So I just got my Pokemon Center Life Size Lucario preorder in and boy does he not disappoint! But I am incredibly fortunate to own another incredible Lucario plush and the closest thing we had to a life size Lucario up until this most recently release: The Heartland Lucario. So I've taken the rare opportunity to compare the two side by side.
So right off the bat you'll notice the stark difference in size. The Heartland Tomy Lucario (left) used to be the largest Lucario plush you could get your hands on standing at 83cm tall (2'9"). Well the life size Lucario dwarfs it at a whopping 119cm (3'11"), the exact height as the official Pokédex entry.
They both require their tails for balance though the life size Lucario is much more firmly stuffed so he slumps less. One feature that was talked about a lot in the advertising for the life size Lucario was its "poseable" arms. Unfortunately, due to the weight of the stuffing and size of the arms as well as the weakness in the armature, the arms do not hold their pose. However they do maintain a bow shape at the sides which is a bit more varied than if they had been just straight down.
The Heartland Lucario is made of a mixture of short and slightly longer pile Terrycloth for the blue and cream colours while the grey is made of a faux suede which gives the plush a varied texture. While the life size Lucario is made of minky for most parts of his body and shirt pile faux fur for the cream colour on his chest. The pink pads at the back of Lucario's hock are made from a hard plastic on the Heartland plush whereas the life size Lucario's are plush.
They both bare the same expression which was somewhat of a letdown on the life size Lucario's part. While you don't often see Lucario's mouth due to the head shape, it would have been nice to see a different expression rather than the default stoic frown or straight faced look they always seem to give him.
The last thing to compare would be the feet. And while this comparison is not at all to say which plush is better or worse, as both are absolutely gorgeous and charming-one being vintage and the other being new, I do think the feet are where the Heartland Lucario wins out. There's a distinct lack of definition in the toes of the life size Lucario making them not look like paws at all. Additionally the paw pads are not as pronounced. The thread sculpting on the Heartland Lucario is just a very nice touch that adds to the overall shape of the plush.
And there you have it! The Heatland Lucario and the Pokémon Center Life Size Lucario side by side!