Fire-Breathing Bowser Action Figure

The first step in getting Bowser to breathe fire is adding water to the reservoir on the back of his hair. Use the included dropper, press the side spike, and illuminated, atomized vapor shoots out of his mouth. There’s something pleasingly excessive about giving a 7-inch movie figure its own water supply just so it can act the part.

The 14 points of articulation let you set up a suitably threatening pose before activating the effect. For a Mario fan who likes staging character confrontations, the combination of movement and theatrical breath is a good reason to choose this Bowser. You’ll need three AAA batteries, which aren’t included, plus water, so there’s some preparation before he gets to menace anyone.

He comes in a window box that gives collectors an option for displaying him in the packaging. Still, this feels like a figure worth taking out: the most interesting detail is a working mechanism, and leaving him boxed means you never get to press that spike.