Zam Wesell - TVC - Basic (VC30)

It took almost a decade for Zam Wesell to get the love the character needed in the Hasbro Star Wars basic figure line. But hindsight is always 20/20, so we probably wouldn’t choose this release any other way. With time comes better technology, and Zam Wesell enters the line with premium features and details and is sure to please hardcore collectors. Action figures made in this era, most figures released post-2006 The Saga Collection timeframe, are of a higher caliber. Now is the time for Hasbro to whip out the definitive version of the character in action figure form first attempted years ago. Specifically, the figures perfect for updating are any from the 2002-2004 Star Wars “Saga” line. Unofficially, the line for the Attack Of The Clones film was an era where Hasbro designed action figures with kids in mind first and collectors second. Hasbro inundated these figures from this period with horrific action figures and limited articulation, or inferior articulation at best. That’s what reigned in the action figure from this time. But some outliers from this line still hold up well today. Before the Star Wars “Saga” line took off in April of 2002, Hasbro treated collectors to four “Sneak Preview” figures as part of the Power Of The Jedi lineup. One of these figures was an early Zam Wesell release. Interestingly, and you may disagree, the “Sneak Preview” figure ended up turning out much better than 2002’s SW [S -P1] Zam Wesell (Bounty Hunter) (’02 #18) figure. But it’s a moot point to compare which version was better because Hasbro released the best and most definitive version of Zam Wesell in The Vintage Collection. However, the super-articulated version doesn’t come without a small share of issues.

Zam Wesell is an all-new figure with 23 points of articulation. An essential character from Attack Of The Clones, Zam Wesell, was at the center of the plot to assassinate Senator Amidala. Although not one of the main characters, Zam Wesell has much screen time at the film’s beginning, especially compared to other characters that Hasbro focused on in greater detail already made into action figures. The Vintage Collection version is something to get very excited about because Hasbro included all of the bells and whistles here, save for fitting into 2002’s SW [P1] Zam Wesell Speeder vehicle. That’s because of the vehicle’s poor design. The super-articulation on this figure includes ball-jointed shoulders, torso, head, elbows, knees, and ankles, mixed with swivel wrists and hips. The included articulation allows for some incredible poses; this is the first time we have enjoyed Zam Wesell in this capacity. The plastic molded skirt causes the same problems as any other plastic skirt. The figure cannot sit, which plays into the issue of not fitting into the speeder. The figure has a lot of play value and many accessories. The helmet is removable, as well as the macrobinoculars on top of it. Zam Wesell also comes with two versions of the scarf; one is open across both sides of the helmet, and the other is in a “hanging down” formation. Both are purple and have a red lining for contrast. The figure also comes with a blaster pistol and long-range rifle. And, of course, the best part is the interchangeable Clawdite head. Unfortunately, when you install the Clawdite portrait, the neck is human flesh color and clashes. Hasbro could easily do this if they wanted to for easy army builders. It is so very nice to have a separate portrait included instead of the Clawdite “mask accessory” that wraps around the “human” head. Thank goodness Hasbro mocd away from that technique.

The removable battle-damaged arm was one feature Hasbro abandoned from the 2002 Star Wars “Saga” version. This injury Zam sustained from Obi-Wan Kenobi did not transfer over to this version, but we’re not sure how necessary that would have been. There is a deco error with this figure, unfortunately. Hasbro gave Zam Wesell brown hair. If you bought the Hasbro Zam Wesell 12-inch figures when released back in the day, you know that this character has, at best, dirty blonde hair (or blonde hair with brown highlights). We would encourage Hasbro to attempt a running change of this figure, where if they plan to carry Zam Wesell forward over the successive few waves, they can correct this issue. But we would surmise that most of the action figures in wave 4 of The Vintage Collection won’t be making frequent reappearances in future case assortments. The wave Zam Wesell is part of is a very hardcore collector-focused collection of action figures. But whatever Hasbro’s decision is, it would be sublime if Hasbro did find a way to correct the color of the hair. Thankfully, it’s not visible unless you take off her helmet. The Attack Of The Clones wave in The Vintage Collection is something Hasbro should be proud of because, besides the all-new figures in the wave, they have significantly updated the sculpts of the older figures to make them seem brand new again. Zam Wesell is one of the all-new figures, but its release should confirm that Hasbro is fixated and focused on producing quality action figures for us. Between the brilliant sculpt, the flawlessly colored costume, and the final wash given to an outfit with a worn-in look, we now have a definitive version of this bounty hunter. Whether Hasbro decides to fix the hair color, Zam Wesell is still one excellent action figure!