STAR WARS Hot Toys Princess Leia (Bespin) (updated with Part II: Kitbash Potential)

Updated with Part II: Kitbash Potential in Post 17 below.

For my previous Star Wars sixth-scale review, see HERE.



Introduction
Hot Toys is apparently determined to milk its Star Wars license for all it's got, reprising different (often slightly different) versions of the same characters over an over, and bringing us renditions of their on-screen appearance from various insignificant or indeed deleted scenes (case in point, sandstorm Luke). This is not quite the same thing with their Bespin Leia, but this is the third (fourth if you count what I consider the non-canonical Sequel Trilogy) iteration of her character produced by Hot Toys (and there is another on its way) while many others still await their first rendition, and it depicts a relatively unimportant, if distinctive appearance of the character in The Empire Strikes Back. I've always had a thing for this look, and I have to confess I was seduced by the serene beauty of the product in the promotional images; so I bought it after having decided that I would not... And it turned out to be more or less as I expected, given previous experience: not bad at all, but not overwhelmingly great either.



Packaging - 3/4 stars
I don't expect to be wowed by the packaging, so this is not terribly important to me, as long as it is practical and safe. And this is, conforming to the traditional boxing standard of (post Rogue One) Star Wars sixth-scale action figures by Hot Toys. We get a rectangular box in two shades of black with a fine photo of the product, and a cigar band with the character's name and "inset" photo running along the bottom of the lid. Inside is a nice (but in my opinion unnecessary) title card with a color image of the product, and below it a clear plastic trey with its clear plastic lid, within which the figure and its "accessories" are cradled safely. Beneath that, there is a cardboard card with the backdrop piece attached through a couple of clear plastic tabs. Everything is collector-friendly and safe. I would have preferred foam, but that would have been a departure from precedent (they did provide foam for their Deluxe Indiana Jones figure, and possibly others I don't know or forget).



Sculpting - 4/4 stars
As usual, Hot Toys does top of the line work, and even their failures are usually more successful than the alternatives. Leia's face is sculpted with great attention to fine details (look at the hair strands and braids), and there are no technical imperfections; the seam line of the mold is perhaps just a little too apparent, while technically handled correctly. The figure stands about 10.5 inches (26.7 cm) tall, which is just a little too tall for a sixth-scale version of actress Carrie Fisher.



Paint - 4/4 stars
Hot Toys' paint application tends to be fairly flawless, and this set is no exception even if, apart from the head, there is little room for complexity. The eyes are clear and glossy, the lips appropriately so, the skin has subtle variation making it appear realistic, the shoes are given an appropriate slightly metallic color, in short everything appears to be good. I don't know whether it is lighting or professional photography (or editing), but I get the feeling that the promotional images were just a bit more attractive than the product we get; then again, I like it better in hand than in my own photos.



Articulation - 4/4 stars
It used to be that Hot Toys bodies were held up as an example of near perfect action figure articulation. Yet, it seems like in recent years every time we have reviewed a Hot Toys set, we have been writing something along the lines of "the underlying body has all the articulation that you might want, but the outfit restricts it significantly in several places." For once this is not the case, and Leia can pose with virtually unhindered freedom ... in an outfit in which we see her do remarkably little onscreen. She can (be posed to) walk, sit, cross her legs, do splits!, and raise her hands up in the air like she don't care. The joints are just the right combination of tight and loose to allow all this and to make it possible to stand the figure in most of these poses. This is excellent; and this is how it should be every time for this price and from this company.



Accessories - 2/4 stars
As so often in recent reviews, this is where Hot Toys products often come up short. There is nothing here I would really call an accessory proper. Admittedly, we do not see Leia in this apparel handling, wielding, using anything at all, so Hot Toys has a perfect excuse to not provide any accessories. For this price, however (more on that later), they ought to. Leia comes with two sets of interchangeable hands (these are spare parts, not accessories), a pair of extra wrist pegs (likewise), an action figure base/stand, and a backdrop display. They certainly could have given us a gun for the grip hand (Kenner and Hasbro did), or a glass or anything film-related. The action figure stand and base are standard Death Star (?) floor type that we have seen with so many other figures; there is a printed card with what is apparently Cloud City flooring on it that you can put on top of the base, securing it in place by inserting the stand part. The backdrop is by far the most impressive and specific "accessory." It is a rectangular plastic-covered styrofoam piece with an indented section at the bottom that is lined with magnets that allow it to attach to the back of the base (and I do like this solution). The surface that remains showing is molded to look like a textured Art-Deco wall panel from Cloud City. Even if I don't care for the look (though it is screen accurate), this is a great idea. But like other such backdrops, it is far too narrow to be useful. I know the idea is that it covers only as much ground as the base, and then you can put your fancy Hot Toys figures together side by side, etc., but the effect is underwhelming. For what it is worth, they could have fitted a wider backdrop without changing the dimensions of the set's box. I almost forgot... there is also the now usual but unnecessary (at least with this set) instruction leaflet (not shown).



