Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,395: Rey (Jedi Training, The Black Series)

REY Jedi Training / SDCC Debut
The Force Awakens The Black Series 6-Inch Figure 2-Pack
Item No.:   No. C2120
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber with removable blade, blaster, staff, Luke figure with cloak
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $54.00
Availability: July 2017
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio: At long last, Rey has found Luke Skywalker, the last Jedi Master in the galaxy.  Hoping to find a hero of legend, she must unlearn what she has learned as Skywalker challenges her expectations. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  The big surprise of The Force Awakens may have been from its misleading marketing, distracting fans from the fact that Rey seems to be our new Jedi hero.  The figure included BB-8 in her 6-inch debut and enjoyed subsequent variations in later releases, like a snow base and a lightsaber at Kmart and a bonus lightsaber everywhere fine toys were sold.  This is her first new change of costume at this scale, reminding me a bit of the Princess Leia Jedi Knight outfit from one of the Infinities stories.  It's white, with grey and a tiny hint of purple.  It works.  It's good.  There are no cloth elements on this figure, but you do get a holster for her blaster and a removable blade for her lightsaber - sans hook,  natch.

This is a nice figure.   I easily got her posed with the staff slung over her back, pistol in the holster, both hands on the lightsaber, and balanced with zero fuss.  She stands well and it was easy to find her center of gravity.  The figure has no new points of articulation, but she's great - the rocker ankles, bend-and-swivel wrists, and perfectly cut robes allow you to get the most out of this 6-inch scale action figure without a fight.  This is rare - usually the joints have a little wobble and I spend time trying to get them to stand up properly.  Not so here!  Hasbro designed this one pretty much perfectly, and that's tough to do well.

The sculpting is on par, although the textures are a little less pronounced thanks to the choice of the grey used to paint her arms and legs.  The darker purpley-tinged grey on her robes brings out all the folds and detail, even in a dark room though.   Hasbro gave her glossy eyes and lips, with the various brows and highlights painted on straight - they did a good job with the deco.  The boots are nice, and her hair is held down and out of the way for more dynamic poses.   I feel hyperbolic saying "this is the best Rey Hasbro has ever done" but it's true.  It is.   I defy them to do a better one.  (And by that, I mean I hope that they do, soon.)  She has no problems looking determined, holding her accessories, or generally giving me no idea what the movie is about.

If this figure is available near you at a good price, or online, get it.  Don't wait - get it.  If you didn't get the last Rey, this one is better (plus or minus BB-8) with superior paint, a better range of movement, and overall similar articulation.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Toy Shop at San Diego Comic-Con.    The figure's date stamp indicates it was manufactured in April 2017, which means Hasbro has factories that are better at keeping a secret now.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,395: August 14, 2017