Jawa - TBS [SW40] - Six Inch Figures

Sigh. It’s not that there aren’t some great action figures in The Black Series 6” line, it’s just that it often feels like wash, rinse, repeat a little too often. On paper, the Jawa is a fantastic action figure. It comes with a fantastic sculpt with every attention to detail etched into its form. It has a “not so terrible” paint job either. Hasbro definitely sacrificed some much-needed deco on this figure, but it certainly is passable as is. And then there is the articulation system. While it feels a little too familiar at this point, no one can criticize Hasbro for giving us premium articulation in these 6” action figures. Then why are we not fully satisfied? Maybe it’s fatigue. Maybe it’s boredom. Maybe it’s a severe lack of our true passion at the moment: super-articulated 3.75” action figures. Or maybe it’s just that Hasbro needs to think outside of the box a little bit more to keep interest levels a bit higher than they are now. Again, no one should be complaining about The Black Series [Star Wars 40] 6” action figure. But for us, even though we’re able to acknowledge how nice it is, it just feels like there should be something else “more” here. When it comes to a Jawa, they are very unique from one another. Their heights vary. Their outfits vary. And even their weapons vary. Hasbro appeared to pick the best of all worlds here making as generic of a Jawa as possible, but this is not something that collectors will be able to army build because of the diversity that exists within the species.

Since the dawn of time in the Hasbro modern Star Wars line, Hasbro has always included either a second DIFFERENT Jawa figure or a corresponding droid with each successive release. To just get a plain old Jawa with nothing else to accompany it isn’t unfair, it just feels lacking. So that’s probably where are lack of excitement is derived from with this release. That being said, the Jawa has been designed very well. It’s to scale with the rest of the line and looks to be about the size of an average Jawa. We do have to nitpick the paint operations however. Hasbro did include some direct collection at the hemline of the Jawa’s robe, But the rest of the Jawa is too brightly colored and lacking dirt, grime and disgust. Remember, these are supposed to be filthy little creatures per C-3PO. But you get the sense that this figure hasn’t been playing in the sand too often. It is very reminiscent of the paint jobs we received on The Power Of The Force “2” Jawa action figures (all three of them). The hood and the head are definitely two separate pieces, but Hasbro has permanently attached the hood to the head in what we assume to be a concerted effort to keep the face/eyes perfectly centered at all times within the face of the hood. There is no need to worry however. Collectors are treated to a full range of movement within the neck/head area aside from some aesthetics issues (the break of the hood because of the separately head), Hasbro did a fine job here.

The Jawa comes admirably accessorized, but for us it still feels lacking. Again, if we’re not getting a second differently looking Jawa or one of the droids from the sandcrawler, we’re likely not going to be too impressed here. These figures are $19.99 and the small-statured Jawa does not possess a value of this magnitude. If they could cost out two super-articulated Jawas for a little over $10 in the 3.75” line, they should certainly give us two figures for $19.99 in the 6” line. We have to stop allowing Hasbro to make us believe this cannot be done. Let’s run through what collectors do get with the Jawa. You get the standard ionization blaster. This has been tooled beautifully and sized accordingly. It can also be held in the Jawa’s hands with very little issue. Then we get a blaster/bandolier combination piece (which is removable by the way – albeit difficultly removed) too. The blaster is attached by a cable and then it can be holstered when not being used. It’s a bit clumsy but we suppose it ultimately works. It appears that Hasbro mimicked the approach of the Jawa from 2009’s TLC Jawa & WED Treadwell Droid (BD 33) release to make the 6” Jawa. For that figure feels like the blueprint for which the 6” figure has been based. Really, the Jawa is a nice figure. We just feel a little gipped is all. We miss the days of getting a corresponding droid with a Jawa, or a completely different Jawa altogether. We understand that Hasbro needed to release the Jawa in The Black Series [Star Wars 40] lineup to get out the original twelve, but perhaps a more deluxe type of release may have been a more ideal way of getting it out to collectors.