Kylo Ren - SW [S] - Basic

Unlike the Star Wars [The Last Jedi] line, the Star Wars [Solo] line is significantly smaller and the slots to bring the collecting community new basic figures has dwindled dramatically. Despite this, Hasbro must keep core characters in the lines at all times. This is marketing 101. Kylo Ren is the “new Darth Vader” in the Sequel Trilogy, so all of us should expect to see new and multiple versions of him in every line look until the Sequel Trilogy concludes. Thankfully, as painful as it is to get another Kylo Ren in the line, Hasbro is going above and beyond to keep things fresh. For the Star Wars [Solo] line, they’ve kept things a bit fresh by slightly retooling and repainting the Kylo Ren figure from 2017's SW [TLJ] Force Link Starter Set/Kylo Ren set with new phrases for the Force Link 2.0 technology. So, whether you have the first version or not, you're probably going to need this one too. Whether it was the angle the limbs are curved and positioned or a completely new part, Kylo Ren brings freshness and newness to the Star Wars basic figure line. Whether that will entice collectors to pick up another version of him remains to be seen, however.

Almost immediately, Star Wars [The Last Jedi] line piqued interest in new Star Wars fans and longtime collectors thanks to the Force Link feature that Hasbro added to the figures. This feature, as you know, allows them to speak dialogue. The lines of dialogue are almost always accompanied by a mix of sound effects like blasters blasting and explosions exploding. It no longer looks as if characters are separated into two different assortment types, however. We never understood that logic and we probably never will. We don’t see the need for action figure segregation of any type, but it must have been used for analytical purposes at Hasbro for something elusive and unseen by the casual collector. Unlike the Star Wars [The Last Jedi] figure, this version of Kylo Ren comes helmeted. He didn’t wear the helmet all that often in Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, but it’s a nice change of pace and helps diversify the line a bit, especially since his outfit remains relatively unchanged through the Sequel Trilogy thus far. We see a great of ribbing in the textures of his costume. He looks more streamlined than previously, too.

Hasbro has come far with the likenesses of the 5POA figures, but they also excel at creating helmeted figures too. From this perspective, Kylo Ren is gorgeous. People may not be too excited for another new Kylo Ren figure, but this one turned out well. What’s more, the updated Force Link 2.0 technology allows him to speak different lines than the last version of the figure. You cannot fault Hasbro for attempting to keep things fresh here. Kylo Ren only comes with five points of articulation, but that has been the standard for this line for a long time now. They have been slowly adding a few extra points for some characters here and there, but they didn’t feel the need to update Kylo Ren for this release. The sculpt is excellent. Kylo Ren comes with a single accessory: his lit lightsaber. And he looks great wielding it. Overall, if you’re into getting another Kylo Ren action figure with five points of articulation, this one is probably going to be another one of those “best versions” you own. With a great sculpt, good likeness and the inclusion of a fun gimmick, we bet kids and adult collectors are going to be hard pressed to ignore this action figure.