Wave 3 of the Star Wars Black Series Galaxy Collection was made up of four figures, with three of them part of The Mandalorian collection in the shape of Greef Karga, Kuill and Moff Gideon as seen in Season 1. The wave also included the first figure from The Rise of Skywalker, the Dark Side Vision Rey. In the US the wave began to turn up at the end of 2020, while UK supplies were delayed until February due to Covid 19 and Brexit delays.
Moff Gideon is packed in the angled sided Galaxy Collection box under the burnt umber colour accent used for the Mandalorian figures. The front bar confirms the source material as the Disney+ show with the character name underneath.
The side art illustrates Gideon with his arms folded and behind him in the backdrop of the image is banking Tie Fighter. The same image is repeated on the back of the box with a short piece of background text which is a very loose description of Gideon and doesn't really give any information on his role in The Mandalorian.
" Imperial Moff Gideon is fiercely determined to capture a specific quarry. Clever and formidable, Gideon values power and knowledge"
Gideon is number 08 in the Mandalorian Galaxy Collection following on from Kuill, and leading into the Exclusive Remnant Stormtrooper figure which was actually released before Gideon.
4.0
I had read some early criticism of the Moff Gideon head sculpt, but in hand I find it an excellent likeness to Giancarlo Esposito and in particular that disapproving look where he appears to be looking down his nose in disappointment at you. The face print application enhances the sculpt further, accurately picking out the distinctive lines and features of Gideon's face and giving him those piercing - almost bulging - eyes.
The body is all new from what I can see, there is no re-use of former Imperial officer figures in recreating the black officers uniform with red pins striping around the belt and down the arms and legs. Over this is the chest armour - similar to General Veers, but smaller and with a different configuration on the front panel. The chest includes some further red trim on the top shoulder clips and red, grey and white on the front controls. This is an individual piece and not part of the torso sculpt.
The legs are sculpted with the usual Imperial era width in the thighs that then taper down to be tucked into the knee high gloss black boots. The belt and then the small skirt piece is a separate soft plastic piece that moves with the leg joints. A small holster hangs down from the belt on the right hand side.
The Cape is an individual piece that plugs into the back of Moff Gideon via a single socket on the reverse of the figure. This is a similar system to the one Hasbro use quite often on Marvel Legends caped figures and it allows the plastic cape to be secured in the right place and hang as it should. Some were perhaps wanting a soft goods robe, which would have allowed more dynamic poses - particularly if a posing wire could be included - but would not have captured the folds and ripples of the cape.
The cape itself is a softer plastic cast in black with the red lining painted on top. It is shaped to fit the figure well and the plug is a secure enough fit for display while also not intrusive enough to be noticeable if you choose to display Gideon without his cape.
4.5
Moff Gideon is armed with a small hold out blaster that is cast in black plastic with a slim barrel with sights over the top. While it looks similar to the blaster included with Imperial Officers Piett and Veers it is a varying design.
It has no paint application and would have benefitted with some paint apps to either drybrush parts in silver or to add some component painted parts as we saw with the weapons on both Greef Karga and Kuill in the same wave.
The blaster fits perfectly into Gideon's right hand where the trigger finger engages into place. When not in use it can be slid snugly into the holster on the belt.
The big inclusion with Moff Gideon is the Darksaber, the first time this iconic weapon has appeared in Black Series 6 inch scale. The hilt is angular and crisp with the relevant shaping and patterns on the grip,
The blade was always going to make or break this weapon, unlike a lightsaber it had to show a dark black blade but with a bright white edge. Hasbro have tried to achieve this by making the blade out of clear plastic and then painting the central piece black. This leaves the outside edge clear and when lit or put against a darker background, or against Gideon's own black armour, does work. It is less impressive against a light backdrop - although had they painted the edge white would have made the blade look too solid.
It is not immediately obvious but the blade is removable from the hilt by way of a plug in section at the end of the blade. The fit is very tight and if you do want to remove the blade it should be done carefully, easing the base of the blade out slowly.
4.0
Moff Gideon has the newer 19 points of articulation which are inclusive of the dual neck joint and the butterfly shoulders. While these new joints are present, their movement is less extensive than others I have seen. The lower neck peg is sat down under a raised collar so movement is limited and the butterfly joints are held back a little by the shoulder armour,
Head : ball joint neck at base and head
Body : ball joint waist
Arms : ball joint shoulder, single joint rotating elbow, wrist pivot
Legs : ball joint hips, thigh swivel, single joint rotating knee, ankle rockers
The shoulder armour initially looks like it will also pose an issue to the arms being raised out from the side, but thankfully this has been addressed by including a degree of flexibility in this armour and shaping it so it rises up and over the shoulder as the arm is raised.
The legs are fully mobile and action stances are supported by a good level of movement in the waist. The cape can only be worn up to a point with these more dynamic poses but there is enough movement to allow the wielding of the Darksaber or the firing of the blaster with the cape in situ and without anything looking odd or out of place.
Every joint on Gideon is secure and tight and moves as designed. There are no stability issues when he is posed.
4.5
I had Kuill earmarked as my favourite figure from this wave, but I think Moff Gideon is on par if not ahead when you factor in Gideon's articulation and the Darksaber accessory. The Moff has a great likeness in hand - its one of those heads that photos cant quite do enough justice for. His Imperial Uniform is crisp and sleek with the pin stripe red and the added armour. The cape will divide opinion as to whether it should have been soft goods. As it stands, I am happy with what we got.
The Darksaber execution is quite clever when you see it lit and on display, although I appreciate like the cape there will be other opinions out there about how it should have been executed. There is also plenty of articulation for Moff to be posed with the Darksaber so he can face down Mando as seen in that Season 2 finale.
All in all, Moff Gideon is just a couple of elements away from ticking all the boxes for me. His neck and butterfly joints are quite as extensive as others and the blaster would have benefitted some additional paint.
All in all, Moff Gideon is an impressive release and I score it a total of 4.5
Figure Hacks : The Darksaber
The Darksaber accessory included with Moff Gideon is the weapons first appearance in the 6 inch Black Series line. The weapon has of course been held by a number of characters - some of which already exist in the Black Series format. Depending on who you deem worthy, the Darksaber can be used with other figures.
The Mandalorian is the obvious candidate after the events of Season 2 and the Darksaber accessory fits perfectly in either hand as well as two handed poses been achievable with the arm articulation on Mando.
Sabine Wren from Rebels is another candidate. Her hand positions make the grip with her right hand a little loose for the hilt of the Darksaber, but it will balance in place. The left hand grip is more secure and like Mando, two handed poses can be achieved.
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...
action figures, reviews, review, articulation, star wars, the mandalorian, moff gideon, black series, hasbro, galaxy collection