Sergeant Jyn Erso (Jedha) - TBS [P3] - Six Inch Figures (22)

A highly skilled soldier in the Rebel Alliance, Sergeant Jyn Erso is an impetuous, defiant warrior eager to bring the battle to the Empire. Jyn has little patience for debate within Alliance High Command, enough so that she takes matters into her own hands.

Yeah. We’re not feeling this one. The inaugural figure from the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story film is probably what it needs to be, but because of sloppily applied facial paint operations ends up looking like the next release in the Disney Princess line than an actual cool and new Star Wars figure. Sergeant Jyn Erso (Jedha), the main character in Rogue One, is the first The Black Series 6” figure collectors get to add to their collection thanks to a San Diego Comic Con exclusive. Now she has been brought forth into the “basic” 6” line and part of the regular numbering. Sergeant Jyn Erso (Jedha) does have a dynamic sculpt loaded with an inordinate amount of detail. Her frame is athletically feminine which is awesome, but the construction of the ball-jointed hips makes her appear way too wide in the caboose than she likely is in the film. This is the problem with squeezing hyper articulation into thinly framed characters. The wideness in her hips also lends towards a bowed leg aesthetic in the legs which in all honesty is a disappointment. A fine young woman in her prime shouldn’t look as if she is suffering from some mild form of rickets. (We blame much of this curvature to the packaging in all honesty.) Again, all the important pieces of this character seem to be in place here, plus or minus a few problems. But it’s the final execution that leaves something to be desired. Keep in mind this isn’t meant to be a cheap child’s plaything. We’re holding Hasbro accountable to their claims that these are collectors’ items, and quite frankly collectors demand the finest quality possible.

The sticking point on Sergeant Jyn Erso (Jedha) for us however is how her portrait turned out. Hasbro must go back to the drawing board with how they apply deco to head sculpts. It’s figuratively the albatross around their neck when it comes to The Black Series 6” line. They literally design fantastic action figures (whether you like or loathe the scale) and then the final pieces are entering the line as shadows of their former selves, without ironically even having a former self (hopefully you catch our drift). In other words, these figures just aren’t getting released to collectors as they should, which is a terrible and frightening all the same. Sergeant Jyn Erso (Jedha) looks like something from the Disney Princess line. Her teardrop shaped eyes in addition to heavy mascara outlining the corners of her eyes give her a whimsical and wide-eyed appearance. This is supposed to be a really “bad” chick in Rogue One, one who takes on the Galactic Empire, so why does it look like she is trying to sell you girl scout cookies (with a gun)? We don’t know, but it is disappointing to say the least. With all of the sacrifices taken to save the budget at Hasbro, can a few more extra pennies be expended to go above and beyond for the deco on the faces? Sergeant Jyn Erso (Jedha) has a wealth of washes on her vest and even a few on her holster. Maybe that can be sacrificed instead to devote more money, time and energy into making the most of what is probably a stellar and brilliant head sculpt.

Thankfully, the rest of Sergeant Jyn Erso (Jedha) is nice. But it is hard to appreciate when you can’t get past her face. She is loaded with articulation and comes with a blaster pistol and a removable vest. She also comes with a removable gray head covering that is reminiscent of something you may have seen Luke Skywalker, Han Solo or Princess Leia Organa where during the sandstorm in the Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi deleted scenes. (Could there be a sandstorm afoot in Rogue One? Or is it merely a disguise?) She can attain a wide array of poses, but some of her joints are just too rubbery. This means that she not only has difficulty keeping her action-oriented poses, but she also has great difficulty just standing at attention unassisted. (Sigh.) The rest of her deco also looks fantastic, and all of her ball-joints match the color of her outfit depending upon where they sit within the figure. Hasbro had great difficulty with this in fabulous lines such as The Vintage Collection. It looks like they have resolved that major issue in The Black Series 6” line now once and for all. The actress playing Sergeant Jyn Erso (Jedha) has more grit and determination in her expressions. But her action figure interpretation just looks way too happy like everything is alright. The face is too rounded and the lips are puckering too much. All of this combined just doesn’t fit well to allow the figure to look like the actress. This is a war movie. This figure doesn't look like someone who is going to war.