Boss Nass - EI - Action Collection

Boss Nass and his Rep Council consider the Jedi's warning of the Trade Federation invasion.

After a couple initial waves of Episode I Action Collection figures in 1999, Hasbro changed things up for collectors at the turn of the century. Although the Action Collection/12 Inch Figures line continued, Hasbro refreshed the line with full-window box packaging, and a focus on background characters and updated main characters (with different accessories and outfits). Released in fourth quarter 2000, Boss Nass was one of the more out-of-box choices for the Action Collection line, but the figure turned out incredibly well. Large, imposing, rotund and affable, Boss Nass enters the Action Collection line at the right size, unlike the 1999 EI Boss Nass CommTech 3.75” figure, that is improperly scaled. The Boss Nass Action Collection figure is colorful, has beautifully tailored soft-goods clothing, and a decent amount of articulation that allows you to pose him in some interesting ways. A far departure from the “more” human characters produced for the line, Hasbro did a fine job at translating him from the source material.

Boss Nass isn’t so big that he towers over the rest of the figures in the Action Collection line. But he also isn’t “half” the size of Jar Jar Binks which is what happened in the Comm Tech line. Easily double or triple the thickness of the average Action Collection figure, Hasbro added the proper amount of girth for this interesting Gungan, giving him the screen-accurate silhouette of the onscreen character. Hasbro also added basic articulation in the arms and legs of Boss Nass, and the points of articulation they added give Boss Nass a desirable about of movement. But don’t expect to have unlimited posing options. Most of his articulation is single-planed, and that severely limits how much movement an action figure has Most disappointing here is the lack of accessories. He comes with zero accessories. Surely Hasbro could have recreated the staff that comes with the 3.75” version, no? Maybe the size of him made that cost-prohibitive. Even so, we feel that “something” should have been added to this figure to give him a little more value.

The greatest aspect of the Boss Nass Action Collection figure is the head sculpt. Hasbro exceeded our expectations with how beautiful they’ve captured this Gungan leader. The portrait is so incredibly well done that we’re confident it will stand the test of time. We can’t see the head sculpt aging over time. Hasbro nailed it from the start, and they got it right the first time. The only thing more impressive than the head sculpt is the deco of it. Hasbro put together a stunning palette of color that breathes life into Boss Nass. From the neon green skin to the bright yellow eyes and pink mouth area, Hasbro perfectly captured the personality of this character and produced a toy that functions more like an adult collectible that a kid’s plaything. Even the ornate detail on his soft-goods gown shows how much effort Hasbro employed to make Boss Nass the greatest figure possible. Boss Nass, for us, is a highlight of the Action Collection/12 Inch Figures line. He would be a worthy addition to any collection.