Grand Admiral Thrawn - TVC - Basic (VC337)

A brilliant, ruthless strategist, Thrawn studies his enemies to gain tactical advantages often overlooked by his peers - stopping at nothing to secure a victory for himself and those he serves.

Something got lost in translation with the Star Wars: Ahsoka version of Grand Admiral Thrawn. But even if the reinvented character doesn’t meet longtime fans’ expectations, one thing is certain. Hasbro can produce the new version of Grand Admiral Thrawn with very little cost, thanks to the existing tool of 2023’s TVC Grand Admiral Thrawn (VC296) figure. Hasbro didn’t have to do much to change the figure around. They designed an all-new portrait and then repainted the skin color in a darker shade of blue. And that’s about all that separates the two action figures from each other. Oh, unless, of course, you consider the packaging as a new feature here. The Star Wars: Ahsoka series wasn’t a hit television show, but Disney and Hasbro doubled down by focusing their merchandising on these failed series. If you’re a fan of Grand Admiral Thrawn, you may see that this action figure has some merit, but overall, it’s more of the same. It feels like an obligatory purchase, but ultimately unnecessary when we all already have the superb version based on Star Wars: Rebels.

Who could forget the first introduction of Grand Admiral Thrawn in the basic figure line? Long before the dreadful Disney Star Wars came to be, longtime Star Wars fans enjoyed the Expanded Universe through multimedia events like Star Wars: Heir To The Empire, where we first saw Grand Admiral Thrawn and the character’s unforgettable ysalamiri. Released in the trendy Expanded Universe line during The Power Of The Force “2” era, the figure came with a pop-up display (which Hasbro developed into the cardboard packaging), and although the figure only had five points of articulation, we didn’t care because it was a fresh release in the line. The next version of Grand Admiral Thrawn arrived a decade later in The Legacy Collection Grand Admiral Thrawn/Talon Karrde (9) Comic Packs two-pack. This release showcased the first super-articulated version of Grand Admiral Thrawn, which still holds well to today’s standards. However, when you compare it to The Vintage Collection version, you cannot help but notice how obsolete it is because technology has come so far.

Hasbro possesses the ability to improve most as the technology improves. There was also a 5POA version of Grand Admiral Thrawn in the Rogue One line, based on the character’s animated appearance. Grand Admiral Thrawn comes with 27 points of articulation across 17 areas. The figure has a fantastic range of motion and achieves any pose you wish. The lower skirt doesn’t inhibit the figure’s movement in any way. You’ll be able to pose this figure without interruption. Although Grand Admiral Thrawn is essentially the exact figure as VC296, it feels somewhat new. The figure borrows elements from Admiral Piett. You cannot tell where one figure ends and where the latest updates begin, a testament to what Hasbro can achieve in the line these days. The skin color looks perfect, and we can’t help but be impressed with how they did the figure’s hairstyle. But it’s a different likeness for this famous character. Hasbro found a realistic and believable way to create this perimeter of a character’s hairstyle. We love what they achieved here. For accessories, Grand Admiral Thrawn only comes with a blaster pistol.