Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,129: Jannah (The Black Series)

JANNAH Really, Really Cheap Now
The Black Series 6-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. E4071 No. E6055
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #98
Includes: Cape, blaster, quiver, bow, arrow, arrow group
Action Feature: Working holster, arrow fits in bow or quiver
Retail: $19.99 Availability: October 2019 Appearances: The Rise of Skywalker

Bio: From an oceanic moon, Jannah leads a band of warriors, ready to charge against the forces of the First Order. (Taken from the box 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: Looking at a figure like Jannah with the gift of hindsight is peculiar - I had her sitting for almost five years before opening the box. I didn't exactly have a great time with The Rise of Skywalker, so a lot of the 6-inch figures just sort of sat unopened. That's not a knock on their quality - Hasbro did a great job outfitting Jannah with a lot of gear and articulation, plus she has that superior face printing technology from when it was still relatively new. I assume a figure of this quality would be "deluxe" by today's standards, given how much stuff they pack in the box - with paint! - for the price. And now it's worth less than half of what it cost, I assume in part because the sequels left people feeling pretty much done and then The Mandalorian was on. This is an ambitious figure with plenty going on, but since she didn't exactly have a great role in the last movie you can get her on the cheap now.

After opening her, I was impressed by the level of paint and articulation - and noticed that my sample had a missing paint operation. The glove on her right hand should have paint on the forearm, my sample was left undecorated. But she has red sandals, blue pants, silver armor on her torso and left arm, painted goggles, a painted face, plus black, white, gold, and silver bits. And a cape which is oddly clear plastic painted brown, which gives it an incredible texture in most light. It looks a little strange when backlit, I admit, but so did my friend's mom's intestine sculptures. And I assume this is some sort of skin cape.

I don't know that the figure was made after final casting was done - the level of detail is incredible, but the face isn't quite perfect, and the belt and some of the gear is not tilted the same as the publicity shots. It might be nothing, but you may have heard the legends of General Madine's beard. It's a nice sculpt. The hair is big and looks cool. The goggles look like something out of Rogue One and her pants are not unlike what we saw on Rey... but in terms of costuming, it really does feel like the modern era of Lucasfilm had lots of designs and pulled them out at random as needed. This figure would be right at home in a Rogue One shelf if you didn't know her from the final sequel film. The goggles and arm decor could probably have worked just fine in a Partisan stronghold. The elbow cuts are a little weird, but get the job done - plus she has double-jointed knees. This was around the end of when they were doing those, as they would be phased out in most new sculpts around 2020. Also notable, she has a mid-torso joint that's completely hidden by her silver belt and bandolier thing. That is how you hide articulation.

The range of movement is mostly great, the shoulders don't have quite the range of some other figures of this vintage but she can hold her bow and arrow. And blaster! It's really hard to get anything to sling over her back though, as her cape needs to be removed and the head does not want to come off without a fight (or heat.) As such, it's kind of a pain - but you've got options and you don't have to make use of the many, many accessories you got in the box.

There are some pretty unsightly gaps around her bottom and her elbows when those joints swing forward, but other than that? It's a decent action figure. It's by no means perfect, but you got a lot for your money, and I would have preferred a slightly better head. And maybe the belt and stuff being tilted right. But that's sometimes as good as you can get when the figure comes out at roughly the same time as the movie, but I don't recall her (or many of the new movie figures) flying off the shelves. Heck, even her wavemate Cara Dune sat a while until... you know. I'm curious if we'll ever get another Jannah, or if she'll show up in the alleged Rey movie, but if she doesn't you can just be impressed her single arrow can fit through a little plastic tube on the bow and look like she's about to launch it. As I pretty much memory holed The Rise of Skywalker and have been putting off a second viewing since 2019, I am not sure if this figure is going to stay out on display. I'd recommend it as being a decent figure for the asking price, but especially if you're fond of the newer films and the future eras of Star Wars. Just don't pay full retail for this one, the eBay prices are incredibly low.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,129: April 30, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,115: Paige (Resistance Gunner, The Last Jedi Line Look)

