Captain Cassian Andor - TVC - Basic (VC130)

It would be dishonest to say that Hasbro’s Walmart exclusive line of The Black Series [Phase III] 3.75-inch super-articulated figures were a collector’s dream. While the tooling was stunning, the deco the figures received sent them to the back of the collecting line, and collectors were as frustrated as they were happy to have some of the characters from the new Star Wars Entertainment in super-articulated status after too many 5POA versions. Captain Cassian Andor is a figure that received a stunning sculpt and a paint job that took away a portion of that credit. The first release of this figure in The Vintage Collection entered the line virtually unchanged and led to the dissatisfaction of Star Wars collectors everywhere. However, Hasbro reissued the figure six years later, complete with Photo Real updating, and Captain Cassian Andor looks remarkable now. Collectors now have a fair chance at securing the Rogue One character, and the figure hasn’t looked better. It’s a worthwhile addition for carded collectors looking to complete The Vintage Collection’s sequential numbering. Once we got over the 2018 hurdle of the reintroduction to the line, Photo Real became part of the process, and the line offers the best-looking figures ever. We’re happy that The Vintage Collection got its long-deserved break. As mentioned, the figures have excellent sculptures (including portraits). Still, the final paint operations render these fantastic sculpts terrible because it looks like an incompetent artist has painted them instead.

Captain Cassian Andor no longer suffers from this issue. Yes, the unfortunate plight of Captain Cassian Andor followed the figure into the first offering in TVC. Thanks to Photo Real, the figure looks nearly flawless thanks to its new paint operations execution. What was so frustrating at first was the paint job on the figure was inconsistent. Hasbro brought back consistency and made the figure look gorgeous and seamless now. We never understood why Hasbro could not give head sculpts the same treatment as the rest of the figure, but thankfully, it is no longer an issue. Hasbro had explained that their processes were responsible for the shoddily applied face deco on their figures. It’s lovely to see them rectify this now. The beauty of Captain Cassian Andor’s face sculpt came to life with Photo Real. Some may argue that the likeness isn’t perfect, but we are impressed with what Hasbro accomplished here. The eyes look markedly better this time, and the hairline and beard are almost perfect. Previous versions of Captain Cassian Andor look as if the deco on the face was done with a Sharpie pen and a near-steady hand instead of somewhere on the assembly line belt. We always believed that The Vintage Collection presentation of the figures should be the final word. We may have reached that pinnacle now. Captain Cassian Andor comes with a decent number of accessories. The figure has a removable jacket shell and a three-part blaster rifle.

The shell is a “required” accessory because the figure looks incomplete without it. But we like the layering aspect this separately sculpted accessory creates for the action figure. Overall, You will look at the jacket shell in favor of the weapon. Recall the 2016 TBS6 [P3] Imperial Death Trooper/Captain Cassian Andor/SergeaRt Jyn Erso (Jedha) Target exclusive three-pack momentarily. You’re going to receive the same with the 3.75-inch version. Hasbro gave Captain Cassian Andor a three-part functional blaster rifle like the one in the 6-inch set. The blaster rifle breaks down into three separate pieces, and the middle section doubles as a blaster pistol, which is housed in the holster when not in use. It’s a fantastic accomplishment on a 3.75-inch super-articulated scale, and not only was the Hasbro tool an exceptional accessory for this figure, but it gave it a beautiful paint job. This weapon style is unique, complex, and welcomed to the Star Wars universe. It also makes up for the figure's lack of meaningful leg articulation. Captain Cassian Andor is an excellent action figure, and we’re so happy the deco looks remarkable now. We feel that the Photo Real technology is integral to what makes 3.75-inch action figures look lifelike. And we’re hopeful Hasbro will ensure they find a way to improve it over the years. In the meantime, enjoy the upgraded Captain Cassian Andor. We are quite impressed with it.

Editor's Note: Hasbro re-released The Vintage Collection Captain Cassian Andor (VC130) figure in March 2024 with a significant number of changes. Updates include: (1) revised paint operations/deco including Photo Real, (2) lighter pants and belt/holster combination (3) mildly revised color palette of overall outfit, (4) change in font style, size, and color (from white to black) in nameplate (5) refreshed 2024 packaging, and (6) different placement of action figure and accessories in the bubble and reduced bubble size

Review Status Update: The original publication date of this review is September 24, 2018. It was subsequently updated with a new Photo Gallery, revised General Analysis, and republished on March 28, 2024 after Hasbro reissued the figure.