Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,889: Jyn Erso (The Black Series)

JYN ERSO Fourth Edition
The Black Series 2020 Line Look Green Rogue One: A Star War Story Packaging
Item No.: No. F2889
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #01 - Rogue One: A Star War Story
Includes: Blaster, scarf
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $22.99
Availability: December 2021
Appearances: Rogue One: A Star War Story

Bio: Putting behind a checkered past by lending her skills to a greater cause, Jyn Erso is impetuous, defiant, and eager to bring the battle to the Empire. Used to operating alone, she finds higher purpose by taking on a desperate mission for the Rebel Alliance. (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: Sometimes low expectations can bring a good surprise! After three releases - the regular individual figure, the SDCC exclusive variant package debut, and another release in a Target-exclusive 3-pack with a unique Death Trooper and Cassian Andor - I did not expect nor did I want another Jyn Erso. For the fifth anniversary of Rogue One, Hasbro did an online exclusive series of figures to celebrate with the photoreal face paint - and it's good. It's breathtakingly good. And when you pick up the 2016 releases and compare them, you will learn just how precious and sentimental you are about your old toys. I'd never toss out an old 3 3/4-inch Luke figure from the 80s or 90s (or I assume 00s.) But the 2016 Jyn Erso, I got no reason to ever look at her again. This new one is remarkable.

I've got a few figures to open still, but this one I opened within minutes of the box arriving from work. And I ran back to get my 2016 Erso to compare - and it's amazing. Old Jyn Erso figures were pumped out due to a large demand for Rey being unmet during the movie launch, and they sold well - and I assume long-term collectors will get rid of them after seeing the new release.

If you have the old figure, this one is virtually the same with a new head and some tiny improvements. First, there's the face - printing her face on here completely changes the figure's entire personality. I'm know giving side-eye to all my original trilogy humans because I assume this means upcoming Leia reissues are going to look amazing, and maybe it means we'll get some really good Han Solo and Luke figures at some point. The picture says it all. Less obvious are minor improvements on her outfit - the zippers and buckles are now a shinier silver rather than a dull grey. The brown boots are a little richer. The badge on her vest near the waist is a bit cleaner, but still not perfect ias far as I can tell.

I used to think The Black Series was a line where latecomers got screwed out of awesome things as the line goes as Hasbro seemed very hesitant to bring anything back as new fans discovered the line - and lately we've seen them reissue the Carbonite Block and Salacious Crumb from SDCC (Amazon and Disney parks, respectively) as well as some other great things. Now that we're seeing good figures improved to the nth degree, I'd almost say it's worth skipping any main character that looks like it could use some help. We've seen photo real upgrades on so many main characters that it's hard to say no to some of them once you see it in person. Get her if you're so inclined, just prepare by selling your old ones while you still can. And you probably can't. They'll just want the new one.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,889: January 11, 2022