MOTU Origins Castle Grayskull (2026 Vintage Edition)

 My initial disregard of this repaint of Castle Grayskull was soon reversed to must-have status for what reason I've yet to grasp, other than to relive the thrill of buying this wonderful playset. The steep 42% price hike from the original seemed like a cash grab, but it had dropped from its initial $124.00. Complaints aside, I loved this playset so much that I wanted another. The Mattel Origins Castle Grayskull is a direct line from the present to my childhood and all my adventures with my Masters of the Universe figures, playsets, and vehicles. I've said before, MOTU Origins has been my favorite toy line since 2020. 

The Stygian Moat mat included completely dominates my modest photo booth, but I like it well enough. Initial feedback from the community likened it to a cheap tablecloth, but it displays nicely one it all flattened out and in position. The printing isn't that crisp, but the fabric is actually okay.

In person, the playset exterior seems much lighter than my photos turned out. There are a few small, circular indents on the mold that I didn't remember on the first Origins Castle Grayskull, but they were indeed there when I checked. Overall, I am loving this color treatment- it will be fun having a different background to showcase MOTU Origins figures in future posts.

This playset included a figure like the first Origins Castle Grayskull, this time the mysterious Space Suit figure. His colors go well with the castle interior, where this uncanny figure has stood guard since the first Castle Grayskull in '82.

It appears the forearms and legs differ on this newer Space Suit figure, shown below,

 side by side with the one included with the Mysteries of Castle Grayskull Accessory Pack...

2026 Vintage Castle Grayskull next to the 2021 MOTU Origins Castle Grayskull...

Below, Mattel 80th Anniversary Power Punch He-Man, the Eternian Goddess, Sketchbook Series Sy-Klone, and the mysterious Space Suit figure defend Castle Grayskull from Mattel 80th Anniversary Power Punch Skeletor and his Lords of Power Beast Man and Mer-Man ...!

And just for fun, my recent acquisition, the 1982 Battle Ram, loaded by Wave 7 Mini Comic Stratos for the enigmatic astronaut! Can you imagine the battles they'd fight to defend that legendary Fortress of Mystery and Power?? I'm going to have fun using this new Vintage Castle Grayskull!

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MOTU Origins Mysteries of Castle Grayskull Deluxe Accessories Pack

I was lucky to have snagged this Power-Con Exclusive MOTU Origins Mysteries of Castle Grayskull accessories pack from a Mattel Creations second chance sale back in September. It would have been nice to get some of the other MOTU Origins items in that sale, but things sold out fast. This was the item I wanted most, but the exclusives frustrate most of us. At $30.00, it's an acceptable value, but paying over twice that may be ill-advised. Regardless, the embossed trap door box looks fantastic, and collector friendly- the items can be pushed back into the plastic tray for display.

 

I think the main attraction for collectors was the Ancient Cosmic Armor. Mattel's MOTU Classics Castle Grayskull included a static figure of this, but this may be the first articulated representation? At any rate, this figure certainly calls back to the cardboard cutout from Mattel's 1982 Castle Grayskull...

True to the parts interchangeability of MOTU Origins, the neck peg will accommodate other figures in the line, making this an extra fun/nostalgic accessory for the new Castle Grayskull. ...

The Orlax of Primera and Dwell of Souls base can slot onto the Origins Castle Grayskull floor, giving the dungeon sticker a more 3-dimensional aspect. Truth be told, you will get more functionality out from under the castle's second floor. The bendy wire will hold a figure, if somewhat loosely...

Like the Wind Raider and Battlefield Warriors He-Man/Battle Cat set, the Orlax/Dwell of Souls base gives us more diorama options for Castle Graykull. I love the expansion of this playset through vehicles and accessories, and almost have to expect a Point Dread/Talon Fighter set now, right ...?

The watery details of the Spirit of Grayskull accessory were somewhat lost in the mold's color mix, unfortunately- a clearer translucent blue or perhaps smoke would have come off better in my opinion, but I don't believe it's too small, as some have complained- it's a good fit in the shorter left turret, pegging onto the floor where the canon normally sits.

