Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi - TBS [L50] - Six Inch Figures

Commemorate the first 50 years of Lucasfilm with figures inspired by the original Star Wars trilogy!

Well, well, well. Look at Hasbro give something to The Black Series 6” collecting community that they probably didn’t want. At the same time, 3.75” collectors have asked for this for decades, with Hasbro also answering with a resounding “No, we won’t ever do that.” Kenner-inspired deco on modern action figures is something Star Wars collectors wanted to see Hasbro do for us in the modern line. But it took the 50th Anniversary of Lucasfilm for it all to come to fruition. When announced, Hasbro included three figures to receive this special deco. Ben (Obi-Wan Kenobi) joins the ranks with Jawa and Greedo and are all exclusive to Amazon. All come in classic Kenner-inspired packaging, revised this time with a cleaner and closer-to-accuracy approach. The card art looks better than ever. And the figures each come with screen-inaccurate, but Kenner action figure-accurate deco to recreate the moments from our child with larger and super-articulated action figures this time. Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi is perhaps the highlight of the three Amazon exclusives. The bold and bright orange secondary color catches the eye. The clouded blue lightsaber blade is reminiscent of the slide-out lightsaber of 1978’s SW Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi Kenner action figure. Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi comes with a vinyl cape and the lightsaber, which breaks down into hilt and blade. Hasbro also chose to go with the “white hair” variation of Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi. Longtime Kenner collectors will understand this reference.

Four years ago, we arrived at the 40th anniversary of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Where has the time gone? Now we’re celebrating 50 years of Lucasfilm, LTD. There are other “50th Anniversary” action figures celebrating this landmark event, from The Vintage Collection to other releases in The Black Series 6” line, but in Episode I and other packaging. Hasbro knows the strong ties to Star Wars figure packaging, whether it being classic Kenner or older Hasbro line looks. This approach is innovative, and all of the figures they’ll release in these formats will do well for them. The highly-anticipated Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi is an excellent choice for Kenner deco. Hasbro released it multiple times with screen-accurate deco in The Black Series 6” line, but this take on the character is unique. Although Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi already received a release in vintage Kenner packaging (with screen-accurate coloring), the Amazon exclusive release presents the character in an all-new light. Hasbro did a fine job on this 6” version. Obi-Wan Kenobi is a niche release for the 6” line, and we hope Hasbro produces more of them. Boba Fett was the first figure to receive vintage Kenner treatment, now we see more figures, and they’re not much different than the “carbonized” figures in the 6” line. The figure’s vinyl cape is easily removable, and the lightsaber poses well in the figure’s hands. Although primarily orange in color, you will find dark brown pants underneath to match the undershirt we see in the figure’s neck area.

Between the new deco on the head sculpt and the Photo Real deco applied, Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi looks very much like actor Sir Alec Guinness. The likeness is quite astounding. Hasbro chose to go with the “white hair” variation of Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi, and while screen-inaccurate, it looks fantastic on the action figure. Underneath the vinyl cape, you will find that Hasbro nailed the details of the character’s costume perfectly. Hasbro also worked in an incredible amount of articulation that is functional and useful. The joints articulate with buttery-smooth motion. Obi-Wan Kenobi swings a lightsaber with the best of them and strikes an action pose that is believable and awesome. As with most figures with molded inner robes, Hasbro added slits on the legs’ sides to allow for a full range of movement. What’s the point of having ball-socket hips, double hinge-jointed knees, and rocker ankles if they’re all inhibited by the lower body clothing? You have to remember that Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi is a novel action figure. It’s not meant to be taken too seriously. It pays homage to Kenner’s original action figure line in exact ways (both figure AND packaging). And if Hasbro keeps these exclusive, they won’t compete with the mainstream line, which is wise. Again, we feel that Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi highlights the “50th Anniversary of Lucasfilm” line. Hasbro seems to have randomly picked the candidates that make up this line, but overall, we feel they’re representative of the Star Wars toy line’s greatest moments.