On “Force Friday,” eager Star Wars fans stood in line outside stores in anticipation of scooping up new toys based on the characters from the then-upcoming movie The Force Awakens. As we all-too-quickly learned, the demand for the 6-inch Black Series figures far outpaced the supply, and fans and collectors were sent scrambling to get their mitts on 6-inch renditions of Rey, Kylo Ren, the First Order Stormtrooper, etc. For some, this took a lot of work. For others, it took a lot of money because the secondary market became a go-to. As it turns out, however, we were probably better off waiting when it came to two key figures, Rey and Kylo Ren, because the recent repacks in waves 3 and 4 appear to be superior versions of those we went crazy trying to track down at launch.
First up: Kylo Ren (repack on the left, Force Friday on the right):
Now, at a glance, the differences may be minor to some. Kylo Ren is my favorite new character, so having a satisfactory version of him on my shelf is of paramount importance, and I thought the one I got on Force Friday was adequate — until I learned about the differences in the newly repacked figure. In the packaging, the most visible difference is his scarf: there’s a sculpted texture to the scarf on the new figure that looks miles better than the launch figure. It was this new scarf that sent me hunting this new version, but the differences don’t stop there.
His hood also fits much better. It’s more form-fitting on the new version and looks so much more natural. This may be the most satisfying version of his hood available, including the Figuarts figure.
His robe also fits the figure better, mainly because it’s not so darn long. Again, I didn’t know the long robe bothered me until I saw the new figure. I much prefer the better-fitting robe and think it looks way better and more natural.
There are also more, cleaner paint apps on his helmet and belt buckle. While this may simply boil down to personal preference, the new version on the left looks more . . . finished? I initially thought the paint apps on the launch figure’s helmet and belt were an attempt at “weathering,” but now I just see it as lazy and sloppy. The new one looks way better to my eye.
The paint apps on his lightsaber are also slightly different. The new version on the left looks sharper and cleaner, and there’s this red line that extends up the handle. I can’t remember if that’s something we saw in the movie or not, but I like the way it looks — that may just be personal preference, though.
If you’re at all ambivalent to Kylo Ren as a character, these differences may mean little to you and the launch figure is probably fine for your shelf. But for me, the second I learned of these changes, I had to have this new figure, and I find it much more satisfying as a representation of the character. Again, this new Kylo Ren is currently shipping in both waves 3 and 4, so I’d recommend snagging one if you happen to see one.
Then there is the repack of Rey with BB-8 (Force Friday Rey on the left, Wave 3 on the right):
As you can see, the newer Rey has face paints that are much more natural. The eyebrows are still slightly different from each other, but are a little thicker. The eyelashes aren’t as thin either and make for a less sleepy, bored, baggy-eyed look. Finally, the lips are actually lip colored and follow the sculpt, unlike the original Rey’s clown makeup that is only in the center and is a brighter lipstick red.
BB-8 also gets a makeover with the Wave 3 release (Wave 1 on the left, Wave 3 on the right):
The Wave 1 droid is washed on the head, but the body is fairly clean. On the new version the whole body has a black wash and the head looks like it belongs on top of it. The orange on the lower head is messier, but it’s harder to see with the extra paint detail.
Finally, there’s the Resistance Trooper.
Now, this is more of a “variant” than an improvement or running change, but it’s interesting that at least two different versions (are there more?) are currently shipping to stores with no formal announcement from Hasbro.
I found the red/brown helmet at Target just before Christmas, and then I happened upon the greenish helmet at Walgreens right before New Year’s. At Walgreens there were two Troopers, and they both had the green helmets, so I’m wondering if certain stores are getting specific, dedicated colors, or if the assortment mix is completely random. If you have some information, please let us know below.
The only difference in the two figures is the helmet color, so the figures are otherwise identical. I’m not sure if there’s some significance to the colors in terms of ranking, etc., but just in terms of aesthetics, I think I prefer the red helmet. It’s also nifty that the red looks to have “blood streaks” on the two white stripes. I’m willing to assume that wasn’t an intentional design choice and was probably just sloppy paint, but I find it interesting the green helmet’s white stripes are perfectly clean. But I’m probably reading way too much into it and am getting caught up in minutiae that ultimately doesn’t matter — story of my life!
These figures — the improved versions and both Troopers — are shipping to stores as we speak, so be on the lookout!
