Padmé Amidala - TBS [P3] - Six Inch Figures (81)

Padmé Amidala was a courageous, hopeful leader, serving as Queen and then Senator of Naboo – and was also handy with a blaster. Despite her ideals and all she did for the cause of peace, her secret, forbidden marriage to Jedi Anakin Skywalker would prove to have dire consequences for the galaxy.

We broke the news of her imminent release a long time ago, but now The Black Series [Phase III] Padmé Amidala 6” is released for everyone who wants her to purchase and enjoy. And they most certainly will enjoy this action figure. With the advent of “photorealistic technology” and closer attention paid into “tough” spots that require articulation, Hasbro reached an expert level when it comes to their design and deco for this highly popular line of larger action figures. Padmé Amidala has been on the wish lists of collectors of this line for quite some time now. And in our opinion, we feel Hasbro picked the ideal outfit to release their first Padmé Amidala action figure. In Attack Of The Clones, Padmé Amidala’s white adventure outfit goes through a transformation in a matter of moments. She starts with a cape which then transitions to just the white fitted outfit underneath. And then it sustains damage from the Nexu as it attempts to make Padmé Amidala its next lunch. We get two of the three iterations of this outfit here, and that’s a wonderful start. Hasbro would have to tool new parts to recreate the Nexu attack battle-damage. Maybe that version will be a retailer exclusive of another basic release down the road.

Padmé Amidala comes with 27 points of articulation across 16 areas. She received the standard articulation system that so many The Black Series 6” figures received before her. The joints on this release are very fluid and easy to move around, much to the figure’s detriment, unfortunately. Articulation points should have some friction so they can hold the poses you create for them. But sadly, Padmé Amidala’s joints are so loose in spots that they sometimes fall and cannot hold themselves up thanks to standard issues like gravity pulling them down. This issue does not affect the figure in its entirety, but there are important points of articulation which makes posing the figure a frustrating task. The “photorealistic” technology applied to Padmé Amidala is as excellent as it always is. The figure’s likeness to actress Natalie Portman is excellent, and Hasbro should be proud that they’re producing the best-looking figures of their long-running career now. And what a gift that this technology gets applied to the figures in The Vintage Collection. The paint job of her outfit and the details in and around it are also beautifully applied. And the sculpt captures the silhouette of the character’s body type wonderfully.

Perhaps the greatest aspect of the Padmé Amidala action figure is the number of accessories included along with her. As mentioned previously, she comes with the fluffy cape that she began her trek on Geonosis with until it gets removed with a scuffle with the Geonosians. What’s great about they way Hasbro tooled it in a way where removing it doesn't require removing her portrait. You have to stretch it a little over her noggin to remove it, but it’s possible and preserves the integrity of the ball-jointed point of articulation that keeps her head on the figure. She also comes with a removable belt with a functional holster. Thankfully, the holster looks a WHOLE LOT LESS like a penis this time, and that’s showing her the respect she deserves. The gray color of the belt and holster is odd, but it’s tooled nicely. The figure also comes with the signature blaster pistol that fits inside of it. For us, the greatest accessories here are the droid blaster and the alternate right hand with a wider grip to accommodate the larger handle of the B1 battle droid’s weapon. Nicely weathered and well-sculpted, it’s awesome to see Hasbro apply this deco to weapons because it adds so much to the figure it accessorizes. Padmé Amidala is a stunning release. You’re going to want one for your collection.