Top 10 Must-Own Horror Toys: The Evil Dead Edition
John Squires
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As you’ve probably noticed, all of the previous toys are based on Army of Darkness, rather than the first two Evil Dead films. That’d be because it wasn’t until NECA acquired the Evil Dead 2 license in 2012 that any figures based on those films were ever made – to date, absolutely no toys based on the original Evil Dead have been produced. Just in time for the 25th anniversary of the release of Evil Dead 2, NECA debuted the first of two series in celebration of the birthday, which included two different versions of Ash. First up was “Farewell to Arms” Ash, which included a shotgun, axe, alternate arm and severed hand. Though I love the Cult Classics Ash figures, this one right here is to date my favorite Ash toy that’s ever been made, as it perfectly captures Campbell’s likeness from the film – and the look on his face when he realized his hand had become possessed. Around $20 is all you’ll have to pay for one of these.
The other figure in the first series of NECA’s Evil Dead 2 lineup was Deadite Ash, another highly impressive figure that depicted Ash in his fully possessed form. Deadite Ash came with the infamous tape recorder, the Book of the Dead and even Linda’s severed head. This one can also still be found for around the same price it sold for in toy stores when it was released in February of 2012. More recently, NECA put out retro-style versions of both Ash and Deadite Ash, which are also worth adding to your collection.
Series 2 of the Evil Dead 2 line was released in July of 2012 and included another Ash figure as well as the toy debut of Henrietta Knowby – AKA the world’s most hideous Deadite. An awesomely disgusting toy, the decaying Henrietta is full of gruesome details and comes equipped with an alternate bendy “snake head” as well as a display stand that sticks into a hole on her back – allowing you to defy gravity and have her float above your toy shelf. Props to NECA for thinking outside the box here and giving us something a little different than the typical Ash figures. Truly an awesome toy – one that I’m still shocked to have seen on Toys R Us’ shelves. Henrietta can be yours for around $20.
And finally, the other figure in Series 2 of the NECA line was Hero Ash, which was given a slight but effective makeover for a San Diego Comic-Con Exclusive last year – “Hero Ash” becoming “Hero from the Sky Ash.” This variant was painted with muted colors, and a streak of white was added into Ash’s hair, depicting him as he was seen towards the end of the movie when he travels back in time. The laughing deer head that was included with the Hero Ash figure was replaced with a desert base for the Comic-Con Exclusive, which is the only difference aside from the paint job. While Hero Ash sells for the same price as the other figures in the line, Hero from the Sky Ash is going to cost you about double that amount.
