Fennec Shand first appeared in The Mandalorian, Season 1, and has since gone on to play a larger part in the Star Wars universe returning for Season 2 alongside her new employer Boba Fett, having a spot in The Bad Batch - and most recently slipping into an even bigger role as part of The Book of Boba Fett.
And it is from The Book of Boba Fett that we get our first Star Wars Black Series figure of Fennec Shand, giving her the honour of being the first figure in the Book of Boba Fett Galaxy collection - an honour that possibly should have gone to Boba himself?
The Book of Boba Fett has been allocated a deep green accent colour within the Galaxy Collection and that is applied across the border for the packaging and as a highlight colour on the greyscale side and rear illustrations depicting Fennec Shand with her sniper rifle on the sands of Tattooine. To the side of the artwork on the rear of the box, we have a short piece of text that talks about Shand's backstory but makes no real mention of her role in either The Mandalorian or The Book of Boba Fett.
"An assassin and elite mercenary who has worked for all the top syndicates. Clever, capable, and cunning, she is a formidable opponent."
Fennec, as we would expect, is a full new figure with no obvious re-used parts. She is cast predominantly in black and in her recognisable gear with black bodysuit and armour and orange highlighted kama shirt, boots and bracers. The new body is entirely pinless and that really helps the overall look of the figure.
The colouring of the costume may not be obvious at first, but once you inspect the outfit the base black plastic is painted over in parts with a higher gloss black to identify the armoured parts. The orange is neatly applied and covers well despite the black colouring underneath.
The head sculpt doesn't feel like it is a knockout likeness to actor Ming-Na Wen. It is one of those sculpts that looks better from certain angles but is perhaps a touch too round in the face proportions and isn't quite right around the lips and nose. The photo-real application does a good job of the eyes, but with such a smooth complexion there is no real avenue for any other facial shading or features other than the mouth and eyebrows. The figure I purchased also suffered from the worst paint issues on the head that I have seen to date with two large spots of the hair coloured paint on her right cheek.
The hairpiece is sculpted as part of the head with an individual section attached for the tied ponytail. It looks to have been based on her appearance in The Mandalorian and while the change between the two series was not significant, the tighter hair we see on the figure was a little looser in Book of Boba Fett and she had more strands hanging down that framed her face better. The one strand we do have looks odd, and there is also too much of a gap around the ears.
Shand does come with her helmet, an individual piece engineered in a similar fashion to other removable helmets in the line and out of a softer plastic material. It has been made in two parts with an orange plastic helmet and a black visor section fixed underneath. This allows for a gap to be left between the lower visor and upper helmet, the same as we see on screen. Paint apps for the helmet are minimal with a black bent painted on the upper orange helmet, and some silver to what would be the visors hinge.
The fit is very tight and once worn the gap left above the visor does close up. You can tweak this so some of Fennec's head is showing. Once in situ, the helmet proportions are good and it looks fitted to the head and not oversized in any way. The tightness of the fit does worry me in terms of paint rub which would be most likely on the hair if the helmet is put on and taken off regularly,
The only other inclusion in the pack is Fennec's MK Sniper Rifle, a new weapon for the Black Series line. It is cast in black and has quite a bit of detail across the rifle body and scope, but no paint apps to enhance the look of any of the weapons components or design. A flexible strap is attached at either end of the rifle allowing it to be shoulder slung. This works well as the strap is shaped to go over the shoulder and hold the rifle in a slung position. There is a reverse issue though in that the strap doesn't quite behave naturally when the rifle is in a firing position, something we've seen on items in the past like Rey's staff. While the gun gets no paint, the strap is accented with a couple of further orange panels to tie in with the outfit.
There are no alternative hands with Fennec Shand, the pair fitted on arrival are shaped to hold the weapon with a trigger finger to the right and a gripping left hand to cup the barrel. The arm articulation supports plenty of firing poses, including the shooting pose with Fennec looking down the sights and barrel of the weapon.
The total articulation count for Shand is 19 in total. The arms, as mentioned, are very mobile despite the single joint elbow. There are a pair of butterfly shoulders sitting back in the torso that adds in the slightest extra movement too. The legs would allow for kneeling poses were it not for the larger skirt section of the figure, so you are left with wider action stances for Fennec.
Every joint is well-engineered and feels tight and secure. Fennec Shand is really fun to pose and display especially with her sniper rifle if you can work that awkward shoulder snap out of the way.
The Star Wars Black Series Fennec Shand is another great example of a new character brought to life in the 6-inch figure form with a decent likeness, good articulation and a relevant set of accessories. At a time when fans are showing displeasure over a number of repaints and re-releases, the Wave 6 figures including Shand are showcasing what The Black Series is all about.
There is still a question mark over the decision to release Fennec as the 1st figure in the Book of Boba Fett series, but that aside she is going to look great alongside the Throne Room Boba Fett once he arrives, while also allowing collectors to fit her in alongside a Mandalorian themed display - or even with the Bad Batch.
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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...