Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,269: Asajj Ventress (The Vintage Collection)

ASAJJ VENTRESS Vintage Debut
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F6878 No. G0932
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #364
Includes: 2 lightsabers, 2 hilts
Action Feature: Hilts connect to belts
Retail: $16.99
Availability: July 2025
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: Trained in the ways of the dark side by Count Dooku, assassin Asajj Ventress longed to be considered a true Sith. Durig the Clone Wars, she fought for the Separatists with her twin red-bladed lightsabers. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

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: Back in 2011, we got a 6-inch version of Asajj Venturess. Of course, I wrote about Asajj Ventress (The Black Series) [FOTD #2,786] and in the beginning I wrote this: "If you love The Clone Wars you should be buying this figure and demanding that Hasbro make a matching 3 3/4-inch version for you."

Well, here we are, four years later!

This figure is very much a slightly re-engineered, shorter take on that very good release. The colors are about the same, the articulation is pretty much the same. She's got the mummy-wrapped pants under her skirt, but the skirt isn't quite as shiny as the last one. The top has a metallic hint to it, with striped, long arm wrappings that would be at home in Beetlejuice. Her make-up is very similar in both releases, just a little lighter and fairer at the smaller size. Her lips, eyes, and other adornments look amazing to the human eye and Hasbro continues to lead the industry in doing a good job with teeny-tiny details. All her painted elements look very good. If you enjoy The Clone Wars, I think this is a must-have figure.

Her belt is pretty much the same, ust scaled down. The pattern on her tabard is a little different, oddly enough. This one is more in line with the 3 3/4-inch figure we got in the cartoon line around 2008, albeit with more saturated colors. (That, too, was a very good figure.) The belt buckle has the same squared off holes to place the pegs on her lightsaber hilts, too - just smaller. She's pretty easy to pose, and the soft goods skirt doesn't get in the way of having her stand or fight. She has no problems holding her lightsabers, and the hilts fit in her belt relatively well.

Whenever Hasbro does an all-new 3 3/4-inch The Vintage Collection figure, I'm generally very happy. This is no exception. Even though they effectively scaled down an existing product, I literally asked for it. It's what I wanted, and I like how she was executed. If you can find her, or order her online, I'd recommend picking her up. This figure in particular is kind of where I like Vintage to go - new and highly improved versions of characters I haven't had a new figure for years, and/or all-new figures nobody has. Unfortunately we have to swallow a lot of leftovers to get here.

The rest of this wave has the very good Carson Teva, the not-open-yet Agent Kallus, plus reproductions/variations of Dengar and Ponda Baba. While I would prefer themed waves, this ratio of new and old figures scratches all the right itches for me. My compliments to the chefs.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,269: August 21, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,786: Asajj Ventress (The Black Series 6-Inch)

ASAJJ VENTRESS 6-Inch Debut
The Black Series 2020 Line Look Copper Star Wars: The Clone Wars Packaging
Item No.: Asst. E8908 No. F1861
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #07 - Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Includes: 2 lightsabers
Action Feature: Lightsabers can join in the middle, hang off her belt, or have their blades removed
Retail: $19.99
Availability: February 2021
Appearances: Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Bio: An assassin trained in the ways of the dark side by Count Dooku, Asajj Ventress yearned to be considered a true Sith, but such status wasn’t allowed under the Sith’s Rule of Two. (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: Is Asajj Ventress perfect? If not, she's close - Hasbro hasn't done a new "realistic" take on the animated character since 2005, so it's heartening to see them do an excellent job while drawing inspiration from the popular 2008 The Clone Wars costume while secretly recycling Dark Side Rey tooling in the forearms and legs - and I think at least one of the hands, too. If you love The Clone Wars you should be buying this figure and demanding that Hasbro make a matching 3 3/4-inch version for you.

