"There's more to life than your farm, Owen. He needs to see that. There's a whole galaxy out there.”
Following the 2022 release of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series on Disney+, a number of new Star Wars Black Series figures were unveiled and subsequently released. As the main focus of the show, Obi-Wan was always going to feature heavily in the line, and following on from the general release of Obi-Wan in his Jedi robes we were also given a release of ‘Ben’ Kenobi in his blue work clothes from his work at the Tibidon Station Sandwhale farm on Tatooine. This variant of Obi-Wan was an exclusive release, sold at Target in the US and via Smyths Toys in the UK. It was packed in the standard Galaxy Collection packaging with a blue hue assigned to the Kenobi releases used on the side artwork. The figure is number 06 in the Kenobi series of the Galaxy Collection sitting between the other exclusives of Teeka and the Phase II Purge Trooper.
The Tibidon Station figure is the same base figure as the mainline release with the robes on this version cast in blue rather than the off-white of the original. The belt is painted over the top of this blue and quite poorly in parts with areas of the belt still left in blue around the edges. On the Tibidon release, Obi-Wan’s hands are painted with a black 'gloved' section part way around to recreate the fingerless gloves. The costume is finished with brown cast legs with wrapped angles and boots - all identical to the first release. Despite Obi-Wan’s role at Tibidon Station and the harsh Tatooine environment, there are no attempts at any weathering.
While the base figure remains identical, the soft goods are changed on this release to a sleeveless cloak that sits around Obi-Wan’s neck and flows down the back of the figure, finishing just above the knees. This is the same softer robe fabric seen on other Jedi figures and it flows well enough considering the scale but still sits quite flat without the folds and creases we would see on the full-size costume. This can be removed if you wish, granting further options for this Obi-Wan on display.
The head sculpt is also the same as the first release, a good likeness to this older Obi-Wan and actor Ewan McGregor. The beard and hair are picked out in the appropriate colouring with facial print technology picking out Kenobi’s eyes and details around the nose and mouth. Like quite a few of the most recent Black Series figures, Kenobi does have a glossy finish to the face.
While Obi-Wan remains disconnected from The Force, he utilises a small blaster pistol which is included in the set and again is the same as the general release. This fits into the right hand or can be holstered on the belt. For its size, the blaster carries some clear details and is cast in a metallic bronzed finish with a painted grey grip.
Obi-Wan also comes with his lightsaber, comprising of the cast hilt with black, silver, and bronze detailing, and the removable blue translucent blade. It can be held in either hand as well as across dual-handed posing and there is also a slung option by way of a small peg on the saber hilt that lines up with a hole on the left of Kenobi’s belt.
The final accessory is a brand new backpack which is made of a softer brown plastic with flexible shoulder straps to fit over the figure and into place. The backpack lacks any significant details and has zero paint apps, but it can be opened up by way of an opening flap held in place by two slot-in pegs. This provides the ability for some internal storage - but also has a more tantalising option for the Mythos Obi-Wan look if you moved this over to perhaps the Jedi Legend figure and enhanced the backpack with other contents such as the Gaffi sticks from Tusken Raiders or other paraphernalia.
Articulation is pinless throughout and is 17 points in total coming without the butterfly shoulders we have been seeing more regularly on new Black Series releases. The joints are engineered into the sculpt where possible, making the figure more aesthetic than supremely articulated but there are sufficient posing options with the blaster, lightsaber, and more. The joints all work well enough, although the left knee and ankle rocker on my figure are a bit too loose for my liking.
Considering the focus of the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ series it was inevitable that we would get multiple versions of Kenobi. This second option is aligned with the series and his look in the opening scenes and is executed to a good standard even with the reused parts. The new cloak and the backpack make a big difference for display while the blaster and lightsaber provide further display opportunities. The exclusivity of the figure wasnt a particular issue for UK collectors having it initially available via Smyths in the UK and then sold as part of the large Hasbro stock dump onto retailers like Game. Considering the current low prices, this is one to pick up for fans of Obi-Wan Kenobi and for those with a more creative eye in terms of what may be achieved in the future with a combination of parts and soft goods from this set and the other Kenobi releases.
Keep Track of all the Star Wars Black Series figures from Hasbro at our comprehensive
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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...