Jacen Solo - LC - Basic (BD59)

Jacen Solo is the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa Solo and is gifted with the ability to communicate with animals. He uses this gift when battling the Yuuzhan Vong: he calls amphistaff serpents to him, and they encircle him to form protective armor.

Jacen Solo, the offspring of Han Solo and Leia Organa and the twin brother to Jaina Solo has quite an eventful history in the Star Wars universe. Perhaps his biggest accomplishment was to defeat the Yuuzhan Vong while simultaneously protecting the galaxy from harm. But just like many other Jedi Knights, he had the propensity to be lured to the dark side of the Force and cause havoc on those defending liberty and peace. Becoming the Sith apprentice to Lumiya, his primary objective was to find and kill Luke Skywalker but ended up killing his aunt, Mara Jade Skywalker instead. He picked up the Sith Lord name Darth Caedus and became an agent of evil. After committing one devastating crime after another, he was finally killed by his twin sister Jaina Solo. His life was an incredibly tragic tale and many Star Wars fans had a very hard time accepting that the offspring of Han Solo and Leia Organa could be this evil. Still, some darker fans loved the premise of his life and he has quickly become a mainstay in the Expanded Universe and a fan favorite. It took Hasbro years, but an action figure based on his appearance in The New Jedi Order was finally released in the last wave of the Legacy Collection and it turned out as good as you could expect. Perhaps the accessories he comes with are a little more exciting than the figure, but we will get to more of that detail in a moment.

Jacen Solo is essentially the 2007 VTSC Luke Skywalker (Bespin Fatigues) figure with a new head and new forearms. This was an excellent basis to use for Jacen because if you look at the various reference materials on Wookieepedia you will find that this is exactly what he looked like often in the comics and other EU sources. The fatigues have been cast in a color that we believe is a hair too dark, but it still looks great. As you may expect, the figure has awesome mobility thanks to premium articulation and for some reason there is more mobility with this body type that many other super-articulated figures. For example, you can make Jacen Solo lean a lot more without tipping over than an average SA action figure. Hi head sculpt is a dead ringer for Han Solo and we aren’t sure if this was the best move. Yes, he resembles his father, but he has distinct differences that didn’t transpire into the figure’s portrait. We fear he looks a little bit more like a young Han Solo that a young Jacen Solo. He is covered in amphistaff “armor” which just so happens to be the arsenal of choice for the Yuuzhan Vong. These fully organic beings spat poisonous venom in the eyes of the enemy which first poisoned them and then affected the victim’s bloodstream killing them. Hasbro did a great job on sculpting this creature for this action figure and we have to admit that it looks a lot more like a piece of clothing than a dangerous weapon. The good news is that it is removable and he can be posed without them attached to his body. Jacen Solo also comes with a green lit lightsaber and it fits well into both of his hands.

Jacen Solo and Jaina Solo should both be brisk sellers since they are the offspring of two of the most important and popular Rebel Alliance heroes in the Star Wars universe. But in all honesty, they are pretty much what you see and not much more. More of an obligatory action figure that a fan-desired one, Jacen Solo may have more success as Darth Caedus since so many of us prefer Sith Lords to Jedi Knights. But even so, if you are a fan of The New Jedi Order, you should count yourselves quite lucky to get two great action figures based on this source in one wave. Jacen Solo comes with the head of BG-J38 who just so happens to be one of the main reasons to purchase this wave. There will be on other option to grab BG-J38’s head and that will be the Obi-Wan Kenobi (BD06) figure that is carry forward into this last wave. So you have one more option. And since this weave has been relegated as a Toys R Us exclusive, it is doubtful if we will ever see a rerelease of this action figure. The Vintage Collection starts in August 2010 and there is no room for anything Expanded Universe with very few exceptions. So this may be your one and only chance to pick this character up (at least for the next few years). Jacen Solo has it where it counts. The paint job is quite good, the articulation is supreme and while the likeness is a tad off in our own opinion he is nonetheless a very strong action figure. Check him out!