PAIGE Resistance Gunner
The Last Jedi Basic Figure Teal Assortment
Item No.: Asst. C1531 No. C1538
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, helmet
Action Feature: Force Link sounds
Retail: $8.99
Availability: September 2017
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio: Paige Tico, nicknamed Pae-Pae by her sister, was a human female who served as a gunner on a MG-100 StarFortress SF-17 in the Resistance during their conflict with the First Order. (Stolen from Wookieepedia. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: When making toys from an unreleased movie, you're at the mercy of your licensor - hopefully you get some sort of access to the script, the sets, and indeed any part of the filmmakers you can get. Before a new movie is released, most toys are equals - Constable Zuvio, Finn, Rey, and Poe Dameron were all on the same footing. The same was true in 2017 when we got Resistance Gunner Paige, who could be a major character in the movie. Or not. It turns out the character was not a major player in the movie - heck, most of the movie line's figures were a mix of repeats - ad it didn't help that Paige and Rose shipped together in matching mustard-colored Resistance uniforms. Fans were not excited - heck, she sat unopened on a peg in my basement until last month (along with a few other figures from the sequel era) because we've had a ton of things to review and sometimes, things just keep getting kicked down the road. And that was about five and a half years ago.

Before the movie, this was an interesting new pilot figure with a cool helmet. And after the movie, none of that changed as we saw a character have a brief, appearance that served as a way to help define her sister Rose Tico. In a movie year, it's always a little upsetting when your "sneak preview" figures wind up being of little consequence in the grand scheme of things. The sculpting is really good, with Paige having that somehow form-fitting-yet-baggy look that seems to show signs of wear, but without the painted weathering. The vest is a light gray, and every bit of her clothing has the illusion of feeling used and old despite being shiny and new. I'm impressed. She also had a Resistance (or Rebel if you're nasty) symbol on her sleeve and a vaguely familiar checkerboard pattern on her removable helmet. The face sculpt is good, and the face deco is pretty great for pre-Photo Real. I would love to see more paint on the straps and buckles, but at least her leg straps and boots are painted. For her time, this was a pretty great figure in a time where The Vintage Collection was on hiatus.

Her pose is typical of the time - skinny, straight limbs that swing forward with no problems whatsoever. I assume many people in their 40s (or 50s) will turn their nose up at this figure, but the only complaint I had would be getting the mask on her chest plugged in to her removable helmet. It's a great feature, but it's really hard to get it in there and to have it hold in place despite having pegs. She has no problems holding her blaster, and the helmet fits like a glove. Or helmet. It's a good fit, is where I'm going, and you may as well leave the mask off so you can see the face.

I assume the dud of a toy line that was The Rise of Skywalker pumped the brakes on future generations of fans collecting sequel toys later, as it didn't quite come in for the kind of landing we saw with Star Wars originally in The Power of the Force line or the numerous victory laps we saw from Revenge of the Sith figures. The Last Jedi had an action figure series I would call acceptable, Solo had a good enough one, but there weren't a lot of thrilling or weird figures to be had. Paige is aggressively well-engineered, nicely-sculpted and decorated, priced more or less fairly... but she's another boring human. The main thing she had going for her at the time of release was that she was one of very few new characters in the line, and today, I would probably bet you $50 she'll never have another action figure in the next five to ten years. Or longer. She's cheap if you can find her at a comic shop and I doubt you'll find the figure disappointing unless you just don't want another pilot figure. I'd love to see Hasbro make more figures at around this price point and level of quality for a modern audience.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth in 2017. They are long sold out... but there's a nonzero chance a 99 Cents Only store near you might have a few dusty ForceLink-era figures on their pegs.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,115: March 12, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,106: Y5-X2

Y5-X2 with R4-X2
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: R4-X2 and Y5-X2 figures
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $19.99
Availability: ca. Fall 2017
Appearances: The Last Jedi
Bio: All different types of astromech droid populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors. These Resistance droids are assigned to the main cruiser of the embattled Resistance forces. May the Force be with you... and your droids! (Taken from the packaging)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: If you're looking for the most essential droid in the line, it isn't Y5-X2. The body is identical to his 2-pack companion R4-X2. Only the head is unique between them, and since they're packed together, you're likely to get both or neither. At least it's cool. The dark green body has black and silver panels with some white on the shoulders, breaking up the dark a little bit - but maybe not enough to really pop. Thank goodness there's a white dome that stands out.

