At the beginning of 2022, I did a ranking of the first 26 Mattel WWE Ultimate Edition figures. This Ultimate Edition 2023 list will be a follow up of that list, and perhaps I will get every one of them into one final ranking soon.
Starting at the bottom:
There is no reason for this figure to exist. The first Fiend Ultimate was fine, and this was a useless attempt to keep Fiend on the shelves, when there are 100s of others who could have been in that spot, either Legends or Modern Talent.
From the upcoming Jey and Jey Uso Ringside Collectibles exclusive 2 pack, we have what is supposed to be Jimmy Uso, but clearly the good folks at Mattel haven’t looked at the Usos in a while. They have Jimmy’s smile, but the hair is completely wrong. This figure is a disaster, along with the other Jimmy Uso that is on the way. Fix it, Mattel!
It’s not actually Jey and Jey Uso. It’s Jimmy and Jey Uso and they are coming in a 2 pack.
This one came with Hulk Hogan to debut the Coliseum Collection on Mattel Creations. Terry has his fans, but this figure did nothing for me. An update on Legends Series 2, which was a spectacular shelf warmer at the time.
Diesel is one of my favorite characters. but this figure is dreadfully bland. The likeness is off, and there should have been more “meat on the bone” for a crowd fund figure. I’d still buy one for a good price though.
The Jeff Hardy no one really asked for. This Jeff came along well after Hardy was out of WWE, and it’s a less famous look for him. It’s colorful and everything, but the body proportions are off as well.
Alexa is fine, good for those who are fans of hers. This figure is very detailed from that era of her career. It remains to be seen if this character returns.
Sarge was the 2021 San Diego Comic Con exclusive, and a precursor to the Coliseum Collection. This one sold out very fast, and as an even higher stress, there is a black carded variation which is even harder to come by. As a figure, it’s fine, from an era before my time.
Zeus was one half of the No Holds Barred SDCC set in 2022. It’s pretty much spot on from the movie, and was also sold out very quickly.
Jey Uso is a little better than the other one, but the faces are a little off. Maybe one day we’ll get some good Usos. The belts, tattoos, and attire look good though.
If you’re a fan of AJ Styles, this is the definitive figure of his WWE run. It’s pretty much perfect.
Mr T. was an important member of the early days of Wrestlemania, and he deserved to have a figure. This is pretty much the only one you’d need from Wrestlemania 1. It comes with everything and then some.
This one is interesting, because it was easier to get on Amazon than the previous Hogan, Hardy, and Warrior. For Goldberg, this is a good attempt, but the legs are so skinny. It’s a decent figure overall.
I’m a big fan of Razor, but this one just isn’t as good as the Purple one. This figure has been very scarce in the stores to this point. The mixed color attire isn’t what Razor was most famous for.
Ultimate Edition 2023, 20-11:
Cody gets the next MC Exclusive, and it will also be hard to come by. The coat looks good with a lot of detail, and hopefully a mainline Ultimate edition is coming soon.
The legendary Andre had to end up with an Ultimate Edition. This figure is fine, but nothing I’m going out of my way to get, since I have his Elites.
Logan Paul has had a lot of publicity in a short time in WWE, as one of the most famous YouTube stars. This figure looks to be spot on, with a lot of details. It will be sought after since it is a limited release.
Comic Con exclusive Hogan is someone who was long awaited in his “Rip Thomas” character and this figure nails that perfectly.
The Tribal Chief had to have an Ultimate, but this one isn’t really any better than his Elites from the same time frame. This one was an easy pass.
The Kane we didn’t know we needed. The inverted attire looks good, and it comes with the Attitude Era Ring. I’d pick it up for a good price.
Like AJ Styles, if you’re a fan of Seth Rollins, this figure is fantastic. I usually avoid modern talent, but this is a good looking figure. Great attire and a highly detailed cloth robe.
The Coliseum Collection is intended to homage to the LJN line, and this Rick Rude does just that. It’s a perfect 1987-88 Rude, and also has a slight look to the Hasbro Rick Rude.
Everything that I just said about Rick Rude, also applies to Jake The Snake here.
11: Hulk Hogan LJN Coliseum Collection
As another homage to LJN, this figure is spot on. A bonus is the title belt. There needs to be a mainline elite all White Hogan at some point.
Ultimate Edition 2023- the top 10:
This is a pretty much perfect modern era Brock. He never had both belts at once, but that’s not a big deal here. Great figure.
I asked for this one a while back. It finally came, but was part of the Crowd Fund set with Diesel and Doink the clown, and it’s pretty expensive to come by. But it is necessary because we have Macho from Wrestlemania 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8 already. The only flaw on this one is the coat is somewhat opaque. like some of the more recent robes we’ve gotten from Mattel. I’d still like to have this one.
The first Target Ultimate Legends exclusive, this 2005 era Batista is pretty much perfect. It comes with the contracts from the famous turn on HHH, the World title, and very accurate gear. This one is strong.
Target Ultimate Legends number two brings us Macho Man in his nWo attire. There was a lot of controversy on this one, as it was an update on a very expensive Ringside Collectibles figure, but the truth is, this figure is very different. The only similarity is the “Madness” shirt and glasses. No reason to hesitate on getting this one.
Wrestlemania 1 Hulk Hogan was a must for the Ultimate line. The faces are well done, and the debut of a new World Title belt is always a plus. This figure is pretty much the defining Hulk Hogan of the 80s.
Ultimate Edition 2023, the Top 5:
An update to 2011’s Defining Moments Ultimate Warrior, this figure is spot on. Including the post match face is a nice touch. I was definitely looking forward to this one, and the accompanying Macho King which is slated for Ultimate Series 18.
Target’s third Ultimate Legends Exclusive, this one is an update on the Ringside Collectibles Exclusive from a while back. This figure is as good as it gets for Bret, only missing the title belt. As usual, Mattel struggles with Bret’s likeness though.
Another near perfect figure. This one is only hurt a bit because of the awkward torso. With the vest on, you can’t tell. Awesome figure.
This is how Razor’s Ultimate should be. Razor Ramon rarely wore mismatched colors, he was more famously in red, green, purple, etc. The face scans are great, this figure is solid.
I see no flaws in this figure at all, other than it’s not in my collection. All three faces are perfect, and the attire is spot on. Great figure.
In Conclusion:
For the most part, the Ultimate Editions are the best figures ever made. I wish they had more diversity in some of the parts but generally speaking, they all look fantastic. It’s definitely a line that is here to stay, which was questionable when it debuted. Go out and get you an Ultimate Edition!
