“I have come for the bounty on this Wookiee”
The original Leia in her Boushh disguise from Jabba’s Palace was originally released in 2015. This predated the use of photo-real paint apps for faces and there was also criticism at the time over the height of the figure which stood much taller than the other Leia’s of the time. In 2022 the figure was selected for a re-release as part of the carded Archive series and Hasbro took the opportunity to rectify both of these issues.
The Archive card back remains as it has always been since launch with a shaped card back in black with a grey/silver logo and line art and a panel of the same grey to act as backing for the figure. The original Gregory Titus artwork is retained via an insert in the blister and repeated again round the back where we also get a bit of a history lesson on the original figure release as well as an image of the packaging in 2015.
The tweaked version of Leia as Boushh immediately feels better in hand and that is down to some reworking of the proportions by Hasbro - shortening the legs to give the figure a better scale and also then improving the overall aesthetics with the first figure always looking a bit too long in said leg department. Everything else on the body remains as was with a variety of layers applied over a base body with chest armour, a bandoleer and belt and a skirt piece. Everything across the Bounty Hunter costume is well coloured with additional paintwork applied as needed although there is limited detail in that regard, just a few bits of gold on the bandoleer ammunition.
There is a plug-in backpack, complete with applied decals of Aurobesh (or similar), that arrives separately in the packaging and the soft goods cape is retained. This cape remains problematic as it still fails to sit naturally against the body having been made from a more robust cloth than what we are seeing on more modern figures. The way the new one is stitched and then packed doesn't allow the fold we did see on the original so the cape does stick out considerably and will require some training to get a natural look for display.
The head has definitely been tweaked, if not replaced completely. It is now a slimmer shape and with the strands of hair on either side of the face more delicate. The addition of photo-real decor makes this an excellent likeness to Carrie Fisher from 1983 and includes more natural eyes, better colouring on the lips and some blusher to the cheeks. A huge improvement and just what the Archive Series can do for these older releases.
The figure still includes a removable helmet and this is a very tight fit like the first release, so watch out for paint rub. It is made of a softer plastic and cast in dark brown with added paintwork for the lighter brown body of the helmet, metal grill and component parts and the green reflective visor. The other accessories include the shock-blade lance which is cast in a base grey colour and is otherwise lacking in any other paint apps despite the crisp detail of the sculpt. It fits in either - or both hands. The final accessory is the Thermal Detonator which is again detailed considering the scale. It will balance on either hand, but can't be held as such and if you are wanting to have Leia as Boussh on display holding Jabba to ransom with this device I would use some Blu-Tac or similar to hold it in place.
Articulation is of its time with 16 points of articulation including the now dated double jointed and very visible knee joints. Leia articulates well enough although the skirt piece prevents some of the leg motion at the hips. Everything works as it should, with the only articulation issue being the same ankle rocker issue that impacted the first figure. For some reason the feet won't bend far enough forward so Boushh always feels like she is rocking back on her heels - add to this the backpack and cape and she becomes back-heavy and very prone to falling backwards.
Leia as Boushh is a perfect example of how the Archive series should work. It takes an existing figure and improves it by applying the face print decor as a minimum, but also tweaking the things that were not quite right the first time round. Using different packaging also allows collectors to differentiate completely between both versions and those collectors who value all variants will not see their original figure devalued. With the upcoming 40th Anniversary release of Chewbacca with chains from Jabba’s Palace, this updated Leia as Boushh is going to look even better once the two are paired up.
If you are reading this via a 3rd party website that is importing our newsfeed, please come and visit us directly and give us a follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Check out our direct news feed for more action figure news, reviews, and store reports
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...
Commentaires