Review: Star Wars Black Series The Mandalorian (Pagodon) from The Mandalorian (Season 1), Galaxy Collection Exclusive
- Mephitsu
- 11 minutes ago
- 6 min read
“I can bring you in warm, or I can bring you in cold”
It was 2019 when we got our first Star Wars Black Series figure of The Mandalorian, part of the Triple Force Friday event, which also had figures from The Rise of Skywalker, and the Jedi: Fallen Order video game. At this time, The Mandalorian was released as both a standard version, in a white box ‘first edition,’ and as a metallic Carbonized release. That particular look for Mando, in his mismatched armour, was all we really knew at the time, and of course, after Episode 3 and the Beskar update, all future figure releases were pretty much based on the sleek silver armour, save a Credit Collection release in 2020 and the mud-covered Arvala-7 release in 2022.
As we approached the 2026 release of The Mandalorian and Grogu, the pair's first big screen outing, Hasbro announced a revisit of that original durasteel mismatched armoured Mandalorian, releasing it in May 2026 as an exclusive to Target in the US and the Fan Channel retailers in the UK. It is subtitled as the ‘Pagodon’ version of Mando, referencing the planet on which those first scenes took place with Mythrol and the Ravinack.
The release uses the standard black box and is part of the wider Galaxy Collection for The Mandalorian, using the established orange accent colour on the main text and the artwork. This side art shows Mando from a half-side-on stance, looking up and away against the ice world sky. At number 45 in the Galaxy Collection for The Mandalorian, this connects up to the previous release of Moff Gideon in his Dark Trooper Armour.
The back of the box, and the background text, is scene-specific to Pagodon detailing Din Djarin’s arrival at the Cantina and the fugitive Mythrol he is hunting. The figure is packed into the usual inner tray, accessed by either the top or bottom box flat. The tray sits into an inner cardboard sleeve, using the same orange colouring, and with the Pagodon skyscape embedded into the image.
The figure is built to reflect the earliest configuration of Mando’s mismatched armour, built as per most armoured figures, with cast armoured panels attached onto a base body that reflects the undersuit the character wears. This undersuit is cast in grey, with a fabric sculpt to it. The armoured panels are predominantly a dull brown across the chest, left shoulder, gauntlets, and right hip. The right shoulder has a Pauldron very similar to a Shoretrooper in design and colouring with a tan base and blue stripe to the top. The left thigh piece is a sandy colour. The main armoured panels feature dings and chips as part of the sculpt to replicate damage and these are painted over with silver.
The midsection is covered by a flexible plastic piece that incorporates Mando’s belt, shoulder strap, and internal padding as well as the padding over his hips, with the holster part of this section on the right-hand side. The piece is cast in dark brown, and this is left on the belt and strapping with some silver components picked out, including ammo canisters and the Grav-charges. The side panels are picked out in blue, while the central padding is a sandy colour like the lower left thigh. The legs conclude with blue left-hand knee armour and then mismatched shin pieces. The right-hand shin/boot is again coming from a Shoretrooper, with both guards and boots picked out in brown and grey tones and have a bit of painted detailing on the ammo canister.
The helmet is a metallic finish, with a black gloss visor and weathering added around the lined panels to illustrate a buildup of dirt and wear over time. The helmet is non-removable, although there is a head sculpted underneath; the two are fixed together. This is, of course, perfectly accurate for the period Mando sports this armour. The outfit concludes with a soft goods cape around the neck that hangs at the back. It uses similar fabric to Jedi robes, and while lightweight and easy enough to shape, it doesn't always hold that shape and can hang a bit too flat.
vs 2019 Mandalorian Release (right)
Compared to the original 2019 figure, you can see the proportional improvements driven in part by the evolution of the Black Series articulation and joint construction. The colours pop slightly more on the new figure, but overall paint decor and finish are similar, with the same level of damage and wear & tear. The older figure used a sculpted cape, while the new version has soft goods. Both have pros and cons, but the soft goods allow more freedom in the articulation and posing.
vs 2026 Mandalorian & Grogu Release (right)
This new Pagodon version owes much to the new movie Mandalorian, released as a Deluxe Set with Grogu at the same time. Both figures share the same base figure, with the armoured panels updated and relevant to each iteration of the armour.
Both 2026 Mando figures have the same level of articulation, with Pagodon Mando inclusive of 21 joints in total. The legs do see the thigh swivel retired as is now commonplace, and rotation on the legs is added at the knee, but also available at the bootcut due to how the figure is assembled. This, along with the hip, knee and ankle joints, presents Mando with a stable base for neutral or dynamic posing, and he can even sit or kneel thanks to the flexibility in the belt and side panels, and the move to make the left knee armour a floating piece as seen on more recent Clone Troopers.
The arms include butterfly shoulders, which extend the arm range for firing positions, as well as a 90-degree elbow bend, forearm swivel, and a wrist that is now ball-jointed for a broader range of 360 movement, but not in the same depth as a single pivot might have given in the past. The twin joints of the neck allow Mando to tilt and cock his helmet to mirror his mannerisms on screen, while the torso joint has some movement but doesn’t add a huge amount of range overall.
Accessories start with a similar profile to the 2026 movie release and the Glavis Ringworld figure that preceded it. That means Pagodon Mando has a combat knife, a scaled piece that features a silver blade and a brown grip. It can be stowed in a socket in his right boot and then held in an alternative, smaller grip right hand for fight posing. This alternative right hand is also useful to hold the tiny Grav-Charge that can be pulled off his belt (first one of three) and used as an accessory.
You then get the IB-94 blaster, the same weapon as included on the original figure, but the piece itself is a newer sculpt with a wider barrel, as introduced around the Glavis Ringworld release. It comes in a gunmetal colour with a brown painted grip. It fits in the normal right hand, where the trigger finger is separate from the wider grip and can slot into place on the blaster. When not in use, this can be holstered.
And then we have the missing piece, as this Pagodon version of Mando was always seen carrying his Amban Phase Rifle, and yet this has not been included in the set. What is evident is that the figure has been designed with the weapon in mind, as they’ve still included a rear slot in the back panel, which can be used to holster the weapon, assuming you have one to borrow from an earlier Mandalorian release.
Amban Phase Rifle NOT included (compatible from older releases)
It seems an odd thing to leave out of such a specific version of Mando, and the wider profile and look of the figure is lacking without it on his back on display.
Amban Phase Rifle NOT included (compatible from older releases)
In summary, this is a well-worked and overdue update for the early episode Mandalorian, and the mismatched armour is well replicated in 6-inch form with a good level of built-in damage and decor. The articulation is good and allows a broad range of posing, while the accessories add to those display options thanks to the knife, the blaster and even the Grav-Charge.
The lack of the Phase Rifle is a significant issue, and while those with older figures in the collection can borrow it across, new collectors are getting a little short-changed with this missing from the set.
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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...
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