OBI-WAN KENOBI Firing Jet Backpack!The Clone Wars Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87638 No. 87657
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #02
Includes: Helmet head, lightsaber, rocket, backpack
Action Feature: Firing Jet Backpack
Retail: $7.99
Availability: July 2008
Appearances: The Clone Wars
Image: In a Turbo Tank.
Bio: To gain free passage through Jabba the Hutt's shipping routes, the Republic agrees to rescue the crime lord's kidnapped son, Rotta the Huttlet. Obi-Wan learns that Anakin and his team have found the child and are under attack by Separatist forces. Obi-Wan races to join them on the remote planet, bringing much-needed reinforcements to Anakin and his embattled team. (Taken from the figure's package.)
Commentary: The first CG animated incarnation of Obi-Wan Kenobi as a toy turned out pretty well, all things considered. While it lacked knee and ankle articulation, the sculpt pretty accurately carries the costume from the TV show to the toy line. The head, however, seems more squat and slightly off-model. His TV beard seems pointier, and he has a little more forehead. Aside from the fact that the head isn't perfect-- which you can cover up by throwing on the helmet noggin-- this turned out fairly well.
The unique combination of fallen trooper armor and Jedi robes turns out quite well here, taking a cue from the animated series that aired from 2003-2005. The costume seems basically on model, bringing it to plastic life with no real problems. A hole has been added to the figure's back so you can plug a backpack into it, making this Jedi Knight just a little bit more like Jango Fett than you might expect. It's a solid idea to add more action to a figure which may or may not be one of the most popular, so good on Hasbro for figuring out the right accessories to make this one sell. It's worth getting if you like the cartoon style, and i do, so grab it if you can at the right price. This seems like it's going to be kinda common in the long run.
Collector's Notes: Hasbro wisely has opted to keep this figure in production in the new packaging style, rather than spending money making fifty new versions of Obi-Wan. As such, expect multiple versions of this figure in numerous boxed sets as time goes on. The figure was available, minus the helmet, in a Target exclusive Battle Pack with four 212th Clone Troopers in late 2008.
--Adam Pawlus
Day 1,124: October 5, 2009
3 comments:
If I need an animated Kenobi, I'll get the Freeco speeder one which appears to actually have knee joints.
While I'm a huge fan of the Clone Wars line and generally like this figure (and agree that keeping him in rotation is wise), seeing how terrific an upgrade the new softgoods CW Yoda received, I have to admit, while having no complaints about this guy, that I would like to see a re-tooled Obi-Wan with a closer likeness. Unlike most fans, I don't care about the articulation with the CW line; my only beef is that many of them have trouble standing, which thankfully this Obi-Wan does not suffer from.
This Obi-Wan fulfilled the purpose of having an action figure to complement the movie and TV series, and I bought one with the "1st Day of Release" sticker.
However, the "collector" in me is always looking for something a little more distinctive in the figures.
That's why I'm psyched for the Freeco Speeder Obi-Wan because he'll have that "extra special something" in the form of a cloth goods waistcoat.
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