Video Game Figurines in 3D Print: From Elden Ring to Zelda

Official figures exist for maybe a hundred game characters. The other ten thousand, the side boss you loved, the NPC from an indie game, the character in your favourite armour set, never get a shelf release. 3D printing fills that gap. Here is how a game character becomes a physical figurine, what it looks like up close, and how to order one that fits your shelf.

From game to shelf: how it happens

A figurine starts as a 3D model. There are three ways to get one:

• Fan sculpts. Independent artists publish thousands of game-inspired figures on MyMiniFactory, Cults and Patreon. Quality ranges from rough to better than official merch. This is where most Elden Ring, Dark Souls, Zelda, Hollow Knight and Genshin figures come from.
• Extracted or reference-based models. Some artists rebuild characters using the game's own proportions as reference, producing figures that are faithful down to the buckle.
• Custom sculpting. If nothing exists, a digital sculptor models the character from screenshots and concept art. This is the route for obscure characters, your own in-game avatar, or a pose from a specific cutscene.

At Fantasy Lab 3D we check any model you send for printability, suggest a scale, and print it in the process that suits the design. If you have not searched for models before, start with the big libraries and search by character name.

Resin or filament?

The choice depends on size and detail.

	Resin (SLA)	Filament (FDM)
Best size	5–25 cm	15–60 cm and beyond
Detail	Fine: faces, engraving, cloth folds	Good: shape and silhouette, softer small details
Surface	Smooth out of the printer	Visible layer lines unless sanded
Strength	Rigid, can be brittle on thin parts	Tougher, better for swords and staffs
Typical use	Collector figures, busts	Large statues, helmets, display props

A Malenia bust at 15 cm belongs in resin: the hair, the prosthetic arm, the helmet detail all need it. A 50 cm Link statue is an FDM job printed in sections, then sanded, primed and painted. For a deeper comparison, read FDM vs resin printing.

Scale and what fits on a shelf

Most collectors settle on one of these:

• 1/12 (about 15 cm): matches common action figure lines, fits a standard bookshelf.
• 1/10 (about 18 cm): the "premium statue" feel without needing a dedicated cabinet.
• 1/6 (about 30 cm): a centrepiece; usually printed in several parts and assembled.
• Busts: head and shoulders at 10–20 cm, great for characters with iconic helmets or faces.

We can scale any model up or down, but scaling changes the detail: a figure sculpted for 30 cm loses fine features at 8 cm, and a 5 cm mini scaled to 30 cm shows soft, blobby surfaces. We will tell you honestly if a model will not hold up at the size you want.

Painted, primed or raw

You can order a figure at three stages:

1. Raw print. Grey resin or a single filament colour. Cheapest, and ideal if you paint.
2. Prepared for painting. Supports removed, seams filled, sanded and primed. You get straight to the fun part.
3. Fully painted. Base colours, shading, highlights, weathering if the character calls for it, and a matte or satin varnish to protect the finish.

Painting is where a figurine becomes a collectible. The difference between a raw print and a finished one is dramatic; our post on post-processing: sanding, priming and painting shows the stages.

Popular requests, and what to know about each

• Elden Ring / Dark Souls. Ornate armour with lots of overhangs; resin handles it well. Weapons are thin and often printed separately and pinned.
• Zelda. Clean, stylised shapes that look great in filament at larger sizes and in resin at small ones. The Master Sword deserves a slightly thickened blade for durability.
• Hollow Knight, Cuphead, Stardew Valley. Simple silhouettes with strong colour blocking; painted versions look almost like official merch.
• Warcraft and StarCraft. Big shoulders, big weapons, big fun. We have printed a full-size Arthas helmet, so a bust is comfortably within range.
• Your own character. Screenshots from character creation plus a few angle shots are enough for a custom sculpt.

A note on copyright

Game characters belong to their studios. Printing a fan sculpt for your own shelf is what most of these models are made for, but we do not mass-produce or resell copyrighted characters. If you have questions about a specific case, we explain the boundaries in can I order a print of a copyrighted character?.

The price depends on size, material and finish, so every figure is quoted individually. A raw resin figure takes a day or two including washing and curing; a painted 30 cm statue can take a week or more because paint needs drying time between stages. We ship across Kazakhstan and internationally on request.

Ready to order?

Send a link to the model, a screenshot of the character, or just the name and the pose you have in mind through the contact form. Fantasy Lab 3D will reply with a scale suggestion and a quote. You can also DM us on Instagram @fantasylab3d.almaty.