Building Android 18 in 1/6 Scale with VH Toys and Verycool

Android 18 is one of those characters who looks easy to recreate until you actually try to build her in 1/6 scale.

Blonde bob, blue eyes, denim vest, striped sleeves—simple enough, right? Not really. Her design depends on a very specific balance. She needs to look calm but dangerous, feminine without becoming overly glamorous, and immediately recognizable without relying on exaggerated anime proportions.

This is not my first attempt at building Android 18. A few years ago, I used a TBLeague S10D body for another custom version. This time, I wanted to revisit the character with a Verycool VCD-01 silicone body and, more importantly, three different Android 18 head sculpts from VH Toys.

Bringing Back a Four-Year-Old Outfit

The outfit used for this project is the CDToys M013A set, which I bought around four years ago.

It recreates Android 18’s most recognizable Dragon Ball Z appearance: the denim-style vest, striped inner shirt, short skirt, belt, black leggings and boots. It was never the most luxurious tailoring set in my collection, but the design was accurate enough that I kept it instead of replacing it with something newer.

Today, this set is much harder to find. A few old marketplace listings still appear from time to time, but normal retailer stock has largely disappeared or become unreliable. That was another reason I wanted to use it again instead of leaving it forgotten in storage.

Older clothing sets are not necessarily worse than newer ones. In the 1/6 hobby, however, body compatibility changes constantly. An outfit that fits one body perfectly may become surprisingly difficult on another body that is supposedly the same scale.

That is exactly what happened here.

The Skirt Does Not Fully Close

The CDToys outfit was originally shown on a TBLeague S10D body. The Verycool VCD-01 has a different waist and hip shape, and those few millimetres make a real difference at this scale.

Most of the outfit went onto the body without too much trouble, but the skirt was noticeably tight. I could pull the two sides of the rear closure close together, but the Velcro simply would not meet.

I decided to leave it that way.

Forcing an old skirt around a silicone body is rarely a good idea. The stitching could tear, the fabric could stretch permanently, or the Velcro could separate from the material. Any of those outcomes would be worse than a small opening at the back.

From the front and three-quarter angles, the gap is not visible and the silhouette still works. From behind, however, the fit is obviously incomplete. I do not want to pretend otherwise simply because the finished figure looks good in selected photographs.

This is a custom figure, and imperfect compatibility is part of the process.

Why I Chose the Verycool VCD-01

The main reason I used the Verycool VCD-01 is its overall proportion.

Android 18 should not look heavily muscular, but I also do not think an extremely thin fashion-doll body suits her. She needs a compact, confident silhouette with enough physical presence to remind you that she can casually overpower most of the Dragon Ball cast.

The VCD-01 sits somewhere in the middle. It has a medium-chest build, a relatively natural waist and legs that look athletic without becoming exaggerated. The seamless platinum-silicone exterior also removes visible elbow and knee joints, which helps when photographing the figure from close range.

Its removable feet are useful for this particular project as well, since the CDToys boots are easier to install than they would be on a body with permanently attached silicone feet.

The downside is that silicone bodies are less forgiving when clothing is already tight. Unlike a hard plastic body, the surface creates friction and the soft material changes shape under pressure. An outfit may technically go on, but that does not mean it fits correctly.

In this case, I prefer the proportions of the VCD-01, even though the old skirt was clearly designed around a different body.

Three VH Toys Heads, Three Different Personalities

Buying three head sculpts of the same character may sound excessive, but the differences become much more noticeable once they are mounted on a body.

VH Toys approached Android 18 as a realistic human character rather than trying to reproduce Akira Toriyama’s anime face literally. All three versions share that direction, but each one creates a different impression.

Version A: The Coldest Expression

Version A has the most restrained expression. The closed mouth and firmer facial structure suit the detached, slightly intimidating Android 18 from the Cell Saga.

From certain angles, this is probably the version that best captures her attitude. From directly in front, however, the face can look a little broad and slightly masculine. The hairstyle also needs enough volume to balance the size of the face.

It is recognizable, but it is not equally convincing from every angle.

Version B: The Best Overall Balance

Version B feels softer and more conventionally feminine without losing the mature appearance of the character. The fuller lips and more balanced facial proportions make it look less severe than Version A.

