Top 9 Patriotic Toys for the Fourth of July

One of the first videos I did on my Big Anklevich on Toys YouTube channel was about my toy-related Christmas decorations.

I was a little sad that I had started my toy channel after Halloween had passed, because it would have been really cool to have done a video about my toy-related Halloween decorations too. I just had to bide my time, though. Halloween would come again, and when it did, I did my Halloween video.

Just after the Fourth of July passed last year, I started thinking of how cool it would have been to do a toy video on my channel about my Independence Day decorations. I even thought I could take it further and do a best patriotic toys list as well. List shows always rock it, right? Everybody loves lists. As long as you include a number in your title, then people are helpless not to click. At least, that's what I've heard.

Then, I decided that my toy channel would not be able to grow because of the new rules YouTube was going to implement as a result of their malfeasance with COPPA, so I gave up on that particular endeavor.

By the time I did that, however, I already had most of the toys that I was going to use in my top patriotic toys list show. What to do? Well, I couldn't abandon it completely, so here we are, I'm doing the list for you right now. Then, later, I'll do a post about my Fourth of July decorations. The video would have been better, but oh well, that ship has sailed. As someone--probably Aristotle or St. Thomas Aquinas--once said, "It is what it is."

Number 9 - Citizen V

Citizen V is not really a very patriotic character, at least this particular version, anyway. This version is Helmut Zemo. He is a fraud. He is a bad guy masquerading as a good guy to hide his own evil deeds. Some might say that makes him pretty darn American, and yeah, I suppose there are a fair number of folks who pull that here, but they do it everywhere. It's nothing we invented.

There were other, legitimate Citizen V's (how the heck to you pluralize V? There's no good way). This is the only one that they've done a figure of, however. He looks pretty darn patriotic, though, and to make number nine on the list, that's really all it takes. I added the mini-American flag to his hand as well. He actually comes with a sword, but the flag really adds if you ask me, so I ditched the sword.

Number 8 - Fireworks Team Leader

This is a Fortnite figure. I don't play Fortnite, but I kind of like a lot of their designs. They have dozens of skins for their different characters that often go with particular holidays, and this is one of them.

One of the first figures that McFarlane Toys released of Fortnite was the Cuddle Team Leader. It was this same figure with a more Care Bear feel to it...or anti-Care Bear feel. Then, a little while later, they released a repaint of the figure in this red-white-and-blue getup. I thought it would go perfect side-by-side with a few other figures that I might be able to get my hands on. One of which will make this list in a much better position on the chart.

Number 7 - Wonder Woman

Specifically, I'm talking the DC Multiverse Linda Carter Wonder Woman figure. Wonder Woman is a weird case. She wears a super patriotic American costume with the blue field filled with white stars from the corner of the American flag as her underwear, yet she hasn't been overwhelmingly put forward as a patriotic character for the last while at least. She is always emphasized as an Amazonian, an Amazon Warrior.

Is she patriotic? I don't know. Maybe I don't know the character well enough. Rish Outfield, who knows comics way better than I do, is probably pulling his hair out right now and screaming that I'm a clueless idiot, but I don't feel like she's particularly patriotic. However, this particular figure comes with the cape that Linda Carter wore a time or two in the seventies.

It's so over-the-top that it doesn't matter how patriotic American or hardcore Amazonian she might be, she makes the list with that.

Number 6 - Iron Patriot

Marvel Legends came out with this version of the character last year. It's the Avengers: Endgame version of Iron Patriot. Rhodey went out to fight Thanos with Rocket Raccoon on his shoulder in this particular suit, and the figure is the coolest one of the Iron Patriot that they've ever done. I absolutely love it, mostly because of the heavy weaponry sticking off of it from all sides.

I do find the Iron Patriot to be particularly patriotic and the perfect thing to put on the shelves for the Fourth of July. I have this guy on another shelf:

He's not amazing, but I plan on trying to spruce up his paint job like I did with these figures on my old toy videos:

In fact, I have two other Titan Heroes figures of the Iron Patriot that are in this stage of the repaint process:

I wish I hadn't been a slacker, and I already had these done, because they would really make my shelves look better if they were done.

Number 5 - BioShock Infinite Heavy Hitter George Washington Motorized Patriot

This is another video game character from a game that I also have never played. However, this figure is so friggin' cool. I believe in the video game there is an alternate universe version of the USA, and then there is some sort of apocalypse. This figure is a George Washington robot from a Disneyland Hall of Presidents-style place that is now running amok with a big ass gun. I love it. So fun. There is also a Ben Franklin version of this figure, and I swear I will be getting a hold of it by next Fourth of July.

Number 4 - Stargirl and S.T.R.I.P.E.

This is a set of characters from the DC universe, and I was almost completely unaware of them until this year. Rish Outfield told me about them, and I looked them up and learned all about their history. Then I set about acquiring the figures.

Now the characters are hitting the bigtime. I haven't seen it yet, but I guess they now have a TV show on the CW that is set in the Arrow-verse along with Arrow, The Flash, and all the others.

Number 3 - Uncle Sam

Another DC universe character. It's fuggin' Uncle Sam. I find this crazy, and kind of lazy. DC just took Uncle Sam, and turned him into a superhero. I guess the guy becomes more powerful the more patriotic the citizens of America become and stuff. It's not an idea that I think is particularly good, I'll admit, and I think most people agree with me, because the character isn't particularly popular, but I don't really care, because it made it possible for me to buy an absolutely awesome Uncle Sam figure. This guy is great.

I posed him next to the Fireworks Team Leader, gave him a grenade launcher to hold, and I'm putting together my own team of American heroes. I took a different Fortnite figure and started painting it in USA colors. It's not done, but here's a shot of it so far.

Number 2 - Captain America

There is, of course, no way that Captain America wouldn't be on this list. I had to put him on here because of the sheer number of Captain America figures on my Fourth of July shelves. The one I chose as my representative was the Hasbro Marvel Legends Icons version. This is a twelve inch figure, and it is very nicely detailed and painted. I really like it.

I don't suppose I need to bother to explain why Captain America got such a high position on this countdown, but I will show you the other Captains on my shelves as part of my decorations:

Yes, Captain America is my favorite of The Avengers. I also like Superman better than Batman. Sue me.

Number 1 - Eagalus

I'm sure when you saw that Uncle Sam was number three and Captain America was only number two on the list, you were thinking, "Who could possibly be more patriotic than Uncle Sam and Captain America. Well, behold:

This is the Mythic Legions Eagalus figure. It's a friggin' bald eagle man with red white and blue striped wings. I'm not sure if there is any possibility that anything could be more patriotic than this figure. It's kind of like everything all rolled into one ball, baked at 350 for ten minutes and served warm and gooey. I had to have it when I saw that it was available during their in-stock sale a while back, so I jumped on it. Sadly, no opportunity to make a video for it, but the blog post will have to do.

Hope you all enjoyed it. Be back soon with an overall look at the decorations on the shelves.