Authentication
With the prices of Premium Beasts at an all-time high, the risks have never been greater for hardcore collectors. Once a niche corner of the hobby, premium collecting has now evolved into a serious investment space, and unfortunately, where there’s value, there are counterfeits. As demand continues to rise, so does the sophistication of the fakes, and some of these spurious beasts can be surprisingly convincing at first glance. The good news? Counterfeits can be easily spotted with a keen eye and a small amount of education.
Authentic Premium Beasts have tells — subtle details in paint application, plastic tone, mold sharpness, overall “feel”, and even smell — that separate them from modern reproductions and/or counterfeits. To the untrained eye, the differences may seem minor; but to a dedicated collector who knows what to look for, they’re unmistakable.
This section of the site is designed to help collectors confidently tell the difference between authentic Premium Beasts and cheap counterfeits. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or just entering the realm of Beastformers Premiums, the goal here is simple: authentication through education. We’ll break down the nuances, compare real examples to known fakes, and highlight the small but critical details that protect both you and your investment. In a market like this, knowledge isn’t just power — it’s protection!
Stone Cobra Authentication
As its name suggests, the Stone Cobra looks like it's made from—well—stone! Sure, we have to use our imaginations a bit, but the beautiful marbling effect applied to the figure's gray base plastic really sets the stage for a petrified version of our beloved King Cobra! Through a process called hydro-dipping, figures were lowered into a liquid bath and coated with a floating film of paint upon re-emergence. This technique creates a truly unique effect, resulting in one-of-a-kind figures. Just like stones that occur in nature, no two Stone Cobras are alike. With this brief description in mind, we're able to contrast legitimate Stone Cobras with cheap counterfeits and understand how the following five characteristics are not so easily reproduced. Please note that the counterfeit figure used in this section represents the most commonly encountered fake on the market. If you've been hosed by a fake, chances are it came from the same source as this figure. Still, that doesn't mean that there aren't other threats lurking in the shadows of Japanese proxy sites!
Hydro-Dipped Marbling:
Perhaps the most difficult feature to fake is the hydro-dipped marbling. Genuine figures feature black markings that lack any sense of uniformity or clear margins; they can appear bold in some areas and taper off into thin, wispy strokes. In contrast, many counterfeit figures have bolder, more uniform stripes with clearly defined margins. In essence, a counterfeit figure tends to appear more uniformly "striped", whereas an authentic figure appears more randomly "marbled."
Genuine Figure
Courtesy of Chrom0zone
Counterfeit Figure
Clearly-Defined Mold Marks:
Every authentic Stone Cobra has a specific set of circular mold markings that help establish its legitimacy. These small, round imprints are part of the original molding process and are present on all standard production King Cobras. In total, there are eight mold marks on each authentic figure: one on the back of the head (A), one on the back armor (B), two on the back of each thigh (C/D), two on the front of the wrist armor (E/F), and two on the front of each claw (G/H). These markings can be very subtle, but once you’ve seen them a few times, they become easy to recognize. Counterfeit Stone Cobras, on the other hand, are missing these markings entirely. That absence is one of the simplest and most reliable ways to separate an authentic figure from a fake.
H
A
B
C
D
E
F
Counterfeit Figure
(missing mold marks)
G
Glossy, Not Glittery:
Authentic Stone Cobras are finished with a glossy clear-coat layer, giving them a clean, shiny appearance. Moreover, this application gives authentic figures a "tacky" feel that is uniformly smooth across their surfaces. The only areas that do not exhibit this clear-coating are the soles of the feet—but we'll take a closer look at them shortly!
Unlike the smooth, glossy finish of an authentic Stone Cobra, a common feature among counterfeits is a rougher, glittery finish. This is perhaps the oddest feature among fakes, as authentic figures aren't glittery in the slightest. One explanation for this may be that the fraudsters attempted to mimic the glossy effect of authentic figures by applying a metallic tone, in an attempt to recreate a shiny effect. Regardless of explanation, if your figure looks glittery, it's likely fraudulent!
