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When Hasbro announced that a deluxe definitive version of the title character from the celebrated Star Wars TV show The Mandalorian would be introduced in the 6" Black Series line, of course it was a Target exclusive that sold out online instantly and has only appeared sporadically in stores. 2020, y'all!
You have to be very lucky to get your hands on this toy (as I was), and perhaps our review will help readers decide if it's worth all the hassle of trying to track down one of their own. So without further ado, let's dig deeper into the Target-exclusive Hasbro Star Wars Black Series Din Djarin deluxe figure, also known as the Mandalorian.
The Mandalorian is battle-worn and tight-lipped, a formidable bounty hunter in an increasingly dangerous galaxy who finds a mysterious alien pursued by bounty hunters on behalf of Imperial interests.
First things first, most of this figure isn't new. From the neck down, it's made up of the previously released "Beskar" Mandalorian figure,
fully decked out in his upgraded silvery armor. However, that figure wasn't exactly easy to track down either (nor was the original Mando release, where most of its molds originated), so it's not a super big deal. The sculpt is nice and detailed, with smooth armor bits, wrinkled fabric bits, and various belts and bandoliers featuring all manner of (non-removable) weaponry and ammunition. There's lots of fine details all around, especially in the wrist gauntlets and in the Mudhorn skull sigil on the figure's right shoulder pauldron.
The main draw of this figure, though, is above the neck. Mandalorian creed be damned, this toy gives us a fully removable helmet, and underneath you'll find a pretty good sculpt of Pedro Pascal, the actor who is (usually) underneath the armor. The hair is matted down to better help the helmet fit, and the quizzical expression is a bit strange, but it's instantly recognizable and a very welcome feature.
The paint is nice, if not mind-blowing.
There are browns, grays, and metallic silver apps where appropriate, and nothing seems like it was skimped or cheaped out on. The only real issue is the finish on the areas meant to represent the fabric under Mando's armor. In most of the upper body, it's glossy, but just beneath the swivel thigh joints, it becomes matte. It's a little jarring, but not something that ruins the look of the figure by any means.
Speaking of thigh joints, let's talk articulation. There are no real surprises, with all the usual joints you'd expect from a Black Series figure, including balljointed neck, peg and hinged shoulders, elbows and wrists, balljointed chest, balljointed hips, peg thighs, double hinged knees, and peg and hinged elbows. Plus pec hinges, though not with a huge range of motion. He can't be curled tightly into a ball or anything, but he's got a lot of nice poseability.
In addition to the unmasked portrait, this figure's other main
draw is its huge assortment of accessories. It includes a tiny figure of everyone's favorite munchkin, Baby Yoda (aka The Child, aka Grogu), as well as a little pram
for him to ride around in. The Grogu figure is new, different from the single packed release. He's permanently posed with his little left arm raised, and he lacks any articulation other than his neck and wrists - he really is an accessory, not a pack-in figure. The pram includes a removable cover and a clear stand to simulate floating. The inside is detailed with a little padding and other details in both sculpt and paint, though it's not like there's any specific design meant to accommodate the baby - he merely stands inside without any pegs or even a flat space meant for him. And when you want to close it, he'll have to lay down awkwardly.
But that's not all. Mando himself gets the same
stuff the previous Beskar Mando figure came with, including his pulse rifle, his blaster pistol, his jetpack, and his cape. The blaster fits in his hip holster, and the pulse rife can be attached to his back, as long as the jetpack is removed. There is, unfortunately, no good way to have him wearing the jetpack and cape at the same time; you can slide the cape further over his right shoulder, but it will stick out awkwardly in the back. With him wearing both frequently on the show, it's a little annoying that you can't really replicate his iconic look very well. This is a case where softgoods would have been the better choice.
This figure also gets the aforementioned removable helmet. It fits well on his head, with less of a "nose bump" than most previous
Hasbro figures who sported removable Mandalorian helmets. And then, finally, he comes with five tiny little bricks of pure (plastic) Beskar. These are really easy to lose, so I recommend stashing them somewhere safe. Finally, there's the little bounty tracking fob we haven't seen since early in Season 1. There is at least one other thing he could have come with, but that would have been a Season 2 spoiler.
All in all, this is just a great rendition of this beloved character in action figure form. It's not perfect, but it's got a heck of a lot going for it. It's also, as of this writing, the only Mando figure on the market with a removable helmet. If the cape fit a little better around the jetpack, it'd be just about perfect, but even as it is, I really can't recommend it enough.
However, it's still quite the pain to track down at the moment, unfortunately. Hopefully soon it will be available in larger numbers, because it's a great figure that every fan of the show deserves to have a chance to own.
-- 12/13/20
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