What Is Banpresto DXF? Japan's "Define X Figure" Line

What Is Banpresto DXF? Japan's "Define X Figure" Line

What Does DXF Stand For? (Not What Most Listings Say)

A Banpresto DXF figure is a prize figure originally built to be won in Japanese crane game ("UFO catcher") machines, under the DXF sub-brand. Most retailer listings and fan wikis translate DXF as "Deluxe Figure." Banpresto's own brand page for the line, bsp-prize.jp, names it "Define X Figure" instead, built around a stated concept of capturing the "individuality" of each character the line sculpts.

That one-letter difference in meaning is not pedantry. "Deluxe" implies a premium tier above Banpresto's other prize lines, which is not accurate once you put a DXF figure next to the company's larger Grandista statues (more on that below). "Define X" fits what the line actually does: it is a mid-size, pose-driven showcase for a character's silhouette, not a scale-accuracy or sheer-size flex.

Banpresto Navi — DXF brand page (official)
Image: バンプレストナビサイト

Where DXF Figures Come From: Japan's Crane Game Arcades

DXF figures were designed as amusement prizes, distributed through crane machines placed in Japanese arcades and game centers rather than sold over the counter at a fixed retail price. That is why original-run DXF figures rarely have a manufacturer's suggested retail price printed anywhere — they were won, not bought, before resellers brought them to secondary markets in and outside Japan.

Banpresto the Brand Outlived Banpresto the Company

Banpresto, as a legal company, no longer exists. Founded in 1977 as Toyoei Sangyo and absorbed as a Bandai subsidiary in 1989, Banpresto Co., Ltd. was formally dissolved on April 1, 2019, when it merged into Bandai Spirits (per the company's Japanese-language history). "Banpresto" survives today purely as Bandai Spirits' prize-figure brand name — the DXF, Grandista, and World Collectable Figure lines are all produced and sold under a brand with no operating company behind it anymore.

Bandai Spirits — DXF ~THE GRANDLINE SERIES~ EXTRA KING product page
Image: ワンピース DXF～THE GRANDLINE SERIES～EXTRA KING

The Grandline Series: One Piece's Flagship DXF Line

One Piece is where DXF has the deepest catalog. The sub-line is officially branded "DXF ~THE GRANDLINE SERIES~," and Bandai Spirits' own product pages (example: DXF ~THE GRANDLINE SERIES~ EXTRA KING, released June 20, 2023) still carry that full name rather than a shortened one. Collectors usually split it into two running casts: The Grandline Men for the male crew and antagonists, and The Grandline Lady for the female cast, with Nami holding Vol. 1 of that side of the line.

If you are building a One Piece shelf and want figures that are actually in stock, Akibato ships Grandline Series DXF and other One Piece figures from Japan — worth checking before you commit to a specific volume.

DXF ~THE GRANDLINE SERIES~ SPECIAL: The 2025 Size Upgrade

On July 8, 2025, Bandai Spirits launched "DXF ~THE GRANDLINE SERIES~ SPECIAL," a new sub-line built specifically to be bigger than the standard run. Official coverage on one-piece.com measures the size jump against the Egghead-arc Monkey D. Luffy figure (about 16cm) — the SPECIAL version of Luffy runs about 19cm, a size increase the announcement lists at up to 118% versus the prior figure. That is the first time Bandai Spirits has formally split the Grandline Series into a standard height tier and a taller premium tier.

How Big Is a DXF Figure, Really?

There is no single official height for "a DXF figure" — it varies by license and by sub-line release. What official sources confirm: the long-running One Piece standard sits around 16cm (6.3in), and the new SPECIAL tier runs around 19cm (7.5in). Other licenses using the DXF name, like Super Dragon Ball Heroes figures, have shipped closer to 18cm. Treat any "DXF is always 15cm" claim as a rough rule of thumb, not a spec.

Line Typical height How you get one
DXF (standard) approx. 15–17cm / 6–6.7in Arcade crane prize, later resold
DXF ~GRANDLINE SERIES~ SPECIAL approx. 19cm / 7.5in Arcade crane prize, launched 2025
Grandista approx. 28cm / 11in Direct retail release

DXF vs Grandista: Which Line Should You Collect?

