JTA Presents: Evolutions - Princess Leia Organa (Boushh Disguise)

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″ Princess Leia Organa (Boushh Disguise) 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!

What young Star Wars fan who grew up with the Original Trilogy doesn’t remember the moment the bounty hunter Boushh revealed herself to be Princess Leia Organa? It was one of the most shocking things seen in a Star Wars film to date. The magic of that scene played out in Kenner’s Return Of The Jedi line too, as she was the first Star Wars figure to come with a removable helmet. And the magic this feature brought to our playtime is something we’ll never forget. Hasbro produced its fair share of Princess Leia Organa (Boushh Disguise) figures, but have any of them come close to capturing the magic of the original release?

Princess Leia Organa (Boushh Disguise) from 1983’s Return Of The Jedi line.

1983’s Return Of The Jedi Princess Leia Organa (Boushh Disguise) was a figure like no other up to that point. The action figure has a remarkable likeness to actress Carrie Fisher, but you’d never know thanks to the “dumbed down” and “simplistic” deco approach taken to give the figure its personality. It’s argued that the figure comes with two “Easter egg” features. The first is that her helmet can attach to the canister on her back for storage purposes. And the second is that her blaster staff connects tightly to her side thanks to a perfect slot created by a space of air in between her side and left arm. This figure still holds a special place in the hearts of collectors everywhere.

Leia (In Boushh Disguise) from 1996’s Shadows Of The Empire line.

The most exciting announcement of the entire Shadows Of The Empire multimedia event was that Leia (In Boushh Disguise) would be one of the first action figures produced for the specialized line. It would later be re-released in The Power Of The Force “2” [Green/Freeze Frame] line. The figure didn’t look nearly as bulky as the first Princess Leia Organa action figure (from A New Hope), and came with a removable helmet, blaster staff and an annoying molded thermal detonator in her left hand. 50% of this figure still looks great, but once you take the helmet off the figure goes downhill fast.

Princess Leia (Boushh Disguise) (SAGA 001) from 2005’s The Saga Collection line.

Fans were elated when the Revenge Of The Sith line transitioned into an all-encompassing and inclusive The Saga Collection. With packaging elements from both the Revenge Of The Sith line and The Original Trilogy Collection, Hasbro kick-started the new line with a wave of figures based on Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi. Princess Leia (Boushh Disguised) is the very first figure in The Saga Collection and the first (and last) version of this character which comes with a separately sculpted thermal detonator. After all, she didn’t walk around threatening to blow up everything 24/7. Hasbro did right by this character with this release. This mold was also part of 2007’s 30 (77-07) and 2010’s Star Wars [Shadow Of The Dark Side] Saga Legends lines as well.

Princess Leia Organa (Boushh) (#17) from 2015’s The Black Series [Phase II] line.

When Hasbro announced that an all-new version of Princess Leia Organa (Boushh) would become part of The Black Series [Phase II] line, collectors were thrilled. Then we found out that she too would come with a permanently molded thermal detonator in her left hand, just like the figure almost 20 years before it. The figure has excellent proportions and a reasonably decent likeness (improved paint operations when it gets re-released in The Vintage Collection will resolve this issue immediately), but collectors will never allow the poor decision of a permanent thermal detonator go. Will “photorealistic” technology save the day for this figure? Maybe once the figure becomes part of The Vintage Collection and is encased in stunning vintage Kenner packaging they’ll be able to let this figure’s problems go, but probably not.

Princess Leia Organa (Boushh Disguise) 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 Princess Leia Organa (Boushh Disguise) action figures.

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