Obi-Wan’s Starfighter & Hyperspace Ring - TAC - Vehicles (Exclusive)

Jedi starfighters are too small to have hyperdrive engines, so they use hyperspace rings to travel at hyperspeed. The ring has twin reactors and ion drives, to transport it and the fighter through hyperspace. The Jedi can keep the mobility and still conduct far-reaching missions. Obi-Wan Kenobi uses a hyperspace ring while tracking Jango Fett to the remote planet of Geonosis, a mission that marked the start of the Clone Wars.

Probably one of the most underrated exclusive vehicles Hasbro ever made for us is the Obi-Wan’s Starfighter With Hyperspace Ring. This exclusive was available at Toys R Us stores in the second quarter of 2008, just about the time the 30 (77-07) line was heading out and collectors would sustain a long period of “nothing new” in the basic figure line until that summer. And while Hasbro did indeed squeeze quite a few exclusives our way before jumping into The Legacy Collection on July 26, 2008, the one product that took the cake was definitely the Hyperspace Ring. We may have gotten the Jedi starfighter multiple times in the line and they never seem to lose their luster, but the Hyperspace Ring made the vehicle so much cooler. Unfortunately, this exclusive didn’t seem to entice most collectors. We sort of attribute it's lack of success due to the fact that it is sourced to Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones. This is a film that just isn’t loved as much by fans as the others. We’re in the minority we suppose. In fact, we have developed a stronger appreciation for the film each year we get further and further from it’s original 2002 release. And this enables us to thoroughly enjoy the collectibles Hasbro makes for us from this film. The Obi-Wan’s Starfighter With Hyperspace Ring is extremely well-developed and has an extraordinarily beautiful paint job. There are a ton of fine details on the Hyperspace Ring itself and it’s quite brilliant how Hasbro managed to capture them all on this scale.

If you have previous versions of Obi-Wan’s Jedi Starfighter, then you really know what to expect here. Little to nothing new is included here save for a repaint of the vehicle, but as cool as this starfighter is, it’s obviously not the reason to purchase this exclusive. There is a non-removable R4-P17 head and an opening canopy. It is colored in a maroon and white and has various accents like gray and yellow to help change things up a bit. Nothing new here, right? The star of this exclusive is obviously the Hyperspace Ring itself and if you can manage to give it a chance, we believe you will be thoroughly impressed. While Hasbro tends to skimp out on strong and quality plastics on many of their toys, the complete opposite is true here. The Hyperspace Ring is solid and weighty and will certainly sustain its shape over time. And while the Hyperspace Ring is not invincible to bending (it’s slightly pliable), it’s stronger than many other exclusives we have seen before and after it. The paint job on both the “ring” and vehicle are exhilarating. (Be sure to check out our close-up shots in our photo gallery.) Hasbro didn’t “cheap out” on us at all with the amount of color they decided to include. And not only is the color palette endless, you’ll need to spend hours appreciating all of the geometric designs and shapes that are strewn throughout the circumference of the ring. Even the portion where Obi-Wan’s starfighter docks into it is unbelievably designed and astonishingly decorated. There is a great deal to appreciate here for sure.

If we had to complain about something with this set, we would have wished for a better clear plastic display used to allow the ring to remain upright with Obi-Wan’s starfighter locked into place. (We did some fancy photo work on our images to make the ship and ring remain upright, but we just don't liek how the included ring looks.) This would have been gravy, but it may have raised the price to an unaffordable amount of money. So we’ll either have to use our imaginations or lean it up against something to get the desired effect or use the included stand which isn't ideal. Despite Hasbro clearly trying to make this exclusive all it could be, it just didn’t sell as they had hoped. Toys R Us had a very difficult time trying to move units out of their stores. And they even marked it down to the price of a regular mid size vehicle in the beginning of 2009 and it still didn’t move. This is a great shame because this is a fantastic vehicle (and vehicle accessory – we don’t get vehicle accessories often if ever, folks) and Hasbro really developed a wonderful product here. Due to its failure, it’s unlikely if Hasbro will ever attempt something like this again. (Editor’s Note: Actually we could be very wrong about this because the Hyperspace Rings are all over the place in The Clone Wars. It’s quite inevitable that Hasbro may take another stab at another The Clone Wars focused set down the road.) This exclusive doesn’t command a lot on the secondary market and it just speaks volumes that this just didn’t create enough interest in collectors. We think this is a terrible shame. It’s definitely one of Hasbro’s best items in our own estimation. If you can find it for a reduced price, we think it’s a purchase you should definitely make.