Ahsoka - TVC - Basic (VC102)

If there is one reason that would justify Hasbro abandoning the animated The Clone Wars line altogether for collectors so that they could focus their energies on producing these characters in a realistic style, it would unequivocally be Ahsoka (VC102). While there will undoubtedly be disagreement here, you need to know that Ahsoka was possibly one of the most exemplary action figures of the 2012 period. And the figure holds up exceptionally well in 2022, thanks to Photo Real updating and other upgrades. Ahsoka was hot both in The Clone Wars and Star Wars lines, but collectors adore the character across all scales. It blows us away how some action figures in The Vintage Collection are better than expected at the production level (especially when prototypes leave quite a bit to be desired). Ahsoka is one of those figures. Let us elaborate. Back in the day, we were very disappointed with the prototype shown of this figure at both 2012’s New York Toy Fair and Celebration VI. Between the poor paint job on the face and the extraordinarily wide hips, Ahsoka seemed far from meeting our expectations. It was evident that a few notable tweaks were needed before becoming eligible for release. Unfinished action figures like Ahsoka are reason enough for Hasbro not to show their works too early. Sometimes these prototypes give off the wrong impression. Hasbro inadvertently made some unannounced changes at the production level, thank goodness, for the 2012 version, but they took it into high gear for the 2022 update. Now, Ahsoka comes with a beautiful paint job on the face, and you can see a stunning resemblance to actress Ashley Eckstein. What’s more, Hasbro thinned out the midsection astonishingly well, and it now looks proportionate. There are no odd proportions visible—thank the Maker!

Remember how all Ahsoka action figures rarely met demand? Hasbro didn’t meet collectors’ expectations for 2011’s TCW [SOTDS] Ahsoka (CW44) figure. And that travesty alone has kept collectors bitter ever since. That figure, rightfully so, sold out almost instantly and today fetches an insane premium on the aftermarket. We feel for you if you desperately want that figure, but we have to tell you that The Vintage Collection version is better. We all had to prepare ourselves in 2012 that Hasbro would make all characters from The Clone Wars in a realistic style. That trend has continued ever since. So, perhaps prepare yourself for how much better Ahsoka looks a decade after its initial release. It’s true that “realistic style” is the future, and most collectors are happy about this. The TVC version comes with 22 points of articulation. The Clone Wars version only comes with notably less. The TVC Ahsoka figure comes with articulated ankles, a detail that many figures in The Clone Wars line stopped receiving after a while. The Vintage Collection Ahsoka can also achieve more authentic poses than The Clone Wars version. And let’s face it, the updated paint operations are spectacular and look like the actress and a faithful realistic interpretation of the animated character in the television show. Hasbro added a few minor things (big deals for us) that significantly improved The Vintage Collection version. Hasbro designed Ahsoka with a perfect center of gravity. That engineering is a tremendous compliment because the figure has skinny legs and tiny feet that typically inhibit a figure from standing upright. For the 2022 update, Hasbro ensured they matched the knee and ankle joints to the rest of the figure. You won’t see obnoxious bright orange knee joints in her brown pants. But Ahsoka stands effortlessly, and we are pleased about this. Ahsoka comes with the same accessories as The Clone Wars versions: a lightsaber, a shoto, a hilt, and a shoto hilt and they ensured thet got the slight color difference correct between them.

What more could you possibly ask for here? It’s crunch time for collectors and fans of The Clone Wars line. Hasbro has deemed this a kids’ line, and they told us at Celebration VI that articulation will eventually wind down to five points per figure. And the only way to ensure articulation is in collector premium lines like The Vintage Collection. Over the years, the transition has been grueling and aggravating, but TVC is back and getting better and better with time. The animated figures are no more. This is the hand we’ve been dealt. You can rebel and boycott the line if that’s your choice, but it is not changing. Ahsoka is proof that Hasbro has great things in mind for the realistic phase of Dave Filoni’s The Clone Wars characters. However, the good news is that we’re quickly building a sub-collection of these realistically styled figures. And with the reissues, there making them better. Hasbro originally released Anakin Skywalker in early 2012, and Ahsoka joined Obi-Wan Kenobi in the final wave of The Vintage Collection. Coincidentally, Hasbro reissued all of them in the second run of The Vintage Collection now. During the 2003-2005 Genndy Tartakovsky Clone Wars line, collectors desperately pleaded with Hasbro for realistic versions of all of the characters from that micro-series. Now it seems to be the converse, and we already see the resistance with fans of The Clone Wars. We are fans of that animated line too. We aren’t being insensitive. But when something becomes “it is what it is,” there is no point in continuing to fight it. We can’t wait to see what Hasbro has planned for more realistic versions of characters from The Clone Wars. They consistently add them in, but they should be releasing them at a faster pace. If the new releases are anything like Ahsoka, we’re in for a real treat!

Editor's Note: Hasbro re-released The Vintage Collection Ahsoka (VC102) figure in April 2022 with a significant number of changes. Updates include: (1) Photo Real deco, (2) lighter muted complexion (3) matching knee and ankle joint pegs, (4) different color palette of outfit, (5) refreshed 2022 packaging with different graphics, (6) corrected font on nameplate, (7) more disparity in blade color between lightsaber and shoto to match televison series, and (8) different placement of action figure and accessories in bubble

Review Status Update: The original publication date of this review is October 1, 2012. It was subsequently updated with a new Photo Gallery and revised General Analysis and republished on April 12, 2022 after Hasbro reissued the figure.