Over the last few years we've had lots of figures in the happy side of good, missing perfection thanks in part to a weird joint or odd deco choice. Ventress just sort of nails it with slightly brighter colors than on TV, but that's OK - when you translate a stylized animation model to realistic proportions, you can make some changes. Her shoulders aren't as pointy and her face is a bit rounder, but that's OK - most people don't have pointy shoulders. The arms are a little stiff, but I haven't had a problem getting her to assume a number of combat stances. Her legs have a good range of motion, and are covered by the metallic purple fabric skirt. Under the skirt, her legs don't match the color pattern seen on early episodes of the show - not a huge deal, but they got it right for her forearms.

The lightsabers can plug in to one another to form a staff, or you can detach the blades and connect them to her belt. It's awesome! The only things you could add to her would be a black cloak or maybe a holographic Count Dooku with which to conspire. As is, it seems like Hasbro gave this figure every advantage she needed to look fantastic.

The head matches her look on the 2008 episodes of the show, with printing on the front and the back. I have no idea if the head is modeled after any specific person or was just cobbled together to look more or less like on the TV show. With a clever use of shared tooling, I think this figure is going to be a big hit. I expect Hasbro will want to make sure she keeps coming back so fans can get her - the kids of 2008 are growing up and probably don't even know what they're missing. This is going to be a gem, and is one of my absolute favorite figures in the scale so far. Get her if you see her.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,786: March 11, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,980: Asajj Ventress

ASAJJ VENTRESS Series 1
Clone Wars Cartoon Network / Tartakovsky Animated Series Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. 85003 No.     85219
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 2 Lightsabers, display stand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Late 2004
Appearances: Clone Wars 2003 series

Bio: Through the creative vision of Lucasfilm Ltd. and the Cartoon Network, the Clone Wars are brought to life in an exciting new series of short animated chapters. A unique animation style captures the drama of this epic period in galactic history along with its outstanding heroes and adversaries. Noble Jedi warriors lead Clone Troopers into battle against the evil Separatist forces and their droid armies. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda and their comrades struggle against the rising power of the dark side and confront personal challenges against a backdrop of war-torn planets.   (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo dump.

Commentary: She's become a heck of a lot more popular since her 2003 debut. Asajj Ventress really broke out last year on the current Clone Wars TV show, where she's become a slightly more conflicted villain rather than the two-dimensional "let's kill all the Jedi for some reason" witchy warrior from the old series.   In that old show, she had a great look with empty white eyes lined by a thick black line.  Her blue/grey lips are drawn down, with her eyebrows raised high giving her a look more of detached scorn over anything else.  Her outfit is sculpted quite nicely, with painted ridges around her neck, sculpted quilting in her chest armor, and a slick flowing dress.  The black part really flows nicely, and was in line with a short 2-year run of really bulky, really cool sculpted dresses on numerous lady figures.  Her coloring isn't quite as ornate, nor is her face as mean, as her animated counterpart but she's quite good and I'm sure you could paint her to be an A++ instead of the A-level figure she turned out to be as it is.  Get her if you can!

The lightsabers fit right into her hands, with swivel shoulders and a ball-jointed neck giving her limited ability to move.   The sparks of the ignited lightsabers look great, plus a companion Yavin IV battle Anakin Skywalker exists so the two can duke it out.  (He even comes with one of her sabers!)  The included display stand is icing on the cake.

Collector's Notes: This figure sells for under $5 on eBay, a couple of bucks as part of a lot.  She costs a little more on Amazon, I would suggest not paying more than $10.  Not because she isn't worth it, but rather because you should be able to get a screaming deal without too much trouble.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,980: January 15, 2013

Figure of the Day: Day 1,286: Asajj Ventress

ASAJJ VENTRESS with Tol Skorr
The Legacy Collection Comic Packs
Item No.: Asst. 87504 No. 87630
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #01
Includes: Lightsabers, probe, additional figure, comic book
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $11.99
Availability: July 2008
Appearances: Clone Wars comics

Bio: Asajj Ventress & Tol Skorr are on the trail of Quinlan Vos; Count Dooku wants the Jedi brought back to him to face punishment. They locate Vos on a ruined exploration vessel, but meet with unexpected difficulty when Obi-Wan Kenobi arrives to find out what happened to the missing ship. Ventress has battled Kenobi before and yearns to put an end to the Jedi. Kenobi and Vos must work together if they hope to escape these two relentless and ruthless foes. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's living room.

