Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,781: Rey (Dark Side Vision, The Black Series 6-Inch)

REY Dark Side Vision
The Black Series 2020 Line Look Blue Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Packaging
Item No.: Asst. E8908 No. F1307
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #01 - Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Includes: Lightsaber
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: January 2021
Appearances: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Bio: While searching for the Sith wayfinder, Rey envisions her turn to the dark side. Wielding a double-bladed lightsaber, her rage and immense power is frightening. (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: If you liked The Rise of Skywalker, or if you have taste, you can probably agree that Rey (Dark Side Vision) represented a tantalizing taste of a story we didn't get. Hasbro has mentioned on a few occasions that they knew they had to make her as soon as they could once she showed up in the trailer - and that wasn't much different from her appearance in the actual film. The vision was basically just Rey in one of very few significant costume changes, a mix of Palpatine's robes and Kylo Ren's outfit, with a nice hood and some dark make-up. She doesn't look super-evil, but she does look pretty cool. Also this figure has proven to be insanely popular, which makes sense, because Hasbro put a lot of love into this design.

The 6-inch scale figure has two key landmarks that are likely to grab your attention. The hood is black plastic affixed to the figure. You can turn her head inside it, but the hood won't move. It sits on top of her shoulders which have a cloth cape that is one of the better executions of robes, capes, and the like in this scale. Her double-lightsaber is hinged, with hilts designed to look like a warped take on the classic Graflex Skywalker Saber look. You can see Vader's black cap in the design, a mutant version of the Luke/Anakin tip, and some coloring that reminds me of Palpatine. It articulates nicely, and is one of the better (and more fun) accessories in this scale.

The figure herself is excellent. The hands can grip the weapon. She can stand without a hitch. The elbows can bend more than 90 degrees - that's a huge plus. You can see a little ring on her hand, and her outfit is sculpted with horizontal bands all over. This reminds me a lot of the 1977 Darth Vader suit's gloves... and Dark Empire Luke's outfit in the comics, and Kylo Ren's costume. Getting her to stand or posing her is an effortless affair, and she has great knee joints, rocker ankles, and thigh swivels. Anything below the waist is largely worthless thanks to the plastic dress clamshell, but it's nice to see they put the work into it since they were going to charge you the same regardless of the number of joints. There are about 29, by my count.

While this figure doesn't really do much to expand thee galaxy, it's good. The only suggestions for improvement I would make are ridiculous, as the portrait's printed face is wonderful, the articulation is as good as any Hasbro figure on the "better" end of the spectrum, and she just plain looks cool for a cameo costume. If you can see her for $20ish, buy her if you like her costume! This is a lovely figure and I can't see much reason for them to make more figures of this costume. Also, as I write this I do not have Asajj Ventress... I am curious if she will share leg tooling with this Rey. It would be hyperbolic to say that The Rise of Skywalker would all be worth it for this figure, but I would go as far as to say this may well be the best thing to come out of Hasbro's toys for that film. Their offerings since the new line look have been consistently superior.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,781: February 25, 2021

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 2,663: Rey (& D-O, The Black Series 6-Inch)

REY & D-O
The Black Series 6-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. E4071 No. E4077
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #91
Includes: Pistol, staff, lightsaber, droid, figure, backpack
Action Feature: Store pistol in holster, robot faceplants
Retail: $19.99
Availability: October 2019
Appearances: The Rise of Skywalker

Bio: Rey continues to study the Jedi ways, but she grows concerned about what the future - and the force - may hold in store for her.   (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: We got very few completely new figures for the launch of The Rise of Skywalker, so another Rey was initially disappointing.  It kind of still is - but dagnabbit, it's good.   Hasbro did a good job on previous versions but clearly, someone set out to impress with this one.  As a complete package, she's loaded with gear and a bonus droid sidekick along with one of Hasbro's very best human actor likenesses to date.  That's no small feat - the "hyper real" face printing technology has gradually improved since early 2018, and now it's at the point where it's almost eerie.  How do they squirt out Daisy Ridley's face on a plastic head the size of a modest, slightly shriveled grape?  I have no idea - but Hasbro nailed it here.

