Princess Leia (Sandstorm Outfit) - TVC - Basic (VC88)

It’s quite a thing that Princess Leia in her skimpy slave outfit doesn’t get the least bit boring throughout the years. Hasbro developed a definitive version of her in this outfit and released it as 2009’s LC Princess Leia (BC17) figure. It was so good that Hasbro felt it worthy enough to bring it forth into The Vintage Collection as 2011’s TVC Princess Leia (Slave Outfit) (VC64) figure. And as fate would have it, Hasbro released it again but with a twist for the 2012 phase of The Vintage Collection. Collectors rejoice, because not only have the new paint operations on Princess Leia been mastered, we get for the very first time in the basic figure line the soft-goods and other gear that complete her look for the elusive “sandstorm scene” released officially on Blu-ray for the first time ever. It’s expected that some of you are still going to huff and puff over the alternate legs not packaged with this figure again, but you’ll need to direct your frustration some place else so that you’re open enough to appreciate the enhancements Hasbro has made. This is the best looking Princess Leia in her slave outfit available on the market. You’ll need to have the other Leia figures so you can combine all of the other accessories and parts, but if you do you will have an ultimate version of Princess Leia from the first part of Return Of The Jedi.

Let’s quickly run through the figure’s stats. Princess Leia (Sandstorm Outfit) comes with an amazing 15 points of articulation. The inclusion of a swivel waist and ball-jointed chest is not something that happens with every action figure. In fact very few come with this extra mobility. Keep in mind that once her gold bikini is put in place, the swivel waist’s movement is terribly inhibited, but the flexibility of a swivel waist is an option should you look to use it for some of your poses. This time Hasbro left out the chain around her neck, something we’re not so sure they should have done. We all know that R2-D2 cut her chains away, but she still was wearing the collar on the swing to freedom on the desert skiff. Surely it was removed at some point, but since they were seeking escape on Tatooine, it’s unlikely they stopped to wrestle it off of her. We know. We are majorly over-analyzing here so please forgive the digression. She also comes without Jabba’s ornate chalice for obvious reasons. She instead comes with a soft-goods shawl and a plastic molder cowl (that does wonders to shape the soft-goods underneath of it so you’ll want to use them together) and although we have already heard from some collectors that these soft-goods fail, we’re quite proud of them. Soft-goods may not be perfect, but they are absolutely necessary sometimes. Hasbro seems to know when it’s appropriate to choose soft-goods over molded plastic. They have succeeded beyond our own expectations here.

Let’s face it. Both the 2009 LC and 2011 TVC Princess Leia figures were a little too decorated in the face. Leia’s blood red lips didn’t completely match what she looked like in Episode VI and it’s only now that we realize that the color of her lips what may have subliminally affecting how collectors were viewing the accuracy of her. For 2012, Hasbro did a great job in matching the colors better than ever before and some of the differences include a lightly lighter brown hair color, light pink lip color, brighter gold for her bikini (both the individual bottom accessory as well and her bracelets, boots and bikini top) and lightened gray for the “fabric” in her boots and bikini top. Even her flesh has been cast in a slightly lighter color. For us, this means this figure is “new” for our collection. And it also means that this is the definitive Princess Leia action figure based on her slave outfit too. The bonus included here are her accessories from the deleted scene. The newly sculpted goggles fit perfectly on her head and the plastic molded cowl hugs the soft-goods shawl/poncho in place. Interestingly she also comes with the force pike from yet another deleted scene (that didn’t make it to Blu-ray). So in spirit, the addition of the force pike is awesome. It however frustrates us that we still have yet to see that deleted scene in its entirety. (Lucasfilm Ltd. really needs to start releasing those deleted scenes that we’ve seen for years in stills. It’s maddening we tell you. Maddening!) Anyhow, the Princess Leia (Sandstorm) figure is one you shouldn’t be without.