Poe Dameron - TBS [P3] - Six Inch Figures (07)

An ace pilot, Poe Dameron is a leader in the Resistance's fight against the evil First Order. He soars into battle behind the controls of a modern X-wing fighter.

The Black Series [Phase III] line is shaping up very nicely, and although we know next to nothing about the characters that make up this line, there is no denying that the actual figures themselves are turning out great. Captain Phasma is a real treat to the eyes, even despite a slightly too chunky aesthetic in the armor, but a figure like Poe Dameron should impress as equally well. As already proven by the releases in The Force Awakens line, evidence exists that this character has multiple outfits in Episode VII and is perhaps a big part of the drama in the film, but Hasbro is wisely focusing on his X-wing pilot outfit and the 6” version of this character looks amazing. There are so many more details that can be accentuated in the 6” line that cannot be accomplished in the 3.75”, and Hasbro has taken the opportunity to focus on these intricate details. Please don’t misinterpret our affection for these enhanced details in the 6” as a slight to the cherished 3.75” line because it isn’t. The fact just remains that the human eye can interpret finer details in larger scale. It’s just the way it is. On top of the impressive details, Hasbro has worked in a wealth of articulation into Poe Dameron, but honestly that is pretty much the standard at this point; and basically expected going forward now. As a result, Poe Dameron doesn’t really bring anything new to the table in this regard, but it doesn’t matter because this amount of articulation is always a wonderful thing and the standard by which it is worked in is always welcomed. Aside from needing a few paint operation revisions in the face (Poe Dameron looks a little too tired), we think this figure is spot on what collectors expect from this expensive line.

We’re always sticklers for excellent human likenesses, but we think the comments about Poe Dameron not looking like the actor are a little unfair. Human likenesses in general are difficult to achieve. Just look at all of the variances of Luke Skywalker from the vintage Kenner era to The Black Series line. All of these countless Luke Skywalker figures could technically be all different characters since one likeness looks nothing like the next. But most of us don’t care about that and attribute to scene specific glares, expressions, or just bad sculpting and we accept them almost unconditionally. Maybe Poe Dameron could have stood a few tweaks, but we’re nonetheless impressed with how well the action figure has been translated from realism (the actor) and we truly believe the spirit of the character has been faithfully translated into this The Black Series [Phase III] 6” figure. The five o’clock shadow is a little bit much, but because the actor has very dark hair, almost black in fact, it makes sense that you would also see his facial hairline even after a close shave; albeit not as exaggerated as this action figure portrays it. Again, we’ll let this niggling issue go because there are too many other things to enjoy about this action figure that are much more important here. Poe Dameron has too much going for him to be ignored because one or two details don’t meet your expectations. But his likeness and deco border on excellent and the sculpt and articulation are just a few steps away from pure perfection. Again, we're conceding that the facial hair deco was a terrible move here. But it's worth overlooking.

Poe Dameron comes with a stunning 30 points of articulation (when you count articulation with his ungloved hands). This is bordering on 1/6th scale levels of articulation. As you may imagine, this means that Poe Dameron can achieve pretty much any pose or stance you want. While the gloved hands only swivel, the ungloved hands swivel (at the forearm when attached) and also have ball-jointed wrists. It would have been incredible for Hasbro to have treated the gloved hands in the same manner, but for one reason or another they didn’t. It’s certainly not the end of the world. His flight suit is brilliant. The orange is nearly the same shade as his Original Trilogy counterparts, but obviously many of the features have been enhanced to be more beneficial in a more modern era. For example, the bib is more streamlined and fitted and the chest box is a fraction of the size we remember from Episodes IV, V and VI. And instead of boots, Poe Dameron looks to be wearing standard shoes, although, the figure appears to be wearing Crocs based on the cut of the ball-jointed/”rocker” ankles. Don’t worry. It’s only an illusion. We’re perhaps most impressed with the revised helmet design. Imagine what a spoiler does for a vehicle, and that’s about what the new top portion of the new helmet design does for the character. We love it and the paint operations are excellent and bring the figure to life. Oh, and The Black Series [Phase III] Poe Dameron comes not only with a removable helmet, but also a translucent visor. What more could you ask for aside from 3.75” scale? Oh, we’re getting that too. So there is literally nothing more you need to ask for here.