"I wanted to prove to the galaxy that the Empire isn't invulnerable."
The first Star Wars Black Series release of Cal Kestis was in 2019, coinciding with the release of the Jedi: Fallen Order videogame. This figure went on to be repurposed in 2021 to a Deluxe release in his Bracca's 'Scrappers' outfit. To mark Cal's second outing in Jedi: Survivor a brand new figure from the new game was released in 2023, part of the now-established Gaming Greats series within the wider Galaxy Collection.
This 'Survivor' Cal Kestis was part of Wave 10 of the Galaxy collection, sitting in the period of plastic-free packaging so arrives without a window and box art to depict the figure and contents. The release is number 17 in the Gaming Greats series of the Galaxy Collection and the blue-hued artwork sits between the Jedi; Suriviror Battle Droid and Scorch from Republic Commando.
This is an entirely new Cal Kestis release in his generic 'Survivor' outfit with a blue vest over a cream shirt, brown trousers with black and brown boots and a gunslinger belt with a holster that straps around his left thigh. The main colours are executed through the basic plastic with further detail added sparingly as required such as the yellow and light blue patches on the vest, the silver data canisters on his left arm, and the brown strap that fits across his torso.
The head sculpt is new and is the older shorter-haired Cameron Monaghan likeness, again part of the default settings for the Jedi: Survivor character selection. Facial print technology is used to enhance the likeness including stubble around the line of the jaw.
The full body is pinless with most of the joints incorporated within the sculpt of the body and clothing. There are 19 joints in total and a full range of motion supported by butterfly shoulders for the upper arms alongside the usual shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints. The legs too are fully mobile with the holster and belt moving with the leg joints.
Cal comes with a couple of accessories, the first is the blaster he uses in the game which is a silver cast piece with a painted burgundy grip. It fits into Cal's left hand which arrives with a trigger finger feature and is of course accurate to the game modes. When not in use it slots into the holster.
We also get Cal's lightsaber with its elongated grey hilt and two-pronged emitter. The blade is blue transparent plastic and removable. The saber hilt fits into either or both hands and it can also be hung on Cal's belt by way of a loop and hook design which is much more secure than most of the ones we have seen on other lightsaber-wielding characters.
Cal also comes with BD-1 a direct re-pack of the first release with BD-1 arriving in his standard white paintwork with red trim. Other details are added in silver and black to pick out other components around his head and body. BD-1 has five points of articulation with each leg hinged at the 'knee' and 'hip' and a further small joint between the main body and head to allow that to rotate and be tilted, mimicking BD-1's mannerisms from the game.
BD-1 can stand on its own - although the figure we bought had a very loose leg on BD-1 which does impede that stability - but still does not connect to Cal Kestis in any way, with Hasbro still not having engineered a way for BD-1 to ride on Kestis' back as seen in the game.
This is a very impressive release for the Black Series in most aspects with a strong likeness to the game character and the actor who plays him, great articulation, and a good set of accessories. Considering the customization on the game there is an argument for Hasbro to have pushed this into Deluxe territory and given us some wider custom options such as ponchos or alternative head/hair combinations. The only issue with the set is the lack of improvement on BD-1 since the 2021 release and its inability to be fitted onto the Cal figure for posing.
Keep Track of all the Star Wars Black Series figures from Hasbro at our comprehensive
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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...