Since 2019, There have been 26 WWE Ultimate Edition figures released by Mattel. These figures feature more articulation than regular Elite figures, come with more/higher detailed accessories, and usually alternate heads and hands. They come at a higher price point as well, clocking in from $29.99 to $31.99. The first few figures released were very easy to find at Target, including Ultimate Warrior, Ronda Rousey, and Shinsuke Nakamura. In some places, these even went on clearance, and they now go on the secondary market over $100.
I passed on several WWE Ultimate Edition at first, but eventually started picking some of them up as new faces were released. For this post, I will rank my personal list of the WWE Ultimate Edition, from 26-1. As always, this is just personal preference.
#26-20:
#26 is Shinsuke Nakamura. This figure was not really warranting the Ultimate Edition treatment, as he already had a highly detailed Defining Moments figure. Nakamura from series 2 was on pegs for quite some time after release.
#25: John Cena #2. Cena is a big star, but changing the shorts and t-shirt aren’t enough to warrant a second release.
#24 is Edge. Edge made a big splash on his return, but his Ultimate figure was kind of mediocre. He had an elite out at the same time that was perfectly acceptable.
#23: Ronda Rousey. Ronda almost killed the line from the beginning with a figure that just did not move. It was a complete figure, but to introduce the line at the highest price point for retail wrestling figures, needed to be a bigger name.
#22: Ultimate Warrior #2. The upcoming Amazon Exclusive Ultimate Warrior features his attire from Wrestlemania 6 and both title belts from his win over Hulk Hogan. The problem is, that attire has been released twice in the Elite Legends series. For someone who had as many colorful attires as Warrior did, this one should have been something else.
#21: Becky Lynch. Becky is in her Wrestlemania 35 attire with her win in the main event. This figure would have been fine as an elite and save the elusive Ultimate edition spots for people who need the extra attention to detail.
#20: The Fiend Bray Wyatt. There is a ton of Fiend figures, and this one is another where the Elite figures are good enough.
WWE Ultimate Edition: #19-#15:
#19: Brock Lesnar. Nothing wrong with the Beast here, it’s just a typical Brock Lesnar figure. This figure was also around the time Target skipped some waves.
#18: Hulk Hogan. This Amazon exclusive features Hulk in his Wrestlemania 9 attire, including a black eye in a nice touch. The flaw here is he has the same heads as his Hollywood Hogan figure, which has molded beard stubble. Mattel used the same heads and hoped we wouldn’t mind. Getting him ordered was also a huge fiasco.
#17: Shawn Michaels. The Heartbreak Kid comes in his Survivor Series 1997 attire, but the heads are not Mattel’s best work. This figure is also almost impossible to find, as Target didn’t carry a few waves of Ultimates.
#16: The Rock #2. 2013’s version of the Rock has become a massive shelf warmer, even through Christmas. It’s good enough as a figure, but maybe a bit boring. The shirt could be a better choice.
#15: Kane. This new Ultimate edition is really well done, but nothing that hasn’t been done in Elite form.
WWE Ultimate Edition #14-#11:
#14: Triple H #2. This upcoming Amazon exclusive represents HHH from his 2006 D-Generation X reunion period. It’s another that was done fine as an Elite, from a few years previous.
#13 Ric Flair. This is an excellent figure, but I would have preferred a shorter hair version. It’s still a classic Ric Flair.
#12: The Rock #1. A good Rock figure here, which was available on Amazon and is now a fortune to obtain. It’s a good Brahma Bull era Rock for sure.
#11: Jeff Hardy. This Jeff Hardy is also an Amazon exclusive, and suffered from the same fiasco as Hogan. It’s an excellent representation of Jeff and might be one of his last releases, as he is gone from WWE again.
WWE Ultimate Edition, The Top 10:
#10: Undertaker. A 1998 Version of Undertaker was definitely needed and this one is pretty strong. The torso is a bit too narrow, but it’s passable for sure.
#9: Charlotte Flair. This one is the best Charlotte figure available. It’s pretty scarce as well. These are among the best face scans of Flair and her robe is very detailed and intricate.
#8: John Cena #1 This Cena looks more like a “typical” version of Cena in the blue shorts. It’s a pretty good representation of his overall look.
#7: Finn Balor. The Demon King is the type of look that is perfect for Ultimates, with tons of details and authenticity. This figure nails that.
#6: Stone Cold Steve Austin. This is pretty much everything you need in a Stone Cold figure. A Smoking Skull title would have been a nice bonus.
#5: Ultimate Warrior #1. The other series 1 Ultimate Edition, this one is from Warrior’s brief time in WCW. The Coat and outfit are very highly detailed and it was a good launch of what Ultimate Editions would be. This figure sat on the pegs with Ronda and Nakamura for a while though.
#4: Triple H. Like Austin, this one is a definitive 2000-2001 era HHH. It comes with everything you need and he is covered, other than maybe a knee brace.
The Top 3:
#3: Bret “Hitman” Hart. The character that got me into buying Ultimate Editions. Bret’s 1994 look is perfectly represented here, other than the face scans being a little off, which is not unusual for Mattel. But this figure is a masterpiece, and was the head of the class until…
#2: Hollywood Hulk Hogan. The triumphant return of Hogan to the Mattel line filled a big gap, as Hollywood Hogan was a big request during the 2014 Hogan run. This figure is solid, and does a good job representing the leader of the nWo. That leaves us with…
#1: Macho Man Randy Savage. This figure is magnificent. It’s from his Saturday Night’s Main Event match in January 1992 against Jake Roberts and this figure is flawless. As a bonus, it’s close to Hasbro Macho Man #4. My personal favorite WWE Ultimate Edition.
