Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi - OTC - Vintage

Celebrate the legendary Star Wars trilogy that changed the universe forever, with The Original Trilogy Collection. 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. The finest recreations of the iconic Star Wars heroes and villains are back with incredible detail and premium features to commemorate each epic tale in the Original Trilogy: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. And, as a tribute to the dedication of Star Wars fans everywhere, we are re-releasing elements of the original packaging that harken back to the creation of Star Wars action figures, which began over 25 years ago with the Original Trilogy. May the Force be with you!

The most significant announcement of 2004 wasn’t that Lucasfilm was releasing the Star Wars Original Trilogy on DVD. No, it was that Hasbro was releasing a dozen all-new sculpted action figures in support of the DVD release. Hasbro created a dozen all-new action figures and placed them on vintage-styled card backs, just like the ones that were available to Star Wars fans when they were younglings themselves in the late seventies and early eighties. The “Vintage” Original Trilogy Collection, or VOTC for short, harkens the line back to a time where everyone grew up “Star Wars” and when the Kenner line was perpetually available shelves for eight years. Things back then were much more straightforward, yet seeing the packaging and characters of that time in the same packaging during modern times leave a visually stimulating and classically based nostalgia in our hearts. It’s been a long time since Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi received an all-new update in the basic figure line, so the VOTC line appears to be the perfect opportunity. All collectors anticipated that the VOTC version would instantly become the definitive version of this Star Wars character. But while the packaging is glorious, the action figure needs quite a bit of work before collectors see it as definitive. In our opinion, it isn’t close to that. It’s one of the least-articulated figures of the dozen released in the VOTC format. Although Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi is now the best version of this character released in the Hasbro Star Wars line thus far, it needs quite a bit more before we’re happy. There is no question you’ll want to see tweak after tweak made before you’ll accept it as the modern replacement for the original 1978 SW Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi Kenner release.

Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi only comes with ten points of articulation. That low number of articulation points is a kick to the gut as we hoped to see many more than this added to the figure. Admittedly, we’ve become articulation snobs over time, so ten seems too few in this day and age. And when compared to the other figures in the VOTC collection, it is. If Luke Skywalker has ball-jointed hips, then Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi should, at the very least, have ball-jointed elbows and knees. While we’re sickened over this figure’s simple articulation, we’re upset with other far worse things. The articulation count total issue isn’t the worst part of Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi, and it’s the type of articulation Hasbro gave the figure. The figure’s elbows are angle-cut, which lock them into one or two useful positions. But you don’t have the flexibility you need to pose with Darth Vader in a lightsaber duel, or other action-oriented poses. To prevent Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi from looking ridiculous, you need to keep the arms up and at 90-degree angles. The lack of ball-jointed elbows limits how versatile the action figure is. We’d also like to know what happened to this figure’s head. We understand that the action figure making process involves shrinkage, but this is ridiculous. It looks like Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi’s head got stuck in a vice and squeezed unmercifully. Overall, this figure is a big disappointment because we had high hopes for it. Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi seems as if the designers had rushed it. Maybe there was a deadline to meet. Or perhaps they just decided to make a second-rate “premium” action figure. But more time was needed to give this character the perfection it deserves in a collector-focused and premium action figure line.

There’s still more to discuss! Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi has additional issues. As much as we love the texture of the soft-goods outer robe, it is severely bulky and is frankly a little too obnoxious. It has a lovely touch, but we don’t ultimately like it. It is possible to articulate the figure in various poses while wearing this plush monstrosity, but you have limited options, and you may find that you get the most freedom from this action figure while posing it without the outer robe. Perhaps the biggest slap in the face is the inclusion of the lightsaber. Would you believe that Hasbro didn’t sculpt an all-new hilt and blade that is more current with the standards they have been releasing in 2004 and beyond? Again, Luke Skywalker came with an all-new lightsaber. Why didn’t this figure? Like anything obsolete, it looks out of place, and most certainly, dated beyond hope. Do you believe us when we say that this action figure had to have been rushed and not thought through completely? Why did Hasbro make all of these shortcuts that destroyed the aesthetics of this action figure? But there is some saving grace, and hopefully, you’ll agree. You can’t see all of Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi’s faults while beautifully packaged inside the impressive and nostalgic “vintage-styled” STAR WARS packaging. Admittedly, this figure looks best behind plastic and not removed from the packaging. Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi needs an update. Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi is not an acceptable release of the character. It is a far cry from our expectations. Collectors already expect a dramatic revisiting of this character in the 3.75” super-articulated line. In the meantime, you’ll have to decide if you can appreciate what Hasbro offered here. And if you do, focus on the packaging.