Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,111: Sabine Wren (Epic Hero Series)

SABINE WREN New Kids Line
Epic Hero Series Deluxe Figure
Item No.: Asst. F9949 No. G0139
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Backpack, gauntlet, lightsaber, shield
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $14.99
Availability: January 2024
Appearances: Star Wars: Ahsoka   

Bio: Sabine Wren is a Mandalorian warrior and graffiti artist with a creative and rebellious spirit. (Taken from the packaging)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: For a few years I've been tooting the horn for a new kid line - it's been nothing but reruns in this category since 2018. So after six years, we're back, and you may see the Sabine Wren deluxe figure online or at Walmart so far. It's exciting to have a new figure format! She's a little awkward, but feels a lot like what you might hope a 1990s Kenner figure would have been. She's a hair taller than the other 3 3/4-inch Sabine figures, with different deco, putting her somewhere between the Retro figure and the Vintage figure. This Epic Hero Series Sabine lacks a painted belt buckle and a painted saber hilt on her h ip, but otherwise her paint is a bit fancier.

For those looking for the utmost in on-screen authenticity... this isn't it. But it's an idealized toy in a good format. The jet pack seems to be based on Rebels, complete with purple wings, as is the clear blue wrist shield. She has a two-piece wrist gauntlet accessory that plugs in with a slide-out dagger. I can have her standing on my desk with all of her stuff, and she's not falling over. This makes me happy. I love that her lightsaber hilt is painted gray, because it looks cartoony, with a clear green blade that reminds me a lot of the 1990s The Power of the Force figures. Are the added accessories enough to make her worth $5 more than her non-deluxe counterparts? Not really. But given the pop-out energy blades on the shield, the slide-out dagger on the gauntlet, and the painted wings on the backpack, it's clear Hasbro spent some of the money making this a good product. Sadly, she has no blasters, but I should note I honestly don't feel that they're missing.

The figure itself gets the job done well with lots of colors, painted stripes and a nice helmet. It's worth noting there is no alternate head or removable helmet, but you get a glossy black visor and a chunky rangefinder. The left pauldron has no special signet on it, the fingers are gray instead of skin color, and the blue is a little lighter here... but I don't dislike it. Every accessory is good, nothing feels too superfluous, plus it's worth noting she was sculpted nicely with a real pose. The right arm has a bit of a bend to the elbow, with legs that have a little life to them. Both holsters have blasters sculpted inside, too, and I'd be very happy if the Retro figure was given this exact pose.

Each gauntlet (and her back) has a hole in it. You can mount the shield or gauntlet on either wrist, and the backpack fits tightly on her back. Her hand easily holds her lightsaber, too. I'm trying to find a reason to not recommend this figure to you, but if Retro didn't do it this might be a good, small collection for lapsed collectors to start. Heck, buy it and let your kids play with it. There's no face here so I can't say how great the line is going to be for humans, but for helmeted characters it's shaping up quite nicely. $15 is a lot for a 5-jointed figure, and Retro Sabine has a removable helmet at a lower price - but if you can't find her, this is a decent substitute. I'd like to see Hasbro expand this line to more characters and vehicles, and while I will be set fire for saying this I wouldn't be that sad if this line started to steal the lunch money of the repack-heavy The Vintage Collection. Give this a look in stores if you see it, I think that if you are a fan of toys you may enjoy her.

Line Notes: I'm fond of the bright, colorful packaging with its legible logo and decent - admittedly, not thrilling - artwork. It's good, there's a lot of copy on the back of the card but most of the real estate is devoted to explaining the product and accessories. This is a toy, as these things should be. If Hasbro builds up this format (preferably in silos with a specific show or movie) I would be very happy to see this line continue, but I would prefer to see more basic figures and fewer deluxe ones. If this line only goes two or three waves, I'd say you should skip it - but I hope it's the start of a new ongoing format, and if they drop Retro I'd pick these up.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,111: February 27, 2024