The Bandai Star Wars model kit line continues with Captain Phasma, the best character in The Force Awakens. Second best? Ummm . . .
I kid, but I do realize a lot of people were quite annoyed that the character wasn’t featured in much more than a glorified background character capacity. But you know me, I’ll take anyone and everyone in the Star Wars universe, even several versions of the same character. And when it comes to the model kits, I’m going to buy every one, no matter who it is. It doesn’t matter if I already have two Phasmas! Don’t tell the wife!
The packaging is the standard black box. In fact, at this point I have a stack of them. I can’t help it, it’s so elegant and for some reason I feel the need to keep the sprues, extra parts, and instructions. No clue.
Open the box and guess what? Sprues! Yup.
The big thing about this kit is the shiny mirror chrome and the fabric cape. One is awesome, the other not so much. But we’ll get to that. First, let’s heck out the completed figure.
First of all, know that it sucks photographing chrome. So much light reflection, not to mention trying to keep my ugly mug from showing up. But I did my best.
The proportions here are very appropriate for Phasma. Thinner than the standard trooper, but taller. The finish, though. Oh man, so shiny. Too shiny? It definitely needs some weathering to make it more accurate.
You can check articulation and range of motion in my video review.
For accessories, the kit comes with three sets of hands: fists, a pair of open hands, and then left and right trigger fingers.
Also included is Phasma’s blaster. In chrome. That’s a lot of shine.
But the blaster is more of an off-silver. Kind of bronze, some black details. Just like the S.H. Figuarts version, which fits perfectly in the model kit’s hand.
I’m going to count the capes as accessories since there are two options: a hard plastic shell and a faux fabric version. Both are okay but nothing special.
First, the fabric cape:
Right out of the box it is stiff and thin, so thin that you can see through it. I personally don’t care for it but I have had comments saying that if you crumple it and then put it on, it does look better.
The second option is the plastic cape:
We have seen this before on Darth Vader. At first I was okay with it but have since replaced it with a fabric cape from the Black Series, and I plan to do the same with Phasma. As soon as rickhor409 on eBay put one up, I grabbed one. Expensive, but it’s the only fabric version available until the MAFEX at the end of the year.
Sizing the model kit against the Black Series, I feel it looks better-scaled with other Star Wars figures in my collection. The model’s proportions are more feminine and streamlined, while the Black Series is bulky and cumbersome-looking.
It’s even more obvious when she’s placed alongside other Black Series figures. Or, well, a Black Series Hux and a S.H. Figuarts Kylo Ren with a Black Series robe. The model doesn’t overpower the other figures.
Best of all, she looks absolutely fantastic with the First Order Stormtrooper model. The size is perfect.
All in all, I really like the look of the finished model. Again, I’m biased because it’s a model and I love these things, but she really does fit into my overall shelf better than either of the two previous Phasmas. If I had to complain about anything other then the slightly hindered articulation and the capes, it would be the almost excessive shine of the chrome, but this is a model kit; it’s supposed to be painted and weathered.
Basically, she’s the best Phasma so far. Let’s see how Medicom does with their MAFEX version . . .
