Poe Dameron - TBS [P3] - 3.75 Inch Figures (Exclusive)

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.

OK, so he looks NOTHING like Oscar Isaac. Get over it! Because if you don’t you will miss out on one of the finest action figures Hasbro has produced to date, and easily the best in the Walmart exclusive The Black Series [Phase III] figure to date. Our first thought on Poe Dameron is that he looks just like the Mini Me of 2015’s TBS [P3] Poe Dameron (07) figure. They literally look like they’ve been cut from the same cloth (which we suppose digitally they were) and one was shrunken down to make lovers of 3.75” super-articulation extremely happy collectors. But interestingly the 3.75” figure received a little more love. What you should concern yourself with knowing is that for all intents and purposes, Poe Dameron is a “beyond excellent” action figure and succeeds on so many positive levels, so much that it’s simple to overlook the likeness issue, as ironic as that sounds. After a dauntingly disappointing effort in The Force Awakens Build A Weapon line (2015’s TFA Poe Dameron with banana visor), and then a lightly better improvement as a pack-in figure to 2015’s Poe’s X-wing Fighter vehicle, the real deal (3.75” super-articulated TBS 3.75” version) has confirmed every last expectation we had for this release and we’re more than thrilled by the finished product. It’s still hard for us to process that super-articulated 3.75” are a niche and exclusive product now, but if this is the way it must be done, then so be it because we couldn’t stop drooling over this action figure. Hasbro is not only giving us super-articulated works of art, they’ve upped the bar by including premium articulation in places that were only a treat and thereby a rarity in years past (wrists and hips are the two most noticeable places we’re referring to here). Whatever your lot on this line, there is so much incredible goodness being offered here that it feels refreshing to be a Star Wars collector again.

Poe Dameron comes with an astounding 27 points of articulation. We’re talking 2011’s TVC Clone Trooper (VC45) articulation here. He can obtain pretty much any pose you want to achieve, and he looks fantastic doing it. Critics have pointed out the child bearing hips on him, but you’d have to be a moron that some proportions get compromised when premium articulation is worked into an action figure this small. We can reference PLENTY of GI Joes figures who have the same issue, and that didn’t stop us from loving them. We digress. Poe Dameron doesn’t come with interchangeable gloved and non-gloved hands like 2015’s TBS [P3] Poe Dameron (07) 6” figure does, but Hasbro graciously worked in ball-jointed wrists into the gloves, which puts the 3.75” version a step ahead of its 6” predecessor. Also, for reasons unknown, Mr. Dameron’s four o’clock shadow looks tremendously better on the 3.75” figure. In fact, we’ll go out on a limb and say it looks rather excellently. Conversely, the Walmart exclusive Poe Dameron is also missing some details and may have an issue or two as well. For example, the Aurebesh below the Rebel Alliance insignia is completely missing. The collar of his flight suit doesn't match the rest of it (it's a brighter orange). Hasbro could have just put a black line there and we would have been thrilled, but sadly is was overlooked. Again, not a big deal. Overall, the costume, the head sculpt (we conceded it doesn’t really look like the actor but we don’t care) are just beautiful and while we know this figure is based on the sculpting of the 6” figure, we think it translated just a little bit better in the 3.75” scale. Part of the third wave of Walmart exclusive The Black Series [Phase III] figures, Poe Dameron is definitely the highlight of the wave. The other figures are good, but have issues that this figure doens't possess.

Poe Dameron comes with a removable helmet (with clear visor) and a blaster pistol which fits like a glove in the holster on his belt. The deco on the helmet is beautiful and nearly perfect. Clearly, something has been upgraded at the factory level because Poe Dameron is proof that Hasbro can do deco right if they really try. The helmet slides upwards a little too easily for our tastes, but we’ll let it slide because, again, there is just too much going for this figure to cry foul. Interestingly, the chest box plugs into the figure so this means it’s quite easy to remove. However, the hose is permanently attached to the left leg which makes it impossible to remove, and thereby not a true accessory. Along those lines, Hasbro has tooled separately pieces for the straps that fall around his legs. They have a very nice drape and their sculpting is true to form. Even the simple gray deco highlights the detail that has been etched into these extras that accent the figure. Just like the pack-in figure, it’s nearly impossible to get the Walmart exclusive Poe Dameron into the cock-pit of The Force Awakens X-wing fighters, but with a lot of blood, sweat and tears you can make this a reality…. somewhat. It’s hard to believe that in all of 2015, we are only going to receive five super-articulated action figures in 3.75” scale based on The Force Awakens. That is certainly a bitter pill to swallow, isn’t it? With some obvious bumps in the road, these figures are shaping up quite nicely. Clearly more can be done in the way of articulation in the 6” scale, but Hasbro is proving that all things are possible once again in the 3.75” scale. We just hope that there is enough support for the line to keep this line successful. A big part of the entitlement that many older collectors feel is sadly directly related to “waiting for clearance” as well. Let’s hope the entitlement dies away so we can enjoy a fruitful line.