S.H.Figuarts Bardock The Father of Goku

Interestingly, the subtitle is completely different depending on the language. The Japanese version is titled “The Final Battle Against All Odds,” while the English version is “Father of Son Goku.” But there's one thing we can all agree on: Vietnam-made figures are getting worse!

This time, let's go straight into a comparison between the old and new versions. The original figure was released in 2021, and it was also made in Vietnam. Both versions share the same country of origin, but looking at the 2026 release, I have to say that after five years, it feels like they've stopped even trying to maintain appearances. The QC on this “new” version is noticeably worse...

First, the new version has a darker skin tone, which I actually quite like. The problem is that the plastic quality looks visibly cheap, and without any matte finish, the figure ends up looking more like an unofficial third-party product. There are also bits of excess plastic stuck in some of the gaps and crevices. The front hairpiece and face don't fit together very securely, and the hair on the regular head keeps popping off. To make matters worse, the hair plastic attracts dust like crazy. Seriously annoying!

Comparing the two versions, the main body's joint structure appears to be pretty much the same. However, some of the armor and body parts on the new version have been changed to battle-damaged pieces. The blood effects look a little crude, though. On the bright side, the upper body, especially the chest and waist area, has been made more muscular, giving S.H.Figuarts Bardock The Father of Goku much better proportions!

The new head sculpt and facial expressions are also genuinely impressive and feel much closer to the quality of recent S.H.Figuarts releases. They capture the original character much better. Unfortunately, the white paint on the teeth is a little sloppy.

You can swap the heads between the old and new bodies, although the difference in skin tone is noticeable. However, swapping the facial expressions isn't possible because the connection points are completely different. One nice bonus is that the old version's energy-blast hand, together with its effect part, can still be used on the new body.

One of the biggest selling points of the new version is the inclusion of Baby Goku, along with a dedicated seat for him. Goku's head has a little articulation, and the tiny figure is absolutely adorable!

Overall, when you compare the two side by side, the QC on the new version is genuinely disappointing. The 2021 Vietnam-made figure feels like a girlfriend you just started dating, while the 2026 version feels like... well, let's just leave it at that.

In person, the new version actually looks even worse than it does in photos. That said, to give credit where it's due, the figure photographs surprisingly well. Blow me away!

There's just one last thing I want to say:

“Vietnam-made, you... damn...!” Well, you know how it is.