Collectible Review: Dark Souls and Kingdom Hearts FiGPiNs

As the latest gaming franchises to join the FiGPiN lineup, Dark Souls and Kingdom Hearts bring fan-favorite characters to eager collectors, including Solaire of Astora, Dragonslayer Ornstein, and Siegmeyer of Catarina from Dark Souls, and the team of Sora, King Mickey, Donald Duck, and Goofy from Kingdom Hearts. I was able to check out the Solaire, Sora, and King Mickey pins, in addition to ones from Half-Life 2 and Ni no Kuni II that I purchased on my own previously.

For those of you who may still be unfamiliar with what a FiGPiN is, well, as the name suggests, it is a cross between two popular geek collectibles: a figure and an enamel pin. They are even numbered like trading cards, and come in varying levels of rarity. I don’t own an Android or iOS device so I haven’t been able to use it, but a companion app is available which allows you to input a pin’s serial number to track the rarity and earn points.

Each FiGPiN stands around three inches tall (but this can vary since some characters are posed in different ways), which is much larger than a regular pin yet not as big as a full-size figure or statue. The quality and level of detail that goes into each FiGPiN is immaculate. Compared to the average enamel pin, a FiGPiN is noticeably thicker and weightier–it just feels like a high-end collector’s item when you hold one.

Equally pristine are the paintjobs, which capture King Mickey’s expressive eyes and smile, Sora’s elaborately spikey hair, Solaire’s iconic “Praise the Sun” pose, and the finer touches on all their costumes. The extra thickness along with a slight beveled edge makes each character pop out with added three-dimensionality, whereas most traditional pins tend to look pretty much flat. Fittingly, the Solaire pin is outlined in a silver coating that gives him a brighter sheen the others don’t have, like he’s the only one that’s been kissed by the sun’s love.

Beyond the exquisitely detailed paintjobs and high-quality hardware, what’s great about a FiGPiN is its versatility when it comes to the many ways one can be displayed. While they are, in my opinion, too big and bulky for a lapel like a normally sized pin, they’re still great for larger articles like backpacks and jackets, as well as display boards and shadow boxes.

Unlike a lapel pin, FiGPiNs can be shown off like collectible figures. Each pin comes inside its own poly-carbonate display box, secured to a vertical post inside by a soft rubber backer that holds the pin upright like a statue in front of a background art card. True collectors are also free to keep the pin and its display box stored inside its packaging, which is clear on all sides, shows the pin’s character name and number, and even has four feet on the bottom for added stability should you choose to display as is.

Given the size, premium construction and detail, and the inclusion of a display box, FiGPiNs outclass other pins in both quality and value. (Not that they’re in any way a replacement of course, because traditional pins are right-sized for other settings and applications.) It’s honestly hard to believe they’re comparably priced at $15 and under and not sold at a higher premium. FiGPiN characters are available in a wide range of licenses spanning many known brands of geek and popular culture, from gaming franchises and DC and Marvel superheroes to rock bands and anime series like Dragon Ball Z and Naruto.

Buy From: Amazon.com

Disclosure: Dark Souls and Kingdom Hearts characters were provided to VGBlogger.com for coverage consideration by FiGPiN.