It’s tough being a die-hard Dark Souls fan and collector. Not many collectibles have been made for the popular fantasy game series. Thankfully, Gecco more than makes up for that shortage. This company isn’t producing just any Dark Souls collectibles. Gecco is producing amazingly detailed high-end Dark Souls statues. It’s like ordering a tough skirt steak at a restaurant and getting a juicy filet mignon instead. In other words, Dark Souls fans are getting the best possible collectibles a collector could ask for.

Following the release Siegmeyer of Catarina (read my review HERE) and Souls of Cinder (HERE), Gecco has unleashed their third Dark Souls statue: Knight of Astora, Oscar. This 1/6th scale piece (approximately 12.4-inches tall) is (surprisingly) still available for pre-order through select retailers, including BigBadToyStore.com, where it is priced at $299.99. Like all Gecco statues, don’t wait long to place that order – these statues always sell out; doubling in price on the secondary market.

Oscar, the Knight of Astora is a non-player character (NPC) who’s encountered at the beginning of the first Dark Souls game. He frees you from being imprisoned in a cell and is later encountered mortally wounded, gifting you with an Estus Flask and key (you’ll also have access to his armor and weapon once he dies: an Elite Knight Set, a Crest Shield, and an Astora’s Straight Sword).

Speaking of that Elite Knight Set, a Crest Shield, and Astora’s Straight Sword, all three of these knightly elements are expertly sculpted on this statue. Oscar’s armor in particular is extremely ornate, Gecco realistically capturing the layers of shiny steel plates, gold trimmed leather tunic, and underlying chainmail. The real metal chain used on his neck wrap only enhances the realism.

While Dark Souls is a fantasy game filled with monsters and magic, Oscar, Knight of Astora’s design is grounded in medieval realism. His helmet, a European Closed Helmet, is exactly what one thinks of when picturing a knight of the middle ages.

Where Gecco’s previous Dark Souls statues have been cast in polystone resin, Oscar breaks that tradition by being made of PVC. I made this observation in my last review, wondering why Gecco even started using resin in the first place. While sculpted detail and paint apps are equally impressive on both Gecco’s PVC and resin statues, I tend to prefer their PVC pieces. It’s a lighter and much more durable material.

That extra durability is especially helpful when it comes to  assembly. As a PVC statue, Oscar is a pain-free statue to build – just plug on his sword blade and shield arm and then attach the entire piece to the crumbling stone base. If this was made of a more brittle resin, the simple act of placing that sword blade on would be a delicate task.

As an extra incentive for fans to pre-order the Oscar, Knight of Astora statue (as if you needed one), Gecco provides a bonus Crystal Lizard! This upgrade material-gifting creature from the game is palm-sized and features a wonderful sculpt. Made of a dense PVC plastic, just like Oscar, the eight-legged critter has small beady black eyes and blue “crystals” embedded in it’s rocky hide. Gecco could have just painted these crystals but instead used a separate translucent blue plastic to up the realism. Hold it under a light and the effect is awesome. I’d love to see Gecco produce an entire series of Dark Souls creatures in this scale.

If you’re a fan of the Souls series, Gecco’s Oscar, Knight of Astora 1/6 Scale Statue is a must-have. The friendly NPC is the perfect representation of Dark Souls’ fragile balance between life and death.

Scroll on for more photos!

Review and Photos by Jeff Saylor

Review Sample Courtesy of Gecco

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