Thursday, March 30, 2017

Star Wars Black Series Chirrut Imwe Action Figure Review

Chirrut Imwe 6" Star Wars Black Series Action Figure
I am one with the Force. And the Force is with me. 
The Chirrut Imwe 6" Action Figure from the Star Wars Black Series toyline is one of the best articulated and detailed figures to come from the toyline.

Chirrut Imwe is one of the most iconic characters to come out of Rogue One for several reasons:

  • He's the first major Star Wars character of Oriental (We're Oriental and frankly Oriental is not a racial slur - Go Iron Fist!) origin. 
  • He's sparked debate as to the efficacy of Stormtrooper armor. 
  • While there are races and martial arts in the Star Wars Universe that mimic or surpass Force abilities, what exactly is Chirrut Imwe?

The Star Wars Black Series Chirrut Imwe action figure's blister card reads "Deeply spiritual, Chirrut Imwe believes all things are connected through the Force. Though he lacks Force abilities, his sightless eyes do not prevent him from being a highly skilled warrior monk."

Our personal theory: Our personal belief is that Chirrut Imwe is one of the Force Sensitives who failed their trials - a fate that even Obi-Wan Kenobi almost faced. 

Star Wars Black Series Chirrut Imwe and Baze Malbus  Action Figures
"I Find That Answer Vague And Unconvincing."
Failed Jedi are sent into the Jedi Service Corp. Some of these Failed Jedi end up assigned to the Agricultural Corp. Mining is never mentioned, but if becoming a farmer is possible, then so is becoming a miner - or in this case, a Guardian of the Whills - an order of spiritual warrior-monk that protected the Kyber crystals.

Now Chirrut could have gone straight to being a monk, but with all his rantings about being "One with the Force"  it really is most likely the other way around. 

But the blister card says he "lacks Force AbilitiesHere's the thing, the dictionary defines "lacks" as "noun, plural noun: lacks 1. the state of being without or not having enough of something.

He said he wasn't a Jedi: Chirrut never answered Captain Andor's question as to whether or not he was a Jedi, it was Baze Malbus who dismissed it by saying "There are no more Jedi here anymore. Only dreamers like this fool." Captain Andors asked the wrong question because Baze's answer is not a denial of Chirrut being Force sensitive, just that he wasn't a Jedi.And, if Chirrut did fail, then he's no more a Jedi than Ahsoka Tano is. 
Star Wars Black Series Chirrut Imwe Action Figure
And Chirrut has displayed the following Force powers:
  • Force Sight/Sense - both in detecting Jyn's Kyber Crystal and in being able to shoot down TIE Fighters;
  • Force Telekinesis - used in combat to amplify the impact of his staff.
  • Force Cloak - which allowed him to cross the battlefield without being shot.  
The producers of Rogue One have said that they wanted to create a Star Wars movie without the presence of a Jedi. 

Technically they did. 

Star Wars Black Series Chirrut Imwe Action Figure
"May The Force Be With Us."
WHAT'S TO LIKE ABOUT THE STAR WARS BLACK SERIES CHIRRUT IMWE ACTION FIGURE?

FIRST: The figure bears a very good likeness to Donnie Yen, the actor who played Chirrut Imwe. It also bears a very nice facial expression - which is something Disney seems to constantly remove from their figures. 

His eyebrows seem quite thick though. 



Image result for donnie yen chirrut îmwe

Star Wars Black Series Chirrut Imwe Action Figure
“The strongest stars have hearts of Kyber.”
SECOND: 
His detailing is excellent! Just look at the old wooden texture of his staff, the intricacies of his lightbow and the use of cloth and hard plastic in his clothing. Simply excellent.

THIRD
Chirrut Imwe's articulation is excellent. There are some issues with the hard plastic incorporated into his robe, but it is possible to work around them in the same way that we worked around the hard plastics of Kylo Ren and Darth Maul.





Star Wars Black Series Chirrut Imwe Action FigureStar Wars Black Series Chirrut Imwe Action FigureStar Wars Black Series Chirrut Imwe Action FigureStar Wars Black Series Chirrut Imwe Action Figure
Star Wars Black Series Chirrut Imwe Action FigureStar Wars Black Series Chirrut Imwe Action FigureStar Wars Black Series Chirrut Imwe Action Figure
Star Wars Black Series Chirrut Imwe Action FigureStar Wars Black Series Chirrut Imwe Action FigureStar Wars Black Series Chirrut Imwe Action Figure
Star Wars Black Series Chirrut Imwe Action Figure
"I wish to fight ten men."
Star Wars Black Series Chirrut Imwe Action FigureStar Wars Black Series Chirrut Imwe Action Figure
"Nobody is #1 forever"
Here is the Black Series Chirrut Imwe Action figure with his Lightbow - a Bowcaster. native to the planet Jedha that supposedly also marks the physical perfection of a Guardian of the Whills monk upon completion of the Seventh Duan. As you can also see below, Chirrut can kneel.

Star Wars Black Series Chirrut Imwe with Lightbow Action FigureStar Wars Black Series Chirrut Imwe with Lightbow Action Figure
Star Wars Black Series Chirrut Imwe with Lightbow Action Figure
"Nothing is more important than being around your loved ones"

Star Wars Black Series Chirrut Imwe with Lightbow Action FigureStar Wars Black Series Chirrut Imwe with Lightbow Action FigureStar Wars Black Series Chirrut Imwe with Lightbow Action Figure
Star Wars Black Series Chirrut Imwe with Lightbow Action Figure
Are you kidding me? I'M BLIND!!!!
Is the sword the only answer?
WHAT'S NOT TO LIKE ABOUT THE STAR WARS BLACK SERIES CHIRRUT IMWE ACTION FIGURE?

FIRST: The hard plastic sash that Hasbro gave him at the back of his monk-robes was great for propping him up, but it prevents him for sitting down normally - like say on a crate like Harley Quinn can. 
 

SECOND:
There Really isn't any place to mount his lightbow on his back - as he does in Rogue One. We just crammed it in there.

THIRD: Baze Malbus looks kinda bland in the presence of the finely made Chirrut Imwe, which is sad because the two go together.

Chirrut and Baze were borrowed from a private collection and both are available on Amazon for around US$ 31.99 (Roughly PhP  1,633.48 plus shipping) each.

Star Wars Black Series Chirrut Imwe and Baze Malbus Action Figures
“The strongest stars have hearts of kyber.”

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