The paint isn't perfect, with the triangles on top of the dome being painted green and off-center a bit. The red eyes are a little off-center, but it's so minor you probably won't notice. He has tons of green rectangles painted on his head, plus a Resistance symbol subtly etched in the back. If I was the kind of person who customized his car, I would want to get this kind of graphics slapped on the sides. It's by no means essential, but I like droids, and I like green, and I like faction symbols on things. Astromechs rarely have any sort of affiliation markers on them, so these two are pretty special. But also, I now have hundreds of them, so I would also be pretty happy if they just stopped.

Collector's Notes: I got mine in 2017 and I'm pretty sure my pal Shannon picked it up for me - but it's been in my "to open" pile for seven years! Well, thanks Shannon.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,106: February 8, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,102: R4-X2

R4-X2 with Y5-X2
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: R4-X2 and Y5-X2 figures
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $19.99
Availability: ca. Fall 2017
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio: All different types of astromech droid populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors. These Resistance droids are assigned to the main cruiser of the embattled Resistance forces. May the Force be with you... and your droids! (Taken from the packaging)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I got too many droids, and also, there are a few I infuriatingly was not able to get. But I did get the very nice R4-X2, which riffs on R2-X2 from the original film. Because you apparently can't trust your lying eyes, that droid was originally made as a black figure, but later as a dark green figure, and subsequently this fella and Y5-X2 were made in a similar style using the Disney droid molds... which were based on Hasbro molds.

One of the reasons I didn't open this set until last month was a lack of curiosity - there were no new parts and I mistakenly thought they were pretty straightforward repaints. Not so! The body is very similar to R2-X2, with black and silver painted elements. The dome looks very late-1980s, with green block patterns that remind me of the Industrial Automaton logo. The nice addition that really struck me was the Resistance logo on the front and back of the dome, which is something we just usually never see. Ziro had a droid with a faction symbol, and it's possible R2-X2 did too (I haven't seen reference photos from behind of the actual prop), I don't remember another droid with this symbol on it. It's kind of funny you'd think it would be a handy tool for subterfuge. A Stormtrooper could just roll one of these in a Rebel base and hope nobody asks any questions. If you can paint Chopper black, who's to say it won't work?

The dome is white plastic with green detailing, plus silver and black elements. There's a lot going on here, so it's interesting to look at and, for better or for worse, one of the more exciting figures from that movie. (Hasbro's line gave us a few new faces and also some very samey figures.) I like this one, although after seven year it is notable that the sequel trilogy's sophomore installment hasn't been expanded on in merchandising much, and the entire saga sort of just flailed around and avoided making new and interesting ships and playsets. It would be nice to have a place to put this figure, which is the only real knock I have against it. You don't own a Resistance capital ship, therefore you likely have no need for figures to fill one out.

The price of this set just makes my head hurt - they sold us two droids for $20 back then, and now it's one for $15. (Back then it was one for $13.) At its original price this set was a great - if obscure - pairing, and while arguably not exciting with two nearly identical droids, at least you felt like you got your money's worth. Prices have gone up on this set, but it's charming.