While I enjoyed official Mattel accessories to my Origins Castle Grayskull, a casual glance at any big box retailer's toy aisles would reveal an assortment of sci-fi and/or fantasy toys to complement these MOTU toys. We mixed our toys a lot in the '80s, and I think MOTU has a lot of that inherent play compatibility. I have used a couple small Imaginext Jurassic World raptors in the backgrounds of several photos, and more recently picked up a small dragon with a hinged jaw out of the bin toys end cap at Target....

MOTU Origins has been my favorite action figure line of the las t two years, unexpectedly tapping into my nostalgia for He-Man and the Masters of the Universe that I loved back in 1982! The figures interchangeable parts, vehicles with flight stands, and Castle Grayskull playset have made this so much fun. Mattel's MOTU team claim there is lots more to come, and I'm excited to see what they'll drop next!

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MOTU Origins Castle Grayskull (2021)

My October 2020 preorder of the MOTU Origins Castle Grayskull finally arrived this past weekend after a month-long delay, and it was worth the wait. This is the crown jewel of the Origins line, and wonderful reboot of the 1982 fortress of mystery and power that captured my imagination as a child! Check out the video:

It's almost unbelievable to have this show up on my doorstep 39 years later, and while there have been a few cosmetic changes, the Origins Castle Grayskull hits all the same notes as the 1982 original. The Origins Series packaging art has been fantastic, on full display with this huge 26 x 18 x 6" box, which has a fantastic cross-sell scene on the verso.

Gone from the interior are the old carboard inserts, replaced by tougher plastic computer modules, while a lot of the other features remain similar to the original playset- the elevator and trapdoor/throne are virtually the same. There is some added sculptural detail in the castle floors, and a little more room at the third level. The stickers are certainly in the spirit of the original, at first glance nearly identical. I'd have preferred more weapons for the armory rack as opposed to the additional, smaller rack included, but am hoping for an accessory pack will be offered later.

Not to be undervalued is the special edition Temple of Darkness Sorceress included with this playset- I'm certain we will be offered a colored single-carded version of the Sorceress in the future, but this adds a lot of value to an already great package. It's also nice having another female in the MOTU Origins lineup.

A lot of collectors are showing side-by-side comparisons of the new Grayskull with the original 1982 version, but I only have the Funko Primal Age Batcave to measure it against. I got a great deal on this MOTU-inspired playset last year, in anticipation of the forthcoming MOTU Origins Castle Grayskull- while enamored with the new Grayskull, no love was lost on this fantastic playset. Any MOTU fan would enjoy having this Batcave, which makes a great lair for Skeletor and his evil minions, in lieu of Snake Mountain.

See the 1982 Castle Grayskull and more of the original He-Man and 

the Masters of the Universe line at the Battle Ram Blog!

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MOTU Origins Castle Grayskull Revealed

As expected, Mattel announced the forthcoming Castle Grayskull playset for it's new Masters of the Universe Origins line, preorders for which sold out this weekend on Walmart.com. I was a little slow to catch onto this new retro line of MOTU, but was hooked after finding He-Man, Skeletor, & Battle Cat last month, soon thereafter finding Man-at-Arms and Beastman. I swooped in and picked mine up for $74.95 before I lost the chance, burned in the past by quick sellouts of other Origins toys listed. The cost is a little more than the $20.00 retail price of the original in '82, but that was almost 40 years ago, hard to believe as that is. Mattel has assured us that 2021 will see the end of Walmart's exclusivity with the line, which will be celebrated by many an MOTU fan disappointed by the first wave of Origins spotty distribution.

This new MOTU Origins Castle Grayskull is so faithful to my childhood playset that it was too much to resist! The throne-operated trapdoor, elevator, and weapons rack are so similar to the '82 Grayskull that it seems identical at first glance, but there are some upgrades to this new playset, including additional paint on the exterior, featuring an all new sculpt. An added value to this playset is a Sorceress figure- here, in her all-white deco, telling me we will get a single-carded Filmation version in blue and orange. The box art is fantastic, very much in the spirit of '82, and check out the giant cross-sell photo on the other side of the box featuring a large portion of the line that has already been announced...  

This has all been too much excitement for me to bear, having lived the excitement of Masters of the Universe's debut in '82! While the Filmation show was a classic, the initial MOTU drop had an air of mystery I'll never forget- the first mini-comics and our imaginations were all we had to go by, and I remember the thrill of discovering them. Read more about the genesis of this long loved line at the Battle Ram Blog!

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