Review of Obi-Wan Kenobi - Deluxe
Star Wars Sixth Scale Action Figure

Introduction

I haven't bought a lot of Hot Toys Star Wars figures in recent months. Oh, I have several still on pre-order, but it seems like all the stuff I pre-order these days is stuff that takes forever to ship. Still, when they announced the deluxe version of a young Obi-Wan, I couldn't resist. The extras were too much for me to avoid.

This guy just started shipping in the last couple weeks, and there is actually two versions. While I'll be looking at the deluxe release (which will run you around $275), there's also a regular release with fewer accessories and a more 'average' Hot Toys price tag of $225.

Packaging - ***1/2
Nice looking shoe box design, with a cigar band around the top cover and a huge 'deluxe' sticker showing the extra goodies. It's all collector friendly, and sturdy enough to survive shipping and storage.

Sculpting - ***1/2
One of the reasons Hot Toys sculpts are so amazing is the realism and life-like appearance. It can be overwhelming at times, making it harder to accurately assess the accuracy of the likeness itself.

This is a really life-like sculpt, with excellent skin texture, hair detail, and finely cut beard. He has his trademark mole on his forehead, and the piercing blue eyes and stern expression are perfect for a wide variety of poses. He also avoids any mannequin appearance, with just enough emotion to look bad ass, but not so much as to look silly.

They went with a single head and neck design, which limits the articulation a little but allows them to give him a bit of a 'neck beard', bringing the unshaven section of his facial hair down along the front of his throat.

All this realism makes assessing the accuracy difficult. At first glance, he blew me away. But the more I compared him to photos, the more he looked slightly off to me. I think it's the nose - they should get credit for not just doing another 'Caucasian dude nose', but the version they ended up with looks a bit too small on the overall face. This is a really, really minor nit however, on an otherwise excellent portrait.

So why the half star drop? I almost went four stars for this category, but I have a peeve that just doesn't seem to ever go away. What is with the ridiculous E.T. fingers and oversized hands? In the beginning, I get it. But after all these years, why haven't they updated their hands to be more in scale and realistic?

Paint - ***1/2
Production paint and Hot Toys goes together like chlorine and a public pool. Or something. Their paint operations remain outstanding, and set the bar for realism in the sixth scale market.

The skin tone looks great, as does the hair line and beard. The bright blue eyes are glassy and wet, while there's no shine or glossiness to the skin. Overall, it's an amazing job.

So why the loss of a half star? Because almost immediately out of the box I had a rub mark on the hair. I brushed it against the table - no doubt about it. But the paint came off like it was wet, and I've never had a figure get a rub mark like this with so little pressure.

Articulation - ***1/2
The underlying TrueType body remains the gold standard in the industry. All the joints are tight and smooth, and I had no trouble getting him to take natural, flowing stances and poses.

The single ball for the neck, with the one piece neck and head, does hurt him a bit here. Of course, it helps with the previous Sculpt category as well. Which is more important to you is a matter of personal preference.

The soft boots allowed for decent ankle movement too, particularly rocker and side to side movement. There's also a wire in several places in the costume, like the bottom edge of the tunic and the outer edge of the hood. This allows you to better pose the fabric in certain stances.

Accessories - ****
This is the deluxe version, and he comes with a very nice assortment of extras. This is one of those rare occasions where you really are getting your extra money's worth.

Both the regular and the deluxe have six additional hand sculpts, designed to work with different poses and accessories. Swapping is easy, and they remain in place while posing. I already complained about their scale, but I'll do it one more time for good measure. There are also a couple extra wrist pegs just in case, as well as a few extra tiny buttons for costume repairs over time.

He has two versions of his lightsaber hilt. One is simply the hilt that can be attached to his belt (with a small black peg, which is packed away with the tiny buttons), or held in his hand. Either of the blades can fit inside it, but it does not light up.

The second hilt comes permanently attached to an extra forearm and hand. This version lights up - more on that in the Light Up Feature section. Again, either blade can attach to this hilt.

And yes, there are two blades. One is normal, while the second is a wide triangle, designed to look like a blade in motion. The effect works pretty well, but I'll talk about that more in a bit.

He has only one tiny extra - the Commlink. On the much larger side are three pieces of a droid, expertly sliced and diced. The regular release finishes up with a display stand (with a swappable 'card' to decorate the top) and a support rod.

The deluxe adds in some great extras. There's a small baby Luke, wrapped in a swaddling blanket. Obi-Wan can hold him in his arms, and gaze intently at him. Okay, so the expression isn't perfect for holding a baby, but it works with Obi-wan.

He also has a large hologram base. Add in AAA batteries (not included), and the table top lights up quite brightly. There are two holograms to go with it - a standing Palpatine and a kneeling Anakin. They glow nicely, and the way the surface is etched with lines, they appear as though they are actual holograms. It's a terrific extra, and well worth the additional $50.

Light Feature - ****
There's not one but two light up features with the deluxe version.

There's the lightsaber, attached to the lower half of the special arm. You insert three batteries (included), and flip a switch to turn on the bright light. It works pretty well with the simple blade, and even the wide triangle 'motion' blade looks good in a dimly lit room.

The second feature is on the hologram table. You have to supply your own AAA batteries, but they really provide a bright illumination that affords a nice look to the holographic 'images' they included. The battery compartment and switch are on the bottom and easy to reach.

Outfit - ***1/2
The outfit is fairly elaborate, and the quality of materials and construction is excellent.

The outer robe is a highlight, made from a much thinner material than usual. There's a wire in the hood for posing, and it hangs perfectly off his shoulders. The tunic has some simple staining, nothing extreme but enough to add some realism, and the pants and shirt are well tailored.

The soft leather boots allow for good ankle movement, but look a little funky to my eye. The calves are thin and the feet are big, giving them a slightly disproportionate appearance.

My only other complaint is with the belt. The sculpt is great, but the finish is uniform and glossy, making all the packs and extras look identical and a bit toy-ish.

Fun Factor - ***1/2
There's a ton of posing potential with the deluxe. He can be standing over the carved up remains of the droid, or brandishing the light up 'motion' saber, or peering at the holograms of the Emperor and Anakin, or looking down into the face of young Luke. You'll have plenty of opportunity to mix it up over time, which adds quite a bit to the fun.

Value - **1/2
Normally I'd go off on a $275 Hot Toys figure, but you are getting quite a bit for the money here. The standard release is around $225, and comes with enough to justify the price point. The deluxe adds in the light up table and hologram figures, as well as baby Luke, easily worth the extra $50. You won't feel like you got a steal, but you will feel like your money wasn't wasted.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing. If you're looking for the little pegs to attach the saber hilt to the belt, check with the other little bags of extras. And you don't have to remove the tunic and shirt to swap the arms - just pull the sleeves up a bit and you should be able to accomplish the change up.

Overall - ***1/2
If you think this is a four star figure, I can fully understand it. There's an awful lot to like here, particularly with the deluxe release. The sculpt and paint have minor nits, but nothing extreme, and the costume and accessories set him apart. I'd be willing to go so far as to say he can be your one and only young Obi-Wan in the display.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ****
Articulation - ***1/2
Accessories - ****
Light Feature - ****
Outfit - ***1/2
Fun Factor - ***1/2
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***1/2

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