The Target exclusive Black Series action figures hit this month in my area and I’ve seen restocks of the Gamorrean Guards, the new Moloch, and finally Bespin Escape Princess Leia all in the past three weeks. I’ve spent a lot of time haunting Targets this month to snag these figures, so I’m ready to relax, have some fun, and take a look at Bespin Escape Princess Leia.
I’ll have to admit that I was slightly confused about this exclusive when it was announced. I didn’t quite remember Leia’s outfit from the Bespin escape scenes and in my mind it was just her Hoth outfit without the vest and that did not seem to warrant an exclusive. As it turns out, I was super wrong and there are some key differences that I completely forgot about including different hair, gloves, pant legs, and shoes. Don’t worry, I’ve turned in my geek-cred card at the home office.
Leia comes with a Stormtrooper blaster, which is appropriate for the scene if not all that exciting. I’m not sure what else she should have come with, but the package feels a little light.
The figure does look like it re-uses a bunch of the upcoming Hoth Leia figure including the torso, most of the arms, and the upper legs. The sculpt is very detailed, in fact it’s more detailed again than I remember that jump suit. There’s a lot of stitching in that all-white outfit that kinda gets washed out in the film, but really pops out on this figure and makes me appreciate the costume a bit more. Leia looks appropriately petite and the likeness to Carrie Fisher is fantastic.
The paint is minimal on this one since she’s cast in all white plastic, but what there is on the head sculpt is very well done. The face printing is some of the best I’ve see yet from Hasbro and looks amazing in hand. I also like the way they have done the slight feathering at the hair line to make the hair look more natural.
The articulation is what you expect from the Black Series with one extra POA. Leia has:
- Barbell ball and socket in head and neck
- Ball and socket where the neck attaches to the body and the mid-torso
- Swivel/hinge shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, and ankles
- Double hinged knees
- Swivel thighs
I appreciate the attempt at the additional neck articulation, but it falls a little short since the collar plastic doesn’t allow that bit of articulation to move much. The barbell in the head works really well so it’s not a problem. I also like the range of motion they get with the swivel/hinge elbow. It’s not quite a perfect double elbow but gets a better bend than a lot of double elbows do. The one issue I have with the articulation is that some of the detents are way too hard. It’s a little scary moving those ankles because the detents make it really stiff and the peg into her foot is really small. I suggest caution, especially with the ankles.
Overall, this is a great figure, especially for one I didn’t initially think I needed. The likeness is great and she looks perfect with Lando and Chewie on the Bespin end of the ESB shelf. I do wonder how I would like this figure if I got it after Hoth Leia instead of before.
In terms of shelf presence, it is similar to Hoth Leia and brings to mind some of the more scene specific recent exclusive variants like Kylo Ren from the SDCC set and Quicksilver Baton Phasma, though this outfit is in the film a lot longer than those two examples. I’m all-in on Black Series, so I don’t mind these subtle variants. It would be cool if you could get all the pieces to make both Hoth and Bespin Leia in one package, but I don’t know how realistic that would be.
