Ever since the first teaser dropped many months ago, we as Star Wars fans have been wondering who the mysterious cloaked man with the crazy lightsaber is. As time passed we learned his name, his past, and not much more. Now, as collectors, of course we wanted to have Kylo Ren grace our displays. Enter Force Friday.
Kylo Ren is an absolute triumph for Hasbro’s Black Series, and a must have for any fan of the character. The mix between plastic and soft goods make this guy look like he’s popped right out of the trailers. The way the hood sits on his mask is surprisingly well done, which is a relief considering what happened on recent Black Series figure: Emperor Palpatine. The helmet/mask itself is extremely reminiscent of both Darth Vader and Revan and sculpted to perfection. Moving down the torso we get a hard plastic shoal that flows down his back. This integration of plastic into the cloth was a smart idea on Hasbro’s part, as too much cloth never works. The robes flow down his legs and cover most of this gorgeous sculpt, as well as hide his articulation.
Speaking of articulation, like all Black Series figures, he is super-articulated. Sporting a ball-hinged neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, a ball-jointed torso, ball and socket hips, swivel upper thighs, double-hinged knees, and finally hinged and rocker ankles. All this allows you to pose Kylo Ren in any and all action poses.
On the the only downside of this figure, and it is his lack of accessories. Aside from his crossguard lightsaber, he doesn’t come with any. This was expected, but still a major disappointment for me. Where are the stands? They have holes in their feet. How about a burnt Vader helmet? No? Okay then Hasbro. It may seem inconsequential to the figure, but at twenty dollars a pop for these figures, it just seems cheap on Hasbro’s part.
With that said, if you buy any of the new 6-inch figures, make it Kylo Ren. He is without a doubt the best from the latest wave, and sure to be a fan favorite. If you see him, make sure to pick him up as on Force Friday he went faster than any other toy. Now all we can hope is that his character lives up to this wonderful figure.
