JEDI MASTER SOL Debut! And probably only release
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. E7763 No. F9791
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #329
Includes: Hilt, lightsaber, cloak
Action Feature: Hilt connects to belt, removable robe
Retail: $16.99
Availability: September 2024
Appearances: The Acolyte
Bio: Set at the end of theHigh Republic, a former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they confront turn out to be far more sinister and personal than anticipated. (Taken from the figure's cardback. Yes, it's the same bio they gave Osha.)
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: Given current standards and expectations,
Jedi Master Sol meets the requirements for
The Vintage Collection. Is this good? Well, it's not bad, but the figure is very similar to what we were getting 15 years ago with some minor enhancements. The ball-jointed hips with a thigh swivel, rocker ankles, and separately molded wigs with photo-real deco weren't things we had in 2009. In the package, the figure looks a lot like the earlier cloth robe figures from 2006. It's fine. Much of this figure is predictable, with one surprise in his accessories. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, as collectors seem to want a certain level of articulation and deco, and Hasbro mostly delivered the goods relative to other figures. I feel like we got more bang for our buck with Osha, but we're also at a point where I am very hard to impress when shown yet another Jedi action figure.
At first glance, this figure could stand in your prequel shelves and blend in. The figure's sculpted garments are very similar, as are his soft goods robes. Given the lead time and what I assume was a figure made from costume fitting photos, Hasbro did a pretty nice job - but I live in the future, where there's a cardback photo right next to the figure. I also got to see the entire series. I could tell the belt buckle looked a little off right away, as the Jedi Order symbol is absent on the figure. The more saffron parts of his Jedi robes lack the trim from the show - the lighter color border is one of very few things that set the costumes apart from what we saw in 1999-2005. In some lighting conditions it really stands out, like the cardback photography. Other than that, Hasbro did a pretty good job - the boots look like his boots, the armor on his arms looks cool (and I never really got a clear look at it on the show), and the separately molded wig, like the show, looks like a separately molded wig. Given its size and I assume budget, Hasbro did a pretty good job here - I woul love to have seen a little extra paint given to the soles of his boots or his robes, but when you have a figure mostly covered in his cloth accessory, it seems unrealistic that fans will notice, or even see, much of the extra detail. I doubt the belt buckle would be super visible at this scale, so it's not a huge loss, and the neat designs on his gloves are hidden thanks to his sleeves. What really matters is that the costume accurately captures the vibe of the show, but I suppose future figures will be made without the trim and belt buckle to be consistent. (Just kidding, we all know they're never going to make another Jedi from this show!)
The Jedi robes are mostly very good, and this is where Hasbro made an interesting choice. For years, getting cloth robes with a hood that can go over the figure's head and
not look silly have been rare. Usually it goes too high, and can't rest on the figure's noodle - so you fold it down, and that's that. Hasbro elected to just sew the robes down here. At first I was annoyed I couldn't put it up, and then it hit me - why do I care? This looks better, most of these figures will never be opened anyway, left on a shelf untouched until my collection is moved after I die. The more I think about it, the more I see this as a big improvement and something I kind of wish Hasbro did back in the prequel days. Of course, those figures were from an era where Anakin raising his hood meant he was going to go be evil for a little bit, so it makes sense that you wouldn't sew it down. But sewing it down at this scale actually works very well in terms of function, so I think this was actually a secretly brilliant move on Hasbro's part.
Hasbro has had some challenges getting the robes and lightsabers for its Jedi just right over the years, and we've frequently said some level of "Well... this is it, is it good enough?" Back when figures were $5 or $7 it seemed a lot easier to say "yes, of course, it's a five dollar figure and I'm happy with it." At $17 it is a little harder to overlook things like the purple on the metal jut under the blade, or the ribbed grip, or the black pommel of the prop. These are things we'd never notice on the show, and would only notice if given a reference photo - and for better or worse, those are on the internet for me to compare. If we lived in a world without such things I would give Hasbro an A for the accessory, and I assume they may be working from early reference when they made this figure. In his hands or on his belt, you're probably not going to notice a slightly-off detail, especially at this size. The accessory easily hangs from his belt, but the hands on my sample don't have the tightest grip - so be careful with this one lest he drop it.
Since the costume is ultimately very similar to a riff on Qui-Gon Jinn, I assume your enjoyment of this figure will directly correspond to your love of
The Acolyte, or a Jedi collecting focus, or maybe if you really dig
Squid Game. While I found Osha to be surprisingly great with added bandoliers, deco, and accessories, Sol has the articulation of a current figure with the accessory tally (and appearance) of a $10 figure from 2010 - visually, he's a lot like that era's Anakin and Obi-Wan figures. I do not believe (short of alternate belts or robes or a flashback wig) there's much Hasbro could do at this particular budget to make this a more exciting figure, particularly if the details of the story were under wraps during toy development. I'd recommend this figure if you liked the show as the joints are pretty smooth and the saturated, slightly more golden robes are visually distinctive. But if you're on a budget, Mae and Osha have better costumes for their figures.
Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.
--Adam Pawlus
Day 3,184: October 29, 2024
