Wedge Antilles - TBS [P3] - Six Inch Figures (102)

A talented young rebel pilot from Corellia, Wedge Antilles survived the attack on the first Death Star to become a respected veteran of Rogue Squadron.

We were beginning to wonder if Hasbro was going to treat Wedge Antilles in the 6” line as badly as they did in the 3.75”. Thankfully, that’s not the case. Interestingly (and coincidentally), they’ve approached The Black Series [Phase III] 6” Wedge Antilles not all that differently from The Vintage Collection Wedge Antilles (VC28) figure. Using 2013’s TBS [P1] Luke Skywalker (#01) as a base, they gave Wedge Antilles an all-new portrait, and a revised paint job specific to his character. The results are interesting, and we imagine collectors will be happy with what Hasbro accomplished with this figure. Without his helmet on, Wedge Antilles reminds us of a good-looking version of Kylo Ren. But once you add the helmet, we’re provided with proof that Hasbro nailed the likeness of the character perfectly, because it looks like the 6” Wedge Antilles hopped right off of the screen, shrunk himself down, and wiggled his way into a box for our collecting consumption. Wedge Antilles is truly a welcomed and impressive release in The Black Series [Phase III] 6” line. And although most of us expected Hasbro to utilize the existing tooling they had for an X-wing pilot’s uniform, they did a fantastic job making Wedge Antilles a distinct release. Although there are some inaccuracies with the Luke Skywalker (#01) figure, most collectors can overlook the errors and still appreciate what the figure offers them. We believe that collectors will do the same for Wedge Antilles. Surprisingly, this is only the second X-wing pilot (from the Original Trilogy) in the 6” line in seven years. It will be wonderful to see Hasbro continue to release more of them, even at a slow-but-sure consistency.

Wedge Antilles has simple features. If you glance at the new head sculpt, you might believe Hasbro did very little with Photo Real applications and might be too scantily applied. Once you add the helmet to the figure, however, you instantly notice how close of a match Hasbro got to the character we see onscreen. It’s eerily exact to Denis Lawson, the actor who played Wedge Antilles. This figure might be the closest likeness we have of the character since the modern Star Wars line went into effect. Keeping in mind that Hasbro reused the body from Luke Skywalker (#01), Wedge Antilles has gone through a transition that keeps the figure from looking like the base Luke Skywalker figure too much. Obviously, the helmet is a major difference between the two figures, but you will also find different paint operations throughout the flight suit that keep the character unique. In addition to the helmet, Hasbro also included a Rebel alliance blaster, the ones we see the Rebel Fleet Trooper characters brandishing. It fits nicely into his right hand, and we’re thankful to see another accessory added here aside from Wedge’s removable helmet. Wedge Antilles may have deserved an all-new sculpt, and perhaps this release isn’t perfect, but for us, it does the job for the 6” line well. The details here are richly and cleanly applied, and then Hasbro gave the figure a final wash to give the uniform a live-in appearance. Hasbro adjusted its orange color to give us the best representation of the Rebel Alliance X-wing pilots, and we believe they succeeded well here. We love this figure so much that we hope a Biggs Darklighter is next on the horizon.

Wedge Antilles can attain any position you want to display him, thanks to the figure’s stunning articulation. This tooling may be getting tired at this point in the line, but Hasbro loaded the figure with ball-jointed articulation, as well as the “life-saving” rocker ankles. They are unbelievably functional and may work the hardest to give Luke Skywalker the free range of motion it achieves. These are premium points of articulation and do wonders for the action figure. This base sculpt of this figure set the stage for The Black Series 6” line in 2013, and it holds up well in 2019. From a sculpting perspective, we don’t think that Hasbro could have done much better for Wedge Antilles. Again, you may not think the likeness is great with the figure’s helmet removed, but we feel it captures the spirit of the character beautifully. The straps hanging around his legs and the hose coming from his chest box are wonderfully executed. But they do inhibit some of the leg movement when trying to position the figure. By the way, Hasbro also revised the strap color too. Also, the details like the maps on his left upper arm look fantastic. The included X-wing pilot helmet fits perfectly over his head and rests at his nose. This is clever tooling on Hasbro’s part. They didn’t need to retool the accessory. Instead, they ensured they created a head sculpt that would interact with it properly. There’s a litany of Rebel pilots Hasbro needs to get to and release in The Black Series [Phase IIII] 6” line. Did Wedge Antilles open up the floodgates? Or is this figure a one-off release, and we’re going to have to wait a long time again to receive the next one? Time will tell. In the meantime, enjoy this one fully!

This sample has been provided to us by Entertainment Earth.