Barriss Offee (Jedi Padawan) - TVC - Basic (VC51)

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The Vintage Collection Barriss Offee succeeds, and then it fails. Well, not entirely. Maybe we shouldn’t have set the tone for this review in this manner because while we feel Hasbro did a fantastic job on this figure’s tooling, some of the finishing touches detract from what otherwise should be a stellar action figure. And we adore our ladies of the Jedi Order. We finally get our first super-articulated (and non-action posed) Barriss Offee (Jedi Padawan) action figure. As a female Jedi with little to no role in the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, it’s a slight surprise how many times Hasbro addresses the character in toy form. Hasbro also featured this character in the Revenge Of The Sith 12-inch Figures line as Barriss Offee (and the character was barely in the film). Hasbro has mastered the features and proportions of its action figures and has expertly combined soft goods with them. However, the mixed media that makes up this figure is slightly confusing, and we wonder why Hasbro approached the character in this manner. Despite their efforts, the soft-goods purple skirt doesn’t precisely match the color of the upper body. And then Hasbro decided to go with a plastic-molded cape, which looks fantastic, but complicates things when it comes to its articulation. We’re not sure if this bothers all collectors, but any inhibited movement frustrates us. It is a shame that Hasbro abandoned the original soft-goods outer robe, which Hasbro planned to design out of plush fabric. Hasbro showcased this early iteration of the figure at their display during Toy Fair. But as we all know, they instead opted for the molded plastic version in its place. Whatever the case, this is a tremendous update to 2003’s Star Wars “Saga” [Phase II] Barriss Offee (Luminara Unduli’s Padawan (’03 #12) figure.

Barriss Offee has a remarkable likeness, but Hasbro placed the “diamond” pattern on the face unevenly for the first batch of figures introduced in 2011. Most samples we’ve encountered have this issue. (Editor’s Note: When the figure reshipped in 2012, Hasbro paid extra careful attention to this detail and significantly cleaned them up.) Compare samples before purchasing the one you want to add to your collection. Hasbro also introduced a slightly new technology with the Barriss Offee (Jedi Padawan) action figure. We feel 2011's TCW [SOTDS] Barriss Offee (CW50) figure has the better paint job, however. The figure comes with a plastic molded hood that can only be removed by taking off the head sculpt. We’ve never encountered a feature like this on a basic figure previously. This feature allows for a snugger fit, and we like the results. Too often, many action figures have loose-fitting or wobbly accessories, but it isn’t the case here at all. If you choose to pose Barriss Offee (Jedi Padawan) without the hood, you’ll notice that the figure has a long neck, and it’s the only drawback here. Additionally, the neck is at a strange angle (leaning downward). It appears bizarre from the side view, but doesn’t significantly detract from the overall aesthetics of the figure’s form. As a result, the figure doesn’t look entirely odd without the hood, but you may notice it more than when compared to the neck length of your other action figures (if that makes sense). However, even if it’s possible to overcome these minor distractions, we wonder if the figure will meet your expectations. For instance, collectors will appreciate the nice form it has, with its delicate arms. And what about the lovely array of articulation? We’re impressed with the range of motion here. The artistic detail on the belt looks excellent, and it nicely contrasts against the dark Jedi outfit theme.

But where Barriss Offee (Jedi Padawan) fails the most is in the legs. It’s frustrating because Hasbro formed them better on older action figures than they did on this newer release. One leg is shorter than the other, and you can only remedy this by having the figure posed with one foot in front of the other. No matter how much you play with the ankle and knee joints, Offee remains unbalanced until you change the degree of plane on which the legs stand. This setback is annoying, and figures in The Vintage Collection need to be free of issues like this, especially since they command such a high premium in today’s market. If you pull up the skirt a little bit to witness the disparity in the length of her leg, you’ll notice the difference. However, despite the different lengths of the legs, it is possible to pose the figure in normal ways, as evidenced by our Photo Gallery. Additionally, the saving grace is that the outer plastic robe helps provide Barriss Offee with much-needed extra balance. We are thrilled to receive such a wonderful update for this obscure Jedi Padawan, but we wish Hasbro had ensured everything was completely in place before giving this figure the green light. Oh, there is a running change, too. Hasbro updated the lightsaber accessory in the 2012 assortments. Initially shipping with an almost clear lightsaber blade, they’ve now added some light blue opacity that looks much better than the 2011 release. Barriss Offee (Jedi Padawan) is still a good action figure, and we’re pretty fond of it. We become crankier as we age, and from that comes the expectation that we want to see only the best in this lineup. Barriss Offee (Jedi Padawan) may not be the best Hasbro could have done, but the figure still has merit, and we appreciate the positive impact it brings to the line.