"We’re not defined by what we lose. We’re defined by what we survive. You’ve survived a lot."
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 Master Sol is number 02 in the Acolyte series with the side artwork putting him between Osha Aniseya and his Padawan Jecki Lon in the wider montage. 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 offset against Sol’s Jedi Robes. Rather than being a plain colour backing, there is an illustration within the backing card and the same backing imagery as is used on the side art - for Sol, this features a ship interior.
Like Jedi Master Indara, Jedi Master Sol is depicted in the look we see in real time during the events of The Acolyte rather than his younger look in the flashback scenes from Brendok. Rather than the white High Republic Jedi Robes he wears in the temple, Sol is in his darker mission robes with an on orange-hued soft rubber tunic over a generic body and a pair of plain brown trousers with burgundy boots. The central tunic carries most of the decor for the body with lighter panels at each side of the skirt and at the neckline with this lighter beige then used for the arms of the robes. The belt - part of the lower skirt piece - is brown and black with both gold and silver detailing. Similar ornate flourishes can be found on Sol’s gloves and wrist bracers.
Like all the Jedi from Wave 17, Sol has a soft goods tailored Jedi robe. This is stitched so the hood is now fixed downward and cannot be raised over the head. The material remains as it has been for a number of years and lacks the weight to fold naturally around the body particularly on the arms although with some patience the overall look can be rewarding. The robes are of course fully removable and can be discarded for a more dynamic look for Sol.
The head sculpt is perhaps the softest of the wave, with the likeness to actor Lee Jung Jae passable. The head doesn't quite look as good as we've seen from recent releases - Indara from this wave being a good benchmark. The proportions do not seem quite there with the figure featuring a more angular face with sunken cheeks and a more pointed chin with mouth inverted and turned down. Facial printing also appears off and almost reverts back to pre-face tech printing execution with relatively simplistic eyes and eyebrows and limited facial shading or texture. Sol’s hair is an individual piece in jet black plastic with his longer hair tied back in a messy ponytail. The head appears to have been going for that shocked almost haunted look we see on Sol’s face, and this is more visible from a side-on position than face-on.
Sol’s lightsaber is his only accessory, a sleek grey and black hilt complete with a peg which can then connect it to his belt for a holstered look. The translucent blue blade clips into place for lit lightsaber displays and the hilt will then fit in either hand or into both hands thanks to the articulation in the arms. Like Indara, Sol is also given a trigger finger on his left hand which seems an odd choice for a Jedi and that can look marginally out of place when holding his saber.
Sol comes with what is becoming a new standard for the Black Series with 17 points of pinless articulation in total. The thigh swivel is now gone completely with the rotation it used to provide added to the knee joint. This aids the look overall and removes that ongoing issue where figures often had visible colour variations between the top of the leg and the lower thigh. The arms feature wrist, elbow, and shoulder joints with the latter also inclusive of a butterfly joint which helps widen the range of the arms and facilitates those two-handed saber poses. Sol does include the torso joint disguised by his belt, and a dual joint neck which helps with head position and characterisation of Sol on display.
Jedi Master Sol is perhaps not quite at the level we saw of Jedi Master Indara in terms of overall facial likeness, but he does feature an impressively detailed set of Jedi robes complete with intricate belt, bracers, and armoured gloves. His robes work well enough and are no better or worse than any Jedi soft goods we’ve had before. Articulation is good and reaching a point now where the overall look of the figure and the scope of the posing feel in sync with neither sacrificed for the other. We also get his lightsaber to complete the look inclusive of an option to clip it to its belt.
The greedy among us may have wished for a younger head sculpt considering the robes are very similar between the events in the present and the past, but that may be a variant for the future as maybe the High Republic era white temple robes which have become a trademark of that entire era of the Star Wars timeline - although the fandom noise around The Acolyte may very well now disrupt further figure development.
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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