The Ringwraiths were nine mortal Kings before they were transformed into Sauron's hooded riders by accepting the Dark Lord's gift of nine rings of power. They now walk, neither living nor dead, in the twilight world of Sauron's eye and hunt the Ring, seeking to return it to their master.

There have long been dark forces opposing our cinematic heroes. From the first flickering silent films that delineated good and evil with the color of a hat to the serial westerns that carried on that tradition. George Lucas blurred the lines by crafting a semi-heroic villain who wore black, and a semi-villainous hero who did the same. In Pitch Black, darkness itself was the enemy, moreso than any CGI aliens. Yet despite more than 100 years of practice and competition, the vilest and most frightening dark villain ever has been brought to the screen only now.

Normally I'd discuss the figure's likeness to the actor who portrayed the character. However, the Ringwraiths are simply empty cloaks, and so have no recognizable actor within. Clad in tattered ebony robes, the Ringwraiths are all costume--molded from soft pvc, the figure's "cloth" flows realistically over an ephemeral body beneath, and are textured to look as if they were real cloth. Where the king's face should be is an emptiness, a void that still somehow manages to be menacing. The bits that do emerge from the cloak show great detail; the gauntlets and greaves look like pounded, plated metal, and the paint job makes them look slightly tarnished.

The Ringwraith comes with a long sword and a shorter Morgul blade, and has sheathes for both. Press a button on this back, and he plunges the sword in his right hand forward. Additionally, the blade of the Morgul retracts, to simulate stabbing his prey. It's a well-designed and implemented action feature like this that really sets a figure above the rest; despite having to design around the action, the look and pose of the figure are not compromised, highlighting the work ToyBiz put into this line.

Standing 6 3/4" tall, and with 12 points of articulation, the Ringwraith is a terrifically evil character, but a great addition to your collection and one of my favorite figures of the year.



Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 7.99
Type of Toy: Action Figure