Best Anime Figures to Start Collecting (One Piece, Naruto, Dragon Ball)
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Walk into anime figure collecting cold and it is honestly overwhelming. Hundreds of characters. A dozen brands. Prices that run from pocket money to a month's rent. So here is a no-waffle guide to the best anime figures to start collecting, built around the three series most UK collectors actually begin with: One Piece, Naruto and Dragon Ball.
TL;DR: starting an anime figure collection
- Pick one character you love before you worry about filling a shelf.
- Funko Pop vinyls (around £13.99) are the easiest, cheapest way in.
- Banpresto and Bandai Ichibansho prize figures give you proper sculpts from about £12.99 to £35.
- Blind boxes from £4.99 are a low-risk way to test the hobby.
- One Piece, Naruto and Dragon Ball have the deepest, most affordable ranges in the UK right now.
This guide is for new collectors and gift buyers who want real figures, real prices and zero jargon. We ship anime figures across the UK every day, so every pick below is something we actually stock, with its current price and the brand worth knowing. Here is where we would start.
How to choose the best anime figures to start collecting
Three things decide whether your first figure is a keeper: the type, the brand and the size. Nail those and you will not waste money on something that ends up back in its box.
The main figure types
Funko Pop vinyls are the stylised big-head figures you have seen everywhere. They stand around 9 to 10 cm, cost about £13.99, and cover nearly every character going. Not everyone loves the look. They are still the simplest possible start.
Prize figures are the sweet spot. Banpresto and Ichibansho, both Bandai Spirits brands, make detailed PVC and ABS sculpts that began life as Japanese arcade and Ichiban Kuji lottery prizes. A proper pose, sharp paint, £12.99 to £35. Pound for pound, nothing else comes close.
Blind boxes and trading figures are small, cheap and a gamble. You do not know which character is inside until you open it. From £4.99, they are a fun way to find out whether the hobby clicks for you.
Premium scale figures such as S.H. Figuarts or 1/6 statues are stunning and expensive. Save those for later. Day one, you do not need a £150 centrepiece.
A quick comparison
| Figure type | Brands you'll see | Typical height | UK price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funko Pop vinyl | Funko | 9-10 cm | ~£13.99 | Cheapest easy entry, huge character range |
| Prize / amusement figure | Banpresto, Ichibansho | 11-20 cm | £12.99-£35 | Proper sculpts on a budget |
| Blind box / mini | Mystery Minis, trading figures | 3-9 cm | from £4.99 | Low-risk first buy, surprise factor |
| Premium scale figure | S.H. Figuarts, Iron Studios | 14-30 cm | £30-£200+ | Later, once you know your taste |
Set a starter budget
Here is a real-world example. For about £50 you could grab the Rock Lee Funko Pop (£13.99), a One Piece Grandline DXF figurine (£12.99) and a Goku Funko Pop (£13.99), and still have change for a blind box. Three franchises, three figures, one shelf started. That is how a lot of our regulars began.
Best One Piece figures to start with
One Piece is the biggest anime on the planet right now, and our One Piece range runs past a thousand products, so it is a natural place to begin.
For your hero piece, the King of Artist Monkey D. Luffy Gear 5 II figure by Banpresto (£34.99) is tough to beat. Gear 5 is Luffy's awakened, rubber-hose form from the Wano and Egghead arcs, and the King of Artist line captures that loose, cartoonish energy brilliantly. It is one of the One Piece pieces people ask us about most.
Want the look for less? The Banpresto Grandline Series DXF figurine (£12.99) gives you a clean, display-ready sculpt for the price of a takeaway. And to simply dip a toe in, One Piece Mystery Minis blind boxes start at £6.99 a box.
Browse the full One Piece collection to find your favourite Straw Hat.
Best Naruto figures to start with
Naruto and Naruto Shippuden are comfort-watch territory for a whole generation, and the figure range reflects it.
The Banpresto Vibration Stars Naruto Uzumaki PVC figure (£24.99) is the obvious centrepiece: the title character, mid-action, at a fair price. Prefer the vinyl style? The Rock Lee Funko Pop (£13.99) makes a brilliant, slightly off-beat first Pop. Watching the pennies? The Naruto Collectible Figures blind box at £4.99 is about as low-risk as collecting gets.
Dig through the Naruto collection for the rest of Team 7 and the Akatsuki.
Best Dragon Ball figures to start with
Dragon Ball is where a lot of us came in as kids, and it has the most generous figure range of the three.
Our pick for a first proper figure is the Ichibansho Super Saiyan God Gogeta (£24.99), a 16 cm Bandai sculpt finished with the Masterlise paintwork Ichibansho is known for. For an iconic, easy entry, the Goku Funko Pop (£13.99) is the one to grab. And if you want to feel what a prize figure is like in the hand, the Banpresto Solid Edge Works Captain Ginyu (£28.99) is a deep-cut favourite we keep in proper numbers.
Power up your shelf from the Dragon Ball Z collection.
Common beginner mistakes to avoid
- Buying bootlegs. If a "Banpresto" figure costs half the going rate on a random marketplace, it is fake. Blurry boxes and gloopy paint are the giveaways.
- Going too big, too soon. Honest take: skip the £200 scale statue at the start. Buy two or three figures in the £15 to £35 range, learn what you like, then invest.
- Forgetting where it will live. Measure the shelf first. Sunlight yellows PVC over months, so keep figures out of direct light.
- Chasing grails on the aftermarket. New collectors often overpay for "rare" pieces. Most characters get re-released eventually. Patience saves you a fortune.
Keeping your figures looking new
Dust is the real enemy. A soft makeup brush clears it in seconds. Keep figures away from windows and radiators, since heat and UV are what warp and fade PVC over time. Boxes are optional: some collectors keep them for resale value, others bin them for a cleaner display. No wrong answer there.
FAQ
Q: Are Funko Pops good figures to start with?
Yes, if you like the style. They are cheap at around £13.99, cover almost every character, and need no prior knowledge to buy. Loads of collectors start with Pops and graduate to prize figures later.
Q: How much should I spend on my first anime figure?
Anywhere from £5 to £35 is plenty. A blind box or Funko Pop tests the water, while a Banpresto or Ichibansho prize figure around £25 gives you something you will be proud to display.
Q: What is the difference between Banpresto and Ichibansho?
Both are Bandai Spirits prize-figure brands. Banpresto spans a wide range of amusement-prize figures, while Ichibansho figures are the worldwide versions of Japan's Ichiban Kuji lottery prizes, usually a little larger with sharper paintwork.
Q: Are blind boxes worth it for beginners?
For most people, yes. From £4.99 you get the fun of the reveal without much risk. The catch is you cannot choose the character, so they suit fans of a whole series rather than one favourite.
Q: How do I know a figure is official?
Buy from a UK retailer that names the brand (Banpresto, Bandai, Funko) and shows real photos. Genuine boxes have clean printing, barcodes and licensing logos. If the price looks too good to be true, it usually is.
Ready to start your collection?
Start small, buy what you love, and let the shelf grow from there. Once One Piece, Naruto and Dragon Ball have their hooks in you, series like Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, My Hero Academia and Chainsaw Man are waiting in the wings. For more ideas, see our guide to the best gifts for anime fans in the UK.
Shop the One Piece collection and pick your first figure today.