Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,683: Knight of Ren (The Black Series 6-Inch)

KNIGHT OF REN Otherwise known as Vicrul
The Black Series   6-Inch Figure
Item No.: Asst. E4071 No. E8068
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #105
Includes: Bladed club, blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: March 2020
Appearances: The Force Awakens & The Rise of Skywalker

Bio: An enclave of masked warriors wielding distinct weapons for ranged and close quarters combat, the Knights of Ren are elite, fearsome enforces of Kylo Ren. (Taken from the figure's 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: One of my gripes about reviewing Star Wars figures is a lack of novelty.  Play features are rare, as are new innovations.  Hasbro pulled some surprises out of their sleeves with the first 6-inch Knight of Ren figure, which is also the only 6-inch one, known to reference books as Vicrul.  I hope they make the whole gang, and so do you - because they put some neat new features in to this one along with better-than-average articulation tucked inside his folds and wrinkles.

Part of an elite tribe of Snake Eyes, Batman, and Darth Vader cosplayers, Vicrul seems to be a product of his culture.   You can see decades of Star Wars design here, like Supreme Cancellor Palpatine's weird leathery oRevenge of the Sith, a helmet that seems like a pastiche of First Order and Imperial helmets, dusty boots, and a coat that gives you all the black leather you could want.  With no real eyes to speak of, it's the epitome of new trilogy designs.  Familiar, but different.
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The figure decides to amp things up a bit by changing up how it's constructed.  You get the rocker ankles you always get, but you also get those nifty new shoulders that can swivel forwards and backwards - but they're not visible!   And why not?  The torso is covered in a rubbery shirt, which hides a lot of the joints in that general area.  Clever!  At least 27 joints are present, including one of the best double-jointed necks we've yet got in this scale. It's not just a barbell connecting the chest to the skull - there's a full neck with a surprisingly large range of motion in there.

I love the fact that the helmet has a silvery - but not scuffed - look, with the back even having some subtle grey stripes that you probably would never miss had they left it unpainted.   The blaster and club easily fit in the hands, but I should point out that it does have some minorest of minor quibbles with accessories.   The right hand isn't particularly tight for the club, but it can easily assume the publicity pose you've seen in the books.  The blaster fits in the hand quite nicely, but it's a little tough to get it in the holster - you have to stretch a strap to fit, which will undoubtedly end in heartbreak in the distant future when the plastic snaps some day.  I would recommend putting it in there now, or leaving it out, and making peace with that decision. (Or buy two!)

Hasbro has given us a lot of good figures lately, but the improved shoulder and neck joints make me very happy here.   I'd love to see the rest of the gang!  It's a pity we got one in 3 3/4-inch, one in 6-inch, and they can't hang out together.   C'mon Hasbro, pick a size. We're at war here.  Get this figure if you can find it.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,683: April 21, 2020

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,650: Knight of Ren (The Vintage Collection)

KNIGHT OF REN Axe and Ye Shall Receive
The Vintage Collection
Item No.: Asst. E5912 No. E4063
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #155
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Axe head, axe pole
Retail: $12.99
Availability: October 2019
Appearances: The Force Awakens, The Rise of Skywalker

Bio: The Knights of Ren were a mysterious order of elite warriors that followed the dark side of the Force in an age when the Sith were extinct and the Jedi Order was all but destroyed.  (Stolen from Wookieepedia. 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: In The Force Awakens in 2015, we got to see a few people that are now known to us - still nameless - as a Knight of Ren.  Who is Ren? Why are they knights?  Are these muddy goth kids with sharp toys?   I'm writing this before The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters, so I don't know why or if this robed, spiked, and dirty warrior is important.  We saw him in a Force flashback in 2015, so the hope is that he'll do something cool in the new movie.  I wouldn't bank on it - I'll know (and you'll know) when this review goes live. 

The figure is good, and is Star Warsy enough that I'd say you should get it for that reason.  the two-piece axe pops together or apart nicely, and can be held just like you see in the very boring cardback photo.  The helmet has long straps of material over the top, which makes the figure look like a rather silly variation on Darth Revan.  On top of this, there's a cape - and all of these hide a lot of the joints.  Knight of Ren (the first) has loads of articulation like bend-and-swivel wrists but standard ankle joints.  The thigh cuts remain, as do the fancy hip joints allowing lateral movement.  Knight of Ren's costume is admittedly mostly bland.  Were it not for the graves and vambraces that seemed meant to evoke the Shredder, the figure is basically just some dude in black pajamas with gloves and boots.   There's also a belt buckle that probably has no real significance, but looks like it could be used to power a breathing device or to store cashews.  We just don't know and maybe never will.

I think this is a cool figure and probably exists as a canny attempt to give collectors more Sith-like baddies.   Funko is delivering more Knights of Ren than Hasbro so far - but hopefully Hasbro will continue the collection, and who knows - maybe Disney will give us a show about the Knights of Ren some day. (I would probably watch it.)  Right now we're being given these figures with minimal background, allowing us to fill in the blanks - effectively making them like Boba Fett in the 1970s and 1980s.  Maybe there's more to them - and maybe there never will be.  Either way, the design and mystery will probably be served to separate us from our money for years to come, with this release as a decent enough place to start the process.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,650: December 26, 2019