While team Lucasfilm has been intent on making all Rey costumes (minus the island adventurer one) "the same but different," I can't gripe about this one too much.  Sure, it looks a lot like The Last Jedi costume got merged with The Force Awakens costume and hair, but now it's in Luke Skywalker's 1977 farmboy colors.  It also retains that loop, the vesty thing, and pretty much the same gear as before.   I'm kind of flummoxed they wouldn't at least give her a flight suit for her time in the various vehicles, but no.   No changing pants for Rey.  It's not allowed.

The figure has exceptionally good deco, with sharp face paint and great belts, straps, and wraps to keep everything in place.  The holster holds her blaster perfectly, and her lightsaber sadly was not designed to hang anywhere.  At least they upgraded the hilt with the repair band, and they also engineered the staff to pop apart in multiple places.  I can't help but wonder if, at some point, there were plans to integrate her new yellow lightsaber blade.   This version of Rey's staff splits in four pieces if you like - which undoubtedly ran up the cost a bit.

Rey's articulation is still good, with better-than-average elbow articulation being a big reason why I'm impressed.  Any figure that can bend more than 90 degrees at the arm has been given some decent engineering time, so kudos to Hasbro for doing a good job here.    I'm able to get some decent poses out of the figure, and the range of motion combined with the great likeness makes this one of Hasbro's best figures at this scale.  That's saying a lot - and it also unfortunately raises the bar for all future releases.  Could any classic figure ever be made with an actor's likeness this perfect?  Could it even get better down the road? I can't wait to find out.

Considering the figure, the bag, the lightsaber, the staff, the blaster, and the droid, $20 is a bargain for this one.  You ought to get it if you can find one at a good price, or at least take a look at the head in the store.  You'll be impressed.  Hopefully we'll see more figures just like her in the future, but having said that I would be very happy if I never see another new Rey action figure ever again.  (Unless she gets an entirely new costume, or maybe that orange lightsaber, that is.)

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,663: February 11, 2020

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,635: Rey (Galaxy of Adventures 5-Inch)

REY Now in 5-Inch Size
Galaxy of Adventures   5-Inch
Item No.: Asst. E3016 No. E3804
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, blaster
Action Feature: Force Attack
Retail: $9.99
Availability: October 2019
Appearances: The Rise of Skywalker

Bio: Rey, a Force-sensitive human female, was a scavenger who lived on the forlorn frontier world of Jakku during the New Republic Era. Toughened by the harsh environment of her homeworld, Rey lived in solitude until events drew her into the galaxy-wide conflict between the First Order and the Resistance. (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: You don't need a new scale, but these Galaxy of Adventures 5-inch action figures are pretty great.  $10 gets you a figure like Rey, which feels like a real toy.  She has 23 points of articulation, which is kind of painful when you compare her range of movement to a 3 3/4-inch figure which costs $13 or more.  And those don't necessarily have rocker ankles, either.   The more stylized figure doesn't have the level of detail as the "realistic" collector-targeted figures, but as far as how it plays?  It's just as good if not better than the other sizes.  The "Rey" likeness is there, but there's not a lot of Daisy Ridley in this otherwise spectacular toy figure.

The figure has a lot of the same movement that you see on a typical super-articulated figure - if you've got a 2003 Clone Wars Super-articulated Clone Trooper, Rey is pretty close.  There are some changes and improvements, plus the waist joint is now a spring-loaded attack mechanism.  The hands have no problems holding the oversized weapons, and the blaster tucks perfectly in the holster.  Her head is huge, and has two neck joints for optimal movement.   The ball-jointed hips have a marvelous range of movement, but what really stuns me on this series are the rocker ankles.  Wrists swivel but don't bend, but that's OK - you can pose this Rey better than most The Black Series figures.  This is not OK, given the costs.

