Obi-Wan Kenobi - SW [TPM 3D] - Movie Heroes (MH16)

Obi-Wan Kenobi battles Darth Maul in the Theed Royal Palace on Naboo. Obi-Wan becomes separated from Qui-Gon Jinn as the two Jedi duel the menacing Sith apprentice in the generator complex. When Obi-Wan is reunited with his Jedi Master, he faces an unexpected tragedy and must fight the powerful Darth Maul on his own.

The only thing worse than getting a Star Wars basic figure with action features, is one that has them and then all-new parts that should have been saved for another more important figure. We’re actually specifically calling out 2012’s SW [TPM 3D] Obi-Wan Kenobi (MH16) because that’s exactly how you can sum him up. To say that this figure is frustrating is an understatement. Hasbro has developed an incredible head sculpt that should have been used toward collector friendly versions of Obi-Wan Kenobi. And we actually haven’t come across one Star Wars collector that hasn’t expressed that Hasbro should have utilized this figure’s gorgeous head sculpt for 2012’s TVC Obi-Wan Kenobi (VC76) figure. (Your mileage may vary on how often you have heard these sentiments obviously.) Obi-Wan’s portrait is utterly stunning. There is no other way to express this. It’s actually mind-blowing just how perfectly Hasbro has captures a neutral yet alert expression of Ewan McGregor here. And we are bugged that it’s been wasted on this figure. This Obi-Wan Kenobi is meant to have play features, but we think Hasbro shouldn’t be wasting exquisite new tooling on a figure that many collectors feel doesn’t deserve it.

What we don’t like at all about the “light up” figures is the lack of a waist joint. We completely understand why Hasbro had to omit of course. The electronics and specifically the wiring wouldn’t be able to twist 360 degrees over and over again without snapping. So Hasbro did cleverly work in a “stop” so that the arm doesn’t rotate more than an estimated 150 degrees to prevent the electronics from breaking. We have to point out just how incredible the blue blade lights up and functions. If you’re a new collector, you may not know that back in the “olden” days (the late 90s, not the 70s and 80s) technology didn’t exist to give us a blue lightsaber blade. So, the 1997 Power F/X Obi-Wan Kenobi figure from The Power Of The Force line had a green blade in case you weren’t aware. (How things have changed.) Collectors are upset that the batteries on this figure aren’t removable or replaceable. We are on the fence about that. This is an action figure and isn’t meant to be a priceless collectible in a thousand years. (Maybe to you, but not the rest of the world.) So enjoy this figure while it has some life left in it. Play with your toys!

Obi-Wan Kenobi does have an overall decent sculpt despite Hasbro forcing in the light up feature on him. The torso is ever so slightly bulky looking, but you really have to look hard for the small disproportion. It isn’t glaring at you by any means. Perhaps we’ll have to wait another decade for technology to make electronics completely seamless in the basic figure line so that body form looks relatively issue free. That all being said, we believe Obi-Wan Kenobi is worthy buying for the new head sculpt alone. There has to be some Episode I Obi-Wan Kenobi figures that you could customize with this new head sculpt to make them better. But even if you plan to purchase thins figure because you definitely like it, we do have to admit that the light up figures haven’t been the biggest abomination in the Movie Heroes line so far. (No, we have much worse problems in the Movie Heroes line, like the resurrection of inferior sculpts of figures that no one wants to buy anymore anyway. Movie Heroes Obi-Wan Kenobi is not half bad at all. It may be difficult for it to capture the attention of collectors who are “definitive minded”, but there is certainly something for everyone else who are looking for other things.