Obi-Wan Kenobi - SW [S - P1] - 12 Inch Figures

Ten years after the fight to save Naboo from invasion, the galaxy is on the brink of civil war. Under the leadership of a renegade Jedi, thousands of solar systems threaten to secede from the Galactic Republic. A courageous Jedi Knight, his impulsive and headstrong apprentice, and a queen-turned-senator are drawn into the heart of the conflict... and the beginning of war.

Cautious and disciplined, Obi-Wan Kenobi has matured into an accomplished Jedi Knight. Bearded and garbed in a traditional Jedi robe, Obi-Wan now serves as Anakin Skywalker's Jedi mentor. On the stormy planet Kamino, Obi-Wan makes a startling discovery: a massive clone army, mysteriously commissioned many years earlier, is ready for delivery.

The second episode of the Prequel Trilogy introduces us to a new trio of heroes: Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padmé Amidala. Hasbro got out two of the three in the first wave of 12 Inch Figures in the Star Wars “Saga” [Phase I] lineup. And the main heroes in any Star Wars film are often overrepresented in the toy line. Such is true for Obi-Wan Kenobi, which may see more releases than Anakin Skywalker in some instances. After countless basic 3.75” action figures, deluxe figures, and corresponding vehicles, Obi-Wan Kenobi also saw multiple releases in Hasbro’s 12 Inch Figures line. The early figures in the line were hit or miss, Now, as the line drops its “Action Collection” moniker, the figures are made better, come with more articulation, and typically come with better likenesses too. Obi-Wan Kenobi falls somewhere in the middle of the bad to a good spectrum. The figure has a fair likeness to the actor, and the buck utilized has a decent amount of articulation, but aesthetically Obi-Wan Kenobi comes off as too thick, and the figure’s proportions are not in line with the character we see in Attack Of The Clones. Obi-Wan Kenobi isn’t without merit, but we feel it has a little too much working against it than for it.

Let’s take a closer look at what makes this figure shine. Obi-Wan Kenobi has a beautifully layered costume. The figure has an undershirt as well as an outer shirt. The shirt is held in place by a belt, which features a place to hang the included lightsaber hilt when not in use. Obi-Wan Kenobi also comes with woven pants with an inordinately tight fit, and finally, left and right plastic boots with a leather-like quality. Overall, the costume comes off too dark when we compare it against the outfit worn in the film. But maybe lighting has a lot to do with this. Hasbro reused their standard buck for the character that make up the Star Wars 12 Inch Figures line. So the same body is also utilized for Obi-Wan Kenobi. It provides adequate movement for the figure, but it isn’t ideal. The figure can hold the lightsaber well sometimes, but then it feels like a loose grip other times. It all depends on where the hands grip the hilt. Obi-Wan Kenobi can attain some interesting poses, but you might feel disappointed that the figure’s range of movement isn’t completely uninhibited, because it is. Wrist articulation and ankle articulation would have been tremendous upgrades here, but the figure falls short with its articulation system. Just a few more points would have added significant movement.

However, we’d be remiss not to report that the balance and center of gravity of these newer Star Wars 12 Inch Figures makes posing them more enjoyable. We experienced very few issues posing these figures and standing them without them falling constantly. We wish for more when it comes to Obi-Wan Kenobi’s head sculpt. We think that the sculpting is favorable to the actor, but the paint operations don’t do it any justice. It resembles the character from Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones somewhat, but it is far from where it should be to absolutely and unequivocally capture the essence of the Jedi Knight, soon to be a Master. The shape of the head sculpt may be too rectangular. His eyes are a tad expressive, and the coloring is off a bit. Perhaps the most jarring issue here is the figure’s hair color. The Obi-Wan Kenobi 12 Inch Figure comes with orange hair, whereas the onscreen character has dirty-blond hair. Obi-Wan Kenobi is outfitted with a lightsaber that breaks down into a hilt and blade. As we’ve briefly explained, the hands are properly cupped to hold it, but it is a loose fit at times. Overall, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a fair 12 Inch Figure, but it doesn’t rank as one of Hasbro’s best. We feel they could have done a few things differently to improve the figure a bit more.