“What was first just a dream has become a frightening reality for those who may oppose us.”
The first appearance of the live-action Grand Admiral Thrawn in the Ahsoka series on Disney+ was held back from much of the marketing launch with only fleeting glances of the Grand Admiral from the rear in the trailer. This meant Thrawn was not included in the first waves of Star Wars Black Series figures for Ahsoka, but after a few months of waiting, we can now bring the last Grand Admiral of the Empire to our Black Series collection with the November 2024 release.
Thrawn is part of the Galaxy Collection Wave 19, a mixed wave also including Ahsoka Tano from Peridea, as well as figures from Andor, The Phantom Menace, and The Mandalorian. The wave uses the newer packaging with the blue accent colour for Ahsoka on the text and side artwork. Thrawn is number 12 in the Ahsoka collection which sits him between the Peridea Ahsoka from the same wave, and the Baylan Skoll Mercenary release that arrived a week or so ahead of Thrawn. The rear of the box gives a brief overview of Thrawn while the card back includes a blue-hued background of Thrawn’s Imperial Star Destroyer bridge.
Thrawn has of course had a Black Series release in the past thanks to his appearance in Rebels, while the option was there to re-use some parts - the new Grand Admiral Thrawn is an entirely new figure that accurately recreates the build and proportions of actor Lars Mikkelsen. The Grand Admiral uniform is cast in white with sculpted epaulets, collar insignia, code cylinders, and the Grand Admiral rank badge - all of which are then painted neatly and crisply in their respective colours. The belt and lower section of the tunic are a softer plastic with the belt painted in black with broad silver buckle, extending down to a holster on Thrawn’s right hip. The uniform is finished with a pair of high black gloss boots.
The head sculpt is a strong likeness to Mikkelsen in makeup with a deep blue skin tone, deep blue lips, slicked back blue/black hair, and red eyes. The detail appears to be photo-printed considering the detail around the eyes in particular. And the sculpt does a great job in capturing that cold, arrogant look that Mikkelsen portrays in Thrawn in his scenes.
vs Star Wars Rebels Thrawn Release (right)
We have a single accessory, a plain blaster in black with a touch of silver detail down the barrel. The weapon fits into Thrawn’s right hand or into the holster, although the fit in the holster is not as snug as we’ve seen on other figures and it can slip out if you aren’t careful.
Thrawn has the newer format of body without the thigh swivels and comes in with 15 points of articulation. This is all pinless and sufficient for what we would need the cold and calculating Thrawn to do in terms of his stances and mannerisms. Yes, he can point and shoot his blaster with the leg articulation adding some dynamism to the pose if you want - but in reality, Thrawn is all about that neutral stance, hands behind his back, calculating his next move - and the figure can replicate these perfectly.
The Star Wars Black Series Galaxy Collection Wave 19 release of Grand Admiral Thrawn is pretty much everything you need for the character with a look perfectly reflective of his scenes in Ahsoka - including the paunch of the now older Grand Admiral. The uniform is white and crisp, with the painted detail of the insignia, epaulets, and belt all being neat and tidy. The blaster ticks a box of an accessory, although not massively in keeping with Thrawn - and perhaps a command datapad or holo map might have been more reflective.
Joining up with Captain Enoch is the beginning of an Imperial Remnant display from The Chimera, and we would hope further Night Troopers and Death Troopers are on the way to further flesh out Thrawn’s forces.
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...
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