The Great Khali - Mattel WWE Best of 2012 action figure

I don't usually collect wrestling figures. I bought a precious few JAKKS Pacific figures back when I paid a little attention, during the hey-days of Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock and Triple H, but I've long since sold off any that I had in my collection. When Mattel got the WWE license, I re-visited the figures and purchased an Elite Batista. The figure looked great, but the ankles had the same floppy problems that my Masters of the Universe He-Man had. That, coupled with the exorbitant price-tag, was enough to kill my interest. I sold Batista off and haven't looked back...until now.

I don't honestly know what made me pick up The Great Khali- I think it was a combination of the great sculpt and his sheer size; this guys measures in at over 8" tall, dwarfing most of the figures in my collection! The head-sculpt is pretty great, with a strong likeness, clean paint and a few detailed wrinkles around the eyes and mouth.

For the most part, Khali is a fairly plain figure. His muscle definition isn't as pronounced as that of, say, Randy Orton, and he doesn't have any of the tatoos or a striking outfit to make him jump out at you from the shelf. What he does have is a pair of bright flourescent pants and an intimidating height. The word "Punjabi" is painted onto the outside of the pants legs in gold with black and white trim. Very clean and good-looking.

The Great Khali is made from a terrific feeling plastic. It's got heft to it, and the skin has a very subtle texture to it. The hair is soft and rubbery so as not to get in the way of the articulation.

Speaking of articulation, The Great Khali has a ball-jointed head with very little forward/backward tilt, ball hinged shoulders, swivel biceps, single pin elbows and knees, cut waist and hips, swivel boots, single pin ankles and swivel/pin wrists. It sounds like a lot, and considering Khali's billing as a "Basic" figure priced at about $10, it is.

But without NECA or DC Universe Classics style hips, he can't really take any dynamic stances below the waist. I know those are reserved for the much more articulated Elite Series of figures, but surely if the WWE Basic women can have those kinds of hips, the guys can, too?

The hands are posed in a semi-grip, with the right more open than the left. No accessories are included to grip.

The Great Khali is a neat looking figure. He certainly stands out on the shelf, and he's made solidly enough for any kid to enjoy punishing. At around $10 he's affordable, even if he comes absent accessories, and has done a good job of drawing me back into paying attention to the scads of wrestling figures I usually wander past...