Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,211 Bo-Katan Kryze (Single, Epic Hero Series)

BO-KATAN KRYZE 2024 Kids Line
Epic Hero Series Basic Figure
Item No.: Asst. F9405 No. G0143
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Darksaber, blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: July 2024
Appearances: The Mandalorian   

Bio: A gifted warrior, Bo-Katan Kryze is a legendary Mandalorian who refused to align with the Empire's occupation of Mandalore. (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!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: This figure isn't that old, but Bo-Katan Kryze was dumped at Ross pretty lickety-dang-split last fall. You could get her for $3.99 or less, and as I write this she's pennies above $3.00 on Amazon - it's a real pity, but understandable. Hasbro's excellent Epic Hero Series styling is in a line that's kind of small, kind of scattered, and divided against itself. Walmart had a nearly identical Bo-Katan Kryze [FOTD #3,179] last year as an exclusive, but in a 2-pack with different gear. Which one is better? Probably the cheaper one, which at this time is this single release. The figure itself is the same between releases - only the gear is changed. If this was on-shelf nearer to The Mandalorian airing new episodes, or was part of a line with more momentum than "two waves in a year," perhaps it wouldn't be quite so cheap. As I said, she's pretty good.

For 3 3/4-inch collectors, she's oddly tall. This line was scaled to 4-inches, which means she and her cohorts are - say it with me - just different enough to make you mad. You can't fit her in some existing vehicles, and it's an odd editorial choice to make unless the intent was to make a kid line that collectors wouldn't want. Which is a shame, because the sculpting is still very good, with crisp - but limited - deco. The amror is very nicely designed and you can see some unpainted elements of her costume, like her holsters and knee pads. She still looks good, especially for the price. You get a blaster (not in the 2-pack) and a Darksaber, both of which fit nicely in her hands. Given that the blaster mold was used in another exclusive set, you might not even want to bother with this one for accessory completism - but I did, because it's a small line and one I assume will not be around in a couple of years.

Lady Kryze stands well, sits without a problem, and has a ball-jointed neck. The arms and legs swivel just like old Kenner figures, making her a fairly stable and sturdy companion on your desk or in your kid's toy box. While I would recommend her to anyone looking for a cheap thrill, I must confess I didn't bother to open her until a couple of weeks ago. I did open the 2-pack version though - the figures were close enough to the same where I probably could have left her carded, as one version of her was sufficient. I did want to let you know to check your local stores for her in case she's on clearance, because for under five bucks pretty much any Star Wars figure is worth your money. Given her season 3-specific Mythosaur pauldron, she might scratch an itch that would let you skip a $16.99 The Vintage Collection too. It's a figure that does a good enough job, but it would appear the market disagrees. Their loss - these figures feel like old Kenner figures, and they're sturdy, and adjusted for inflation they're quite a bargain. I would have liked to have seen this line take off and be something kids buy, but Star Wars does not seem to be their favorite thing this year.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,211: January 30, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,179: Bo-Katan Kryze (Walmart Exclusive 2-Pack, Epic Hero Series)

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!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

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

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,954: Bo-Katan Kryze (6-Inch Value Figure, Black Logo Line Look)

BO-KATAN KRYZE She watch channel value
Star Wars "Dollar Store" 6-Inch Figure
Item No.: Asst. F5823 No. F5828
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $5.00
Availability: July 2022 

Appearances: The Mandalorian  

Bio: Plastic-free packaging! (Taken from the figure's packaging. There is no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: Not a bad figure! The sculpting for Bo-Katan Kryze appears to be derived from the same digital source as her The Black Series figure, with some changes. Many of the pockets, seams, and folds are identical. You'll notice less paint and some simplifications, like the belt is molded to the figure, the "Night Owls" symbols are molded and raised instead of painted, and that there's a lot of unpainted gray, just like The Retro Series figure. I think that was a misstep in both cases - it needs something to break it up - but other than that, this is a pretty nice example of what Hasbro can do for $5 when a super-articulated figure is $25.

If you could only pick one Bo-Katan, The Black Series does it better. The working holsters, removable helmet, silver chestplate, painted belt buckle, painted knee and shin armor, and added articulation make it a much better figure - but it also costs five times as much. For $5, this figure has swivel arms, a swivel neck, and a swivel waist - and that's it. She stands well, she looks good, and if you feel like painting her I'm sure she'd look just as good as Hasbro's higher-priced figure.