If you are a Star Wars fan, odds are you're already invested in the other scales and don't need this one.  If you just want some cool, cheap figures that are fun to futz with you would do well to give these a shot.  They're great action figures, but they may not be the figures you want due to your collecting history.  I hope Hasbro does a decent run of these and digs into the past to give us aliens, bounty hunters, and a mishmash of more.   The sculpting and articulation is a little simplified, but it's also much cheaper with a bigger bang for the buck.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,635: November 5, 2019

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,602: Rey (Batuu, The Black Series 6-Inch)

REY (Batuu, Smuggler's Run)
Galaxy's Edge The Black Series 6-Inch Figure Disney Park Exclusive
Item No.: No. E51525159
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #n/a
Includes: Blaster and Staff and Lightsaber, Hondo Ohnaka with Blaster, 2 Porgs, Chewbacca with Bowcaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $69.99
Availability: June 2019
Appearances: Galaxy's Edge

Bio: A scavenger toughened by life in Jakku's harsh deserts, Rey has been drawn into a galaxy-spanning conflict and learned that her life is being shaped by the mysterious power of the Force.  (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability:  Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  While I am a fan of Rey (the character) I am finding Rey (the toys) to provide diminishing returns.   This figure is a theme park exclusive that almost certainly qualifies as "just different enough to make you mad."  The costume's colors are pretty much identical to the previous releases of the same costume as a 2-pack with Luke Skywalker from SDCC 2017, or the individually boxed figure from September 2019, or Toys R Us' obscenely overpriced $40 Rey with some soft goods and a display stand from Toys R Us from late 2017.  On top of that, there's a wounded arm variant of the single figure - so the collector who loves Rey has already bought this figure in this costume with this almost identical mold up to five times before this release.  And that hardcore fan will no doubt be drawn to Disneyland, and will probably buy it again.

The good - the figure's costume is true to the movie, with a good range of articulation just like before. She has her staff, her lightsaber, and a lightsaber - the latter of which has a rich deep blue blade, which is a nice change of pace.  The figure's main new feature is the portrait getting that "hyper realistic" photo printing, which gets better every year.  They did a nice job making this Rey figure look more like Daisy Ridley, which is pretty good as previous releases found little improvements with color and eyeliner here and there to make the facial features pop.  I can say that this is the best version of this Rey Hasbro has ever done, but two years later and several variations after... it does not feel essential nor does it feel timely.

With the basic single figure of Rey showing up at second-hand stores around my town for $3-$5 sealed in the box ($12 or under on eBay) and also the soft goods + display base version going for under $20, this doesn't seem terribly necessary.  Since she ties in to the attractions, it makes sense that the figure exists - but I find myself oddly lamenting the lack of a distinctive addition to the costume.  Dirt on her boots?   Maybe some scorch marks on the outfit?  Any environmental cosmetic change would have been a positive addition at this point, not that the new face paint isn't welcome - it would just  be nice to have a figure that's more than improvement and instead offers something distinctive and unique, whatever that may be.

Hasbro did a good job giving the licensor/customer what it likely requested - but I would have liked to have seen a couple of additional enhancements or alterations to make this truly stand out.  At least it has a new portrait!

Collector's Notes: I got mine from my pal Shannon who went to Disneyland's Galaxy's Edge last month.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,602: July 11, 2019

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,471: Rey (Crait Defense, The Last Jedi Line Look)

REY Crait Defense
The Last Jedi Home Video Battle on Crait 4-Pack
Item No.:    No. E0321
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 4 figures, 4 blasters, poncho, lightsaber, staff
Action Feature: Force Link sounds
Retail: $24.99
Availability: February 2018
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio: At long last, Rey has found Luke Skywalker, the last Jedi Master in the Galaxy.   Hoping to find a hero of legend, she must unlearn what she has learned as Skywalker challenges her expectations.  (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:  "Just different to make you mad" has been a recurring theme here, especially since 2005 when Hasbro put a lot of toys in circulation in a short period of time.  And again in 2006.   And again in 2007.   "The same figure with dirt on its shoes" was a common thing, and this Rey does it with salt.  She's pretty much the same as Rey (Jedi Training) [FOTD #2,445], the made-in-China figure with less hip movement and better accessory detailing.    Love how her face is painted, it's a lot sharper and has a lot more personality than the single-carded Rey from last year.