Beware, the B Mold:
One seemingly consistent hallmark of many fake Stone Cobras is the B mold stamp. Now this doesn't mean that all B mold Stone Cobras are fraudulent; rather, it simply implies that a majority of the fake Stone Cobras on the market are stamped as such. For a better understanding of mold stamps and maker's marks, check out the Beast Anatomy section of the website!
It is important to note that Stone Cobras were produced from A, B, and C molds, and although one may perceive a disproportionality among these three options, there is no evidence to suggest that one mold stamp is any rarer than another. That said, I feel as though seventy-five percent of the Stone Cobras I have encountered have been C mold figures, with the remaining twenty-five percent coming from A or B molds. My advice here is simple: don't assume a Stone Cobra is bogus just because it's a B mold; rather, view all B mold figures with an extra dash of scrutiny.
(A mold figure)
(B mold figure)
(C mold figure)
Soles of Feet Should be Clean:
Perhaps the most reliable method for verifying an authentic Stone Cobra is the "foot test." This may sound strange at first, but obsessing over your figure's feet can actually be quite advantageous! Hear me out...
Every authentic Stone Cobra (regardless of mold stamp) should have clean soles that are free of any marbling or clear coat. The figure's marker's mark and mold stamp/identification number should be clearly visible, and the peg socket should be clean and unclogged. In contrast, counterfeit figures will often have excess paint stuck to the bottoms of their feet and may even have peg sockets that are occluded with leftover paint or clear coat.
Genuine Figure
(clean feet)
Counterfeit Figure
(feet with markings)
Conclusion:
Considering this figure is a Japanese exclusive, you'll likely see more of them popping up on Japanese proxy sites than on eBay. With that said, a vast majority of the counterfeits I've seen originate from these proxy sites, so if a listing looks too good to be true, it very well may be! My advice is to buy your Stone Cobra from a trusted source with an established reputation in the Beastformers community. If you have your eye on a Stone Cobra and it satisfies the aforementioned criteria, you're probably in good shape. If, however, it falls short in any way, trust your gut and move on!
Genuine Stone Cobra
Striped Carp Authentication
Perhaps the most coveted figure in the entire Beastformers lineup is the Black Marble Crystal Killer Fish (クリスタルキラーフィッシュ 黒マーブル), more commonly known as the "Striped Clear Carp". This extremely rare figure was only obtainable through the Beastformers punch box, and was one of the "lucky pull" items.
Unlike the Stone Cobra, you won't find many counterfeit Striped Carps in the wild; still, they DO exist, and with the prices of this premium beast at an all-time high, it could be a matter of time until we see a surge in their production. In order to stay one step ahead of the opportunists, I've put together a list of attributes that are unique to this incredible carp! Familiarize yourself with them, and you can purchase with confidence, should the rare opportunity to add this beast to your collection arise!
Hydro-Dipped Marbling:
Just like the Stone Cobra, the Striped Clear Carp is a hydro-dipped figure. Essentially what this means is that Takara took a standard Crystal Killer Fish and submerged it into a liquid bath with a layer of black paint on the surface. When each figure was removed from the bath, the black "marbling" would be applied to the figure in a random pattern. Due to the chaotic nature of their design, no two clear carps are alike, and it is completely normal to encounter figures that have varying degrees of marbling. Just remember, authentic Striped Clear Carps are dipped, never painted!
Striped Battle Emblem:
Because a Striped Clear Carp is just an ordinary Clear Carp dipped in black paint, it has all the components of this underlaying figure—even its original Battle Emblem. It's like two premiums for the price of one, right? In all seriousness, this results in one of the strangest hallmarks of this figure—its striped Battle Emblem!
Although difficult to observe under poorly-lit environments, you can see how the marbling applied to this figure made its way onto the battle emblem, itself. Moreover, if you get the angle just right, you can actually see how the striping on the figure's chest carries over to battle emblem in an uninterrupted pattern!
