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