We are now 2 week away from the release of Star Wars The Last Jedi and I could not be more excited. As much as I loved The Force Awakens, I felt like it wasn't the Star Wars movie we deserved but it was the one we needed. It needed to remind us of what we loved about Star Wars, while making a bold statement about what Star Wars will be moving forward. The Last Jedi on the other hand looks to be the film we've all been waiting for (Edit: It's not), taking the saga in bold new directions and telling its own unique story. Well... hopefully.
With the film right around the corner, wave 2 of Hasbro's basic 3.75" has started hitting retail and I was able to get my hands on a set. This wave included a brand new Luke Skywalker (Jedi Exile), General Leia, Rey (Island Journey), R2-D2, DJ (Canto Bight), and an updated Jyn Erso (Jedha) all with the new Force Link feature. I'm going to be doing things a little bit differently this time and break this down by character, so lets get started.
LUKE SKYWALKER (JEDI EXILE)
My most anticipated figure in almost every wave is Luke Skywalker, and this figure did not disappoint. After the excellent Jedi Master figure released on Force Friday II, Hasbro has followed it up with the new Jedi Exile figure. Based on his appearance in The Last Jedi this figure is a much more gloomy look for the character, while also being reminiscent Luke's classic look in A New Hope.
The sculpting on Luke is fantastic, they didn't an excellent job conveying the different materials of Luke's costume. The leather coat has some great heavy wrinkling while the wool tunic has a great strong texture to it. Luke also has a new head sculpt, and updated beard paint. The one thing I wasn't sold on when he was announced was the hood. In convention photos and stills it looked too bulky, but I think it looks much better in person. It's also a separate piece and therefore removable, all you have to do is pop off Luke's head and you're all set.
The only accessory that Luke comes with is his mysterious walking stick. It seems like every TLJ Luke comes with some mystery accessory that we wont learn the significance of until the films release. Could his lightsaber be concealed within the sick? Could it just be literally a walking stick? Who knows! We'll just have to wait for the films release. Luke is also rocking 2 extra points of articulation over the regular 5. He's got some swivel wrists which is a really nice touch. It also makes me think there's a re-release coming up with a lightsaber accessory.
GENERAL LEIA ORGANA
This is another absolutely fantastic figure. Leia look great and I'm so happy we have a Sequel trilogy version of her in 3.75" scale. She's also based on what appears to be her main look in The Last Jedi, and I think the costume design is superb. She looks looks like shes ready to lead the Resistance, but at the same time like she's royalty. It's going to be bitter sweet seeing her in this film, but I'm going to cherish every moment of it.
Again, the sculpting on Leia is top notch, and the paint is great as well. I really appreciate the new painting techniques Hasbro has adopted, I bought these online sight unseen and the paint is solid across the board. I especially like the little details of her jewelry and ear rings. Her outer robe piece is made of a softer plastic/rubber material and is probably removable if you really wanted to. I love the shape of it. There are slits in it for her arms to fit through and it doesn't really obstruct her movement.
Her only accessory is her long barreled blaster, very much similar to the one she used in A New Hope. It's a nice addition but I think unnecessary. I would have liked an environmental piece like a conference table or tactical screen so she can command the troops. I also hope down the road they do a version of her in her The Force Awakens costume, another look I thought was fantastic. In my opinion Luke and Leia are the real winners of this especially strong wave of figures.
REY (ISLAND JOURNEY)
I know what you're thinking, another Rey figure, but this is one of the nicest ones to date. Based on her costume from the end of The Force Awakens, this is a fantastic update of a figure that was already great to begin with. I do think she's partial reuse, but there are enough improvements that I think she's worth a buy. She's got at least a new head and arm sculpt, and her belt and holster are now a separate piece rather than being sculpted on. The head sculpt is fantastic, but I do worry about the little strands of hair that are hanging down by her ears. They're super fine, and it could be really easy to pull one off by accident, especially while trying to pop the head off.
The strongest indication to date that she may be a Skywalker has to be her poncho. Very similar to the one Luke was wearing in ANH. Or it's just a smart rain accessory. Either way it's removable but requires you to take off her head to do so. Like Leia, it's got slits in it for her arms to poke through. The other big update this time around is the color of the costume. The Resistance Outfit Rey figure was a very tan color, this time she's much more gray which I think matches her on screen appearance more.
Just like old man Luke, Rey has 2 extra points of articulation. Instead of at her wrists, this time the cut joint is hidden up her arm where her arm covering ends, but the binding begins. She's also got 2 accessories, her blaster and the Skywalker lightsaber. I would have like to see her come with just the lighsaber hilt and her bag from the end of The Force Awakens, but I have a feeling she's going to be needing the fully ignited one.
R2-D2
This is it, this is the last R2-D2 you'll ever have to buy. Earlier this year I said the Disney Parks Droid Factory R2-D2 might be the definitive 3.75" scale representation of everybody's favorite astromech, but this one edges it out. Every little nit pick I had with that one has been addressed and fixed here. No hole in the top of the dome, brown wires added back to his feet, this is the one. Now he even makes movie sounds with the Force Link feature, what more could you want!
Included with R2 are his third leg, which slides in and holds tight to the underside of his body, and 2 booster rockets that attach to the outside of his legs. They hold on tight and actually look pretty great, but as an OT guy I don't think I'll have much use for them. Unless of course he uses them in The Last Jedi and it doesn't feel horribly out of place. My one nit pick is the booster rockets come attached inside the package and prying them off for the first time can take some of the paint underneath with them. But other than that the rest of the paint is nice and sharp. with big bold solid colors.
DJ (CANTO BIGHT)
Now we come to the mysterious DJ. There's been a lot of speculation about who this character might actually be. Is he Ezra from Rebels? Boba Fett back from the Sarlacc? Or is he just a new character, what ever it is he seems fascinating. Overall this is another great looking figure, even if the likeness is slightly off. I really like his little hat, and his coat feels very much like Star Wars but fresh at the same time. The fine gold lines around his collar are fantastic, and there's great detail in the coat. It looks old and wrinkly, like it hasn't been cleaned in ages. It certainly adds to his underworld mystique.
The only accessory he comes with is an over sized blaster, and no wrist joints here. He's also got a functional holster on his right leg, but his blaster is too large to fit. A very curious addition. I've checked around and I don't think I'm missing anything, I guess we'll have to wait for the film to see if it answers any of these questions.
JYN ERSO (JEDHA)
Shipping along 5 excellent new figures, is a solid Jyn Erso update. Unfortunately I think she's going to end up being a peg warmer, as I can still find Rogue One Jyn's in my area. Even though I do think this is superior to previous releases, I wouldn't have minded seeing a First Order Disguise Finn round out this wave. This time Jyn's hair is a separate molded piece (just like both Luke Skywalkers), which fixes a huge problem area from the previous figures. The paint along the whole Rogue One line was sloppy, so finding a Jyn with a clean line between her hair a face was a bit of a challenge.
This time around the color are brighter and pop more, and think she's got some new sculpted pieces. Her pelvis certainly looks different, with a much wider belt. I assume this might be to accommodate the Force Link feature. It's hard to tell if anything else has been updated, but it looks like her feet might be smaller. Either it's just mold variations, or I'm going insane. At the end of the day this is a solid release, and I'd recommend it if you don't have a Jyn already.
OVERALL, this is a fantastic wave of Star Wars action figures and I very pleased with all the figures. I can't wait to see what Hasbro has in store for us in the new year, and with SOLO around the corner I very much look forward to new takes on classic characters. Now if we could just get a Force Link farm boy Luke Skywalker...
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