Kylo Ren - RO - Basic

A dark warrior strong with the Force, Kylo Ren commands First Order missions with a temper as fiery as his unconventional lightsaber.

Well, well, well. Hasbro has managed to create another unique version of Kylo Ren. They really didn’t need much to do this and it certainly was an easy task. When you already make multiple versions of the same character, kit-bashing the parts makes it simple to deliver “new enough” action figures. Based on 2016’s TFS Kylo Ren Build A Weapon (Snow) figure, you know, the “unmasked” Kylo Ren 5POA figure with the head from 2015’s TFA Kylo Ren Armor Up (Snow) figure (which features a helmeted version of the character for the first time in the 5POA format) and an all-new removable “hood up” hood (another first), collectors now have multiple options available to them of all the ways Kylo Ren appeared in the film. Stuff like this makes collectors very happy. The Star Wars collecting culture has dramatically changed since Disney has taken over the reins. Maybe it’s just a coincidence, but fewer products are produced, and the excitement of new Star Wars Entertainments doesn’t lag on anymore. Instead, it comes and it goes. Maybe this is the reason we only received three “new” The Force Awakens figures with the Rogue One product launch. If this happened years ago, the toy line a year after a new Star Wars film would be loaded with a ton of action figures that Hasbro just didn’t get to during the year of the film. Now we get three new or “newish” figures instead. Goodness, gracious how times have changed.

So how about this “new” Kylo Ren action figure? Admittedly he looks pretty cool. Even if you’re not crazy about the character like we are, it’s hard to deny how great this figure looks. Although the entire figure has been carried forward from The Force Awakens line, the addition of the new hood is what gives this figure its personality as well as making it exciting, new and fresh. When fully assembled, Kylo Ren looks fantastic. The removable hood accessory sits flush on the figure's head. You can turn his head a little bit while he wears it, but the range of movement isn’t great because of how long it hangs on the back of the figure. You can also move his ball-socket head underneath of the hood, but something looks askew if he isn’t looking straight through the “hole” of it. In other words, having him look left or right with the hood on isn’t too aesthetically pleasing to the eye. And let us not forget that this un-hooded version of Kylo Ren has been placed on a body sculpt that is superior to the original Kylo Ren action figure. We’re very pleased with the ensemble. The cloth texture is amazing and the way the robes fold and break at his feet are truly impressive. If we had to pick one simply-articulated Kylo Ren action figure for the collection, it would unequivocally be this one. The paint operations are simple, but very nice applied. Hasbro did well here, and in retrospect it makes sense that they decided to release a relatively “new” version of him.

Kylo Ren comes well outfitted too. You know about the new removable hood. He also comes with his signature lightsaber. It can be held with his right hand, but as his left hand is pointing, it renders itself useless for anything utilitarian. He does come with an extra accessory however. He’s been given a gauntlet cannon that fires a projectile. It fits nicely on both arms, but it makes more sense to utilize his left arm for this accessory since the hand hasn’t been designed in a useful way to hold things. The projectile is very bright and like so many other figures in this line, comes with a removable rubbery tip. These tips have been created to recreate “Force lighting” or lightsaber sparks, or whatever you wish it to be. In short they provide the figure with a little more pizzazz than were it just a simple projectile that they’ve typically included in the past instead. So, there’s really not much more else to say. Aside from the new hood, some of you may already be able to cobble this figure together (if you have basic customizing skills of course). But we have to admit that the new hood is the defining factor here of why we feel this figure is a must-have, providing you’re a fan of The Force Awakens. It does seem odd to “waste” a spot in the Rogue One lineup for him, but Hasbro must have some numbers to show that there is a steady demand for him in the toy line. For us, this is easily the best Kyo Ren figure. But you should be your own judge on that.