To see Hasbro make a toy at a price that seems absurdly low given the rest of their catalog is always a joy, but she does fall short in terms of functionality. She can stand with no problems - mostly. If you swing an arm forward to aim her gun, she's fine, but if both arms swing forward my sample tips forward and face-plants. A few extra minutes in the oven could probably fix the soles of her boots to not do this, but again, it's $5. This is a low-cost toy for people who will never pay $20 or $25 for an action figure, which is probably another reason why action figure collecting has resulted in fancier, higher-priced items at the expense of active kid impulse-buys. She's good enough, but not great. The helmet paint is good, the sculpt is impressive, and this might be phenomenally good custom fodder for people looking to electroplate a figure, or do a Sofubi-style custom, or to throw it at a kid to keep them away from the good stuff.

Since she has limited paint, it's easy to dismiss her - but a lot of old figures did well without a lot of paint. Kenner's 1983 Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker had a painted hand, painted face, and painted eyes - and that's it. Some of the Ewoks were unpainted save for the eyes, nose, and mouth. Hammerhead's only paint appear on his eyes. The Power Droid had painted feet, and some stickers. It's really amazing to see what they do to keep costs down, particularly when compared against to the generally colorful Kenner guys of old.

This is a nice figure for the price, but mostly I love what she represents. Could you imagine how cool it would be to have access to 3 3/4-inch Stormtroopers of a similar build for $5? There's a 6-inch Imperial Stormtrooper hitting stores now, for $5, and I haven't found any yet. I'm not saying I want all figures to be cheap, but when filling out dioramas or army-builder scenarios, sometimes a 3-5-jointed figure can fill a slot just as well as one for $25. Got $5 and nothing else to buy this week? Check her - or Mando, or one of the other ones - out. You probably won't be a convert, but this is one of the few formats I'm trying to be "complete" on and I've got everybody except Chewbacca (who I am fairly sure has never come out in the USA.) I sincerely hope they throw Boba Fett and R2-D2 in this assortment soon.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Five Below. This figure comes in a new assortment (F5823 started with plastic-free packaging in 2022, B3946 was the previous assortment form 2015-2022, which sometimes had an open window and sometimes had a plastic sheet.)

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,954: August 25, 2022

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,939: Bo-Katan Kryze (The Retro Collection)

BO-KATAN KRYZE Kenner Style
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F4200 No. F4460
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 2 blasters
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $11.99
Availability: May 2022
Appearances: The Mandalorian

Bio: Bo-Katan Kryze has been fighting for the future of Mandalore since the Clone Wars. The last of her line, she leads a team of Clan Kryze Mandalorians striking back at the Imperial remnant. (Stolen from the marketing copy. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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



Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: For a Mandalorian that appeared on three TV shows Hasbro and company took their sweet time delivering Bo-Katan Kryze to plastic. In the last year we've had a Vintage figure, a The Black Series figure, a Mission Fleet figure, this figure, and a 6-inch "value" figure I haven't been able to find yet but I'm told it's coming. (I've seen pictures.) I'd like to say that it's a miracle that we got her at all, but this one may not be a perfect interpretation of the old Kenner aesthetic. The sculpt is spot-on, but the deco takes a couple of bad swings.

The sculpt looks just like a real toy figure from a couple of decades ago. It may lack some of the literal shine of the original Boba Fett, but everything else seems about right. Since she has two blasters, and she has two hands sculpted to hold weapons. She doesn't have a removable helmet - which Kenner didn't always include with its figures, as it was rare for figures to have two accessories (let alone three.) Everything is a bit simpler, but most of the major milestones are here - there's a knee pad, her armor has the diamond-shape and three notches above her belly, the twin non-functioning holsters are there, you can see the sculpted, unpainted armor and lots of stitching and pockets - but not everything. In many respects, she looks like a figure that'd be right at home in the Droids Kenner line of old minus deco and accessories. She can hold her blasters well, she can stand and sit, and she fits well in most of the vehicles I grabbed to play around with. (Fisher-Price Alpha Star for the win.) Her rocket pack is one part that feels a little more modern - if you look at it from the side, it's sculpted in a way that seems like it was made to be easy to pry out of the mold, whereas Boba Fett figures had separately molded rockets. I don't know if this is the exact shape Kenner would have used, but it's certainly one way to keep it simpler and the little dab of paint at the top of the rocket really sells the illusion. Much like Boba Fett (Morak), her helmet and rangefinder shows signs of an imaginary Kenner sculptor that saw the 1979 Boba Fett and said "we can do a better job" - her rangefinder is up, painted, and looks great. And she has vents sculpted on the back. I really dig this figure's design.