Collector's Notes: I got mine in 2017 and I'm pretty sure my pal Shannon picked it up for me - but it's been in my "to open" pile for seven years! Well, thanks Shannon.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,102: January 25, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,932: Babu Frik (Droid Depot Redux 2022, The Black Series 6-Inch)

BABU FRIK Droid Depot Set
The Black Series Galaxy's Edge Exclusive Action Figure
Item No.: No. F3400
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Babu Frik, Pit Droid, Battle Droid with blaster and antenna backpacks, K-7R1, and CB-23
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $74.99
Availability: March 2022
Appearances: Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Bio: A tiny droidsmith normally found working arond the Spice runners of Kijimi, the well-regarded Babu Frik can reprogram or modify virtually any droid, regardless of security measures protecting its systems. (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: This Babu Frik is barely different than Target's 2019 exclusive Babu Frik [FOTD #2,664], but this set says it's a unique figure so let's look at him again. The character lit up social media as a bright spot in The Rise of Skywalker, a movie that hasn't really found new audiences loving it just yet. Maybe it'll come down the road - but it got buried by The Mandalorian which deftly took the baton from the movies that brought us all to collect this stuff in the first place. I've not been able to revisit the movie since 2019. Maybe this will change.

If you missed Babu Frik in late 2019, either The Black Series figure is good enough. At 1-inch tall, he remains one of the shortest figures in this larger-scale line with an articulated visor and ball-jointed arms. The wide toes keep the figure from falling over, and the sculpt is pretty good for something that's smaller than a cashew, with wrinkles on the skin and his hood.

Deco is similar, but not identical - the peachy belly and palms of his hands are much lighter this time, which actually does a lot to increase the visible definition of his hands. I appreciate that it lets me see more sculpted detail, and of the two, I would argue this one looks better. Having said that, either is just as good - at this size, unless you get in super close, you won't realize there's a difference.

The Target release with C-3PO can still be had fairly cheaply, so if you just want this character either version offers incentives to make it the version you should buy. It's unusual that an accessory is more interesting than the figure you're paying for, but it happens, and it clicks sometimes. I wouldn't recommend him unless you missed the previous release and want to spend $75 on other robots. It's good, but - at best - this is $2-$3 worth of action figure here. Imaginext figures are $3 and do more for $3, and if this figure falls behind on a shelf you'll probably never see him again.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Shop Disney.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,932: June 9, 2022

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,924: CB-23 (Droid Depot set, The Black Series)

CB-23 Droid Depot Set
The Black Series Galaxy's Edge Exclusive Action Figure
Item No.: No. F3400
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Babu Frik, Pit Droid, Battle Droid with blaster and antenna backpacks, K-7R1, and CB-23
Action Feature: Weighted Base
Retail: $74.99
Availability: March 2022
Appearances: Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge and Star Wars: Resistance
Bio: A maroon and turquoise BB astromech unit, CB-23 is a member of the Resistance and serves as Poe Dameron's co-pilot for a short period of time while BB-8 was on another mission. (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: I don't have anything to complain about here. CB-23 is another - and one of few - figures from the Star Wars: Resistance cartoon to make the transition to the 6-inch line. Considering that the show came and went with the sort of enthusiasm you reserve for a sneeze, it's kind of amazing that Hasbro gave us a new droid dome to go with this BB-8 retool. The BB-8 mold hasn't been used very much at this scale, and it's kind of amazing to think after 7 years this is only the second BB droid in this particular size class. I assumed we'd have had a BB-9E by now, but no.

If you missed Star Wars: Resistance, that's OK, I suggest you keep missing it. The show was the most colorful Star Wars has been since Ewoks and/or Droids, and was loaded with neat vehicles, cool aliens, and some excellent costumes along with some of the most dreadfully dull stories aimed at young kids you'd expect to see. The tie-ins to the sequel trilogy were few, but given how they can't actually spoil anything or tell you anything in the show you were left without a lot to go on unles you really loved the characters. While I could hang out with Flix all day long, he has yet to get his own spin-off.

CB-23 was BB-8's replacement, and is a pretty nice figure. The red roly-poly body has the same weighted mechanism we saw with BB-8, and there's no dirty deco or battle damage. It's just a nice clean robot with a newly-tooled dome, complete with wonderful blue highlights, a silver cap, and other painted silver and black detailing. I'd make some comment or snide remark about it if I could, or even say it's amazing, but it's just kind of exactly what you would and should expect out of this kind of a retooled action figure. The colors are all nice and bright, the paint is mostly incredibly clean and the antenna are, for some reason, almost translucent. But everything looks good. As a glorified accessory, this robot is charming and more colorful than most figures we tend to get.

