Wave 20 was the first full wave release of 2019 and followed the new format from Hasbro of ensuring new waves were made up entirely of new figures, with no repacks from prior waves. Dryden Vos was one of two figures in the wave from Solo - the other being Han Solo in his Mudtrooper uniform. The other 4 were made up three prequel figures - Padme, Mace Windu and a Battle Droid - and the divisive Admiral Holdo from The Last Jedi.
Packaging 4/5
Dryden's packaging is the standard phase 3 black box with red spine an figure card back. Vos is number 79 in the current phase of packaging.
The illustration of Dryden on the front is, as usual, well drawn. But it is perhaps a little tame and not very emotive and portrays Dryden as passive and pleasant. The same image is repeated on the back with what seems to be an extended amount of text vs other recent waves.
"The public face of the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate, Dryden Vos is a contradiction: a pitiless enforcer know as a gangster of wealth and taste. His good manners shouldn't be mistaken for weakness, though : he can can change from generous host to ruthless killer in a moment"
Paint & Sculpt 5/5
The sculpt for Dryden Vos is a dead on likeness for Paul Bettany, a significantly better head sculpt than the Vision figure (Marvel Legends) from lat year. Unlike the box art the head is also sculpted to look mean and menacing. The head uses the face print technology which is key in the eyes and shading round the eye sockets. The head also includes the sculpted staple in his forehead.
Hasbro has however taken the decision not to include the clawed thumb that Vos sports onscreen - perhaps this was an oversight, or more likely something that would interfere with the figure holding the included accessories, especially when you consider they have sculpted and painted the ring Dryden wears on his right hand and his wrist communicator.
Beyond the head sculpt the body is relatively plain. We have a high grey collar with a gold button and then a full black outfit down to some glossy patent shoes. Over this hangs Vos's cloak with some slim ties that are made in rubberised plastic that straddle the chest. Vos is a tall figure, standing taller than Han Solo and Lando from the same range - reflective of Paul Bettany's 6 foot 3 inch frame.
There is a feature built into Dryden's head sculpt that is not advertised on the packaging, but is a cool nod to what we see on screen. Expose the figure to lower temperatures and the scarring on the face reacts to look darker - you can see what this looks like in the bottom three images of the panel below. These were taken after the figure had a 5 minute stint in a freezer.
Accessories 4/5
Dryden Vos comes armed with his two double bladed knives, Kyuzo Petars. These are, like a lot of bladed weapons, cast in a softer plastic. But they still look sharp with a good curve to the blade. They are cast in a red plastic and then painted gold, leaving the inner grip in the base colour. There is some red on the blade that I first thought was rub through of the top gold coat - on closer inspection this seems to be an over-wash to simulate blood on the blade.
The blades fit snugly into both hands and hold firmly in place.
While not so much an accessory, it is worth noting that if you wish the cloak on Dryden is removable. You have to slide it off the left shoulder first then out of the right arm. While there is a fully sculpted and painted body underneath, he does look a bit slim and gangling without the cloak and the neck in particular now looks too extended.
Articulation 4/5
Dryden has a standard articulation count of 16 joints, the usual for a Star Wars Black Series figure
Head : ball joint neck with pivot
Body : ball joint torso
Arms : ball joint shoulder, single rotating elbow, pivot wrist
Legs : ball joint hips, thigh split, double jointed knee, ankle rocker
Immediately out of the box Dryden has very loose hip joints. They are also quite gappy which could be adding to the movement. While he stands OK, I think he may have stability issues going forward. Aside from this the figure is mobile and can kneel (without the cloak) and wield his weapons in a variety of offensive stances.
Summary
Dryden Vos is a stunning looking figure with one of the best head sculpts to date in the line. He really reflects his on screen character with a mean look in the eyes and a dominating height over other characters from the movie.
The temperature reactive paint in the head is a nice "Easter egg" and the accessories are well designed and sculpted to fit the figure. Articulation is as good as any other Black Series and the only downside to this release is the loose joints at the hips.
While I have scored a couple of the individual sections a 4 out of 5, the overall score for Dryden Vos is a very strong 5 out of 5 and a figure that will only enhance your Solo or wider Star Wars display.
