Barriss Offee - TVC - Basic (VC214)

Commemorate the first 50 years of Lucasfilm with figures inspired by Star Wars: Clone Wars!

In 2011, Hasbro developed, for the first time, a super-articulated interpretation of Barriss Offee (Jedi Padawan). At the time of the figure’s release, Hasbro also designed an animated take of the character from The Clone Wars. The figures were only released a couple of months from each other. Each figure had its plusses and minuses. Hasbro painted The Clone Wars [Shadow Of The Dark Side] Barriss Offee (CW50) version gorgeously and worked in a decent amount of soft-goods material. And the figure came with “brain worms” and the standard accessories. But The Vintage Collection Barriss Offee (Jedi Padawan) (VC51) figure came with super-articulation and a stunning design, making most collectors very happy. One aspect of the TVC figure that disappointed everyone is that Hasbro initially decided to incorporate luxe soft goods with the figure. They designed a prototype of a near-plush fabric cape, but expenses forced Hasbro to drop it altogether. Instead, they redesigned their approach and molded a plastic cloak that hugged the figure’s frame. It still worked, and Barriss Offee (Jedi Padawan) (VC51) became a highlight of 2011, and so did The Clone Wars [Shadow Of The Dark Side] version. As Hasbro planned the Walmart exclusive Clone Wars wave, they decided to update the TVC version of Barriss Offee with colors based on Genndy Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars micro-series.

In Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars, Barriss Offee is the Jedi Padawan of Jedi Master Luminara Unduli. We’re thrilled that Hasbro got them out simultaneously so collectors can recreate the unforgettable moments they shared on Ilum and how they defended the Crystal Caves there, which were paramount to lightsaber creation and developing other Jedi skill sets. While we can’t admit that the new color scheme is accurate to how we see the Mirialan Jedi in these scenes in Clone Wars, Hasbro did a remarkable job on the figure nonetheless. This time, instead of a dark purple outfit, Hasbro went with a lighter violet shade instead. And they used two different shades in the “purple family” to show that the cape’s inner lining is different from the outer layer. The first TVC version of Barriss Offee didn’t have dual colors. However, you must not underappreciate the Photo Real application on the portrait. Holy moly! It is one of the most impressive likenesses of Barriss Offee in the entire line. It’s incredible to us that Hasbro has finely tuned the Photo Real process on super-articulated 3.75-inch action figures because Barriss Offee might be one of the most beautiful female action figures the line has seen to date. Hasbro also trimmed up the soft-goods skirt on the figure. Ms. Offee no longer trips over the extra-long hem, and it helps with posing the figure in action-oriented positions.

There is an interesting coincidence here too. Remember how some of 2011’s The Vintage Collection action figures came with pale lightsabers, where the blade was barely visible? Hasbro remedied that situation with a correction, and figures like Barriss Offee (Jedi Padawan) (VC51), Fi-Ek Sirch (Jedi Knight) (VC49), and Luke Skywalker (Dagobah Landing) (VC44) all came with pale lightsabers. Hasbro then re-released them with corrected (and darker) blades. Well, we’re back to the drawing board with the Clone Wars version of Barriss Offee. The figure comes with a pale lightsaber. It’s a shame because the character is always in dark places, and the lightsaber always appears extra bright. But we have a nearly “invisible” lightsaber to contend with here, and hopefully, it won’t be a dealbreaker for you. That said, there isn’t anything else we find to complain about with Barriss Offee. The figure’s packaging is stunning because Hasbro nailed the character photos. We don’t believe they could pick a better screenshot or capture than what they did. And the contrasting orange nameplate and figure backer enhance the card art. Also, the entertainment logo of Clone Wars is equally pleasing to the eyes too. If nothing else, repurchasing these “previously available” action figures gives us the most updated versions of them, even if they’re not entirely screen-accurate to natural sources like the films. Still, you won’t find a more beautiful version of Barriss Offee.