Star Wars The Black Series Plo Koon & Ahsoka Tano review

Looking back at the rest of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Plo Koon and Ahsoka Tano should have been the Jedi duo instead of making Anakin have a Padawan. Not only would it avoid any contradictions regarding prior Clone Wars media and Anakin's history, but it would also give Plo Koon more spotlight than in the series itself. I know why this decision was made thanks to the constant Lucas-bashing that led to Filoni's slow increase in power even before the Disney buyout, but TCW Anakin is not the same as his movie counterpart, IDGAF what people say. So let's see these two as a duo we should have had instead of pairing up Anakin with an apprentice who felt far more shoehorned in his past than Starkiller ever was.

Here we have Plo Koon in-hand. Like most of the Jedi we've taken a look at in the past, this character has the signature earthly-colored tunic, with the light brown not only befitting this character but also the brown robes that Hasbro typically provides in cloth good form. The tunic could use a bit of dry brushing to make the sculpt a little more lifelike, but I do appreciate the belt's detailing, which especially includes the brown and silver to pick it out from the rest of the sculpt. Compared to most Black Series figures, Plo Koon's hands are unique for the gestures they have, with the right hand looking as if it's pointing while the left hand is almost becoming a fist. The Jedi robe's materials still have that shiny material you'd find in superhero figures, which is not quite fitting for a monk-like piece of attire. I do like that it is not reused from prior figures, what with the front section having it's own flaps that droop from the rest of the clothing, though that hood looks far too oversized.

Head sculpt is the strongest aspect of this figure, what with the Kel Dor species' unique head designs and the wrinkles and bumps that make their head designs unlike other aliens in the Star Wars universe, combined with the goggles and breathing apparatus to help him breathe in atmospheres far different from his homeworld. His articulation consists of two points at the head and neck, shoulder rotation, outward arm movement, rotation and hinges for the elbows, rotation and hinges at the wrists, a diaphragm joint, ball jointed hips, thigh rotation, double-jointed knees, and ankle hinges as well as pivots. Though it is a little hard to get it in there, he can hold his lightsaber with no issue for his right hand. Another review, The Figure in Question, has proven that you can display the figure without the robe if that is a look you want, which I could possibly go for given how I'm not too big of a fan of these robes. The left hand can hold the lightsaber. Overall, Plo Koon is a solid figure like most of the Jedi we've had before and after it, but the robe and the lack of a dry brush for the tunic do hold it back somewhat from a perfect score.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

And here is a year-late look at Ahsoka Tano, a figure I didn't get to review because other shit popped up and I wanted to wait for the appropriate character to put Ahsoka Tano with after I began bringing Star Wars figures in 2-in-1 reviews. The outfit is modeled after what she wore from Season 3 to 5, with her later attire changing in Season 7 to match her eventual Rebels appearance given how Filoni wanted to reinforce her importance in canon. Currently, this is the earliest version of the character Hasbro made, with a less revealing outfit that hides the midriff and adds some bands to her biceps, though she has a boob window because of course Filoni would. At the very least, I always appreciate a new sculpt that isn't initially obstructed by a cloak, and I have to commend Hasbro for ensuring the outfit is accurate to the show, from the design of the skirt to the pants and boots picking out any proper details with the skin and buckles. I also appreciate that the skin still visible on the arms, back, and legs is consistent with the shade of orange, especially when it comes to ensuring they match the face's skin tone. And hey, at least the thinner proportions still feel worth $20 without feeling cheap compared to the Spider-Verse figures!

Her head sculpt looks marvelous, from the printing of the face matching the animation model, not to mention the montrals having the lines on the head tails and the gold near the forehead. The facial markings on her forehead and cheeks are a bit transparent, though some could say it is fittingly organic. At least everything is generally applied properly. Her articulation is the same as the usual Black Series figure, though the knees are now single-jointed and include rotation above the joint, even though there are thigh swivels. She can hold her lightsabers decently, though the left-hand struggles in doing so.

Here is a comparison with the other Ahsoka Tano figures that I own, with the one on the left being the Rebels version and the one on the right being the Mandoverse version. I think this will be it for getting Ahsokas since I don't plan to get any more from the Disney+ shows nor her Season 7 version. The more I thought about it, the more she feels like a square peg for a round hole when it comes to Legends, and don't get me started on Filoni refusing to let go of her in Canon.

Overall, Ahsoka Tano still makes for a figure as good as the Jedi who found her. While the hands kind of suck at holding the lightsabers, and single-jointed knees are a strange decision to make, she is still a sculpt that I don't have any major issues with beyond what I mentioned. And if we're going to have this be the earliest appearance of the character we're going to get, then I'm fine with that because the more revealing outfit from the first two seasons was strangely more revealing when she was a minor versus how much she covers up as an adult. Dave Filoni is a strange man, but tell that to the sick fucks who joke about Padme having a crush on Anakin in The Phantom Menace when that was never a thing.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