Name: Ahsoka Tano
Line: Star Wars Transformers Crossovers
Scale: ??? (Figure is 6.5" tall)
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Year Released: 2009
Original Price: $15.99
Purchase Price: $7.99
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AHSOKA TANO
to Jedi Starfighter
Character Bio (copied from package):
Ahsoka Tano pilots a starfighter on a secret mission during the Clone Wars. The young Padawan arrives at a remote planet where a droid factory is building hundreds of new battle droids. Ahsoka changes her starfighter into a powerful mech that demolishes the factory and the droids!
- Standard blister package showcases vehicle mode well, though the lower insert cuts it off
- Mech artwork looks great; design is attractive and consistent with other Clone Wars merch but color scheme results in abundant white space
- Cardback effectively spotlights toy's features and other toys in wave; brief "bio" lacks basic character info
- Fantastic starfighter mode, complete with removable hyperdrive ring, opening cockpit, and landing gear
- Serviceable robot mode, though proportions could be more feminine
- Robot's hyperdrive ring backpack is cumbersome (though removable)
- Great techno-organic headsculpt
- Some paint hiccups on face, paint rub on hands due to tight lightsabers
- Aside from cockpit and fold-out landing gear, no starfighter articulation
- Serviceable robot articulation, but lots of joints are needlessly limited
- Frex: knees only bend 120 degrees; forward ankle hinge negligible; side ankle hinges have minimal inward tilt
- Most joints are polygonal ratchets; large amount of space between points limits ability to tweak poses
- Hyperdrive ring fires two missiles that become lightsabers for robot to wield
- Great handle sculpts; clear green plastic evokes lightsaber image
- Lightsabers fit too tightly in Ahsoka's hands, resulting in paint rub
- Two accessories seems sparse (though one could also count the removable hyperdrive ring), but what else does a Jedi really need?
- Firing missiles, hyperdrive ring, and landing gear enhance fun of alt mode
- Fun and (mostly) simple transformation
- Robot mode suffers due to articulation shortcomings, but figure is still somewhat fun to pose with lightsabers
- Cumbersome hyperdrive ring is best left elsewhere for robot mode
- Cockpit can store Matrix of Leadership or other small accessories
- Unless you're a SW fan who can fully appreciate the vehicle mode, Ahsoka is absolutely not worth $15.99
- However, for a general TF fan, $8 is a competitive price for a transforming figure approaching voyager size
- Still, many TF deluxes and scouts offer superior poseability and playability in robot mode -- so Ahsoka is a weaker value for non-SW fans
Score: 7.0 / 10
Like Hasbro's other Transformers Crossovers figures, Ahsoka Tano is decidedly inferior to the company's dedicated Transformers offerings. However, her starfighter alt mode is a fantastic replication of the source material (especially considering its transformation requirements) -- and while her robot mode's cumbersome (though removable) backpack and limited poseability place her a grade below more recent Transformers releases under the Revenge of the Fallen, Hunt for the Decepticons, and Generations sublines, they're hardly deal breakers. Ahsoka is also appealing simply for being a female Transformer, as they tend to be fairly rare. Sure, she shares a mold with several male characters, but it's not like Hasbro hasn't done that before!
Still, only dedicated Star Wars fans who haven't been spoiled by Hasbro's more recent Transformers figures should grab Ahsoka at $15.99 -- anyone else will probably be disappointed with the toy at that price, especially considering that superior and more poseable Transformers deluxe and scout class figures can be had for $8-$10 (and sometimes less than that). At a lower price (I purchased the toy for $7.99 at Marshalls, so check your local discount stores), however, Ahsoka Tano is a worthy purchase despite her shortcomings. I strongly disliked the figure at first, but now I'm eagerly awaiting a transforming Princess Leia release!