Additionally, Striped Clear Carp's have "textured" Battle Emblems. What this means is that the surface of the Battle Emblem has a matte finish, as opposed to the reflective, glossy finish of standard figures. This texture can not only be seen, it can be felt by gently rubbing the surface of the battle emblem. Did the emblem active when rubbed? If not, you've revealed another common feature of the Striped Clear Carp—battle emblems that refuse to activate. Although finicky emblems are common with this figure, that doesn't mean that there aren't figures out there with functional emblems.
Striped Clear Carp
(textured emblem)
Standard Clear Carp
(smooth emblem)
(marbled wood emblem)
Conclusion:
With its astronomically steep price tag, anyone in the market for this legendary figure will want to buy with confidence. Although counterfeits are rare, genuine examples are just as scarce, so prospective buyers may have a difficult time getting their hands on one for reference. My advice is to purchase from a reputable collector within the Beastformers community and ask for provenance. Also, it is important to note that just because a figure doesn't have a marbled Battle Emblem doesn't necessarily mean it's fake; oftentimes these emblems fall off with age, and someone may have performed an "emblem transplant" at some point in the figure's life.
Genuine Black Marble Crystal Killer Fish
Burstsun White Leo Authentication
The Burstsun White Leo (バーストサンホワイトレオ) was introduced exclusively in Japan in 1988 through Takara's Burstsun Special Set (バーストサンスペシャルセット) This marked the first time we saw an expansion to the fire, wood, and water motif of the Beastformers brand. This new Burstsun symbol would act as a wild card, dominating the aforementioned elemental symbols in the "rock-paper-scissors" battle mechanic.
The only aspect that separates a Burstsun White Leo from a garden variety White Leo is the Burstsun Battle Emblem. That's pretty wild when you consider the value that this tiny sticker adds to the figure as a whole! Still, this White Leo variant sits atop the pantheon with the other premiums, and commands hefty prices on the secondary market. Here are some helpful tips when shopping for an authentic example!
Black Hole Sun, Don't You Come:
If a battle emblem reveals a sun when it's at rest, it is completely bogus. Like all other battle emblems, the Burstsun element can only be seen when heat is applied. Several versions of "reproduction" emblems exist on the secondary market and some exhibit a raised, almost "embossed" texture that reveals the sun when the figure is viewed from a particular angle. Moreover, if you rub one of these reproduction emblems, you can actually feel this raised texture. It is important to note that not all counterfeits or reproductions exhibit this raised texture, so don't assume a Burstsun White Leo is authentic just because it doesn't have this hallmark.
Genuine Figure
Reproduction Figure
Additional Emblem Irregularities:
In addition to the raised texture of the Burstsun element, a reproduction emblem may feature a sun with bolder, thicker lines than an authentic Burstsun emblem. Additionally, if you look closely, you may notice uneven margins on the sticker, itself. The reproduction emblem on the figure to the right has white margins. This is a hallmark that I've seen on multiple reproduction Burstsun emblems, and would never be present on a genuine emblem.
Genuine Emblem
Reproduction Emblem
(bold lines and white margins)
Conclusion:
While this figure tends to walk the line between a sneaky counterfeit and a faithful reproduction, it is incumbent upon the seller or maker to label their figures honestly and clearly. If prospective buyers are simply looking for an inexpensive alternative to an authentic Burstsun White Leo, I don’t see a fundamental issue with purchasing a figure that has a reproduction battle emblem — as long as they understand exactly what they’re getting. However, problems arise when a reproduction emblem does not exhibit any of the aforementioned hallmarks of an inauthentic battle emblem. Because a Burstsun White Leo does not display any differently from a standard White Leo, there is little practical benefit for a collector to add a reproduction example to their collection. Moreover, considering that these reproduction emblems can be used to deceive collectors in the wrong hands, I believe they are ultimately a net negative for the community as a whole.