INQUISITOR (Fourth Sister)
The Black Series 2023 Closed Box Line Look Obi-Wan Kenobi Packaging
Item No.: Asst. E8908 No. F7099
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #12 - Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi
Includes: Lightsaber
Action Feature: 2 removable blades, hilt can plug in back
Retail: $24.99
Availability: June 2023
Appearances: Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi
Bio: Obi-Wan Kenobi is set years after the dramatic events of
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith where Kenobi faced the corruption of his friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker turned Sith Lord Darth Vader. (Taken from the packaging. Yes, this corporate synopsis is on the packaging in five languages instead of upsells.)
Image: Adam's photo lab.
Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!
Click here to buy it at Amazon now!
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Commentary: The
Inquisitor (Fourth Sister) is one of the more fascinating figures in this sector of toys. Thanks to the popularity of
Jedi: Fallen Order and
Rebels, plus the momentum from
Obi-Wan Kenobi, we've got a pretty good chunk of these guys. The premise of the Inquisitors is to make something that looks like a McQuarrie Concept from the 1970s, reinterpreted by space goth vampire teens. Most of the beings are pale with yellow or red in their eyes, but Ms. Fourth is unique in that her skin is orange - and she's a new alien species. Exciting! Well, as exciting as these things get - she came in a wave with Bastilla Shan, Vel Sartha, another Obi-Wan Kenobi, and doubles of Darth Malak and Tala. I assume the game figures will do fine, and the rest... well, we'll see. Hasbro has had an incredible talent for making its newer figures pretty good - most of them have better joints and balance more easily, but they're also heavily weighted to minor characters that don't yet have some sort of weird fan cult. We didn't get a Wedge for 20 years, but Hasbro gave us this nameless lady in about a year. It's also fascinating - and surprisingly progressive - that the case is over 50% women. That's unusual, particularly for a franchise whose attitude toward not-dudes has been "oh, we've got one" per film trilogy until the 2010s.
While I do grouse about
Obi-Wan Kenobi - I admit I haven't rewatched it yet, but quoting
Ed Wood describes my feelings regarding the show and this action figure. "See, 'The soldier costumes are very realistic.' That's positive!" This figure looks like she could fit right in with the old 1970s designs, and if they ever did her Kenner-style I would be first in line to buy her again. (Especially with a Snowtrooper-esque cape!) She's something new that looks like something old - the red piping recalls Darth Maul's "Sith Apprentice" concept costume/figure, with a standard issue lightsaber she can hold much more easily than that of her Inquisitor buddies. The joints all move smoothly, with the legs being enough on the stiff side to ensure she is less likely to faceplant. Her joints are nicely integrated in the costume, and the ribbing all looks fantastic. Her belt sculpting is so detailed I had to touch it to make sure it wasn't some kind of fabric - it's remarkable. The leathery texture and wrinkles on her "cape" look fantastic, and her boots are no slouch. As a toy figure, even if you've never seen the show, this one looks good.
Her head is good, but not great - the eyes look Sithly, but also a little bloodshot due to the current printing process. Maybe the resolution will get bumped up, but the complexion is just a bit waxier than I think she needed to be - but she has cool head printing too, and the lips are on straight. If you don't get too close, you're going to love it. Clearly someone adored this costume, because the head tails look excellent, the hood is loaded with detail, and she has the body language of a star. It's a remarkably good action figure and like many of the toys from this series, probably would be even more popular if she were released before the show. It's a shame fans can't get a month or two with these toys before the movie comes out to pop your imagination's bubble.
The Black Series is still capable of churning out strong figures from forgettable characters, and while some figures look like someone just took a digital model and carved them up, this one looks like someone was trying to impress the boss. I love how the lightsaber plugs in her back, I'm thrilled to get a new alien species, and while I'm irritable that there is no guide book or trading card to tell me more about her, hopefully that will come some day. I was a 1980s kid - I had to dig up old (frequently apocryphal) guide books and/or wait for something better to come out in the 1990s - and maybe there's some sort of long game where Disney is trying to do for dadgum everything what Lucasfilm did for Boba Fett. I'd actually like to know more about this character, and I also know full well that knowing it probably won't make me like this figure any more than I do right now. Get her if you feel like paying the asking price, but
definitely pick one up if you luck into her on sale. Unless there's a 3 3/4-inch version, in which case, maybe just get that. It's not like you've got a ton of room.
Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.
--Adam Pawlus
Day 3,052: August 3, 2023
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