenades x3, First Aid Canister, Rocket Launcher & Knife
– Articulation: Ball-jointed Neck and Shoulders, Swivel Bicep, Wrists, Waist & Ankles
Product Line: SDCC Exclusive Leon S. Kennedy
Company: NECA
Released: 2006
Packaging: Blister Card Packaging
Where to Buy: Any retail store with a toy department.
Price: US $20.99
Height: 7 inches
One of the first video games to utilize zombies as the main threat (besides Zombies Ate My Neighbors!, of course), Resident Evil quickly became a household name in the horror genre. The series spawned a number of other forms of media such as the uber popular movie franchise (ahem abominations ahem), comic books, novels, and of course a plethora of merchandise to collect. One of the most highly sought after products from the series are none other than the action figures of Leon Kennedy. The SDCC exclusives can go for as high as $80 dollars on eBay, and the Sideshow Collectibles 12 inch figures start at $599.99! Since I am quite the fan of the series (By “fan,” I mean I have an Umbrella tattoo and have a pretty large sticker on my car), I made it my mission to collect every possible figure and paraphernalia of the series.
This exclusive SDCC version of Leon S. Kennedy in his RPD uniform (circa Resident Evil 2) was quite a hard find. Nowadays, you can find it online for a decent price, but it didn’t use to be that way. NECA updated the original figures in the older models with a new line of highly detailed and accessorized figures. Many versions of Leon Kennedy were included in this special line, including two from Resident Evil 4. This version happens to be my favorite, because it brings back happy, nostalgic memories of trying to beat RE2 in under two hours.
The RPD exclusive Leon Kennedy comes complete with loads of accessories: a knife, some grenades, health spray can, and three of his popular guns. This particular figure has not been opened, but I’ve been lucky enough to observe and play with it in person out of the box at one point. I found that the guns fit nicely inside the palms of his hand and don’t slip. This is an excellent feature in the figure and also hard to find. The knife even fits perfectly inside his pouch over his shoulder.
Leon Kennedy also possesses multiple points of articulation that allow for him to mount his different sized guns in shooting stances, as well as twirl them about oh so casually. The bottom half of the figure is not articulated, but set in his slightly bent stance. I’m okay with that, as it means that he will be able to stand on his own without danger of toppling over too much.
The paint job on this figure is pretty good. His costume features multiple layers of color that add depth to the fabrics and accentuate the sculpt in the right places. The only complaint I have lies in the face. It looks a bit overly painted, almost as if he was wearing makeup.
Leon Kennedy’s sculpt is also pretty decent. The body and clothing are very realistic, and the utility belt and other accessory pouches are highly detailed and successful. Once again, the weak point lies in his face. It’s similar to the iconic ex-rookie cop, but doesn’t quite hit the nail on its head. It could definitely be a little better.
Overall, I give this figure a 3.8/5. I’m satisfied with the quality and redesign of the Resident Evil 2 figure, and am quite pleased that I found it when I did. I am leaving it in the package for now (as my other Resident Evil figures), but may one day crack it open just to place those awesome guns of his in his hands.
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Melissa Kay
melissa@comicattack.net
@melissa_kay