Deco is sharp but it's pretty much the same as the carded figure, save for batch changes and one added point of decoration - salty boots.  Inspired by Bolivia, Rey has white on her shoes.   That's why this one is special - we've seen the same thing with R2-D2, Chewbacca, C-3PO, Darth Vader, and we've seen grass stains on Stormtroopers too.   I realize many may furrow their brow, but I applaud Hasbro for having actually made it different.   For the last two films, we got a Rey and a Jyn that looked pretty much the same.  This is not fun nor is it terribly interesting.   While I'd rather have a new figure, that wasn't an option.  A change beats no change, variations may not always be exciting but I'll take any sort of change rather than a third nearly identical Rey.   She's the least interesting part of the boxed set, but at least she is a little bit different.   If you see this set in a store, go ahead and snag one.  You're worth it.  For $25ish, the set is too.

Packaging Notes: This is a good box.   The footprint is the same as the previous Disney movie 4-packs, which were designed to be the same size as the digital download boxes a few years ago so a fan could collect them all on a shelf together.  This isn't widely promoted.  The box itself is much better than the rest of the 3 3/4-inch figure line, with a much better use of the space.  The back has bios for all four figures in multiple languages along with shots of figures that show them with (or without) their accessories, and there's no big use of white space like on the Kohl's set.  Hasbro did a great job here.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,471: April 11, 2018

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,462: Rey (Island Journey, The Last Jedi, The Black Series 6-Inch)

REY (Island Journey)
The Force Awakens The Black Series 6-Inch Figure
Item No.: Asst. B3834 No. E0621
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #58
Includes: Lightsaber, cloak, blaster, staff
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: February 2018
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio:  With the power of the Force awakening inside her, Rey travels to the hidden world of Ahch-To. There, she seeks out Luke Skywalker as the last hope of the Resistance.  (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:  This is great.  The best figure in the line - or at least the best version of the character from Hasbro so far - is Rey (Island Journey) as a 6-inch figure.   With this wave Hasbro started to deploy its new face painting techniques on a grander scale and I'm not 100% sure if this figure uses it or not.  It doesn't look quite as exaggerated as the press photos, in person she looks eerily almost real.  The eyebrows, eyes, and lips have a glossy finish that is a heck of a lot less toy-ey than the last version.   It looks like her - it's good!  It's really good!   Hasbro has a lot of really good human faces, but as of right now I'd say this is the best.

She is nicely articulated - but brings nothing new to the table.   That's not a criticism so much as a resignation to the fact that Hasbro has seemingly decided what these figures can do in 2015 and will never deviate from the ball shoulders, double-hinge knees, rocker ankles, and whatnot.   There are places to hide in more joints but I don't suspect they have an incentive to try them until production costs demand change - either to make the figure look like it has more value, or to bring costs down.   Most of the joints are nicely hidden, but at this point I'd love to see them put some work in hiding the pins in the knees.  Everything else looks superb, and the arms (and especially hands) are perfect to hold her accessories.

I was surprised just how Hasbro cut the joints.  The elbows are able to bend more than 90 degrees with wrists than bend and swivel as smoothly as you could hope.  I had zero problems getting her hands on the lightsaber hilt.

The hilt is a lot better than the Luke hilts - the detail on the switch is great, and the belt clip is angled when compared to the Luke releases.   I don't really have much to say about the blaster and staff other than they're great at fitting in her hands or holster, so Hasbro did nice work here.

This is probably my favorite 6-inch figure.  Yeah, I know some of you don't like Rey. Fight me.  Hasbro did a bang-up job here and you should buy one.   The cape is great.  The jointing is wonderful. Hasbro, please - assign a Jedi Knight (Jabba's Palace) Luke Skywalker to the designer of this figure.   I want to see how they'll handle it, and then buy several.  Well, OK, one.   If you're new to this line, this Rey might be a great place to start.