There aren't many landmarks I can point to and say "this is awesome!" Top-to-bottom, it's an incredibly decent little robot that serves as a reminder that the designers behind Resistance did a great job and there may be some gold to mine out of the show if we ever get to a point where anything goes in action figures again. (It won't, so don't get your hopes up.) I wouldn't recommend this figure for the price of the boxed set, but it's nice enough that if you were going to buy the set anyway, it's not going to tick you off. It's good! You'll like it.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Shop Disney.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,924: May 12, 2022

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,836: FN-2187 (Finn Stormtrooper, The Force Awakens)

FN-2187 Finn
The Force Awakens Desert and Snow Figures
Item No.: Asst. B3963 No. B6339
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: "Combine" gun, blaster, helmet
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: January 2016
Appearances: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Bio: After his first taste of combat during a brutal First Order night assault on a Jakku village, stormtooper FN-2187 defects from Kylo Ren's forces, becoming a fugitive.. (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: I sat on FN-2187 for quite some time - well, it hung on a peg over my desk since 2016. Which is a shame, it's a good figure and probably should have been the first figure released in the line. It would've been a good Sneak Preview figure, had Hasbro still done those things. It's kind of fun to look at these figures later, with decent quality figures and a few oddball decisions that look even weirder in context.

The body is fundamentally the same as all the 3 3/4-inch First Order stormtroopers, which means it stands well, sits well, has a place to plug a blaster in the thigh, but can't sit. The legs don't swing forward all the way, so it's a rotten vehicle pilot - but if you need someone to stand at a cannon, he's great. The arms have no problems swinging forward, and the ball-jointed head is just the right size so the helmet slips on without too much friction. Having reviewed thousands of these things, it's kind of surprising to know that every figure you buy is something of a coin toss as to if the accessories will fit, or if the legs can be positioned in a way to fit in the vehicles. Kenner pretty much hit them out of the park in the 1970s and most of the 1980s, although I will say there's no question that the sculpting is a lot better on these newer guys.

The Finn head likeness is good, and the blaster is a little loose in the plug - if you knock it, it'll fall out. Thankfully the helmet is more or less perfect, and if you just want a cool figure to stand on your desk - or stay on the card - it's amazing. The big cannon accessory is kind of dopey, and looking back on it, they're especially maddening. We got charged extra for these things. Sometimes less is more, but Hasbro was probably also wise to sell a figure at a higher price point at the time because the mania in 2015 was so high that people would likely have paid $10 just to get something new. That's one of the things I don't much love about the hobby - the prices seem to be somewhat fluid based on hype and availability. It wasn't a great impulse price point at the time, but when you can convince fans to line up at midnight to buy toys, such things really don't matter a whole heck of a lot. It's a great figure. It's no the best toy.

One of my go-to tests for "is this a good toy?" has been "can it pilot an old Kenner Landspeeder?" and in this case, the answer is "barely." I just fit him in the MTV-7 Mini-Rig I keep on my desk, and he can pilot it - but he's leaning back a lot. The figure ticks the boxes of what you need for a good action figure, but I think with better hips it would be superb. As it is, it's just OK - but since it's from the new trilogy, you're probably not going to care about this figure for another ten, maybe fifteen years as the kids who grew up on this trilogy may later decide to collect these things.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,836: July 8, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,804: CB-23 (Droid Factory Line Look / Droid Depot)

CB-23 Disney Parks Exclusive
Star Wars Droid Depot
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney?
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $12.99
Availability: October 2020
Appearances: Star Wars: Resistance

 
Bio: All different types of droids populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors. A maroon and turquoise BB Astromech unit, CB-23 serves the resistance as Poe Dameron's co-pilot. May the Force be with you... and your Droids! (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: With the parks largely closed and my pals unable to go places, I got CB-23 when a damaged cardback showed up on eBay. The price was right. This uses Disney's BB tooling, but gives us a new head and the first and perhaps only release the robot will ever see. It would not stun me if this is the last time we ever get a figure from Star Wars: Resistance either.

