Figures That Make Me Happy: Leesub Sirln

Posted by Chris on 09/27/24 at 07:05 AM Category: Figures That Make Me Happy

Leesub Sirln

When this Leesub Sirln was announced at SDCC 2007 (if I recall correctly) I was absolutely apoplectic. I am not a "good enough" guy. Far from it. If a more prominent figure from a scene is locked in woeful POTF2 status (or other under-articulated status), I want them updated before we start peering into the margins of that scene for figures to release in the modern standard. It's why I was miffed that we got the Weequay Skiffmaster before got an update to the primary Weequay. If Hasbro ever gets around to giving us Scarif Rebels, I'm going to want Pao first, even though we have a turd-tastic 5POA version. That's just my collecting world view. Like Uncle Buck's hat, it angers some people.

To me, the two most critical Cantina denizens are Dr. Evazan and Ponda Baba. I view them as marginally more important than Greedo, despite the Rodian's more extensive lines of dialog. I am a Luke diehard, so characters that interact with him jump up the pecking order in my opinion. In 2007 we were stuck with miserable versions Dr. E and Ponda B. I desperately wanted Hasbro to go back to the Cantina then (and now, and at all times), but I wanted them to square away the front of the house before focusing on the characters lurking in the shadows. So while most fans were celebrating what was viewed as an epic SDCC presentation, I was feeling sorry for myself that another year had passed without getting a definitive Dr. Evazan.

Only once we got that "front of the house" settled in 2012, was I ready to start scouring the edges of the cantina scene for needed figures. Once I did, it became apparent that there was an imbalance in the Force our cantina displays. We have a figure of every single character standing on the right side of the bar. We have figures of the characters across the front, then as we turn the corner down the left side. Once we get to Yerka Mig and Rycar Ryjerd, things come to a screeching halt. We actually have a paucity of Cantina left-siders. The upcoming Tonnika Sisters helps that cause a lot. In 2007, we got and Elis Helrot who appears far in the background over Greedo's shoulder during the alcove encounter. Other than that, and possibly re-using Mosep as Tawss Khaa, there's not a lot there.

The problem is that the left side is "too human", which don't always make for compelling action figures. There's the spacer, which I would very much like to get someday, especially Cantina Dude, but the pickings are otherwise slim, save for the pink lady in the silver onesie. Today I'm so thankful this figure exists. She can been seen right over Ben's right shoulder as he's negotiating passage to Alderaan. With the Cantina HasLab coming, Leesub Sirln will be important to set up that scene, but it feels like that figure would face too many headwinds to ever crack the lineup today.