As I mentioned in other reviews, Hasbro really went to town on the mains during the Episode I run.  They managed to still pump out a nice array of secondary and tertiary folks, but there were always 2-3 versions of certain core characters available in the store at any one time.  The trio of Darth Maul, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, along with Jar Jar Binks and Anakin Skywalker, were released many times in 1999-2000, with each version offering very slight differences in accessories, paint, sculpting, or articulation.  But in the end, there was very little that made them particularly unique or exciting, and the newer versions weren’t always necessarily better than previous attempts.  All five of these characters underwent very minor wardrobe changes throughout the film, and Hasbro could have offered up ultimate-for-the-time figures of each of them had they desired.  Pessimists would see it as a cash grab by Hasbro, while more forgiving observers might argue that Hasbro was heavily experimenting with each new release, hoping to find some new feature that would catch fire and be used elsewhere, and perhaps commonly, in the line at some future time.

Case-in-point: this Obi-Wan Kenobi figure.  For all intents and purposes, it’s the same as the first release.  That figure had some increased articulation (swivel elbows and wrists) which gave it more posing options than was standard for a 5 or 6POA figure that was common in the day (and, sadly, common again today).  This figure eschews that extra articulation, presumably as a cost-saving measure, in favor of an attempt at more realistic hair and an additional accessory.

The long Jedi Padawan braid is made of a soft fibrous material meant to simulate actual hair.  Unlike previous versions of Obi-Wan head sculpts, which had hard plastic braids that were part of the head itself, this one is soft and flexible and can be moved around to either the front, side or back, however you prefer it displayed.  It also does not hinder the range of motion of the head/neck joint.  As a somewhat impressive detail, it even sports a little piece of yellow thread in the middle, to simulate the tiny clasp that Obi-Wan wore about halfway down the braid. The effort was fairly well executed, but in my opinion, totally superfluous.  It’s a matter of preference as to which look you prefer. I don’t think HAIR! was a “technology” that Hasbro bothered to use going forward.  It was probably either too expensive, or just simply not something that collectors cared about.

The second version of Obi-Wan in the E1 line was a Naboo figure, in which Obi-Wan donned plastic robes, but was also notable because it had a hole in the belt to accommodate the peg on the included unlit saber hilt.  That methodology for storing items on figures’ belts has been carried forward until today.  The other experiment on this figure was that of a tiny Jedi communicator, which included a small square hole in the back in order to interact with the corresponding peg sculpted onto Obi-Wan’s belt.  It works quite well.  But this opposite approach of the peg being on the belt has almost completely forgotten, with perhaps an exception or two.  It seems the belt hole was the VCR, and the belt peg was the Betamax.  Personally I think the aesthetic of the belt peg and accessory having the hole is much better.  The communicator doesn’t have an unsightly nub sticking out and ruining the silhouette of the device, while the figure doesn’t have an annoying hole in it.  But this sculpting approach may be seeing a return to the line, as we’ve noticed that the upcoming Luke Skywalker (Crait) figure appears to have a belt peg, which allows the loop on the lightsaber hilt to fit over.  It remains to be seen if collectors like this, but I think it’s going to be much better than what we are seeing currently.

The figure gets a 4.  It’s notable for the braid and the commlink/peg.  Otherwise, it’s rather forgettable, and better Obi-Wan figures have been available.  But a definitive Episode I Obi-Wan is something….elsewhere.  Elusive.  Even the TVC version wasn’t particularly good.