Height: 1.6 Meters
Status: Rebel Pilot and Navigator
Classification: Sullustan
Affiliation: Rebel Alliance
Weapon of Choice: Blaster Pistol (Green packaging only)

The outstanding Rebel Pilot from the planet Sullust, Nien Nunb served as Lando Calrissian's copilot in the Millennium Falcon during the Battle of Endor. (Freeze Frame packaging only)

What Battle of Endor diorama is complete without a Sullstan co-pilot to complement it? Oh the controversy that surrounds Nien Nunb. A character looking exactly like him appears during the Home One Rebels briefing. And then a short while later we see “another” Sullustan talking in the background with other Rebel pilots as Han Solo offers the Millennium Falcon to old pal Lando Calrissian for the assault on the second Death Star. This “other” pilot is believed to be the same B-wing pilot that was in the Rebel briefing, who just changed outfits since he was promoted to Lando’s co-pilot for the Battle of Endor. If you read bios on Nien Nunb, some refer to him specifically as a B-wing pilot, while others are more generic in their descriptions. But no matter where you stand on who Nien Nunb is or is not, there is plenty of proof that he DOESN’T look exactly like the way both Kenner and Hasbro portrayed him in the basic figure line, today or yesteryear. Always portrayed a little too short for a Sullustan, Nien Nunb is actually quite tall if you skim for him very carefully in Return Of The Jedi (where you can see his full body). He isn’t the petite pilot we have been led to believe he is thanks to the action figure line, both past and present. The 1997 POTF2 version of Nien Nunb is still nice however, although we’re sure some will fault his accuracy.

Nien Nunb is a brightly colored action figure, but most of that has to do with his red flight suit. Breaking up the monotony of the red is a blue vest which seems to be the style pilots of rogue vehicles seem to wear a long time ago in a galaxy far away. Nien Nunb has a wonderful resemblance to the onscreen character, but it’s probably important now to point out that Nien Numb was really just a complex puppet in the film. He wasn’t an actor behind a mask. This probably was required since he has so many close-ups in the film. Realism needed to play a huge role in bringing this character to life, and the folks at Lucasfilm did a great job in achieving this effect. Anyway, the action figure of Nien Nunb is equally good, albeit incorrectly scaled. One thing we don’t really care for is the way his head sculpt is looking upwards ever so slightly. This was an odd decision on Kenner/Hasbro’s part, or maybe it was just something that was overlooked. Either way, it does create a “snooty nostrils in a flare” type of demeanor with Nien Nunb. The head sculpt is actually quite excellent. It looks very much like the onscreen character. he even has large mouse-shaped ears. He really looks great!

The paint operations are equally excellent on Nien Nunb. There are multiple layers of color utilized to accent the mouth as well as the face and dark black paint was used for his big round eyes. The rest of the figure is nicely painted and we find very little fault with the figure in this regard. Nien Nunb comes with two weapons: a blaster pistol and a blaster rifle. As a pilot, none were really seen in the film, but as an action figure accessories are basic requirements in order for it to have play value. Both weapons fit nicely into Nien Nunb’s hands. However, Nien Nunb has an awkward center of gravity. When he isn’t holding any weapons, it is easier for him to stand up without falling over but if he is holding weapons, they really throws his balance off terribly. You have to lean Nien Nunb a little bit backwards in order to prevent him from falling forward. It’s a minor disappointment and not certainly the end of the world, but it is noticeable. For 1998, Nien Nunb was refreshed into The Power Of The Force “2” Freeze Frame lineup and came with a cool freeze frame action slide which captured a moment of film in which he appeared from Episode VI. It complements the figure beautifully and makes the purchase extra special (for us at least). Nien Nunb isn’t perfect, but he isn’t terrible at all either.