Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,208: Padmé Amidala (The Retro Collection)

PADME AMIDALA Kennerized
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. G0371
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, cape, another 5 figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $59.99
Availability: November 2024
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection is inspired by the original 1970s Star Wars figures and features original figure design and detailing! Continue your collection from a galaxy far, far away. (Stolen from the marketing copy. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

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Commentary: This The Retro Collection Padme Amidala is very good - some parts almost seem to go above and beyond Kenneryness, while some - presumably as a result of digital sculpting - seem a little weird. I think the personality and pose show massive improvements over other "new" figures, but if I have to nitpick (and I do!) the boots seem off. So you should totally get this figure - and she's better than most old-style figures I see these days.

Let's start with her gear. The cape is really neat, with the elements wrapping above (and under) one another giving the figure a distinctive look I just don't see on other figures. The fuzzy white material reminds me a lot of the 1983 Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker cloak, so I would say Hasbro nailed it. It's not as bulky as the one in the movie, which is kind of amazing - when you do soft goods at this size it's incredibly difficult to make things thin and sturdy that hang well.

Her blaster is all new and more or less perfect for the format. Hasbro de-evolved the design to something simple in a light gray color that seems close to some of the older Kenner blasters. I assume if this were an actual Kenner figure, they might have just tossed her a Battle Droid blaster or an existing Squid Head blaster. This looks better than that, so kudos to Hasbro for doing a good job on something new - but I'd be just as happy with a recycled blaster, given how often Kenner did that.

But how about the figure herself? She's good. I feel like a lot of complaints fans had about Hasbro's other "new" Kenner figures were addressed well. She stands tall, but not stiffly - her back has a curve to it and her head sits forward a bit. Each arm is posed differently, with a slightly bent right arm that can hold a blaster and a mostly straight left arm that is not capable of gripping an accessory. Each arm has a silver band and is incredibly skinny - most Leia figures had arms with a little bulk on them. I think this is better than I would have expected, so nicely done Hasbro. Her torso is smooth and tight, and could probably benefit from a wrinkle or two on the front. The back has some, and the front is just a little too pristine - it doesn't look bad at all, but a little more detail would be nice.

Her legs are posed well and proportioned pretty well, again, they're thinner than we usually got in our human figures. (There were so few women it's not like we have much to compare here.) The boot coloring and proportions seem right, but the boot detail seems a little too perfect. I assume these were sculpted digitally because the straps on the back all seem to be lines that are a little too straight, a little too clean. The ones on the front are so subtle, they feel like a modern figure. Kenner was not known for subtlety, as you can see if you have legit old-school Hoth figures from 1980-1982. There were some deep, exaggerated cuts and this figure is certainly not about that sort of thing.

While her hair is a little light on sculpted detail, the paint is good, and the paint is in the right place. Hasbro did a great job with her pose and accessories, with a face that feels Kenner-appropriate and some sculpted elements that are a tiny bit overcooked - but with the cape, you probably won't even care. I doubt Hasbro will make more figures from Attack of the Clones in this format, but I hope they consider it. Three figures from a movie isn't a collection, it's not even a sneak preview wave. (We got four there!)

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,208: January 21, 2025