Plo Koon - TBS [P3] - Six Inch Figures (109)

A Kel Dor from Dorin, Plo Koon was among the wisest members of the Jedi Order, respected for his level-headed analysis of events and unflappable calm.

Hey, 6” collectors! You’re beginning to taste a sample of what happens to a long-running Star Wars line and how Hasbro produces new action figures. The whining was unprecedented when Hasbro announced a wave of characters from Attack Of The Clones. Reusing the tooling of previously released figures is a habit that longtime 3.75” grew accustomed to, and now the 6” fan base is experiencing it at more frequent intervals. Essentially, the Attack Of The Clones wave of The Black Series [Phase III] could be considered the first “repack and repaint” wave for the 6” line. Sure, Hasbro reused a healthy amount of the previous tooling before, like the Stormtrooper figure. But this was the first time they used mostly preexisting tooling to create all-new characters by merely changing the hands and portraits. A Battle Droid (Geonosis) figure was a repaint of a previously released figure and new Jedi, including Anakin Skywalker (Padawan), Obi-Wan Kenobi (Jedi Knight), Kit Fisto, and Plo Koon are all retooling of previously released figures as well. Overall, the entire wave is okay. Some figures are much better than others. But Plo Koon exceeded our expectations a little, even if the costume details are not wholly correct. Hasbro took 2019’s TBS [P3] Mace Windu (82) figure, tooled an all-new portrait, new hands, sewed an all-new robe, and finally repainted the figure to give collectors the Kel Dor Plo Koon. Plo Koon is universally adored by Star Wars fans, especially those who love the Prequel Trilogy. This figure was a wise choice for the wave.

Because Plo Koon is Mace Windu reinvented, collectors can expect the same level of articulation in detail in the action figure’s core. New to the figure is the all-new portrait and hands. Once again, Hasbro shows how well they can translate characters from the films into action figures. The detail within Plo Koon’s head sculpt may not be unprecedented, but it’s showing off a job well done, and the screen-accuracy to the character is impressive. We’d say the paint operations are a tad off on Plo Koon, but not enough to ruin the figure’s aesthetics. If you’re not aware, Plo Koon needs to wear a mask because oxygen is poisonous to this species. The bronze and gold detail worked into the mask are beautiful, and this species of Star Wars character always felt like they had a Predator quality to them. We still think that way after all of these years. Thankfully, Hasbro gave Plo Koon the correct lightsaber, complete with a removable blue blade. The figure can hold this accessory well, and Plo Koon looks remarkable wielding it. Hasbro isn’t kind to 6” collectors when it comes to soft-goods, but they graciously included them with Plo Kon. What’s extra special about this is that Plo Koon’s robes are unique to any other Jedi Knight or Jedi Master in the Prequel Trilogy. So, it was important for Hasbro to include it with this figure because collectors would probably never get an opportunity again to pair it with the figure. The robe fits nicely, but once again, Hasbro used an extremely cheap fabric, so its quality is poor, and it affects the drape, texture, and overall aesthetic of the robe.

Plo Koon comes with 30 points of articulation across 19 areas. The joints are fluid, and you can quickly achieve various poses as needed. The addition of “butterfly” shoulders is a relatively new construct that most collectors are happy to see implemented in the 6” line. So, Plo Koon has them too. The joints don’t possess a great deal of resistance and change the direction of arms and legs, and the head sculpt moves with relative ease. We were pleasantly surprised with how the figure can move despite having thicker molded robes underneath that typically encumber movement. It’s not the case with Plo Koon. Overall, this is a faithful representation of Plo Koon. The figure’s most significant issues include the wrong boots and the wrong belt. But we didn’t expect Hasbro to tweak them to make them specific to Plo Koon. And the dark paint on both of them will cover up most of the differences anyhow. It’s quite amazing how the inclusion of a soft-goods robe gives a figure like Plo Koon so much flexibility when it comes to displaying. We prefer the figure without the soft-goods robe, but it’s important to note that the on-screen character wore the robe during the Battle of Geonosis. Despite a few technical costume errors, Plo Koon might be one of the shining stars in the “Attack Of The Clones” wave of 6” figures. Many of the other figures in the wave look decent as well, but there is something special about getting another alien added to the 6” line. Collectors love aliens, and we hope Hasbro makes them more of a priority for all of their action figure lines.