A slightly lifted or swept hairstyle helps this version considerably. The extra hair volume makes the head appear better proportioned once it is attached to the body.

For a permanent display, Version B is probably my preferred choice. It works from more angles and still retains enough of Android 18’s cool expression without looking overly stylized.

Version C: The Most Expressive

Version C has the open mouth and visible teeth, giving it a warmer and more animated personality.

It is useful for photography because it prevents every pose from having the same neutral expression. I can imagine using it for a more relaxed version of Android 18 from later in the Dragon Ball story, after she becomes part of Krillin’s family.

At the same time, it is the least convincing choice if the goal is to recreate the cold Android 18 who first appeared as an enemy. Without the complete outfit, this version can look more like a realistic blonde woman than a direct representation of the anime character.

The Movable Eyes Matter More Than Expected

The VH Toys heads also use movable eyes and interchangeable hair pieces. These are not merely bonus features.

Eye position can completely change a 1/6 portrait. If both eyes are placed perfectly in the centre, the head may look blank or doll-like. Move them too far and the character suddenly looks distracted—or worse, cross-eyed.

For Android 18, I found that a slightly off-centre gaze works best. It creates that familiar unimpressed expression, as if she is looking at an opponent who is not worth her time.

The hairstyle is equally important. Android 18’s short blonde bob is one of her strongest visual identifiers, so changes in the fringe, parting or overall volume affect the likeness almost as much as the face itself.

Do the VH Toys Heads Really Look Like Android 18?

My short answer is: yes, but with some qualifications.

When one of these heads is displayed on the Verycool body with the complete CDToys outfit, the character is immediately recognizable. The blonde hair, pale complexion, blue eyes and familiar clothing do a lot of the work.

Judged as standalone portraits, the resemblance becomes less certain.

Android 18’s original face is built from very simple anime geometry: large eyes, a small nose, a pointed chin and almost no visible lip volume. A realistic 1/6 sculpt has to invent details that were never present in the animation.

VH Toys chose to interpret her as a real adult woman. That makes the heads more believable alongside realistic 1/6 figures, but it also moves them away from Toriyama’s original design. At some angles, especially with Version A, the sculpt can feel too heavy or masculine. Version C can look like a generic blonde portrait when separated from the costume.

The reaction among collectors has been similarly mixed. Many people agree that the heads look good, particularly from three-quarter angles, while others still prefer competing Android 18 sculpts—especially ACG—for a more accurate interpretation of her eyes and cold expression.

I think that is a fair assessment.

A beautifully painted portrait and an accurate character likeness are not always the same thing. The VH Toys heads are technically attractive, versatile and fun to photograph, but I would not call any of them the final or definitive Android 18 head sculpt.

The Outfit Completes the Character

What surprised me most was how much stronger the likeness became after the outfit was installed.

A head that looks like a generic realistic blonde portrait on its own suddenly becomes Android 18 when combined with the striped sleeves, denim vest, skirt, leggings and boots. The costume supplies the visual language that the realistic face cannot carry alone.

This is also why I prefer evaluating head sculpts as part of a complete figure. Looking at an enlarged promotional portrait on a phone screen tells you very little about how it will feel on a shelf beside other 1/6 characters.

Scale, neck length, shoulder width, hairstyle and clothing all affect the final result.

My Final Thoughts

This custom is not perfect.

The skirt cannot close at the back. The VH Toys likeness changes depending on the angle. None of the three heads captures every part of Android 18’s original anime appearance.

But I still consider the project successful.

The Verycool VCD-01 gives the character a convincing realistic body shape. The old CDToys outfit remains surprisingly effective after four years, despite the fit issue. Most importantly, the three VH Toys heads allow me to change the personality of the same figure without rebuilding everything from the beginning.

For the cold Cell Saga version, I would use Version A.

For the most balanced permanent display, I would choose Version B.

For a more relaxed or expressive photo session, Version C gives me something the other two cannot.

That variety is ultimately what makes this custom interesting. It is not a flawless commercial full set assembled exactly as the manufacturer intended. It is a combination of old and new parts, with compromises that only become obvious once everything is in hand.

And for me, that problem-solving process is still one of the most satisfying parts of collecting 1/6 figures.

Which VH Toys head looks most like Android 18 to you—A, B or C?