Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi [Star Wars 40] - TBS [AC] - Six Inch Figures

By the time we reached the third phase of The Black Series 6-inch line, collectors began to wonder if Hasbro was ever going to get out the classic characters from the first Star Wars film. Now that we've arrived at the 40th anniversary of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Hasbro has returned to these classic characters and placed them on vintage Kenner-inspired packaging to celebrate this incredible four-decade landmark. Obi-Wan Kenobi was one of the most highly anticipated characters for The Black Series 6-inch line. We broke the news that this figure was coming into the basic The Black Series 6-inch line. Still, Hasbro surprised us when they announced that a special version would be issued as a 2016 San Diego Comic-Con exclusive (with the special accessories that were only part of the exclusive release). So now, after two distinct releases, the figure enters the line once again with a new name and new packaging. Obi-Wan Kenobi [Star Wars 40] has turned out to be as good as expected. Hasbro has had little trouble getting the likeness of Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi [Star Wars 40] throughout the years. And they have done a fine job on this 6-inch version. Obi-Wan Kenobi is a positive step forward for the line and an excellent effort. We’re happy to say that we’re confident it will meet your expectations and perhaps more than that. This version has fewer accessories, but the figure still feels complete. However, the question is, do you need this figure a third time? You will spend $85 on the same figure if you buy all three. Hasbro is smarter than you think, huh?

This is probably nitpicking, but we feel it’s relevant to mention. Do you recall how 2004’s VOTC Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi had a head sculpt that looked like it was caught in a vice grip too long? While not nearly as exaggerated, this Obi-Wan Kenobi figure has an ever-so-slightly too-narrow head shape that looks the teeniest bit off. Now, please know that we don’t think it looks terrible, but we can’t help but notice that we see a semblance of that elongation prevalent on the VOTC release. Some may disagree with our assessment, but we see it each time we analyze the figure. The head sculpt is still excellent and looks like Sir Alec Guinness. We’re not teeter-tottering here. We’re genuinely impressed with Obi-Wan Kenobi’s portrait. We feel compelled to point out what we notice, and the thinness of his head sculpt stands out. Thankfully, the rest of Obi-Wan Kenobi is a pure joy. Hasbro nailed the details of his costume and worked in a flawless soft-goods cloak that clings closely to the figure’s silhouette yet possesses a beautiful drape and accurately styled hood. Despite the outfit being mostly robes and heavy clothing, Hasbro worked in an incredible amount of functional and useful articulation. Obi-Wan Kenobi can swing a lightsaber with the best of them and strike an action pose that is believable and awesome. As with most robed figures, Hasbro added slits on the sides of the legs to allow for a full range of movement. What’s the point of having ball-socket hips, double hinge-jointed knees, and rocker ankles if they’re all inhibited by a molded skirt?

Besides the soft-goods outer robe, Obi-Wan Kenobi [Star Wars 40] has a lightsaber hilt and a removable blade. We don’t like the thinness of the lightsaber blade or the rubbery hilts, but they’re not terrible. They don’t seem to bother The Black Series collectors much, so maybe we’re focusing too hard on complaining about them. Let’s face it: Hasbro has gotten embarrassingly cheap with how many accessories they now include with The Black Series 6-inch figures. And if they don’t think it’s taking a toll on the collector's psyche, they better rethink what they’re doing. Obi-Wan Kenobi seems to be a great example that reassures us that they plan to include more stuff with their 6-inch figures. At least, that’s what we hope to see continue. The Black Series 6-inch line is a premium collectors’ action figure line. We have to keep the figures in; it feels premium. One accessory just isn’t going to cut it. We’re not saying every Obi-Wan Kenobi figure needs to have a table with electronics, but Hasbro can certainly be much more generous with what they include. One of the most popular characters from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, we believe that this reissue version of Obi-Wan Kenobi will be a strong seller at retail regardless. But it’s too hard to gauge for that sure right now. As we celebrate 40 years of Star Wars, seeing how far Hasbro will take the line will be interesting. Hasbro teased that more is coming this year, but they like to dangle carrots in front of collectors to keep the interest viral. We'll have to wait and see.