Commentary: For a character from the periphery parts of the Star Wars galaxy, Asajj Ventress has had quite a few variations on her design. She didn't look quite the same in the comics as she did on the original TV show, and the new show looks even more different. This figure is squarely based on the comics, leaning more toward her earlier look. With enhanced articulation from her earlier releases and some cloth bits, she's one of the better "realistic" interpretations of the character. However, with a fair amount of brown in her costume and a little less in the way of lipstick, she looks more like some bald dude in a dress with boobs. Nothing against bald dudes in dresses with boobs-- yours is clearly a harder lot in life-- but she could use a little more... uh... something. The smaller a figure gets, the more exaggerated certain details need to be to "read," like skin color, make-up, and of course, knockers. Thankfully Asajj's sculpt looks about right for the comics, as are the unique markings on her head. (These were absent in the first animated series.) Overall, it's a pretty solid design, but since she has a much stronger costume in either of the two animated series, this is one of those figures you should pick up after you got some of the other ones. Although that little probe droid of hers is pretty swell, Tol Skorr isn't exactly a compelling reason to get this one.

Collector's Notes: While not bad, the set is simply not very exciting. Tol Skorr is a really weak choice for this assortment and this pack will probably be one of the armchair scapegoats of people who discuss why the Comic Pack line ended. It seemed Hasbro was banking on the comics themselves to push the figures, which, in theory, seemed like a good idea except you'd probably need to be familiar with the book to care about the set in the first place. Heck, when I heard about this set, I was wondering why Skorr the Bounty Hunter would be packed with Asajj Ventress.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,286: May 19, 2010

Figure of the Day: Day 126: Asajj Ventress

ASAJJ VENTRESS Jedi vs. Sith
Revenge of the Sith Battle Packs Jedi vs. Sith
Item No.: Asst. 85554 No. 85667
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsabers
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99, part of a gift set
Availability: Summer 2005
Appearances: Primarily The Clone Wars

Bio: Asajj Ventress is a disciple of the dark side of the Force and a follower of Count Dooku. Full of anger and bitterness, she is skilled in lightsaber combat and a sworn enemy of the Jedi. Her powerful ability with the Force makes her a formidable enemy. (Taken from the figure's box.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' Clone Wars shelf.

Commentary: A long time ago I reviewed the first version of this Clone Wars villain, but this figure of Asajj Ventress is arguably the definitive one. Since she's modeled after the cartoon designs, a lot of fans jumped at the chance to get her. It also made a lot of people upset, as they liked the more comic book version released in 2003. Either, way, it's a good figure in its own right with two linkable lightsabers, a unique pose, and arguably significantly better presence. With her more evil looking face, better posture, and added height, she looks like a more formidable opponent than the first release which, while good, looks more like a sickly goth girl by comparison. So with her ball-jointed shoulders and neck, we can say this is a fine figure and one you should add to your collection-- if you can accept the idea of non-movie toys.

The figure doesn't break any new ground, she just refines an existing concept. When I first saw this figure, I assumed it was a repaint of the 2003 release, but Hasbro actually went out and tooled up an all-new figure when they didn't even have to. I really admire seeing Hasbro refining its better sculpts into something really great, so it's hard to say too much about this figure other than "it's good" and "buy it."

Collector's Notes: One of three new molds from the Jedi vs. Sith Battle Pack, this Asajj is the one you should want. It's still fairly priced, about $20-$30. It originally sold for $20 or more at most stores, which was a killer deal for five action figures. I'm actually surprised this item isn't more expensive and popular given how many Clone Wars fans there are, and how little product there is. You should totally get one.

