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- The partnership between Mattel and WWE has been going on since 2010, and has proven to be a prolific one. Over the past 13 years, countless WWE action figures have been produced of pretty much every wrestler in pretty much every look possible, capturing their early days in NXT to their special entrance gear for major pay-per-views. There are so many WWE action figures from Mattel that it seems unfair to limit this best-ever list to only 10. So let’s take a second look at the massive collection of toys and spotlight a few more standout figures, including some hard-to-find exclusives.
In 1996, WWE's action figure line turned a corner when they went with Jakks Pacific as their official toymaker. For nearly 14 years, Jakks and WWE pumped out some great action figures. Alas, all good things must come to an end, and in 2010, WWE and Jakks officially parted ways. This opened the door for a new toy manufacturer to step in. Enter, Mattel.
RELATED: The 10 Best WWE Action Figures Ever Made, Ranked
Since 2010, Mattel has crushed the WWE action figure game. Mattel's WWE figures aren't flawless, but they're head and shoulders above their predecessors. Picking the best figures out of Mattel's ten-plus years with WWE is subjective, but thess figures are hard to argue against.
UPDATE: 2023/02/03 09:15 EST BY DANNY DJELJOSEVIC
The partnership between Mattel and WWE has been going on since 2010, and has proven to be a prolific one. Over the past 13 years, countless WWE action figures have been produced of pretty much every wrestler in pretty much every look possible, capturing their early days in NXT to their special entrance gear for major pay-per-views. There are so many WWE action figures from Mattel that it seems unfair to limit this best-ever list to only 10. So let’s take a second look at the massive collection of toys and spotlight a few more standout figures, including some hard-to-find exclusives.
13 Slim Jim Macho Man Randy Savage - San Diego Comic Con 2019 Elite Exclusive
Fans attending the annual San Diego Comic-Con event have a unique opportunity to pick up exclusive releases from a variety of publishers, studios, and toy companies, including Mattel. Mattel’s WWE SDCC exclusives are always geared toward die-hard fans, and 2019’s exclusive was no different. Macho Man Randy Savage’s stint as the spokesperson of Slim Jim made him a pop culture icon on top of being a legendary wrestler — not to mention having one of the stranger contracts in pro wrestling — and this special Slim Jim-themed Randy Savage action figure immortalizes that moment.
12 Asuka - WWE Network Spotlight Elite
This particular wave of the WWE Network Spotlight Elite series included Diesel, Jinder Mahal, and Rey Mysterio, but the standout of the group was this iteration of Asuka. Not only does this figure feature one of the better action figure likenesses of Asuka to date, but also includes some impressive entrance gear that fans might not remember. This outfit is from Asuka’s outing at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 3, where the Empress of Tomorrow defeated Ember Moon to retain the NXT Women’s Championship.
11 Shockmaster - WWE Elite San Diego Comic Con 2016 Exclusive
One of the most infamous debuts in pro wrestling history was that of The Shockmaster, a new ally of Sting’s for an impending War Games match. Portrayed by Fred Ottman, the former Tugboat, The Shockmaster burst through a wall like the Kool-Aid Man, only to trip on his way in and lose his helmet as he crashed to the floor. It killed the performer's career, but it was also deeply hilarious.
RELATED: What Happened To The Shockmaster After His Infamous WCW Debut?
In 2016, Mattel finally produced an action figure of this short-lived character, released as an exclusive at San Diego Comic-Con in 2016. Not only does the Shockmaster figure come with a removable helmet, but he’s also positioned the wrong way in the package, with a window on the back to recreate the “crashing through the wall” moment.
10 Seth Rollins Elite Series 45
Typically, current-day wrestlers don't receive the same hype over their action figures as legendary performers do. That mostly stems from the fact that the market is already heavily saturated with action figures of current day stars. Still, occasionally Mattel will release a figure of a current star that's just too good to pass up.
Seth Rollins' Series 45 Elite is a perfect example of that. The figure features Rollins in his white and gold attire from SummerSlam 2015 along with a WWE Championship. This specific attire stands out because it was the only time Rollins wore this memorable white attire. It's arguably the best Seth Rollins figure ever made.
9 Rob Van Dam Elite Series 27
During his heyday, Rob Van Dam was one of the most popular performers in WWE. Van Dam's innovative in-ring style, aloof personality, and eye-catching ring gear just had a way of hooking even the most casual wrestling fans. Oddly enough though, for as popular as Van Dam was, he had only had one Mattel Elite figure ever produced before 2021.
The Elite Series 27 Rob Van Dam is among one of the best WWE figures ever made. The head scan is unmistakable and the attention to detail on the singlet is next level. Mattel even added a folding chair for Vandaminator purposes. The new Series 91 Rob Van Dam is great, but it doesn't quite measure up to the original.
8 Macho Man Randy Savage WrestleMania 7 Defining Moments Elite
Anyone who has any doubts about how popular Macho Man Randy Savage still is, needs to look no further than the amount of merchandise he still moves. Savage's ability to move products was on full display in 2021 when Mattel ran a crowdfunded campaign for their New Generation arena. Despite the appeal of the arena and the figures included, the project seemed to be dead in the water until a Savage figure was added to the deal.
