Bastila Shan, as seen in the Knights of the Old Republic video game, is a July 2023 Star Wars Black Series release. While badged under the Gaming Greats banner, Shan is a mainline release within wave 11 of the Galaxy Collection and released alongside Darth Malek from the same source material. The figure comes in window-less, plastic-free packaging with the blue accent colour for the Gaming Greats line. She is number 21 in the series, with the side panel artwork following on directly from the illustration on the Darth Malek release.
Releasing Bastila Shan in the main line of figures has allowed Hasbro to step outside the usual tweak and re-use criteria of Gaming Greats to bring us an almost full new figure, although the legs are the same ones used on Aayla Secura and that originate from Admiral Holdo. The base of Bastila’s outfit is a mustard colour with contrasting deep red robes, armour, and boots. The outer robes are an additional rubber sleeve section that incorporates the torso section of the robes, including shoulder panels, and down into the shaped skirt section. Paintwork is applied to add further deeper burgundy panels over the top across the chest, skirt, and bracers.
The head is a new sculpt modeled on the game likeness and looks amazing. It still utilises face print technology to add realism to the eyes in particular, but also with some shading around the facial features and deep red lipstick that mirror her costume. The hair piece is fixed onto the head, giving a crisp line with no paint errors, and is sculpted with some hanging strands to frame her face and three tied sections at the reverse.
Bastila Shan has 23 points of articulation, arriving with an extra boot cut joint as well as butterfly shoulders behind the robes and a dual joint neck. The upper body is pinless, while the adopted legs are pinned but disguised behind the hanging sections of the skirt. The skirt moves with the leg movement and there is plenty of options when posing.
She features her lightsaber as a single accessory, another full new piece in the Black Series but similar in style to the Cal Kestis saber with the two-pronged emitter. The saber hilt is cast in silver with a dark black painted central section. Two translucent yellow blades are included allowing you the option to display Shan with a single saber or her dual blade option ignited.
The fact we are getting Old Republic characters at all in the Black Series is a testament both to the popularity of the game and the Expanded Universe in which it is entwined, but also Hasbro’s commitment to the line - although some may argue that they’d like more focus on the missing movie characters from Original, Prequel, and Sequal Trilogies first. Bastila Shan is certainly not out of place in a wave that also includes figures from the Disney+ era and yet represents a much different aesthetic for collectors alongside the figures of Revan, Nihlus, Malek, and the upcoming Darth Malgus. While Bastila Shan is a general mainline release, I suspect she will be harder to find in the coming weeks and months and may be one to pick up now if you wish to explore this particular side of the Star Wars Universe - you won't be disappointed.
Keep Track of all the Star Wars Black Series figures from Hasbro at our comprehensive
If you are reading this via a 3rd party website that is importing our newsfeed, please come and visit us directly and give us a follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Check out our direct news feed for more action figure news, reviews, and store reports
About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...