Cal Kestis - TVC - Basic (VC265)

Cal Kestis is so 2019. So why is Hasbro expending all-new tooling to produce video game characters that only some in the Star Wars collecting community want to add to their collection? The all-new Cal Kestis action figure in The Vintage Collection is a lovely release, so please don’t misunderstand. But it feels out of place now. The figure comes with the latest articulation system, so you get a lot of movement out of it. However, we should note that the holster inhibits the total movement of the figure’s left leg. Thanks to this encumbrance, you will find it challenging to place the figure in action-oriented poses and kneeling positions. With all the advancements Hasbro made with Photo Real technology, we’re surprised to see inferior paint operations on the head sculpt, especially on the figure’s eyes. They look like Star Wars action figure eyes from years ago, and we find that a setback here. We don’t understand why the Photo Real didn’t work too well here. The head sculpt is excellent, and the rest of the paint operations turned out well here. And the figure comes excellently proportioned. Hasbro is improving at making 3.75-inch action figures look like shrunken-down human beings. We’re not sure if Cal Kestis has the staying power of so many other Star Wars characters. We think it’s a decent addition to The Vintage Collection, but is it a necessary release? Also interesting is that Cal Kestis comes with the same number of accessories as Hasbro’s “deluxe” figures. They added a BD-1 droid with Cal Kestis, and for its size, they did a fantastic job on the tooling. The paint job looks acceptable as well. It will be interesting to see how Jedi Survivor fares over time, but we don’t see it having longevity right now. And with so many important characters to produce in super-articulated 3.75-inch status, it feels like a wasted slot. But if you had excitement building for this release, we’re glad you have this addition to the line.