Armorer, The - TVC - Basic (VC179)

The Mandalorian is breaking records across all measurements that the media regard as important. As often ill-prepared as they tend to be, Hasbro cannot keep up with the demand for super-articulated action figures based on the characters from the Disney+ series. All of the new characters presented in the show are well-respected by those who watch it. There is no sense of one-sided politics, forcing itself down your thoughts. No, the creators of the show focus on good storytelling along with believable and intriguing characters. They combine these elements of the show with plenty of action and a storyline that makes sense. They then threw in long-awaited fan service here and there to get fans' emotions pumping with fantastic homage-paying. The Mandalorian seems to be a hit worldwide, except for a small and sad facet of "fans" obsessed with gatekeeping the franchise according to their standards. It seems its popularity will continue to grow. One of the most notable female characters in any Disney Star Wars Entertainment is The Armorer. She puts Rey to embarrassing shame, and you probably won't ever think about Rose Tico or Vice Admiral…. What's her name?.... Holdo because this character is infinitely more interesting. She holds firmly to Mandalorian ideals and creeds, yet she can put down multiple stormtroopers at once, in a believable fashion, thanks to her qualifying training. Favreau knows how to write strong female characters. It just goes to show that if you're going to create successful, believable, and strong female characters in Star Wars, you should probably understand the female hero instead of trying to pander to it. We digress.

In a surprising move, Hasbro developed two The Armorer The Black Series 6" releases. The first, a Pulse-Con exclusive, came with a fur hood and extra accessories you couldn't get with the basic figure. Then shortly after the exclusive version's release, Hasbro added a different version with a molded plastic hood to the basic 6" assortment. Now, 3.75" super-articulated collectors have the honor of adding the stunning The Armorer character into The Vintage Collection. The news of this character elated collectors everywhere. It seems as if we cannot get enough characters from The Mandalorian, but The Armorer stood out as one of the most requested. What other character weighed so heavily on the mind of collectors? Who didn't want the person responsible for creating The Mandalorian's full beskar armor, all the while being a masterful warrior capable of defending herself in the attack? The Vintage Collection's The Armorer figure is a breath of fresh air for the lineup. It's lovely to see this character realized in this scale. And while imperfect, we commend Hasbro for designing a beautiful-looking action figure that meets definitive status right out of the gate. The Armorer is a perfectly proportioned action figure which fits well with the other figures designed in the line. It comes with a molded hood like the basic 6" release, and for the 3.75" version, it's a bit of a setback. The hood inhibits The Armorer's arm movement, especially in the shoulders. You're going to find that it stops you from attaining many poses where the arms are raised. Yes, it's a disappointment. That said, we don't feel like the figure has too many other issues.

The lower body movement is a little inhibited by the skirt. But Hasbro added a slit on both sides to allow for as much leg movement as possible. With a bit of patience, it works. If you think about it a little more, do we need to have that much lower body movement for The Armorer? Maybe, maybe not. The on-screen character does battle the Remnant Stormtroopers energetically. So perhaps we do need as little articulation joint inhibitions as possible. As much premium articulation action figures in The Vintage Collection have, maybe nothing should impede their movement. Either way, we feel that The Armorer comes with an excellent articulation system, and you should be able to achieve a wealth of poses that make sense for your displays. For accessories, we strongly feel that Hasbro went too light for The Armorer. The figure only comes with the long grasps, and the welding tool that comes with the metal piece hanging down that's parallel to the handle. Where is The Mandalorian's beskar helmet? Where are the short grasps? Where are the tools with glowing heat effects? Hasbro stopped short of giving The Armorer figure all it needs to feel complete and worthy of the $12.99 MSRP. That said, The Armorer's paint job is excellent. There are some color differences when you compare it to The Black Series 6" version, but they do closely mirror each other save for a few small differences. We wish that Hasbro would have approached the figure's helmet more closely to the way they did the 6" figure. The TVC version feels too splotchy and not as smooth as the finish of the 6" figure. Overall, The Armorer is an excellent action figure. Fans of The Mandalorian will love this addition to the line!