The story behind the Masters of the Universe lore was constantly changing in the beginning. He-Man was from a tribe of noble savages, Skeletor was a demon from a dark dimension and the Sorceress was just a green Teela with a snake headdress. Some characters switched sides, like Zodac, who was first listed as an Evil Cosmic Enforcer on his card back but was portrayed as neutral in the DC mini-series and, later, in the cartoon. Stratos first appeared in the mini-comics alongside Skeletor’s Evil Warriors but was an ally of He-Man in the next book. So, with the Masterverse New Eternia line, would Mattel change a character’s affiliation and add more representation to the Heroic Warriors? This seems to be the case with the New Eternia Jitsu figure.
Jitsu first appeared in the Masters of the Universe toyline in 1984. Since he shared a characteristic (big metal right hand) and a spring-loaded right arm, he was naturally paired off as an enemy of Fisto. He only appeared as a background character once in the cartoon and three times in the mini-comics but with no development of his character. One reason may be that he was the first “Asian” looking character in the line and wasn’t presented in a flattering light. Conversely, the other “Asian” inspired character, Ninjor, had a more prominent role in a later mini-comic, alongside Scareglow.
Jitsu appears as an Asian male with his black hair in a top knot and a black beard. His skin tone is lighter than his original figure, and his face is more calm but serious. He is wearing his red and gold armour, black furry loincloth and black boots. He has his gold chopping right hand, but it is not as oversized, scale-wise, as the original. He has a red wrist guard on his left hand. He has a kusazuri, a samurai skirt piece, around his waist.
For articulation, his head is on a ball joint with some up-and-down movement and full rotation around. The shoulders have a good range. The elbows are double-jointed, and the left hand is on a hinge and pin. His right, gold hand can only rotate at the base. He has a torso crunch and waist swivel though the armour does hinder the movement. His legs are slightly hindered by his loin cloth but can move forward and to the side a fair amount and a bit backwards. He has a thigh swivel near the top of the leg, double joints at the knees and hinge and rocker joints at the ankles.
For accessories, Jitsu has his sword. It is orange, with gold on the guard and the pommel. The sword can be stored in the slot on the left side of his belt. He also has an Oni mask, an orange mask with gold teeth. Finally, he has an open left hand in addition to his gripping left hand.
The New Eternia Jitsu is a great new take on the character. The New Eternia series has been great with using both old and new concepts to freshen up the characters. Jitsu’s sculpt is done well and avoids falling into a stereotype. His defection to the Heroic Warriors helps to address the lack of diversity and makes sense for a character following something similar to the ways of the samurai. Those who prefer the classic evil version can still get him in the Master of the Universe Origins line, but I like the direction the New Eternia line has taken him.
The Masters of the Universe Masterverse – New Eternia Jitsu is out now. Check online for details.
This Review is for entertainment purposes only. I have not received anything from Mattel, Big Bad Toy Store, or anyone else for this review. The items were purchased by myself with my own money. All opinions are mine and any pictures were taken by me and are for review purposes only.
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