Banpresto runs several overlapping prize-figure lines, and DXF and Grandista are the two collectors confuse most. Grandista is the larger, retail-released line — a size comparison from Doki Doki Land's Grandista guide puts Grandista figures around 28cm, noticeably bigger than DXF's roughly 15–19cm range. Grandista also skips the crane-machine step entirely, so pricing tends to be more predictable than DXF's win-it-or-buy-it-secondhand model.

  • Pick DXF if you want a full cast lineup (The Grandline Men/Lady runs dozens of volumes) without running out of shelf space.
  • Pick Grandista if you want one or two centerpiece statues per character rather than a crew.
  • If you already collect Ichiban Kuji Masterlise prizes (commonly around 24cm), note that DXF runs smaller and Grandista runs larger than that middle tier.

How to Tell a Genuine DXF Figure From a Bootleg

Because original DXF figures were never sold at a fixed retail price, counterfeiters have an easier time undercutting the "normal" price than they would with a boxed retail line. A detailed authenticity breakdown from Japan Sama lays out what to check before buying secondhand:

  • The box — a genuine box carries a clean Banpresto/Bandai Spirits logo, an official license sticker, and Japanese-language text. Blurry printing, missing stickers, or spelling errors are bootleg tells.
  • The paint — authentic figures have clean gradients and precise eyes; bootlegs show flat colors, paint overflow outside the lines, or a blank expression.
  • Weight — genuine figures are dense PVC and feel solid in hand; counterfeits are often noticeably lighter, hollow-feeling plastic.
  • The base — nearly every official DXF figure ships with a stable, fitted base. A figure sold without one, or with a wobbly generic stand, is a warning sign.
  • Price — a DXF figure priced far below typical secondary-market listings for that character is the fastest red flag of all.

Buying DXF Figures Outside Japan

Since DXF figures start life as arcade prizes rather than export-ready retail stock, almost every DXF figure that leaves Japan passes through a reseller or import shop first. If you are new to that process, Akibato's guides on whether you need a proxy service to buy anime figures from Japan and how long shipping from Japan actually takes cover the mechanics before you commit to a specific volume.

FAQ

What does DXF stand for?

Banpresto's own brand page names it "Define X Figure," built around showcasing a character's individuality — not "Deluxe Figure," which is how most retailers list it.

Is Banpresto still a company?

No. Banpresto Co., Ltd. was dissolved on April 1, 2019 and merged into Bandai Spirits. "Banpresto" now exists only as a prize-figure brand name.

What is the DXF Grandline Series SPECIAL?

A taller version of the standard One Piece DXF Grandline Series, launched July 8, 2025, sized up to about 118% versus the previous standard figure.

Are DXF figures articulated?

No. Like most Banpresto prize figures, DXF figures are posed, non-articulated PVC/ABS statues rather than action figures with joints.

Is DXF bigger or smaller than Grandista?

Smaller. DXF runs roughly 15–19cm depending on the sub-line, while Grandista statues run around 28cm.

Key Takeaways

  • DXF officially stands for "Define X Figure," per Banpresto's own brand page — not "Deluxe Figure."
  • DXF figures started as Japanese arcade crane-game prizes, not retail products.
  • Banpresto the company was dissolved in 2019; it survives only as a Bandai Spirits brand name.
  • One Piece's "DXF ~THE GRANDLINE SERIES~" is the deepest DXF catalog, with Men and Lady casts and a new, taller SPECIAL tier launched in 2025.
  • Grandista is Banpresto's larger, retail-released line (~28cm) — a different purchase than DXF (~15–19cm), not a "deluxe" version of it.
  • Check the box, paint, weight, and base before buying a secondhand DXF figure to avoid bootlegs.

Akibato ships Banpresto DXF figures and other Japanese prize figures worldwide — browse the One Piece collection or the full figures collection to see what's currently in stock. For the wider lineup of Banpresto's prize-figure sub-brands, see our What Is Banpresto? guide, and for how DXF compares to figures from other makers, see our guide to anime figure types.

Sources

Back to blog

Leave a comment