Review: Star Wars Black Series Jedi Knight Yord Fandar from The Acolyte, Galaxy Collection Wave 17
- Mephitsu
- Oct 22, 2024
- 5 min read
"My name is Yord Fandar, Knight of the Jedi Order."
The first wave of Star Wars Black Series figures from The Acolyte hit stores in September 2024 a couple of months after the show had aired on Disney+. The Galaxy Collection Wave 17 was entirely made up of Acolyte characters including four Jedi as well as the key characters of Mae and Osha.
The Acolyte series within the Galaxy Collection features a new red-shaded accent colour and the figures are packed in the new squared-off box style with the numbering now included on both the front and the back of the box. Jedi Knight Yord Fandar is number 04 in the Acolyte series, sitting between Padawan Jecki Lon, and Master Indara. The rear of the box features a cropped version of the same side illustration as well as a short piece of background text that is the same on all 6 Acolyte releases from Wave 17 giving us just a synopsis about the show - most likely to avoid spoilers had these figures arrived early.
The new box design also now features a colour-coordinated backing card for the figure with the deep red Acolyte colour scheme. Rather than being a plain colour backing, there is an illustration within the backing card. For Yord this is a dim building with some spotlights, potentially from Olega, and is the same as also used on the side artwork.
Yord is the third Jedi in the wave to be wearing the yellow-toned Jedi Mission robes and therefore has a very similar look overall to Jecki, and to Master Sol in particular and while Sol and Fandar are similar in height and build there is no obvious re-use of parts with both sets of robes carrying minor variances and designs. Yord’s robes, like the others have an outer yellow layer which is a rubberised jacket and skirt over the base figure. Under these we find different tones, with an orange layer and then some paler cream sections finishing with a dark brown collar at the base of Yord’s neck. The robes are joined at the midsection with a belt that is cast as part of the lower skirt and then painted with black and brown core colouring and with gold buckle and fastenings. Like Sol, Yord also features a pair of ornate bracers in gold that continue into a pair of brown gloves hands with similar gold panel design on the back. The legs are plain brows with a lighter for the trousers, and a darker finish for the boots. There is no weathering or further paintwork outside of the base details of the belt and bracers.
The head sculpt is a strong likeness to actor Charlie Barnett and the sculptor has incorporated that slight smirking but confident smile he often has on his face, particular when interacting with Jecki Lon. The facial details are finished with printed facial technology but these is a return here of a waxy glossy finish which has plagued Black Series previously and does throw off some of the likeness with reflective light. The hair piece is impressive with its recreation of the dreadlocked side parting Yord has in the show and they have used a softer plastic here despite it not interfering with any articulation to prevent damage.
Yord has the same type of removable soft goods Jedi Robes as the other three Jedi in the wave. This is tailored in so much thjat the hood is stitched into the down position round the back and the sides are pleated. Like all Black Series Jedi robes it hangs OK on the figure but lacks the folds and creases we’d expect from the real material, particularly around the arms.
Yord has his yellow-bladed Lightsaber a first for a canon Jedi figure - although Bastilla Shan did beat him to the Black Series with her dual yellow saber. The hilt is plain and finished simply in a gunmetal colour. There is a short peg near the base of the hilt which allows Yord to wear the saber hilt on his belt by way of a corresponding socket round to the right of the belt. The saber fits into either hand with the blade clipping in and out without issue.
Articulation is pinless and features a significant count of 21 points of articulation overall. While the newest Black Series figures are doing away with the thigh swivel, Yord does still have his as well as a boot cut swivel and a swivel in the knee joint. This doesn’t add anything extra in terms of posing, and the thigh cut remains hidden under the lower robes so is not a particular eyesore. The thigh cut does indicate a potential doner of the legs but I haven’t identified who that might be. The upper torso has a full range of arm movement including butterfly joints and a relatively wide-ranging torso ball joint which supports Yord getting into a number of action-orientated positions with or without his lightsaber.
Yord Fandar very much looks the part of a High Republic Jedi Knight and recreates his look from The Acolyte well as a Black Series 6-inch release. Expressive head sculpts are always tricky to pull off and one of the key criticisms I have with Yord is that he looks fine in neutral poses, but any action or fighting positions are off-putting with that smirking expression he carries - although this is very much down to personal taste. The same can be said of the soft goods, which can be discarded to little detriment to the overall figure - and doing so will actually expose more of that more ornate look of the High Republic era Jedi.
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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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