BO-KATAN KRYZE | Moff Gideon - Duel for the Darksaber
Epic Hero Series Deluxe Walmart Exclusive Figure 2-Pack
Item No.: No. F9376
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Fire gauntlet, Cape, 2 jetpacks, Darksaber
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.84
Availability: August 2024
Appearances: The Mandalorian Bio: A gifted warrior, Bo-Katan Kryze is a legendary Mandalorian. (Taken from the packaging)
Image: Adam's photo lab.
Availability: Click here to buy it at Walmart now!
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Commentary: I don't think there's a collector out there who was super excited to see
Bo-Katan Kryze get a figure with a new shoulder pad in
The Vintage Collection, mostly for
reasons previously established in the cultural vernacular. She's cool, but this minor change on a $17 figure just sort of makes collectors angry. But on a cheaper figure? I'm not exactly made of stone here - I love old Kenner figures, and this particular line is a lot like Kenner's toys from the 20th century. You may begrudge a mere 5 points of articulation, but the figure is sturdy and charming. (Also, there are two versions of her - the single card has a blaster, the 2-pack swaps it for a jet pack and yes, we'll review that version too.)
So what does this one have to offer to completists? Not much -
The Vintage Collection Bo-Katan [FOTD #2,893] is one of Hasbro's finest figures. And I mean ever - even four years later the amazing tiny pea-sized head has an excellent likeness, great hair, good deco, and articulation that raises the bar so high, everything that came before is questionable. So Hasbro didn't try to one-up it - instead they decided to make a figure that's sturdy, stands without assistance, and generally looks cool. You get no unmasked head and no battle-damage, the Nite Owls symbol is gone. It's basically on par with the effortlessly charming
The Retro Collection Bo-Katan [FOTD #2,939], with different accessories and superior paint.
Her Epic Hero Collection sculpting is better, and a smidgen bigger. She only has one weapon - a big Darksaber - plus a painted rocket pack. There are places on her armor to plug in accessories like the flame throwers with Gideon/Paz/Boba, and who knows what else will come down the road. I had no problems getting her to stand, sit, or hold her gear. If you owned real toys made for kids in your life in addition to toy-flavored collectibles, you'll appreciate that everything fits and works. The sculpted details are good, but this also highlights the lack of paint on some of them. Her holsters, knee pads, hand armor, belt buckle, and straps on her neck are unpainted - the Retro figure had those decorated, and also, cost another couple of bucks. This figure has silver chest armor, as opposed to
Retro being unpainted. You can see the push and pull with the budget on a figure like this, which is more for a mass-market kid audience. For that purpose I think it's pretty good, but I do wonder if the economies of scale could result in an alternate universe with a one-size-fits-all line that's closer to a Spin Master figure - that is, elbows, knees, and a low price - rather than splitting the market into multiple SKUs which will no doubt sell fewer units each.
Despite the deco shortcomings, she does look pretty neat and like a lost 1990s toy. She won't be the cup of tea for most collectors, and I know this because they send me mean emails. Each figure line has different aspects of it that work, and a sturdy, durable figure that looks pretty good but isn't meant to be a tiny replica for a difficult to please person in their 40s-60s is what the toy market is all about. I'd love to see more stuff in this style, mostly because I don't have to worry about them falling over or costing me a ton of money if they aren't great. Minus that one armored Darth Maul, that's going to be the figure whipping boy for "this isn't worth the money" until I die.
Collector's Notes: I got mine from
Walmart. As Walmart exclusive toys for kids tend to be made in pretty big numbers, and in this case is shipping to even the smaller Walmarts (but not grocery stores), you'll probably have no problems finding this set.
--Adam Pawlus
Day 3,179: October 10, 2024
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