Deco is mostly great! I know you have to be picky about paint ops to keep costs down, and I assume licensors may insist on things, so I'll say I love the bright blue. It's very bright and feels very 1984-1985 when the figure colors were more saturated. The grey seems to be pretty good too, the brown is fine and nice. There are two spots that came up weird - the helmet's too good, the ornate owl eyes on the helmet are too crisp and sharp for me to believe it as an old Kenner figure. They could have left them off, or just put blobs or a couple of dots or a swipe of grey (like the off-model Imperial symbols on some old drivers) to skirt the fine detail issue. Second, the silver armor was mostly just left blank - they painted it on the back of her hands, but not the chest or thigh pieces and I don't know why. I would've gone with all or nothing - the blank chest armor is kind of distracting, so having made it or the body suit a different texture would've helped a bit. It's still a great figure, but they really need to break up the big blank body a bit with some new hue.

I still really like this figure - this whole wave caused me to pull out old Mini-Rigs, Rebels vehicles, and other 3 3/4-inch space toys because it's so good I just wanted to play around with it like when I was a kid. They really nailed the personality of the old figures and I'd happily buy her again if she got repainted as another character (or got a silver armor paint variant.) It's kind of amazing to live in an era where "Star Wars Action Figure" can mean such different things - maybe it's a $200 Hot Toys figure, or a metallic repaint, or a big-headed figure on a base. It's amazing to me that they actually, finally went back to do Kenner-style figures and I really, really hope they keep doing more because I'd love to have a Darth Maul, Pre Vizsla, Jango Fett, Wedge Antilles, Slave Leia*, and any vehicles they could do as cheaply as possible (see also: 2012-2014 cheapo vehicles like the AT-DP) because the darn things just make me happy in ways that buying, opening, and posing a 6-inch figure from The Black Series can't. Back in the 1990s I hoped either Playmates would do 5-inch figures or Kenner would just pick up where the old line left off - and what we got was really neat, but not "classic." With any luck, The Retro Collection will go beyond 1-2 waves of 6 per year because I will buy them all.

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

--Adam Pawlus

* - yeah I know Disney will never do it, it was just she or Oola - and Wedge and Tarkin - were probably the 3 movie figures that struck me as "missing" back when I was a kid/teenager. Followed by the Sandtrooper, Blockade Runner Trooper, Han Solo (Stormtrooper), and the Cantina band. You can see why I thoroughly enjoyed the 1990s The Power of the Force range.

Day 2,939: July 5, 2022

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,893: Bo-Katan Kryze (The Vintage Collection)

BO-KATAN KRYZE One of the Best
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. E7763 No. F4465
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #226
Includes: 2 blasters, helmet
Action Feature: Removbale helmet, blasters fit in holsters
Retail: $13.99
Availability: December 2021
Appearances: The Mandalorian
Bio: A gifted warrior and legendary Mandalorian, Bo-Katan Kryze is the last of her line. She leads a team of Clan Kryze Mandalorians striking back at the Imperial remnant. (Taken from marketing copy. There is no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: Impressive - but not without faults! When opening Bo-Katan Kryze one of the first things I noticed was the new construction of her legs - the hips look a lot more like classic 1980s o-ring G.I. Joe figures, and those had a spectacular range of movement. (But, of course, crumbled once the rubber band needed replacing.) This one does something a bit better with a ball-and-socket joint allowing for a full range of movement, with added bend-and-swivel knees, swivel thighs, and other joints ensuring she has a spectacular range of movement. Her holsters aren't glued to her thighs either, so she can go in a ship and sit down if she likes. It's not merely a good figure for collectors, it's a pretty good toy too - and balancing that has been difficult in recent years.

My praise of this figure is mostly glowing, with a couple of minor quibbles. Deco is excellent. The sculpt is excellent. Articulation is excellent. There are two nitpicks I'm going to dump on before we get on to more praise - one, the "owl" shoulder tampos are sloppy and off-model. You probably won't notice them much, but they're just bad, and Hasbro can and has done better at this size - the 1995 Kenner Boba Fett was sharper than this. Two, the holsters are a little too tight for the blasters. You can get them in there but it's really really really tight and may lead to paint scrape over time. Other than that, you've got a figure that shows just how good Hasbro has gotten at making human figures at this scale, which is kind of infuriating given that the line is still largely reissues and repaints much of the time.

Bo-Katan's head looks just like Katee Sackhoff on the show, complete with headband and wig. The face paint is really good, with teeny tiny eyes, painted lips, and spot-on eyebrows. I'm kind of amazed that we haven't been hearing universal praise in the fan community for getting a popular Mandalorian - one who has been in at least three TV series - for basically being perfect. Look at any Rey or Leia from a few years ago, and it's amazing how Hasbro has seemingly slapped a real photo of a real person on a 3-D plastic head the size of an M&M. While the figure has a helmet, it's not a traditional helmet - the complete head must be removed, and replaced with the helmet head. One advantage this has is that the figure's hands can hold the neck peg like a handle, so she can carry around her helmet. The detail on the helmet head is also excellent, but my sample's rangefinder doesn't move - and I'm not sure if it's supposed to move, either. The deco is superb, with gritty black paint visible on the back, some silver scraping, and other scuffs on the front. I'm sure there are improvements for a future release, but this is way better than anything we ever get at this size. She's probably a little better than the 6-inch figure.

