Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,824: Shae Vizla (The Old Republic Bounty Hunter)

SHAE VIZLA  Old Republic Bounty Hunter
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 37499 No.  37519
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #VC101
Includes: 2 blasters, 2 flame effects, alternate helmet head, backpack
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: May 2012
Appearances: The Old Republic

Bio: Celebrate the legendary Star Wars saga that changed the universe forever! This collection brings to life the incredible story of good versus evil that captured our imagination and took us to a galaxy far, far away. Iconic Star Wars heroes and villains are captured with incredible detail and premium features to commemorate each epic tale in the Star Wars saga. May the Force be with you!  (Taken from the figure's packaging.  No specific character information.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' photo area.

Commentary:  Sometimes there are character designs that are fantastic, ignoring the fact they came from a game you may never ever play (and may be a little off-model from said game.) Shae Vizla refined the notion of "female bounty hunter"-type which we previously saw with Rav Bralor, Aurra Sing, and Isabet Reau, and the result is way better.   While I frequently bemoan recent price increases, every now and again Hasbro reminds you that you're actually getting more for your money.  With a removable backpack, an alternate head rather than removable helmet, twin painted blasters, and a pair of flame effects, this is a superior action figure that, while not a perfect match with her game inspiration, actually seems to be slightly improved from the game design.   (Which I say as someone who hasn't played the game-- I really do like Hasbro's helmet design better.)   Here, watch this video, or don't.  It's sort of redundant but I figure maybe YouTubers might get a kick out of it.




Shae Vizla-- which is similar to but spelled differently from Pre Vizsla-- is pretty much an "A" figure.  Why not "A+"?  The face paint needs a little bit of work, but generally it all looks great.  Her unmasked head is molded in an orangey red, which means they use paint for her face-- which does wonders bringing out the detail.  They even gave her some make-up!  As of when I write this, I haven't opened the other figures from the wave yet but I don't think I'm being hyperbolic by saying that this may well be Hasbro's best figure ever.  The articulation is the typical 14 points, without bonus movement at the wrists or hips, but the deco and sculpt are so fantastic it's going to be hard to beat.  Darth Malgus was neat, sure, but the silver, gold, and other colors slathered over Ms. Vizla quite evenly shows that Hasbro can make a figure that can still impress collectors, even after 2,000 of the damn things.  She lacks unsightly date or SKU stamps, and the copyright information is sculpted on the backside of her shins, safely out of view.

If I have to nitpick-- and you know I do-- the figure's only real failing come from the compatibility with accessories.  While she can hold both pistols, there are no holsters, and these are more or less expected these days.  The guns themselves are fantastic, seemingly molded in black plastic with silver and blue paint.  They're also different sculpts.  The flames are gorgeous and fit perfectly into exceptionally-designed gauntlets, however gravity will cause them to sag within minutes.  I appreciate Hasbro spending the money to include the detail, but I'd rather Hasbro not go through the expense of including such an accessory if the result is non-functional.

The helmet is a little different than the game, with a shorter, uh, "face" plus a few other streamlined details on the armor.    I have a feeling you'll hang me for being OK with it being less authentic, but when comparing the toy to the game art, I like the toy better.

There's no doubt that this is a character design out of a post-Halo world, with nods to the rich lore of Star Wars history and, if I'm not mistaken, a nod or two to the great Samus Aran.  There are very few action figures in this line which look and feel like they would warrant a $9.99 price tag, but this is one of them.  If you shell out $10 or even $15 for her, I doubt you'll be sorry-- you can see where your money is going on this one, a strong contender for the best aesthetic achievement of the year and perhaps the new figure to beat as the entire line is concerned.  She looks more like she stepped out of a video game than from Star Wars, but geez, it's gorgeous!

Collector's Notes: This figure is super-new so you may not have seen it yet.  As such, I suggest haunting your local toy shop or clicking the link below to order a case from our sponsors, which supports us, which means you'll get more videos if you like that sort of thing.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,824: June 11, 2012