threezero Figures: The Collector's Guide to MDLX, DLX, FigZero and Robo-Dou

Pick up a threezero Transformer and the first thing you notice is the weight. There's a die-cast metal frame inside, a lot of joints, and paint that makes a robot look as if it has actually been in a fight. These are not the Transformers you had as a kid. They don't turn into a lorry, and they cost considerably more than your pocket money did.

threezero's ranges have names that sound like broadband packages (MDLX, DLX, FigZero, Robo-Dou), so here's what each one is, how big it is, what's metal and what isn't, and which one makes sense for you.

MDLX: Optimus Prime (about 18cm)DLX: Optimus Prime (about 28cm)

Who are threezero?

threezero is a Hong Kong figure maker founded by Wong Kim-fung, and it has roots in the city's designer-toy scene: Wong is also a co-owner of the art-toy outfit threeA. From around 2013 threezero went big on licensed collectibles. Today it works with big licence holders including Hasbro and Marvel, and its founder has spoken about how slow that is: every stage of a figure, from design to production to publicity, has to be signed off by the rights holder, and it can take around two years to get from idea to shelf.

Its calling card is the hybrid: action-figure articulation, collectible-grade paint and weathering, and a metal skeleton inside so the thing holds a pose and feels substantial in the hand.

The ranges, explained in plain English

• MDLX: the smaller, more affordable way in. threezero describes MDLX as the spirit of its DLX line at a smaller scale. Figures are roughly 18cm (about 7 inches) with a die-cast zinc alloy and plastic frame and around 48 points of articulation. At the time of writing our 1986 Transformers movie figures are Bumblebee £93.99, Hot Rod £114.99, Optimus Prime and Megatron £133.99 each and Coronation Starscream £153.99, plus MDLX Stepper at £104.99. The line also does Mega Man: Forte is £65.99 and Mega Man X Force Armor £75.99.
• DLX: the big-ticket line, launched in 2018 with Bumblebee from the Bumblebee movie. Larger figures with a zinc alloy metal frame. The Revenge of the Fallen Optimus Prime stands about 28cm, with around 57 points of articulation and LED eyes. Ours is £329.99, and DLX Bumblebee (Cybertron mode) is £211.99.
• FigZero: 1/6 scale figures, about 30cm, often with real fabric costumes over an articulated body. It's threezero's take on the classic sixth-scale collectible. Our Power Rangers Lord Drakkon Evo III is £198.99 and the Red Ranger £237.99, and our Gridman FigZero is £248.99. threezero also makes other sixth-scale figures, such as our Berserk Casca 1/6 at £262.99.
• Robo-Dou: threezero's line for mecha from Japanese anime, again with die-cast zinc alloy parts for weight and articulation. Our Evangelion Production Model Type-08α is £215.99, and the line also covers the likes of Patlabor, Robotech and Getter Robot.

MDLX: Mega Man ForteFigZero: GridmanRobo-Dou: Evangelion Type-08α

MDLX vs DLX vs FigZero vs Robo-Dou, and threezero's Transformers licence

Here's how the four lines actually compare when you're deciding where to spend your money.

Size

• MDLX: about 18cm. Sits comfortably next to a standard 6-inch action figure collection, and you can fit a whole shelf of them.
• Robo-Dou: varies by mech. The Evangelion 08α is about 25cm.
• DLX: about 28cm for the film Optimus Prime. A shelf of these is a commitment.
• FigZero: 1/6 scale, around 30cm. Built to stand alongside other sixth-scale figures.

Metal

• MDLX, DLX and Robo-Dou: all use a die-cast zinc alloy frame or parts. That's where the heft comes from, and why joints stay tight through years of posing.
• FigZero: the listings we checked are plastic and fabric, with no die-cast frame. You're paying for scale, costume and sculpt.

Who each one is for

• MDLX: G1 cartoon fans and anyone who wants the threezero feel without a three-figure price per robot. If you're unsure, start here.
• DLX: live-action Transformers film fans who want the movie designs in all their thousands-of-parts glory, and have the budget.
• FigZero: sixth-scale collectors, Power Rangers fans and anyone who likes cloth outfits over plastic.
• Robo-Dou: anime mecha fans, especially Evangelion.

