JTA Presents: Evolutions - Aayla Secura

Welcome to another one of our JTA Presents: Evolutions features! Let’s check out how close or far we are from having an ideal Hasbro 3.75″ Aayla Secura action figure. Have we arrived at definitive status yet? Weigh in and let us know what conclusion you’ll come to by clicking through and adding your two cents in the comments!

Ever since the Sequel Trilogy, it feels like Hasbro treats the Prequel Trilogy like it doesn’t exist. What’s tragic about this is that some of the saga’s most celebrated female characters of all time are found during this pivotal point in the Star Wars timeline. Aayla Secura started off life in the old Expanded Universe comics, but she quickly became one of the most popular characters from the Prequel Trilogy. Sadly, she’s a character that Hasbro introduced into the basic figure line multiple times, but without too many unique sculpts. Three distinct sculpts were tooled (excluding the animated version from The Clone Wars lines) in the modern line this far. And although not often revisited,  we have a pretty fantastic version. But is it definitive?

Aayla Secura (Jedi Knight) (’03 #11) from 2003’s Star Wars “Saga” [Phase II] line

Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones confused many longtime Star Wars fans. And to this day, many consider it the worst of the installments from the Prequel Trilogy. Still, the film contains a beautiful assortment of the coolest-looking characters that have ever graced the screen in any Star Wars film. You may dislike Anakin’s lines describing how much he hates sand, but you can’t deny how drawn you are to characters like Kit Fisto and Aayla Secura (and so many others). The first Aayla Secura by Hasbro released in 2003 in the Star Wars “Saga” [Phase II] line (and was quickly repackaged in the Star Wars “Saga” [Phase III] line). Aayla Secura was pre-posed in an action stance but came with a fantastic environmental display stand which included Geonosian terrain. Magnetic features interacted with her lightsaber’s metal hilt as well.

Aayla Secura (III 32) 2005’s Revenge Of The Sith line.

Aayla Secura didn’t change much at all in the Prequel Trilogy, but as technology improved, so did Hasbro’s action figures. Hasbro created an all-new version of her for the collector-friendly Revenge Of The Sith line. And the articulation significantly improved from her 2003 iterations. The likeness wasn’t perfect, and the paint operations could have been enhanced, but Ayyala Secura overall was an action figure that most collectors appreciated. Hasbro thought highly of this action figure and repackaged her in various Battle Packs for the 30 (77-07) line including the Battle Of Geonosis and Betrayal On Felucia sets. While she served a great purpose in the basic figure line, collectors were eager to see what Hasbro could do if they made a super-articulated version of her. And that dream finally came true.

Aayla Secura (VC58) from 2012’s The Vintage Collection line.

Hasbro pulled out all of the stops for longtime Star Wars collectors with 2012’s The Vintage Collection Aayla Secura (VC58) figure. Originally planned to come out sometime in 2011, the wave she was part of was delayed until the second quarter of 2012 for reasons which are still unknown to this day. Although some collectors took issue with her wider-than-normal hips, she was an immediate hit right out of the box and soon replaced all previous versions of the character for everyone who purchased her. The first time she arrived with a soft-goods Jedi robe, the TVC Aayla Secura also came with a lightsaber hilt in addition to a fully lit lightsaber, completing her the way fans wanted to see for years. She still ranks highly among today’s collectors and people are content with her if Hasbro never revisits this figure.

Aayla Secura Group Shot

Questions for discussion:

1. In your opinion, do we have a definitive version of this figure?

2. If we don’t have a definitive version of this figure, should Hasbro tool a new figure from the ground up again, or should they tweak a current sculpt to perfect it instead?

3. If the figure ranks as definitive for you, do you want to see it repackaged in vintage Kenner packaging (The Vintage Collection) if it isn’t already?

4. Add any other points of note or interest in the comments about any of these versions of Aayla Secura action figures.

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