“Master Kenobi, you disappoint me. Yoda holds you in such high esteem. Surely you can do better!”
Getting new toys in the mail never ceases to be exciting, and for me personally, when I know it is a new S.H. Figuarts Star Wars figure, it only amps that excitement up to an eleven. While I waffle from time to time, I believe this is my favorite action figure line going right now, and with Rogue One hitting cinemas next week, the Star Wars excitement doesn’t look to be tapering off any time soon. Bandai begins its RO product inundation next month, but for November, they continue their recent trend of bolstering the Prequel Trilogy with specific focus on Attack of the Clones. This Episode II Obi-Wan Kenobi joins Jango Fett and the Geonosian Battle Droid in the Arena Battle, and overall, he is a pretty strong contender.
I have made it clear that, along with Chewbacca, Obi-Wan is my favorite Star Wars character, so that probably has something to do with my softer touch than most when it comes to the Prequels. Yes, they are flawed, but Obi-Wan, and by virtue Ewan McGregor, is the very best part of them, so I enjoy watching the movies for that experience alone. So, as I have absolutely no hate at all for Bandai giving us our fair share of PT figures, I am having a blast collecting them alongside the Original and Sequel Trilogy characters. Further still, while some might have initially balked at the idea of getting two Kenobis within one calendar year, my body was ready immediately, and now I am on a mission to make sure we get ALL the Obi-Wans before this is all said and done (it looks pretty likely).
That being said, I will admit that, aside from a beard and a new quaff, Obi-Wan’s look did not change dramatically from The Phantom Menace to Attack of the Clones. He is a full Jedi Knight (with an apprentice, no less) during AotC, so he was free from the more rigid appearance requirements of a Padawan learner. So, gone are the spiked hair and requisite braid, and a more “crunchy” Kenobi with a beard and long locks takes their place. Yes, I have heard countless references to this appearance resembling “Space Jesus,” but I tend to look at it the other way around, and that if I was going to take to any type of deity, it would be Obi-Wan. Plus, lightsabers and mind tricks are a lot cooler and more useful than shrouds and carpenter’s cups. Amirite? Okay, okay, hopefully we can move on from that.
While much of Kenobi’s look south of his neck has not changed much, as a fan of his and as a SW collector in general, it doesn’t make this figure any less essential for my shelf. Sure, Clones might be my least favorite Star Wars installment, but I still enjoy a lot of it, and with Padawan Anakin and Arena Battle Padme coming soon, the AotC display is going to be pretty great. Heck, I might just be an official Count Dooku away (I have a pretty boss custom thanks to some efforts by Robokillah) from feeling pretty complete about the movie’s main cast, at which point I can start demanding Jedi of all types. This figure is important indeed, and there are certainly enough changes between the EPI version and this (not just aesthetic, either) to talk about.
First things first, this release comes with two new heads, so we can talk about the obvious right away. I really appreciate Bandai often giving us alternate heads and face plates with these releases, because it shows a commitment to variation, at least in concept. This Kenobi though, like the previous one and Mace Windu before him, does not have a lot of ACTUAL variation between the two options. The expressions and overall looks are very similar, and while one is certainly “placid” and the other “kind of intense” (I guess), the latter just is not expressive enough to warrant much use, at least for me. Plus, the likeness on that one just isn’t as good as the other. That said, I rather like the standard head, as it looks like Ewan to me, and he has a more natural skin tone than the Padawan version. The golden highlights in the hair are still present with this figure, but they are much more restrained than the other figure (and Farm Boy Luke), so that actually makes them more effective, and certainly more natural.
Past the head, we are dealing with, what I believe, the same sculpt as before for the body, save for the belt. Not to say that is not accurate, and Kenobi’s outfit did not change a lot (save for some whiter, brighter pants), but he did get some new and different pouches on his belt. Because of this reuse, you would expect this figure to walk and quack just like the last release, and that is mostly true, save for a couple of rather odd things that either Robo or I or both have experienced. These are articulation changes or anything like that, but some functional things have gone a bit wonky, so that just goes to show how important the engineering process is in toy manufacturing, and a good mold alone won’t always cut it.
Now, Robo has an ankle movement issue on the right foot that I have not experienced, so I think that will vary from figure to figure. If you watch the video review, you will see the joint is locked up for him, and I am pretty sure that is probably due to the wash on the boot. I find the application to be a bit uneven here, so it is not outside the realm of possibility that some heavy paint might be gunking up the joint. Robo has some uneven paint on the “serious” face as well, so the lack of consistency in quality is a bit alarming for me, as Bandai is my saving grace with most things Star Wars, so I pray to Space Jesus (nyah!) that the dip is a temporary thing and we will see a return to tip-top QC very soon.
Additionally, there is something weird going on with the lower neck on this figure, and that seems to be a more universal thing. The joint at the top seems to be fine, but the lower joint that connects into the torso is sticky or hindered right out of the package. It still moves, but it feels restricted and just kind of… odd, I guess. Now, Robo’s is still gummy as of this writing, but I was able to crack mine loose for the most part by working the joint a bit. Trust me, it was scary, I HATE messing with a $50 figure like this, especially when I should not have to, but after a bit, the neck seemed to move a bit better. I am not advocating anyone else taking this as advice and then go and break an expensive import figure, but it did work for me. It is still not as good as EPI Obi, but it is better than it was. C’mon Bandai, surely you can do better! (see what I did there?)
As for the accessories, Obi-Wan comes with a bunch of hands, as well as the saber hilt, and ignited lightsaber from the previous release. Most of the hands are reuse, too, and you get the fists, grips, splayed fingers, “mind trick” hand, and the “peace sign” hand (again, an anachronism since he doesn’t do that pose until EPIII) included, so there are a lot of possibilities for different poses. I mentioned the lightsaber, and if you read my Phantom Menace Kenobi review, you know that I am NOT a fan of the teeny, tiny, removable pommel from the hilt in order to accommodate the grip hands. That thing is so small, one drop on the floor and you have likely lost it forever. So, Bandai did us a solid here by including a NEW set of hands that are gripping, but open, so you can snap the saber in place without having to remove that pommel. I REALLY appreciate this as for 90 percent of the poses with the saber will work just fine with these hands. The closed grip hands still work a bit better for two-handed grips, so they retain some use as well.
Overall, I find this to be a pretty good release of one of my favorite Star Wars characters. If there weren’t the small QC issues, this would have been a solid home run, if not the most exciting release. I hope that the recent trend of quality and design flaws will not be an ongoing thing, but the inconsistency and engineering issues make me a bit nervous. C’mon, Bandai, you are the gold standard, please make sure you retain that in name and deed. Past that, this figure is going to look good on the shelf, and even better once Anakin and Padme arrive. I am halfway through my Bandai Obi-Wan Kenobi collection, but my two favorite looks are still as yet unreleased. “Old Ben” from A New Hope seems to be on-track for a release later in 2017, so that would really leave my favorite look for him, as seen in Revenge of the Sith, as the final piece of the puzzle (unless they want get cute with a Force Ghost figure). I am sure Revenge of the Sith is on the docket eventually and Obi-Wan, and Anakin, and Yoda, and Palpatine, and General Grievous will all be coming our way, so I cannot wait have them all!