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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,462: March 12, 2018

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,451: Rey (The Last Jedi Line Look)

REY (Island Journey) with Force Link
The Last Jedi Basic Figure Orange Assortment
Item No.: Asst. C1503  No. C3528
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Cloak, lightsaber, blaster
Action Feature: Force Link sounds
Retail: $8.99
Availability: November 2017
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio: Rey was a human female Jedi and scavenger who discovered her latent Force-sensitivity while on a journey to find the legendary Jedi Master Luke Skywalker and bring a new hope to a galaxy on the brink of war.   (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:  If you got the end-of-movie Rey figure from 2016, this is a lot like that.  The sculpt seems to be very similar (but different) from Rey (Resistance Outfit) [FOTD #2,267], most notably the folds in the bottom of her shirt.  The wrinkles in the knees look almost identical, as is the pose, the holster, and the overall functionality.   This one is a lot like the new movie's Poe - she has swivel forearms now, and adds a new cloak.  She loses the bonus gun and her staff.  The head sculpt is a little sharper, but the figure itself is basically the same thing as last time - the poncho being the saving grace for making her at least seem like a new figure.

 Had Hasbro made her a "Vintage" or "Black Series" figure, this could be pretty exciting - as it is, it's a slightly improved rerun with a new sound chip.     She has 7 points of articulation and has no real problem standing or even sitting, but the legs can't swing forward at a perfect right angle.  It's close, though.   She has no problems holding her lightsaber or blaster, and the blaster fits in the rubbery holster without a fight. The facial detail is good, the paint is mostly crisp, and she's a little pale - but it's a good figure and consistent with what Hasbro has tried to do in this range.   It's not bad.  It's not what you necessarily want, unless you missed that last figure, in which case this is the better version.  It's just not a lot better.

Her lightsaber has a loop at the end, and it looks amazing.  I see really small detail here that I didn't even realize could be on something of this size - the sculpting is really dynamite and certainly qualifies as praiseworthy.

Force Link Notes: "I'm Rey." "Help me with this! Quick!" "The Resistance sent me." "You're a monster!" And the usual combat effects.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,451: January 31, 2018

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,445: Rey (Jedi Training, The Last Jedi Line Look)

REY (Jedi Training) with Force Link
The Last Jedi Basic Figure Orange Assortment
Item No.: Asst. C1503  No. C1504
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, staff, lightsaber
Action Feature: Force Link sounds
Retail: $8.99
Availability: September 2017
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio: Rey was a human female Jedi and scavenger who discovered her latent Force-sensitivity while on a journey to find the legendary Jedi Master Luke Skywalker and bring a new hope to a galaxy on the brink of war.  (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 2015 Hasbro underestimated the popularity of one character, mostly because nobody knew that Rey was the new lead.  Finn had the lightsaber on the poster, so the day after The Force Awakens' release the modestly moving Rey figures were gone.   Hasbro did their best to respond, but since most figures were produced in equally weighted quantities in each case that meant Darth Vader being repackaged or a Stormtrooper would be as popular as Rey.   It's a gamble - and at the time, it was a sensible one to keep the secret.  And then after the movie, there was a lot of demand for more Reys and Hasbro has clearly heard the fans with multiple variations in many sizes.  This specific Rey is made in two barely different versions - which I find to be very irritating.   One was made in China and the other in Vietnam, so each figure is just a little bit different and required a completely new mold to produce.  We could've had yet another figure instead.  Such is life.

This is a good figure - the detailing is a little softer than Rey [FOTD #2,415] from the 2-pack with the Praetorian Guard - but her accessories are more detailed on this single-carded release.  The single-carded figure's legs are hindered slightly by her robes, while the 2-pack has a cut to allow for better movement.  She stands just fine, but this figure doesn't offer a lot unique to this release.  Perhaps that's why she's a little easier to find at retail.  I love that they kept the blaster and the holster, and as individually carded figures go Rey is the champ of accessories.    Three weapons in this day and age is an astounding feat, although she can't wield them all at once.