I've had this figure standing up on my desk, without stand or other assistance, for several days. Even with the smaller feet, Hasbro designed her with a good center of gravity - perhaps aided by the non-removable backpack and decent ankle joints - ensuring that she won't flop over before the play battles start. The silver painted armor looks great, with brighter silver scuffs and lots of sculpted detail like her wrist rockets, pockets, and some seams on her clothes. Considering what we grew up with in the 1970s and 1980s, it's a remarkable improvement that's mind-blowing over what we were getting just 5 or 10 years ago, and a figure that certainly makes a compelling argument of why this figure should cost $14. (But not the reissues. They still really don't seem to have "it.") I love the colors and while I would love some more paint on this figure's boots and better shoulder tampos, it's still a mass-produced 3 3/4-inch figure. This might be one of the very best we'll see in this line, but I hope not - there are plenty of characters to do, redo, or just plain upgrade now that we see what Hasbro can deliver when allowed to make a 100% new figure. (And while we wait, I'd also like a Koska Reeves, please and thank you.) Unless you have it out against the series, definitely make sure you pick up all these 3 3/4-inch The Mandalorian figures. I've not been disappointed.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,893: January 25, 2022

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,785: Bo-Katan Kryze (The Black Series 6-Inch)

BO-KATAN KRYZE Mandalorian Debut
The Black Series 2020 Line Look Copper Star Wars: The Mandalorian Packaging
Item No.: Asst. E8908 No. F1863
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #10 - Star Wars: The Mandalorian
Includes: Backpack, helmet, blasters
Action Feature: Removable helmet, articulate rangefinder, working holsters
Retail: $19.99
Availability: February 2021
Appearances: Star Wars: The Mandalorian

Bio: A gifted warrior, Bo-Katan Kryze is a legendary Mandalorian. She refused to align with the Empire’s occupation of Mandalore. (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: You're going to want to buy Bo-Katan Kryze in her first-ever action figure form, but you're also going to want to get a version 2.0 if Hasbro puts one out. It's good - if this is the only one we ever get, you're probably going to be happy with it. Having said that, the colors are just a bit off with a couple of sculpting changes from the costume on the show that customizers are going to be altering this one. Provided they can find one, of course. I assume the figure may have been developed prior to the finalization of the costume, which means you've got a very good - but not exact - representation of the character from the small screen.

Given her appearance on the second season of the show, it's a real shock to have a figure. With all the secrecy, I would've assumed an animated version would come first. There are countless changes from animation to live action, with different colors and a few changed elements from her animated debut. This figure is pretty darned close to what we saw on TV last year, with 27 points of articulation. Other than the segment of armor covering her bely missing three grooves that you can see in the actual costume, the sculpting seems pretty spot-on. Her shoulder pauldrons look a little more angular on the show, whereas the final figure's are rounded. Everything else seems to be where it should be, with knee pads, gauntlets, and the Nite Owls logos you've come to love and expect. Her hair is a separately molded piece - which means the color shouldn't scrape over time - plus her hips can actually swing forward enough so she can sit in a chair. The range of movement is excellent given she has rubbery holsters hanging over her hips, and I had no problems getting her to stand or interact with her accessories.

Deco could use some work. You can see the scrapes on the helmet don't look particularly natural, and the black "wear" on the blue armor doesn't quite look like the TV show either. The figure completely lacks the lights on the wrist armor, and there's no silver scuffing either. The color is a little more muted in the blue spots, and her belt seems more saturated than the on-screen counterpart. The belt deco also seems a bit off, but it could just be the lighting. I think there's room for improvement on the helmet too, with painted detail not standing out quite as well as what appeared on TV. It's by no means bad - if you didn't compare it to a reference image, you'd probably assume it's nearly perfect.

I don't know why Hasbro has been so hesitant to pack Mandalorians in more cases and at higher ratios, because people want to buy these things. I don't think any of the characters from the new show - or reissues like Boba or Jango since it started - have been available in anything remotely resembling ample supply. It's a thrill to see new ones, and hopefully you can find this one. Hasbro can certainly sell a few more, and it's good enough to track down if you have the means. If you're reading this in the far future and there was a superior redeco, I doubt you'll need this one too - but for the only game in town? It's great.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,785: March 9, 2021