Ahsoka Tano - TBS [P3] - Six Inch Figures (20)

Anakin Skywalker's apprentice Ahsoka Tano left the Jedi Order before it was destroyed during Order 66. She would reemerge years later as Fulcrum, a leader in the fledgling rebellion against the Empire.

Whether or not you were into The Clone Wars then, or into Rebels now (or not at all for either), it’s a pretty good bet that you’re fond of Ahsoka Tano, the Padawan turned vagabond and borderline renegade Jedi (not really) in the short few years we watched her grow. There is something engaging about her character. Whether it’s Ashley Eckstein’s diverse range of voice acting, from the perky delivery of her lines to the somber melancholy emotion that is felt in some of her more serious dialogue, Ahsoka Tano is a character that is pretty much universally embraced by all Star Wars fans. What’s interesting, you really don’t even have to be a fan of the shows in which she appeared and you can still appreciate and even love the character. We think that’s a pretty powerful thing for a Star Wars character to accomplish. And we sincerely applaud all those involved to bring her to this solid state of “being” she currently possesses. There’s plenty of controversy about the fate of her character, and we won’t go there here, but one thing is for sure. People want her to remain a dignified character in the Star Wars universe (in life AND death). We’re confident that Lucasfilm Ltd. will protect this and ensure that her character is given the respect she deserves.

With the size of her popularity, we don’t think she gets the treatment she deserves in the collectible universe. How in the world has Sideshow Collectible NOT produced a one-sixth scale version of her or a Premium Format Figure of her? How do we not have a Mini Bust of her from Gentle Giant Ltd.? Even Hasbro, who has shown good faith so far by providing collectors with a 3.75” version of her in the Darth Vader/Ahsoka Tano Two-Pack in The Force Awakens line, seems that they should be releasing her a whole lot more frequently than they do. But even that Two-Pack Ahsoka Tano figure looks more like Rocky Dennis from the 1985 Mask film starring Cher than Ahsoka Tano herself. We digress. The Ahsoka Tano figures from The Clone Wars lines from 2008-2012 were re-released here and there, but they never met full demand and some of them command ridiculous premiums on the aftermarket. It’s all very discouraging, especially for new fans coming into the franchise and who are develping anything but an affectation for her. This is where Hasbro misses the boat time and again. They are sometimes short-sighted and don’t think far enough ahead of what range of figures the line should always have at all times. That’s what was so great about the original Saga Legends line. It kept these figures as evergreens year after year. This line also had its fair share of issues, but overall it served its purpose. We digress again.

So how does The Black Series [Phase III] Ahsoka Tano 6” figure fare. Well, it’s pretty darn nice. We like it very much, but we want to throw out there that we’re not totally sold on the paint operations of her face (specifically her eyes). Ahsoka Tano has always had full and rounded beautiful eyes. But they’re just not “wide-eyed” enough for The Black Series [Phase III] release. This has everything to do with how the paint operations were applied, and not how the actual sculpt should have been painted. So, it’s once again Hasbro needing to tighten up the paint operations at the factory level. The rest of the figure is nearly breathtaking. The sculpt is divine. You can see how much Ahsoka has “grown up” by the increased length of her head tails. (Even her montrals have increased size and girth.) The creamy white color of them is neatly and evenly applied, and then the blue zebra-like accents are very clean for the most part with just a few signs of imperfections (but no big deal at all). The white facial geometric pigments on her face are also expertly applied and pretty much everything else is in place here. You’re going to be very happy. The lightsaber hilts are only painted on one side which is strange. But we’re impressed with the paint operations everywhere else on this figure, but why couldn’t they spend a little more time and effort on her eyes. Keeping in mind that this is a realistic interpretation of Ahsoka Tano, maybe that’s the reason her eye look so differently from the Rebels interpretation.

Ahsoka Tano’s outfit has been beautifully sculpted as well. But we were all well aware of this already thanks to the early prototypes Hasbro showed us so long ago. You’ll be happy to know that they’ve been very faithful to the stunning prototype and the production figure has been translated as beautifully as the prototype. The articulation is spot on as well. If you own one The Black Series 6” figure, then you pretty much know how the articulation system works in this scale. The same is pretty much true for Ahsoka Tano, plus or minus a few points. She can be posed in a variety of ways, with little interruption from the skirt. The joints move freely and she can hold her poses without issue. Included with Ahsoka Tano is a white-bladed lightsaber as well as a white-bladed shoto. These have been her standard weapons for a while now and they befit the action figure perfectly. Again, we have VERY LITTLE to complain about here. We honestly struggle with the eyes, but we’re sure with time that it will be a non-issue for us. However, we’d be lying if we said that at the moment we’re just a tad disappointed that Hasbro can make a figure almost perfect, save for the most important part of the character that makes it look like.... the character itself. Anyway, don’t shutter from our minor complaint. This is going to be a hot action figure for years to come. We'd still love to see Hasbro attack a The Clone Wars version of her. We believe people would go MAD for that one!