By 2021 nobody needs nor do they want another BB droid. I think everybody got over the sequels for a while, and right now want to wallow in the post-Return of the Jedi splendor of The Mandalorian. For those of us who just need everything, this little robot is a nice addition to the droid pool since he got a new head. The red head now has a flat silver top with a few wires, lights, and panels I didn't notice when watching the show. It looks like someone customized it. The dome is missing a little yellow box on his left side, but other than that matches the packaging rendering quite nicely with the cheery colors. The unique dome makes this an easy choice to pick up, provided you aren't yet over countless repaints and retools of robots.

The body is largely the same as BB-8 other than the colors, and it looks fantastic. If you pop it open, there's a weighted engine ball inside molded in red with silver highlights. Why did Disney bother to paint something you may never even know you can see? I have no idea. I assume to make you think you got your $13 worth, especially since Hasbro did a series of 2-packs last fall for a mere $9.99 each. There's no weighted ball or removable head, but on the other hand, you got two for ten bucks.

There's not a lot new here other than head and colors, but that's what tends to serve as a good redeco in Transformers. Normally you don't even get a new noggin. I don't assume we'll get a lot from Disney's largely ignored second animated child, despite it being jam-packed with awesome alien designs and some really cool periphery characters. Also, some of the most boring heroes and villains. But we got a handful of neat figures, and this droid is one of the few I was left wanting once the line ended. Now where's Jim Rash: Bird Man, and Neeku?

Collector's Notes: I got this from eBay.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,804: April 22, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,722: General Leia Organa (The Black Series 6-Inch)

GENERAL LEIA ORGANA Late, Worth the Wait
The Force Awakens The Black Series 6-Inch Figure
Item No.: Asst. B3834 No. C3291
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #52
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: September 2017
Appearances: The Force Awakens

Bio:  Despite all t hat she has endured and lost in a lifetime of war, General Leia Organa continues to shine as a beacon of hope for the loyal soldiers of the Resistance under her command.  (Taken from Hasbro'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: Why yes it did take me 3 years to open General Leia Organa - and she's great!  For whatever reason, despite this being the main outfit of one of the three most important and merchandisable characters in the new movie, Hasbro/Lucasfilm/etc. decided to drag their feet on making new Luke and Leia sequel series toys.  For two years.  Despite this being the reason people went to see the movie and what they expected out of the original Force Friday.   I'd say this is a pretty good microcosm of how the relaunch went - sometimes it was good, sometimes it was weird, and there are a lot of "what exactly are you doing and why" moments.   But we got some good stuff!  And this Leia is certainly good stuff.

The 6-inch scale figure has the blue Rebel Fleet Trooper-esque suit and a purple vest, with a blaster that looks like her original one.  The boots are great.  The sculpted detail is excellent, with mostly the very best articulation.  This figure was made during Hasbro's bizarre era of putting torso joints on the chest, rather than hiding them in the belt - I would seriously love to know whose idea this was because it makes the figure look less than great while not necessarily improving the range of movement.  But it's not all bad!  The elbows have a pretty deep bend, and they blend in perfectly with her rolled-up sleeves.  The hands hold the blaster just fine.  Her hip joints are some of the very best, allowing her legs to swing forward just as well as your old 3 3/4-inch Kenner figures.

For a 2017 figure, the likeness is great.  I bet Hasbro could rerelease her with better deco - the face printing and skin tones have improved significantly lately - but this original release is good.  The flesh looks human, which is important, as the General is of that species.  The painted eyes and eyebrows look great, much less exaggerated than on her 3 3/4-inch sequel-era figures.  You can see that her face has a few signs of age - but it's flattering.  A tiny bit sunken in spots, but generally bright-eyed and smooth.  It's an idealized Carrie Fisher in toy form. 

