Val (Vandor-1) - TBS6 [P3] - Six Inch Figures (71)

A no-nonsense and occasionally prickly woman who is a crack shot with a blaster rifle, Val may be the most even-headed and capable member of Tobias Beckett's ragtag crew of scoundrels.

If you saw Solo: A Star Wars Story, you probably recall how likable of a character Val was. Her role was short-lived in the film, but she became an important character in the Star Wars saga. She is one our most-favorite characters from the film. It’s exciting to see an excellent action figure produced in her likeness by Hasbro now. It might be hard to believe at first, but Val (Vandor-1) from Hasbro’s The Black Series [Phase III] 6” line might be Hasbro’s greatest figure of 2018. She’s that good. We all have seen how well the new “photorealistic” technology dresses up these excellent action figures, but it feels like Hasbro is continually improving the process. Val (Vandor-1) is case in point that the process is looking better and better. Val (Vandor-1) brings the standard 6” figure approach to the line once again, but the deco reaches a point where it’s exceeding our expectations now. This 6” action is a dead ringer for actress Thandie Newton. We don’t believe that Hasbro could make her look any better than they already have. Val (Vandor-1) is a remarkably gorgeous action figure, and whatever Hasbro is doing differently (if anything), we hope they continue it because this is where the 6” basic figure line should be at in its evolution.

Val (Vandor-1) comes loaded with 28 points of articulation across 17 areas. Her movement is fluid, and she can attain more poses than you’d probably expect her to achieve. With the freedom in her movement comes various attitudes in her personality. Val (Vandor-1) can be made to look calm, confident, angry or action-oriented based on what pose you choose for her. Her outfit, based on her time on Vandor-1, doesn’t feel like it would provide her with warmth required to function on Vandor-1. But this is how she appeared in those scenes. Her outfit is primarily black, but there are also plenty of colorful details accenting her outfit as well. Hasbro tooled the clear red tubing (for heat) to give a light-up effect when it catches any source of light. Her jacket has a fur collar and her skintight pants and shows what great shape she is in as she fights alongside Tobias Beckett and company. The rest of her outfit is faithful to what we see onscreen. And Hasbro went above and beyond to ensure collectors that the points of articulation seamlessly blend into the frame of the figure. Nothing looks obtrusive or out of place here. She comes lightly accessorized. She only comes with a blaster rifle, but it’s adequate for this figure. We don’t expect much else to be included with her.

It would be egregious of us not to rave about this figure’s head sculpt and deco and go into detail. Hasbro perfected every last detail of the character’s likeness in this figure’s head sculpt. From her hair to the shape of the face, Val (Vandor-1) is a perfect recreation of actress Thandie Newton. We’ve commented already about how incredible the “photorealistic” paint job looks. But check this out for yourself in our Photo Gallery. The realism of this figure is eerie. Not only do the figure’s eyes look right through you, but you can see how her rosy cheeks look so realistic thanks to the updated deco process. From side view or front view, the Val (Vandor-1) action figure is one of the nicest looking action figures we’ve ever seen Hasbro produce to date. There’s good news to share. Val (Vandor-1) is part of a case assortment that will please 6” collectors around the world. With only one (and smart) repack, the rest of the case is comprised of all-new action figures across various parts of the Star Wars saga; from Solo: A Star Wars Story to the Original Trilogy. You'd be well-advised to focus your attention on Val (Vandor-1), however. She's a beauty.