For those who are truly nuts and have great eyesight, take a good look at her lightsaber.  There are tiny details and grooves on the single card release that are clearer and sharper than the Vietnamese 2-pack counterpart, and I would say that's true of the entire line.  Poe pilot redux has more texture on his costume, for example.   It's such a minor thing that nobody but someone who has to have everything would notice or care, but I ask that you not judge me.

If you can only get one Rey, get the 2-pack since you'll want her Guard companion anyway.  The only reason to also buy the single version is completism and a love for the Force Link chips as each figure has different sounds.

Force Link Notes:  "Get out of here!"  "I feel the Force."  "I’m not giving you anything!"  "I’m not leaving without you!"  "WeYou will release me."  Also a smattering of blaster and lightsaber sounds, mostly from The Force Awakens.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,445: January 10, 2018

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,440: Rey (The Black Series 6-Inch, Premium Exclusive)

REY (Jedi Training, with display base)
The Black Series 6-Inch Toys R Us Exclusive
Item No.:    No. C3196
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Metal lightsaber hilt, staff, lightsaber, display base, die-cast metal blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $34.99
Availability: November 2017
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio: At long last, Rey has found Luke Skywalker, the last Jedi Master in the galaxy.  Hoping to find a hero of legends, she must unlearn what she has learned as Skywalker challenges her expectations. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  What drove Hasbro to make these plussed-up versions of The Black Series is beyond me, but there was a lot of talk about this buzzing around Hasbro - and Rey is less of a deal than Luke was.  She costs more, and it's possible you've bought the base figure 2-3 times already.  She was sold individually in September, in a 2-pack with Luke at Comic-Con, and now a battle-damage variant of that figure is shipping in boxes.   Toys R Us also charges more - is Rey worth a $5 premium if you've already bought this basic figure before?  No.  But if you haven't?  ...maybe.

Articulation is the same as the basic release, but there's more paint - this was the first 6-inch Rey with the scar on her arm, for example.  The face is a bit more flushed and determined, with more cloth bits on her costume giving her a more detailed look.   It's a little ragged in spots, as Hasbro doesn't always get cloth quite right, but it's looks decent.   The added grit on her arm wraps looks great, and the head isn't half bad either.   The figure itself is arguably better - but it costs almost twice as much, and it's hard to really say that it's worth the added cost on the merits of deco alone.

The value add comes in the accessories.  A big, two-part Crait display stand is nifty, but is it nifty enough?  You get a decent chunk of plastic, and that's a huge plus. I'd have liked it even more if it integrated accessory storage as Rey has more gear than she can carry.   The red and grey look really cool, giving the environment a distinctive look we don't normally see.  It's almost like the planet is bleeding.  (Heck, maybe it is, I haven't seen the guide books yet.)   They fit together if you're so inclined, but you can display them separately.  Does this sound familiar?

Her gear is pretty good - a bonus metal lightsaber hilt joins a metal blaster, with a normal staff and a normal lightsaber.  The blaster fits in her holster just fine, and she can hold the lightsaber with no real problems.  The detail isn't exactly superb, but neither was the painted detail on the Transformers metal faces over the past year.  I guess die-cast construction really is a lost art - it has a nice feel, but it's not necessarily  better than the plastic equivalent.  You might appreciate the added weight, but it's not like these parts necessarily offer anything the normal figure didn't have - it's not like you're going to notice anything visually different about either piece.  It just feels different when you pose it, and odds are you won't spend a lot of time posing it.   The figure and base make this a worthwhile purchase if you're a completist, but I doubt you're going to feel like you got your money's worth out of this one.   Kylo Ren's deluxe figure is coming, Snoke's is out in force, and I am sitting here hoping that Hasbro only does plussed-up new characters in the future as these are just not all that interesting.  In a line that's already kind of a bore, I'm dying for something new, exciting, and different - not new accessories.