If you said to me to describe my perfect ideal of a Leia action figure in 2017, this would be it.  Unhindered articulation, better than average deco, a painted blaster, and excellent molding make this a figure you should go back and buy, unless they announce a better painted reissue.   As we enter a new era where the Disney sequel trilogy seems to be quietly buried under the rug, at least as far as merchandise goes, it's worth noting that there were great, older versions of the classic heroes that are absolutely worth buying. This Leia is one of those.   I would have loved a holster for her blaster, but it's not like her hands don't work.   Get her before she gets expensive when people realize just how nice this one is!

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,722: September 3, 2020

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,688: Rey (The Vintage Collection)

REY Palpatine, Skywalker, Whatever
The Vintage Collection
Item No.: Asst. E5912 No. E4056
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #156
Includes: Pistol, lightsaber hilt, lightsaber, staff, bag
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $12.99
Availability: October 2019
Appearances: The Rise of Skywalker

Bio:  Rey Skywalker was a Force-sensitive human female who, after years of living as a scavenger, became a Jedi during the war between the First Order and the Resistance. Unaware of her lineage as the granddaughter of the Emperor, Rey was the only name she went by prior to assuming the Skywalker surname. (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: Almost great.  This Rey figure is very representative of The Rise of Skywalker as a movie - there are parts of it that are great in the context of Star Wars as a whole, and there are parts of it that are just kind of weird.  There are elements that are unquestionably the result of top-tier craftspersons working at the top of their game, and there are things that are just plain bad.  Packaged collectors have a lot to love here, with a great sculpt and really good paint giving you the best-looking Rey at this scale.   The articulation is really good too, with an improved range of motion in the elbows and shoulders that do a fantastic job hiding the joints in there while keeping the motion as good as or better than previous offerings.

On the other hand, we lose bend-and-swivel wrists - they spin, and that's it.   She has those fantastic thigh-cut joints and enhanced hip joints, but the right one is unable to move thanks to how the holster is glued to it, while the left one can't really move thanks to the outfit draped over the joint being too stiff to allow motion.   This basically renders the hips, knees, and ankles more or less not useful - if she was a statue from the waist on down, I don't think my opinion of the figure would change.   The top half of the figure is oh so right, while the bottom half is just oh so wrong.  Her holster - at least on my sample - doesn't allow you to put the blaster in there, either.  There's nowhere for her lightsaber hilt  to hang on a belt or in a bag.   Hasbro clearly worked hard on ensuring the figure had lots of gear, a fantastic Daisy Ridley portrait, and subtle paint applications to give some slightly-weathered leather appearances, but in the end you really have to ask what purpose these figures serve.

It's my hunch Hasbro saw this movie's 3 3/4-inch line as souvenirs for adult collectors - the joints are there, the deco is good, the packaging is fine, but Rey isn't meant to be played with.  This is a figure for you to look at and admire.   She has no problem holding her accessories, but there are many a quibble.  The lightsaber hilts are very small and a lot blacker than they should be while the blaster seems great, but is missing some key decoration around the middle of the weapon.   I've got no real problems with the staff or the bag, those are fine.

Hasbro should be given all the credit for what they did right here too - the neck, arms, and waist have a fantastic range of motion that easily put that half of the figure in the upper echelons of what Hasbro has done in its thousands of figures.  The deco is crisp, the face paint is astonishing given the size, and I can't believe how well that neck joints works.  I wish the 3 3/4-inch line had a rosier future, because this looks like another great learning experience for Hasbro to build on if we get new toys in the future... and we're not getting many.  This figure and indeed most of the Rise-era TVC figures were in pretty short supply, so hopefully you got while the getting was good.  I wouldn't say she's worth a premium on the secondary market, but she's worth the retail asking price (or a couple extra bucks to ship) if you can find her.  And maybe Hasbro will reissue her a few times, as they have done with many figures from the previous films.  This is one that could be given a few improvements with the parts of her outfit hanging off her waist and could be one of the best things Hasbro ever did - but as is, she's kind of stiff and not a lot of fun as a thing you can play with.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,688: May 7, 2020

