Princess Leia Organa VC 316 Review

 

After nearly 20 years(I won'tcount the 5 POA version from around 2014), Hasbro has finally made a new version of Leia Organa from A New Hope. And with an iconic VC number, 316 (Organa 3:16!), this Leia figure delivers a lot, however there are a couple areas where it doesn't. From the loose figure shown above with the carded version you may be able to see what that is. But I will say that it's worth the wait! 

It may not look like it, but Leia has 17 POA. Her upper body has a full range of motion. However, her plastic skirt does inhibit lower body articulation. Which means she can't sit down, and it makes moving her legs difficult. But her legs can move, and her knees can bend. The overall sculpt however is amazing! There is a lot of detail on her outfit, from the foods and creases, even down to her belt. In the photos below you can get an idea on how well she moves. She has barbell hips, the double socket neck and head joint, plus ball jointed shoulders, elbows, waist and knees. Her head sculpt isn't bad, but it bears enough of a likeness to Carrie Fisher. 

Leia has several accessories: her standard targeting pistol, Stormtrooper blaster rifle, plus a removable hood and a piece to show her hood down. There is a hole on her back where both pieces can be plugged in. It's easy to remove and replace both items. She can hold both weapons in each hand, but only in the way I have shown in the photos below. Her right hand can hold both weapons quite well, it's sculpted to fit her pointer finger in the trigger area of each weapon. Her left hand can hold her targeting pistol, or an accessory like a pad as seen in the photo below with Captain Antilles. I don't have the Death Star plans in 1:18 scale so I went with Huyang's pad. 

This Leia figure is definitive for use in the Tantive IV playset, detention block escape, Death Star swing, and Yavin IV during the Battle of Yavin. For many years I've used a Medical Frigate Leia from 2008, along with the VOTC Leia head as my go to Leia (photos below). You can see the new Leia not only looks better, but is slightly taller  than that figure. Since this Leia can't sit down (my custom can, but not well; VC 316 Leia can't sit at all), she can't be used for the Millennium Falcon, or when Luke meets her in her detention cell. Cloth on 1:18 scale figures can be tricky, but I feel another version of Leia will come with a cloth skirt sometime in the future. There won't be a single  definitive ANH Leia but there will be another...

So how does Leia photograph for use in displays? Quite well, actually! I don't have the Tantive IV Playset, so I had to improvise for my shots as the BB-8/Snoke Playset I use for photographs doesn't really compliment figures like this Leia and ANH Darth Vader. So for Tantive IV displays I used a single comic book backing board, I've got extras of those. And one day I need to use them to finish off parts from my 2009 Star Trek Enterprise Bridge consoles, but that's for another day. As you can see, and will see again once I review ANH Vader, Leia photographs very well! 

So how does this Leia compare to other versions? Well, for Bespin Leia I had been happy with that as definitive. But from the photo below, Hasbro needs to go back to work on that figure. For the Lazy Endor Leia, that figure is in even more of a demand for an all new sculpt. From a height perspective, VC 316 is the new standard for Leia. When I show the ANH Mains, you'll see how she fits in with them, and why new versions are needed, and coming to the Vintage Collection. 

The photo below are my ANH Mains, and Leia is really the only one that is definitive for ANH by today's collector standards, with Ewok Throne C-3PO being a good figure as well. Han and Chewbacca are older VC figures, R2-D2 is the one from 2017's 5 POA line. Luke is from the 2006 Saga Collection and came with his poncho and floppy hat, and the chest that had his father's lightsaber. Ben Kenobi is from the Legacy Collection and has his hands from an Evolutions Dooku figure and a robe that came with Aayla Secura, which fits perfectly, and when I do my review on the ANH Vader you'll see more of him. But it also shows how rare ANH versions have been in the VC. Only Leia and Chewie are VC 2.0 figures. But new versions of Han  Luke, Chewie and Ben Kenobi are coming! Now the droids will need similar effort next up. 

Thanks for reading! All photos are ones mine. A special thanks to Chris & Nomad at BanthaSkull for allowing me to post this link in the comments section! Please share this link on your social media accounts so I can get more readers! 

PS: Hasbro Pulse is shipping Jabba's Palace this week and I hope to have that as next week's blog post. My Oola and Slave Leia figures are out of storage for this. I don't count on being as busy as I was last week, so I hope to have it done, but may have to use photos I didn't take.