It's still arguably a better piece at a better price than the Centerpiece offerings.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Toys R Us.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,440: December 25, 2017

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,415: Rey (2-Pack, The Last Jedi Line Look)

REY (Jedi Training) with Elite Praetorian Guard
The Last Jedi Deluxe Action Figure 2-Packs
Item No.: Asst. C1242 No. C1243
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Bladed weapon, Lightsaber, Staff, Blaster, Millennium Falcon-inspired Backpack, Rey figure
Action Feature: Force Link sounds
Retail: $14.99
Availability: September 2017
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio: Rey was a human female scavenger and Force prodigy who discovered her latent Force-sensitivity while on a journey to find the legendary Jedi Master Luke Skywalker and bring a new hope to a galaxy on the brink of war. (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 2015, Rey started getting hot in December once people that the marketing and toy line did a good job of hiding who the hero was in The Force Awakens.  She could be bought relatively easily, but only had one regular 3 3/4-inch action figure pre-movie.   (More would follow.)  This time around, we got two of her in basically an identical costume, but with minor sculpting tweaks, at launch.  Grumble, grumble.   This figure comes in a 2-pack and was made in Vietnam - it has a better range of motion.  The single figure comes from China, and it has more detail but a worse range of motion.  To the naked eye, they're identical - but they have different Force Link sounds, too. 2-pack Rey has a silver blaster, painted.  Single Rey has a grey one.

As always, Rey has 5 points of articulation.  The 2-pack figure has a slightly rounder, more doll-like face than the single counterpart with an outfit that combines Jedi robes with her desert rat wear.   Obviously, the islands of Ahch-To are likely lacking in tailors for Padawan clothing ("Padawear")  Everything looks consistent with her existing fashion choices, like she may have cobbled this together herself - and it fits.  The arms swing out a little bit thanks to the angled cut of the shoulder joints, and she can actually swing her legs forward because of how the factory cut the robes.  (The single, China version can't do this.)  The textures are good, but there are bands in her clothing that are difficult to discern as fabric patterns or un-smoothed print lines from a 3-D printer.  

Her accessories are interesting - the silver pistol fits in her hand or holster without a fight, and her staff or lightsaber can fit in her hand nicely too.   A clip-on backpack mashes up an Endor/Hoth Rebel Trooper backpack with a Stormtrooper belt and a quad cannon to give her some added firepower, and its own sound chip - you get some shooty, rockety sounds from it.  It's a nice bonus, but it's not as visually impressive as the gear from the Rogue One 2-packs.   I should also note that the lightsaber of this 2-pack isn't as detailed as the single one - you'll see sharper details and added sculpted elements on the single release.

I can't say this figure, in its current form, is doing much for me - I really wish she was super articulated just because of what I assume her role will be in the movie.  Luke can stand around, sure.  Poe just needs to sit in a vehicle and I'm happy. But Rey? She's got a lightsaber - she needs to be able to be posed to fight!   Still, she's pretty good, and with the guard you'll want to get this set.   Without a side-by-side comparison and a very sharp eye, other than the skirt cut, I doubt most fans will tell that there's a difference.

Assortment Notes: The 2015 line gave us a couple of weird plussed-up figure packs - one was "Armor Up" figures, a basic figure with a helmet for an added $5 upcharge.  The other was a Deluxe 2-pack, which gave us two figures with normal accessories plus rocket launchers and big weapons for about the price of two regular figures.  This movie's two-packs are somewhere in the middle - you get 2 figures for $15, which is good.  The bonus accessory isn't as neat as what we got for Rogue One (giant rocket launchers) but are about as sensible as what we got for The Force Awakens - only we get a secondary sound chip instead of an action feature.  Minus things like duplicate figures you might not want, these are a decent value.

Collector's Notes: The 2-pack version from Vietnam (which we review here) says "I'm with the Resistance."  It also says "VIETNAM" inside her skirt flap.   I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,415: October 9, 2017