The Transformers licence: why these don't transform

threezero makes its Transformers under licence from Hasbro, which also covers G.I. Joe and Power Rangers for them. The crucial thing to understand is that these are not transforming toys. They're articulated, robot-mode display figures.

• Film figures (DLX): the live-action robots were designed as CGI, with layers of moving parts that no transforming toy could ever reproduce in proportion. A non-transforming figure with a metal frame can get far closer to what you saw on screen.
• Cartoon figures (MDLX): the 1986 movie and G1 characters get threezero's mechanical, slightly weathered look, a "what if they were real machines?" take rather than a flat cartoon copy.
• So who should buy a threezero Transformer? Collectors who want the best-looking robot mode. If converting your Optimus into a truck is the fun bit, buy a Hasbro figure instead. Our Hasbro collectibles guide covers Studio Series and the rest.

DLX: Megatron (film)DLX: Lockdown (film)

So which one should you buy?

If you're buying a first threezero figure

• MDLX Bumblebee at £93.99 is the cheapest Transformer in our range and a fine example of the line.
• Not a Transformers fan? MDLX Mega Man Forte at £65.99 is the cheapest threezero we carry.

Shown: Transformers MDLX Action Figure Bumblebee (1986 Movie Edition) 12 cm

If you're a G1 or 1986 movie fan

• MDLX Optimus Prime and Megatron (£133.99 each) belong together. Buying one without the other is just asking for trouble on the shelf.
• Hot Rod (£114.99) and Coronation Starscream (£153.99) complete the movie line-up nicely.

If you want a shelf centrepiece

• DLX Revenge of the Fallen Optimus Prime (£329.99): about 28cm of die-cast, LED-eyed Bayverse Prime.
• Robo-Dou Evangelion Type-08α (£215.99) for anime mecha fans.

If you're a Power Rangers fan

• FigZero Lord Drakkon Evo III (£198.99) or the Red Ranger (£237.99).

FigZero: Lord Drakkon Evo IIIFigZero: Red Ranger

If it's a gift

• MDLX is the safe bet. It's a recognisable character, a sensible size, and it feels expensive in the hand without being DLX money.

Into Transformers but fancy building one yourself? Our Yolopark AMK guide covers the easy, no-glue kit route.

How ordering works with us

A few pieces might be on the shelf, but most of our threezero range is listed as pre-orders we bring in especially for you. You order, we order it in from our European distributor, and it ships to you when it lands. New announcements are proper pre-orders with release windows, and popular figures sometimes return as re-runs.

Check each product page for its availability and timing. Pre-ordering is how you avoid paying secondary-market prices, and with threezero that matters: popular Transformers can climb quickly once they've sold through. Browse Pre-Order On Demand and Collectibles Pre-Orders.

MDLX: MegatronMDLX: Hot RodMDLX: Coronation Starscream

The honest bit: what we'd swerve

• Expecting it to transform: it doesn't, and no amount of determined twisting will change that.
• Jumping straight to DLX: if you're not sure about the threezero style, a £329.99 Optimus is an expensive way to find out. Try an MDLX first.
• Paying scalper prices for sold-out DLX: the resale market for these can be brutal. Pre-order the ones you want, and be patient about re-runs for the ones you missed.
• Suspiciously cheap listings: if a "new" DLX turns up from an unknown seller at a fraction of the usual price, assume the worst. Buy from a recognised retailer.
• Weak shelves: die-cast frames are heavy. A row of DLX figures on a flimsy floating shelf is a nervous evening waiting to happen.
• Direct sunlight: that lovely weathered paint is still paint. Keep them out of the sun.

The short version

• threezero is a Hong Kong maker of premium, articulated, licensed figures.
• MDLX: about 18cm, die-cast frame, the affordable way in.
• DLX: about 28cm for film Optimus, die-cast frame, the big-ticket line.
• FigZero: 1/6 scale, about 30cm, usually fabric costumes.
• Robo-Dou: die-cast anime mecha, including Evangelion.
• Its Transformers are made under licence from Hasbro and don't transform.

The full range is in our threezero collection. For more robots, browse Transformers, and for the wider world of poseable figures, try action figures.

Final thought: buy threezero for the robot mode, not the transformation. Start with an MDLX, and if you're hooked, the DLX shelf will be waiting.

Further reading: our JoyToy Warhammer figures guide, and the Hasbro collectibles guide.