Princess Leia Organa (Hoth) [Leia (Hoth Outfit)] - TVC - Basic (VC02)

Celebrate the legendary Star Wars saga that changed the universe forever! This collection brings to life the incredible story of good versus evil that captured our imagination and took us to a galaxy far, far away. Iconic Star Wars heroes and villains are captured with incredible detail and premium features to commemorate each epic tale in the Star Wars saga. May the Force be with you!

How is it possible that Hasbro can make the portrait of a Princess Leia action figure in a certain outfit look better and better with each take? That appears to be the case for Princess Leia Organa (Hoth) [Leia (Hoth Outfit)], a figure that made its debut in 2010 and is now part of the reissued figures for The Vintage Collection’s second take at retail. In all honesty, Hasbro’s likenesses to Carrie Fisher are hit and miss. Some are very faithful to what we see in the films. The action figures of her may have minor issues, but overall, they possess impressive qualities. But then Hasbro decides to take things up a notch and make the Princess Leia Organa (Hoth) [Leia (Hoth Outfit)] version of her the best yet. Hasbro is brilliantly making every collection of action figures better than the last. Interestingly, the increase in quality has nothing to do with how many points of articulation they are giving the figures. It doesn't affect the figure's aesthetics as far as we're concerned. No, Hasbro focuses their energies on other more important things like sculpting, paint applications, and the overall finished product. The facial features of Princess Leia Organa (Hoth) [Leia (Hoth Outfit)] look better than ever thanks to the new “photorealistic” technology employed here. It blows away the past versions of this figure significantly. This figure is gorgeous, and we would say that a repurchase of her is mandatory at this point in the game. With a feminine facial structure and paint operations that give her the prettiest face of all-female action figures, Princess Leia Organa (Hoth) [Leia (Hoth Outfit)] is a stunning re-release in The Vintage Collection. Her eyes reflect a serene and captivating expression, and the toned-down wash gives the figure a more pristine appearance. Back in the vintage Kenner era, Hasbro released Leia (Hoth Outfit) with three different names. With the re-release of the figure, Hasbro changed the name from Leia (Hoth Outfit) (2010) to Princess Leia Organa (Hoth) (2019). The newest name doesn’t reflect the naming convention of the 1981 release. Kenner released her as Leia (Hoth Outfit), Leia Organa (Hoth Outfit), and then finally as Princess Leia Organa (Hoth Outfit). It was nostalgic of Hasbro to go with the first name they gave her for the 2010 release, but we have to admit we’re disappointed they went with a previously unused name for the 2019 reissue. Proper names are part of The Vintage Collection experience too.

Princess Leia Organa (Hoth) [Leia (Hoth Outfit)] is modestly curvy and slightly voluptuous, but the action figure still maintains a very athletic build. How Hasbro was able to include all of these physical traits while keeping her slim and without any exaggerated features is quite an amazing feat. You may find her hips are a bit wide, but with the vest on that feature disappears. You already know we love her face, but Kenner impressively designed her hairstyle as a miniature recreation of the hairdo seen in The Empire Strikes Back. The vertical braid encircling the back of the head is symmetrical and in scale. When you look at this action figure, you don’t see some bizarre “bump” or “lump” on the head from the braid. In fact, with a straight head-on view, you aren’t aware of it. Thanks to the “photorealistic” technology applied here, Princess Leia Organa (Hoth) [Leia (Hoth Outfit)] no longer has milky white skin. There is less of a transition in color from the hair to the face now, and the complexion no longer looks ghostly. Also, the dark red lipstick is toned down, and the well-maintained eyebrows are less bold. The calming and brown "doe" eyes look good, but up close views will show the graininess of the “photorealistic” technology approach. Some will still feel that her neck is a little too long, but when the figure is fully assembled, that won’t stick out at all either. It provides a great deal of movement as is, so we wouldn’t want to lose that articulation. So, we don’t believe there is an issue with the head and neck interaction at all. The awesomeness of this action figure certainly doesn’t stop at her head. The figure comes with 18 points of articulation across 12 areas. You’ll have to believe us that it probably doesn't need more points than what it has. Lacking ankle joints is a setback, but it’s not a point of articulation that this figure needs. You can pose Leia in some excellent action poses, and they don’t require moving ankles to achieve them. With a slight spread stance that is barely noticeable, the figure has been designed with a rather static pose so she can stand well unassisted. In addition to the removable vest, Princess Leia Organa (Hoth) [Leia (Hoth Outfit)] also comes with a DH-17 blaster, the one that the Rebel Fleet Troopers utilize in battle. It would have been nice if Hasbro added interchangeable hands with this figure, but that sadly isn’t an option for the reissue of this figure either.

Princess Leia Organa (Hoth) [Leia (Hoth Outfit)] comes with a wonderfully detailed outfit. The cold weather gear complete with “waffle” pattern detail is imposing. And all of the lines are clean and equidistant from each other. Hasbro’s sculptors must have spent intensive lengths of time to sculpt all of the texture and detail that we see in the production version of the action figure. From the “puffy” pads on both the vest and snowsuit, to the emblems showing her ranking in the Rebel Alliance, Hasbro added an inordinate amount of detail to the relatively simple design. And we’re thankful for that. The paint operations on her ranking badge and communicator could be cleaner, but it’s not terrible either. Hasbro made up for all their errs throughout the years of clean clones by giving Princess Leia Organa (Hoth) [Leia (Hoth Outfit)] a stunning paint job. Thank goodness they held back some of the dirt on her outfit for the re-release. It might be one of the most jaw-dropping paint jobs we’ve seen in the line in a long time. While you can see her distinctly white uniform, there are subtle markings of discoloration throughout her uniform without making it look dirty (like the first version). It looks like she has spent more time in the command center instead of on the frontlines of battle now. She’s retired from serving in the snow trenches during the Battle of Hoth now. She’s a leader of the Rebel Alliance. The commlink device on her left forearm is small, yet you can see every nook and cranny of detail on it. The outfit is completed with the standard-issue Hoth boots, but this time they have been fitted for a more petite princess, and the coloring of them is changed for the 2019 version. And the hands are designed perfectly to accommodate the aforementioned Rebel Alliance blaster. You may need one quick shove to click it into place. Princess Leia Organa (Hoth) [Leia (Hoth Outfit)] is already a collector-favorite figure. An update to this character was long overdue. And what better way to get out a great figure once again? Just update the paint operations and call it a day! Claiming this figure was once again “worth the wait” would probably be the understatement of the year. Princess Leia Organa (Hoth) [Leia (Hoth Outfit)] is an example of what a perfect execution looks like. Buying this figure in The Vintage Collection packaging in 2019 is once again as exciting as it was in 2010. Be sure not to miss out on it!

Editor's Note: Hasbro re-released The Vintage Collection Princess Leia Organa (Hoth) [Leia (Hoth Outfit)] (VC02) figure in March 2019 with a significant number of changes. Updates include: (1) "photorealistic" deco, (2) completely new outfit deco which includes significnatly less "dirt," (3) a lighter colored outfit including the jacket, vest, and pants, and differently colored boots, (4) refreshed 2019 packaging with different graphics (5) revised name

Review Status Update: The original publication date of this review is July 2, 2010. It was subsequently updated with a new Photo Gallery and revised General Analysis and republished on March 25, 2019 after Hasbro reissued the figure.