Zam Wesell - TVC - Basic (VC30)

It took almost a decade for Zam Wesell to get the love she needed in the basic figure line. But since hindsight is always 20/20, we probably wouldn’t have had it any other way. Action figures made in this era of time (read post 2006 The Saga Collection timeframe) are being made so well that now is the time for Hasbro to whip out the definitive version that were first attempted years ago. Specifically, the figures that are perfect for updating now are any from the 2002-2004 Star Wars “Saga” line. Unofficially the line for the Attack Of The Clones film, it was an era where action figures were designed with kids in mind first and collectors second. Figures were inundated with horrific action figures and/or limited articulated (or inferior articulation). To be fair, that’s what reigned as far as action figures were concerned and some of them released by Hasbro still hold up well today. But before that line took off in April of 2002, collectors were treated to four “Sneak Preview” figures that came to us in Power Of The Jedi packaging. One of these figures was an early Zam Wesell figure. (Interestingly, and you may disagree, the “Sneak Preview” figure ended up being a whole lot better than the basic figure.) But it’s a moot point to bother even spending a moment comparing which version was better because Hasbro released the best and nearly definitive version of Zam Wesell in The Vintage Collection. But she doesn’t come without her small share of issues.

Zam Wesell is an all-new figure that comes loaded with 14 points of articulation. A very important character in Attack Of The Clones, Zam Wesell was in the center of the plot to assassinate Senator Amidala. And besides, Zam Wesell has a lot of screen time, especially when compared to so many of the other characters that were made into action figures already. The Vintage Collection version is something to get very excited about because all of the bells and whistles are included here, save for her still not fitting into her speeder that well. (But that’s because of the poor design of that vehicle.) The super-articulation on this figure includes ball-jointed shoulders, torso, head, elbows, knees, ankles and these are mixed with swivel wrists and hips. The included articulation allows for some incredible poses and this is really the first time we have been able to enjoy Zam Wesell in this capacity. The plastic molded skirt causes the same problems any other plastic skirt would. She cannot sit which plays into the problem of her not fitting into here speeder. The figure has a lot of play value and has a ton of accessories. Her helmet is removable as well as the binoculars that sit on top of them. She also comes with two versions of the scarf, one open across and the other closed hanging down. She also comes with a blaster pistol and long-range rifle. And of course the best part is the interchangeable head. (See, Hasbro could easily do this if they really wanted to for easy army builders.) It is so very nice to have a separate head included instead of the Clawdite piece that wrapped around the “human” head.

One feature that was abandoned was the removable battle-damaged arm. This injury she sustained from Obi-Wan Kenobi did not transfer over to this version, but to be honest, we’re not sure how necessary that would have been. There is an error with this figure unfortunately. Hasbro has given Zam Wesell brown hair. If you bought the Hasbro 12” figures back in the day, you know that she has at best, dirty blonde hair (or blonde hair with brown highlights). We would actually encourage Hasbro to attempt a running change of this figure were they planning to carry her forward over the next few waves. But we would surmise that most of the action figures in wave 4 of The Vintage Collection won’t be making too many frequent reappearances in future case assortments. This is a very hardcore collector focused wave. But whatever Hasbro’s decision is, it would be sublime if Hasbro did find a way to correct the color of her hair. Thankfully it’s not visible unless you take off her helmet. The Attack Of The Clones wave in The Vintage Collection is really something Hasbro should be proud about because besides the all-new figures in the wave, they have significantly updated the sculpts of the older figures to make them seem brand new again. Zam Wesell is one of the all-new figures, but she should confirm to you that Hasbro is fixated and focused on making quality action figures for us. Between the brilliant sculpt, the flawlessly colored costume and the final wash/rub to give her a truly worn-in look, we now have a definitive version of her (even whether or not Hasbro decides to fix her hair color). This is one excellent action figure!