Obi-Wan Kenobi (Tatooine Encounter) - SW [S - P3] - 12 Inch Figures

Once a formidable Jedi Knight before the fall of the Republic, Obi-Wan Kenobi now lives in hiding on the planet Tatooine, where he is known as "Ben" Kenobi, and eccentric old man who lives alone and keeps to himself. He is brought out of his hermitic isolation when he meets Luke and begins to teach him the vanished ways of the Jedi. With Luke and the droids, "Ben" Kenobi embarks on a mission to save the life of Princess Leia Organa, and takes part in the ongoing struggle to save the galaxy from darkness and oppression.

So close but no cigar? By the time the Star Wars “Saga” line entered its third metamorphosis, Hasbro cracked down on the quality of the products in their 12 inch Figures line. Loosely referred to as the “gold bar” phase of the Star Wars “Saga” line, Hasbro not only updated the packaging of the Star Wars toy line to refresh things at retail, they also improved the sculpts of their figures, both in the 3.75” and 12” scales. They also changed the naming convention of the figures they produced, giving a little more detail to the scenes on which they based them. Perhaps a shining example of the improved overall quality is showcased in the Obi-Wan Kenobi (Tatooine Encounter) 12 inch Figure. Now, we won’t go so far as to say the figure is definitive because it isn’t. But Hasbro made significant strides with this figure, both in the buck, the portrait, and the soft-goods costume, and they produced a figure that should appeal to most of the discriminating collectors out there. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Tatooine Encounter) brings forth a fresh new take on the beloved Original Trilogy character while keeping things faithful to previous releases. Aside from a ghostly color for his face and some need for some re-tweaking in the portrait, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Tatooine Encounter) holds up well as one of the finer 12 inch Figures Hasbro produced for this line. And they produce more than just a couple of them.

With a straight-ahead view, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Tatooine Encounter) doesn’t have a likeness that immediately grabs you. However, when you pose his head left, right, cockeyed, or bent down or up, the realistic likeness of Sir Alec Guinness shines through nicely. But there’s another issue. Hasbro didn’t give Obi-Wan Kenobi (Tatooine Encounter) an ideal deco, especially in the face. Part of the issues results from the portrait sculpting itself. Hasbro placed his eyes a little too closely together. But the bigger issue lies in the color palette Hasbro chose to bring him to life. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Tatooine Encounter) has a face that looks like he saw a ghost. He’s much too white. What makes his paleness this more pronounced are is the stark contrast of his crystal blue eyes. They nearly glow against the pale color of the skin and accentuate the blunder Hasbro made with choosing the color of his flesh. Regardless of this figure’s faults, we feel there is a lot more to appreciate than criticize. Hasbro utilized an updated buck that gives Obi-Wan Kenobi (Tatooine Encounter) a completely streamlined appearance. They didn’t use a bulky old GI Joe body here. It also helps with posing the figure in some stunning action-oriented poses. The bulky body parts don’t inhibit the free movement of the joints, and you can achieve things with this figure that weren’t possible on older 12 Inch Figures. We consider it a huge upgrade. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Tatooine Encounter) finally looks the way he should.

Hasbro wasn’t too generous with accessories for the Obi-Wan Kenobi (Tatooine Encounter) 12 inch Figure. But this character didn’t have many in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. He comes with a lightsaber hilt and a lightsaber blade. Unfortunately, Hasbro didn't give the black hilt any deco, and it looks out of place with the figure. Some silver and gold paint would have done wonders for this figure. Thanks to the updated hinge-jointed hands, you can pose Obi-Wan Kenobi (Tatooine Encounter) holding the lit lightsaber with both hands, or, if you’re more adventurous, you can pose him in some action stances wielding it with one hand. We love the soft-goods cloak Hasbro included with Obi-Wan Kenobi (Tatooine Encounter). They added an elastic band at the hem of the cloak, which gives it a soft pleated appearance, akin to how Darth Vader’s cape’s drape is. This “bunching up” gives the cloak a natural and realistic effect, and we appreciate the extra care Hasbro gave it. Likewise, the soft-goods here turned out very well here too. If we had to complain about anything, we’d mentioned that we’re a little disappointed Hasbro didn’t make a new belt for the figure. This accessory needs to be “thinned out” quite a bit and then given some deco to make it looked aged and weathered. Right now, it almost looks fake. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Tatooine Encounter) isn’t a bittersweet release. He’s an enjoyable figure. The figure needs some fine-tuning. But all other aspects show how far Hasbro has come with this line.