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,674: R6-LE5 (Droid Factory Line Look)

R6-LE5 Not R5-D4
Droid Factory The Rise of Skywalker Boxed Set
Item No.:   No. 41342
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: 3 more droid figures, D-O clear base
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $29.99
Availability: October 2019
Appearances: The Rise of Skywalker

Bio: All different types of Astromech droids populate the Star Wars galaxy.  Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors.   These four new Astromech droids are featured in The Rise of Skywalker.   May the Force be with you... and your Droids!  (Taken from the figure's packaging.)
Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  If you liked R2-SHP, then R6-LE5 is more of that.  The same color and body are here, but the dome is different - the unique R6 shape has been added to the same, admittedly nice, droid form.  The metallic blue sparkles, and the silver and black with a light dusting of grey do make for a figure that pops in almost any diorama.

The black central eye is augmented by a white circle, a couple of red boxes, and some minimal detailing on the back.  It's pretty simple, but the shape is good enough that you probably won't notice.  The plastic metallic swirl does most of the heavy lifting in terms of bringing this figure to life, which gives it a look that's probably more metallic than if it were actual metal.  Articulation is standard modern Droid Factory fare, with removable legs and dome.  You get about five moving parts in all, with the exposed mechanisms under the dome all matching blue.  We've slid a bit since Hasbro started doing these, silver and other colors under the dome really did add a lot of detail while bringing these to "life" as real fake space appliances.   At least the BB unit cores still have some color... and a few colors of paint for added interior detail.

It'd be great if this figure wasn't nearly identical to another figure in the very same set, but given the asking price it's not exactly terrible - even if you consider D-O a freebie.   If you can find this set, I'd say it's well worth the $30, and if you were buying individual figures some fans split up on eBay this one is particularly nifty given its colors and distinctive dome.  It doesn't do anything your dozens (hundreds) of other droids don't, though, so don't feel too bad if you missed it.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from my pal Shannon.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,674: March 19, 2020

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,673: BB-8 (Galaxy of Adventures 5-Inch)

BB-8 with D-O and R2-D2
Galaxy of Adventures   5-Inch Droid 3-Pack
Item No.: No. E3118
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 3 figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: October 2019
Appearances: The Rise of Skywalker

Bio: BB-8, sometimes spelled and pronounced Beebee-Ate and nicknamed BB, was a BB-series astromech droid who operated approximately thirty years after the Battle of Endor. (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: While initially the darling of Disney's reign of Star Wars, the once invincible BB-8 went from being the selling point to toys across all price points to a lesser, former cute character.  Baby Yoda stole his lunch before The Rise of Skywalker hit theaters, but fans moved on pretty quickly - by 2018, new takes on RC droids and playsets and all sorts of goodies.   This 3-pack was a nifty innovation for the final saga sequel, giving you 3 pretty good figures for $15.

BB-8 doesn't do much - but these figures typically don't do a lot.  He has a springy flat base below the round ball, which has been great to serve as a sort of a kickstand to prevent him from rolling off of a flat surface.   The very clean droid has a head with a giant eye to make the figure appear cuter, and he sports a lone ball joint a the base of his dome.  He can look up and down and all around... and that's it.  There are no vehicles in which to mount him, no playsets to make use of the "foot," or anything like that.  It's just a good-sized, decent-looking, and certainly A-OK take on the droid.

Target stores were loaded with this set prior to the movie's release, and the secondary market shows that enthusiasm was softer than retailers predicted.   It's a shame - it's a good set with the three non-speaking droids in good form at a perfectly acceptable price.  The set is undeniably made by people that understand the need for figures to stand up and look good, but the droids got the shallow end of action features.   At clearance prices - as low as $7.50 as I write this - I would recommend this as an impulse buy for you and all your fan buddies.   Even at $15, the set is a good example of Hasbro making something good at a fair price - it's just not the scale you readers tend to demand.  When it comes to toys for the sake of toys, this BB-8 is a good one - but if you're happy with your BB-8 droid pool, you probably won't have much use for one more.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,673: March 17, 2020