Rey and new droid D-0, from the Rise of Skywalker, were released on Triple Force Friday 2019 (4th October) in Wave 22 of the Star Wars Black Series. Triple Force Friday 2019 celebrated three Star Wars properties - The Rise of Skywalker, The Mandalorian and Jedi : Fallen Order. Rey and D-0 were one of four releases in Wave 22 taken from the final movie in the Skywalker Saga, The Rise of Skywalker.
Packaging 3/5
Rey and D-0 are number 91 in the red & black 3rd phase packaging. The figure is specifically names as Rey and D-0, but only Rey features in the artwork which shows Rey holding the top of her staff. It would have been nice to try and get D-0 into the illustration, something they did manage on the 2015 Rey and BB8 release and more recently with C-3PO and Babu Frik.
The image repeats on the back as per usual with text in place for both Rey and D-O with each repeated in 4 other languages after english. There are no spoilers involved in the text as these figures were released well ahead of the actual movie.
Rey
"Rey continues to study the Jedi ways, but she grows concerned about what the future - and the Force - may hold in store for her"
D-0
"Cobbled from odds and ends in the workshop of a droidsmith, little D-0 is an impressionable little roller that becomes fixated upon BB-8"
Rey and D-0 unpack in the usual way with each of them held into the inner plastic tray by forming the tray around them. Be very careful when removing D-0 to also collect the very small oval plastic piece that is taped in underneath him. I almost through this piece in the bin, but it is actually a crucial inclusion to allow D-0 to stand - as we will see shortly.
Paint & Sculpt 4/5
Out of the box it is clear that this is the best likeness of Daisy Ridley that Hasbro have managed in the last 5-years. The sculpt and face print likeness is brilliant with natural shading around a very realistic pair of eyes. The hair is a little less realistic. It is cast as part of the head and is sculpted up into a triple bun. The paint is a single brown tone and the hair strands a little on the soft side - it would have benefitted from a 2nd paint application.
Despite a number of previous Rey's in similar outfits, this Rise of Skywalker Rey is a brand new sculpt throughout. The swathing robes are more delicate and shaped better around the body and the skirt sections less heavy. There is now a hood sculpted on the back. Her belt is adjusted to hold a holster. Rey wears a separate backpack piece with the strap that crosses her chest right shoulder to left hip.
Each of the components of the outfit appear to be cast in their base colour with limited paint applied to the wrappings around the arms and her boots. The boot finish is not particularly good with skin tone visible around the rim of both.
D-0 is a full new piece cast in a softer plastic, but with harder parts for the wheel segment. The cone head includes three protruding antenna which are a bit off centre, but very much in keeping with D-0 himself.
Detailing at the back of the head is good with component parts clearly defined in the sculpt. The paint is applied well with green on his "nose" and the base of his wheel section. The wheel axle and a few of the gubbins are painted in grey. D-0 is also weathered nicely with brown splashes of rust or mud around the back of the head and the wheel section.
Accessories 4/5
Rey is armed with her staff, and this is the newer version from the Island Journey Rey. This newer staff is slimmer and better proportioned than the original 2015 version with a slimmer strap. The strap remains soft plastic and hangs in one position only which does make it look off in some poses as the strap does not follow the laws of gravity.
I was initially excited to find this version of Rey's staff now disassembles and imagined myself taking the parts and making her lightsaber from the end of the Rise of Skywalker (sans orange blade). Sadly the "hilt" part does not come off - instead the staff separates the central piece only and this seems to have no bearing to anything from the film? An odd decision by Hasbro.
Rey also comes with the blaster that Han gives her. This is again a re-used accessory from Jedi Training Rey and Island Journey Rey. It is cast in a silver plastic with simple brown painted grip. It fits in Rey's hand with a trigger finger that locks in place. When not in use it sits snugly in her holster.
And Rey also comes with her lightsaber. This is the smaller hilt version of Anakin's/Luke's saber which is better suited for Rey;s smaller hands - although that makes no sense in real terms that the same saber should be smaller with another character.
As per usual the blade detaches from the hilt so you can pose Rey with the saber lit or unlit. The hilt is painted quite well considering the size with black and brown detailing on the silver base coat.
I thought we may get a way to hang the saber hilt on Rey's belt, but sadly this is not included.
Articulation 4/5
Rey comes with a total of 16 points of articulation, this gives her the standard mobility of a Black Series figure - although her legs are restricted a little by her robes.
Head : ball joint with pivot neck
Body : ball joint waist
Arms : ball joint shoulder, single joint rotating elbow, wrist pivot
Legs : ball joint hips, thigh swivel, double joint knees, ankle rockers
The head is fully mobile on the neck post and the waist has a ball joint which allows torso rotation but also allows Rey to lean forward into posing.
The arms are very mobile with the elbows folding back beyond the normal 90 degrees. This means two handed saber posing is possible. The staff too can be wielded in both hands and some nice action stances achieved for your display if you want to have Rey in a fighting pose.
All the joints are tight and secure and the ankle rockers support Rey fully and she stands very well.
D-0 is also articulated, in spite of his size, with a pivot to allow his head to turn as well as a rotating wheel.
Because the wheel is round, he cannot stand up unsupported - and this is where that small oval piece we retrieved from the box comes in. It is a shaped stand for D-0 and sits under his wheel to display him upward.
While this works in principle, the wheel is too free flowing and even with the stand D-0 quite often nose-dives into a prone position. You may need a small amount of blu tac or similar to hold D-0 in place. While I appreciate the detail of a working wheel it may have been better as a fixed piece to help him stand.
Summary
Rey, from the Rise of Skywalker, is a fantastic looking figure with another brilliant face sculpt and face print application. The body is a full revisit and not rehashed from earlier figures, but is lacking in paint and there is some errors around the limited painted ares.
Articulation is great and the accessories are plentiful, although I do not understand the disassembling of the staff if it isn't to recreate her saber hilt from the last scenes of the movie.
D-O is a great inclusion and he is well scaled with good paint apps and even a couple of moving parts. The free-rolling wheel can stop him standing, even with his tiny stand, but once posed the two look great together.
I score Rey and D-0 from The Rise of Skywalker 4 out of 5.
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, black series, rise of skywalker, rey, D-0. hasbro