Day 126: September 9, 2006

Figure of the Day: Day 32: Asajj Ventress

ASAJJ VENTRESS Sith Apprentice
Clone Wars Collection
Item No.: Asst. 84851 No. 84827
Number: 0347
Includes: Lightsabers, lightsaber hilts, cloak
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $4.99-$5.99
Availability: Fall 2003
Appearances: Primarily the Clone Wars multimedia project, which includes comics, games, cartoons, and novels; she does not appear in any of the films

Bio: A ruthless and cunning military mastermind of the Confederacy, Asajj Ventress is instrumental in fighting the Jedi during the Clone Wars. Count Dooku discovered the mysterious Asajj Ventress on a war-torn planet shortly after the Battle of Geonosis. Though she had never trained as a Jedi, Ventress demonstrates a corrupt mastery of the Force. Under the tutelage of Count Dooku, she has embraced the dark side, using her twin curved lightsabers to cut down all those who would oppose her. Often accompanied by the bounty hunter Durge, Ventress is more than a match for the Republic's greatest Jedi. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' Clone Wars shelf.

Commentary: For 2003, Hasbro, Lucasfilm, Dark Horse, and whatever wacky publishers involved that week got together and gave us a series of Clone Wars action figures designed to look like they might had they appeared in the movies. (An animated series and figures were developed separately.) Due to the development cycle, some characters like Asajj Ventress appeared one way in the comics and were eventually redesigned and reimagined elsewhere. This version of the character is based on her early comic appearances (before she becomes electronically enhanced/dies/whatever in Star Wars: Obsession) and has unique features like tatoos, full eyes, and less-pale skin when compared to later versions of the figure. (An animated figure, a new version in the Jedi vs. Sith Battle Pack, the Unleashed 7-inch figure all are based on the animated series style-- black rings around the eyes, paler skin, a little less detail, and a more striking appearance.)

So, that's the short of Asajj Ventress. So what about this one? Well, she's great. Ball-jointed shoulders, jointed wrists, holsters for her lightsabers, lots of great sculpting, a removable cape (and head), and lightsabers with removable blades make this a top-notch figure with a lot of thought given to how it can be played with or displayed. She doesn't stand all that well-- as in, she could be more stable-- so you might wish you had a display stand for her. With a rough textured shirt, weird sith fanatic facial expression, and nice accessories, she's a great figure. But if you want a "movie style" 3 3/4-inch Ventress that looks more like the cartoon design, pass on this one. If you're a comic fan, get this one. (Or both.) I like this figure (and the whole Clone Wars toy line) quite a bit, so much so that I make sure to give it a special place in my collection. If you're not a fan of the Expanded Universe, you should skip her. But if you're a kid, odds are you want one, and if you like the Sith, odds are you want one, and if you like Jedi... need I go on? Asajj Ventress is a figure for the modern Star Wars fan who still enjoys new arrivals in the saga. (Even old farts like me love this figure.) As such, I advise you read some comics and watch some cartoons. If you like the characters you meet, consider getting this one. And while you're at it, perform a public service and buy one of the dozens of unsold Unleashed figures at retail.

Collector's Notes: The face paint varies widely from figure to figure. My sample looks great-- she has striking eyebrows and great eyes. Mike's (as seen in the "more images" link that follows this section) has a face of lesser quality. As such, when buying one, make sure to ask to get a look at her first unless you're one of those people who buy figures, put them away, and never look at them. At which point, who cares? The figure looks just as good with the cloak as she does without it, which is a nice perk in the modern toy world as usually the figures aren't designed this well. She can also give her cloak to the other 3 3/4-inch Asajj Venturess figure from 2005 which is just about as good but for different reasons.

If you're on a budget, this may not be the best way to go-- currently, this figure actually commands a decent price on eBay. As such, if you're one of the many that wants an Asajj Ventress but not necessarily this Asajj Ventress, consider buying the Jedi vs. Sith Battle Pack. (Actually, I've seen many cases of the set going for less than just an Asajj by her lonesome.)

Day 32: June 7, 2006