Last month I reviewed the Halo Mega Bloks Halo 4 Warthog Resistance set and praised the hell out of the Elite Zealot figure as being one of the most ornately sculpted figures MEGA Brands has ever done. Now I’ve got my hands on the McFarlane Toys Halo 4 Elite Zealot action figure, and this Halo 4 Series 1 figure takes everything I loved about the Mega Bloks Elite Zealot and magnifies it four-fold…

The Right:

If you thought the McFarlane Toys Halo Reach Elite figures were big, you ain’t seen nothing yet. This Covenant Elite Zealot figure is head and shoulders taller than any Sangheili that’s come before it, and in a fist-fight this Elite Zealot looks like he’d legitimately kick any Brute Chieftain’s ass. The Halo 4 Series 1 Elite Zealot stands close to 7 inches tall and is an absolute monster of a figure.

As nice as Halo 4 Mega Bloks Elite Zealot was, the intricacies of the Halo 4 McFarlane Elite Zealot blow it away completely. The paint is a very nice quasi-metal bronze color, which highlights the ludicrous amount of sculpting detail that went into this figure. The Zealot Elite’s armor is covered in tiny rivets and decorative designs to the extent that this may be the single most detailed Halo figure that McFarlane Toys has ever produced.

Most of the McFarlane Elites I’ve owned in the past have put up quite a fight when trying to get them to stand stably in all but the simplest poses. That isn’t the case with this Halo 4 Sangheili. The Halo 4 Zealot Elite figure instantly stood up the first time I posed him and put him down, and I’ve had relatively few problems since. Considering how big a pain it could be getting Halo Reach Elites to stand, I’m pretty psyched about this improvement.

McFarlane Toys rarely cuts corners with articulation in their Halo line, and the Elite Zealot has an ample amount built into him despite his gargantuan stature. All of the joints are strong and hold tightly, and there’s really not much more I could ask for in the way of flexibility for this guy without compromising the gorgeous sculpt. I think McFarlane Toys got this just right.

The Halo 4 Elite Zealot includes one weapon: an Energy Sword. I think the Energy Sword is a strong choice for a weapon to include–I don’t know about anyone else, but if I saw this juggernaut of a Sangheili charging at me with an Energy Sword, I think I’d just sticky-grenade myself and get it over with.

The Energy Sword is molded in translucent blue plastic with white energy crackle detailing all over it and a silver hilt. This new Energy Sword is a clear improvement when you look back at the very first Energy Sword McFarlane Toys put out with the Halo 3 Arbiter–it’s pretty remarkable how far McFarlane Toys has progressed in just a few short years.

And as usual, McFarlane Toys has included a removable helmet on the Zealot Elite, allowing you to pose the Sangheili fully-armored or just chatting casually at home. I don’t ever display my Covenant Elites without their helmets, but I like that the option is there and that McFarlane Toys does their standard excellent caliber of work underneath the helmet.

The Wrong:

The only thing that really troubles me about the McFarlane Toys Halo 4 Elite Zealot is the way his hands are sculpted. They look terrific, but I had a terrible time getting either of his hands to grasp his Energy Sword tightly. It always ended up being held slightly awkward or wobbly. No matter how superb the Energy Sword looks, it’s useless if the Elite Zealot can’t hold it properly. Hopefully future Covenant weapons and guns will work better with the new hand sculpt.

“Where Can I Buy It?!”
The Halo 4 Series 1 Elite Zealot action figure is currently shipping to retail stores in the United States and have just started popping up in the last week or two. If you can’t wait or don’t feel like hunting for it, the Elite Zealot is already available online for regular retail price and free shipping as well.

Overall: This is quite possibly the best Covenant Elite action figure ever made by any company. The Halo 4 Series 1 Elite Zealot figure is suitably gigantic, crazily detailed, has a wonderful Energy Sword, loads of articulation, and even stands up without a fuss! McFarlane Toys, you have impressed me. I’m not sure if I like the Elite Zealot more than the Grunt Storm, as I have a thing for Grunts, but I would say without reservation that the Elite Zealot is the best figure in the Halo 4 Series 1 assortment. If he’d been able to hold his Energy Sword strongly I’d have given this Halo 4 Elite Zealot a rare perfect grade, but instead he’ll have to make do with an ‘A’ and an extremely high recommendation.

GRADE: A