With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that Savage has one, if not more, of the greatest WWE Mattel figures ever. Savage's WrestleMania 7 Defining Moments Elite might just be the best Savage figure ever. It perfectly captures Savage's iconic WrestleMania 7 attire, including a hat, glasses, and a soft goods entrance jacket.
7 Chris Jericho Best Of Attitude Era Elite
This stat only became relevant in 2019 but Chris Jericho was the first wrestler to ever have an action figure produced by WCW, WWE, and now AEW. That's the definition of longevity. To be fair though, his WCW and even his AEW figures thus far have paled in comparison to some of his WWE figures.
Arguably the greatest Chris Jericho action figure ever came as part of Mattel's Best of Attitude Era series. The figure features Jericho in his red ring tights with black and silver barbed wire designs. It also comes with a scratch WWE logo microphone and a "Raw Is Jericho" soft goods shirt that puts this figure over the top. It'll be hard for any toy company to top this Jericho.
6 Bret Hart Defining Moments Elite
When Bret Hart was unceremoniously forced out of WWE in late-1997, many fans wondered if Hart and WWE would ever mend fences and be on good terms again. Luckily for fans, Hart was slowly able to let go of his animosity toward Vince McMahon and WWE. This led to countless Bret Hart action figures being produced over the years by both Jakks and Mattel.
Perhaps the greatest out of all those figures though came in 2012 as part of the Defining Moments series. That Bret Hart came with a Canadian Flag and featured Hart's iconic attire heading into his infamous Survivor Series 1997 match against Shawn Michaels. Mattel has released a few more great Bret Hart figures since then but none have been able to match the Defining Moments one.
5 Shawn Michaels Ultimate Edition
Along with "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Shawn Michaels has worn some of the most colorful and eye-catching attires in pro wrestling history. As a result, many of Michaels' most iconic attires have been immortalized in action figure form. One specific attire that seemed to be missing from Michaels' Mattel action figure catalog for a long time was his Survivor Series 1997 attire.
RELATED: The 5 Best (& 5 Worst) Shawn Michaels Action Figures Ever Made
Luckily for collectors, Mattel righted that wrong in a big way in 2020 when they released their Ultimate Edition Shawn Michaels figure. The figure had added articulation given that it was an Ultimate Edition. It also perfectly captured Michaels' look on that infamous November night in 1997.
4 Kurt Angle Entrance Greats Elite
Pro wrestling fans in general can be a very fickle bunch. That attitude is magnified when talking about action figure collectors. Still, Mattel always finds a way to keep even the pickiest WWE collector invested. One thing Mattel has excelled at over the years is crushing a performer's first action figure.
Kurt Angle's first Mattel Elite figure is a perfect example. For years, collectors yearned for an Elite Kurt Angle. When Mattel finally got the rights to produce a Kurt Angle figure, they didn't disappoint. The Kurt Angle Entrance Greats Elite is easily the best Entrance Greats figure ever made, capturing Angle in his debut attire from Survivor Series 1999. A better Kurt Angle has yet to be produced.
3 Finn Balor Ultimate Edition
In the 1980s and early-1990s, many pro wrestlers, particularly those in WWE, were often very colorful and flamboyant. Today, that kind of colorful flamboyance is a lot less prevalent in the wrestling business. One thing that can't be denied though is that eye-catching, larger-than-life characters work best for creating action figures.
Luckily for modern-day WWE fans, Finn Balor's alter ego, The Demon, looks like he just walked out of a comic book. Every Demon Finn Balor figure is exquisite but without a doubt, the best Balor figure ever made was his Ultimate Edition figure. Accessories aside, the amount of detail put into the body and face paint is incredible. It's going to be hard for Mattel to top this Finn Balor figure.
2 CM Punk Ringside Collectibles Exclusive Straight Edge Society Elite
Today, CM Punk is one of the biggest names in all of pro wrestling. That status is the result of years of swimming upstream in WWE. For years, WWE ignored its audience and refused to treat CM Punk as the main event star that he was. This led to his departure from the company in 2013. Since then, every CM Punk WWE action figure has skyrocketed in price.
RELATED: 10 WWE Retro Figures Worth An Absurd Amount Of Money
Perhaps the best and easily the priciest among CM Punk action figures is his Ringside Collectibles Exclusive Elite from his days as the leader of The Straight Edge Society. This Punk figure came with an arm sling and a removable mask which Punk wore after getting his head shaved. It's a grail as far as CM Punk figures go.
1 Hollywood Hogan Ultimate Edition
Throughout the years, some huge stars have come along in the sport of wrestling. From "Stone Cold" Steve Austin to The Rock to John Cena. Arguably the biggest wrestling star ever though, remains Hulk Hogan. In 2015, the action figure community lost its collective mind when a Hollywood Hogan Elite was finally rumored to be released.
Unfortunately, Hogan got himself abruptly released from WWE at the time and the figure was shelved. Luckily, in 2020, with Hogan back in the fold, Mattel released a Hollywood Hogan Ultimate Edition figure. The figure sold like hotcakes and is possibly the best WWE figure Mattel has ever made. Everything on the figure from the head scan, weight belt, and soft goods nWo shirt is stupendous. This Hogan figure will be hard to ever top.