Outfit - 3/4 stars
The outfit/appearance recreated in this set is probably the one I liked best, although I do not consider it as iconic as the white-dress-and-hair-buns of A New Hope. It is a strange combination of complex and simple, and was apparently inspired by a variety of traditional Indian dress, with a long-sleeved tunic worn over pants and with an open sleeveless cloak with a quilted yoke at its top. (For once the Hot Toys pants are not too tight and allow for the excellent articulation mentioned above.) I said I like it, though to be honest I do not actually find it very exciting... maybe it was Leia's hair I actually liked? Anyway, Hot Toys did a very good job recreating the outfit, but not a perfect one. The quilted yoke has more pronounced bends here than onscreen, and it should have been worn more open at the neck (the promotional images for the set have it right, but because it is sewn onto the tunic, you cannot correct this by just futzing with it). Looking at set photos from the film, it looks as if the tunic for the action figure was made just a little short -- or it may have something to do with the disparity between Carrie Fisher's height and body type and the sixth-scale version. The bottom of the cloak has a thin metal wire running though it, helping to keep the pleats in place (not very successfully if you look higher up, but then again they were not supposed to be actual pleats). Theoretically, you could adjust this for posing, but without a wire running down the side edges, it is not very easy to make effective use of it (to be honest I didn't really try, as I didn't want to compromise the pleating further). While the wire is generally a good idea, it does get in the way of the cloak draping naturally (of course the cloth might not drape very well in this scale anyway). The intricate embroidery design on the cloak appears to be accurately reproduced but ironed-on (no, I did not really expect them to embroider it). It does appear more vivid and starkly apparent and contrasting with the background of the garment than it does in the film, which does reduce the realism a bit.



Fun Factor - 2/4
I'm divided on this one; this is not a particularly fun Leia in the film, and the absence of other specifically Empire Strikes Back iterations of the characters from the Hot Toys line (Vader, Luke, and Boba Fett don't really count in relation to this set) doesn't help; neither does the absence of any real, if imaginative accessories. That said, with a bit of patience (will they give us a better, Empire Han down the line?) and/or creativity you could get this Leia figure its playmates, create come scenes (the excellent articulation helps), and even manage some kitbashing (more on that in a follow up). Ultimately, you know what comes with this set and can make a reasonably accurate guess as to its appeal and possibilities.



Value - 1/4 stars
Retailing at about $204 (USD), this is noticeably less expensive than many other Hot Toys sets these days. Apparently Hot Toys has taken note of the limitations of the set and priced it accordingly -- within the framework of the prices it has worked so hard to inflate over the last several years. But is the price really justifiable? Hard to tell. But there are reasons to think it might have been lower: yet another rendition of a character already produced, and a less iconic or relevant one; a probable partial recycling of a head sculpt; a recycling and more limited choice of hand sculpts; the complete absence of any real accessory; the recycling of the action figure base and stand (with just a printed card offered as a more specific option); the absence of natural relevant counterparts in the line of figures limiting the fun factor... and so on. Yes, there is the elaborately decorated outfit -- but the pattern is printed and ironed on, and the wire is ultimately a questionable choice; yes, there is the nice backdrop -- but it is narrow, limited, and styrofoam (which is actually impressive, in a way). Although the set is perfectly good for what it is, it could have been so much better -- or it could have featured another, unproduced, perhaps more exciting iteration or character.



Things to watch out for
Nothing I can think of beyond the usual basic precautions (is this because they simply didn't include enough to be careful about?).



Overall - 2.8/4 stars
Like I suggested before, I knew what I was getting, so this was not really disappointing to me. There is a lot here was done right, in fact better than usual, and there were also some things that could have been done better. It is a nicely done set, but certainly not a perfect or very exciting one. I suppose its appeal would depend on a collector's interest in completeness, the character, the actress, or the specific look and setting. But I also imagine that, faced with Hot Toys pricing in general, the casual collector would reserve his or her money for things that they really want or need, and this is one of the more marginal and more limited options out there, so it might suffer by comparison with others.



Where to buy?
(some of these might still be on Preorder)

Alter Ego Comics for $204
Big Bad Toy Store for $205
Cotswold Collectibles for $200
Timewalker Toys for $204



I hope this has been useful. As always, what do you think?

#starwars #empirestrikesback #esb #bespin #leia #cloudcity #hottoys #productreview #female #scifi #fantasy

Great review. My favorite part was the articulation section. Hilarious.

That said, I passed on this. I liked the promo shots (mainly for the head sculpt, and hair style), but she seems to have the “dead eyes” of a stripper in the final product. To be honest, this was never a favorite look of Leia for me — kind of frumpy grandma clothes — and after two films where Carrie was stuck with either multiple layers, or baggy clothes, I could see why she complained to George that she wanted an outfit that showed off the fact that she actually WAS a woman (hence the reason we got the gold bikini).

I was wondering if you were going to get/review this one, GF! Glad to see you did.  

I appreciate the detailed overview as always, and your honest opinion. Unlike you guys, I actually rather like this look from the film..... from my perspective, it's wonderfully retro 70s looking, which is a style I enjoy. Plus, she and Han have that cute little moment when he kisses on her the head while she's wearing this. While it's perhaps not my all-time favourite Leia look, I'm actually pleasantly surprised they even made it at all. 

Now, I'm rather with Stryker in that I thought the prototype head was lovely, but the one they came out with is lacking a bit....and it is indeed in the eyes/expression. They seem overly 'glassy' and blank. ETA: The Hoth Leia headsculpt was MUCH nicer. But sadly I missed out on that one, and now it's insanely priced. 

That being said, I'm actually considering purchasing this one... if for no other reason than I want to encourage Hot Toys to make more female characters dressed in non-action-y clothing! While this isn't quite a 'gown', it's still more stolidly feminine attire and I am all about that. The less Star Wars dresses I have to commission and/or make myself , the better.   I'd give anything for them to do one of Padme's equivalent costumes from either AotC or RotS, for instance. 

The only thing that gives me pause is that I'm still waiting to see if they will make a second RotJ Leia, and if so, which outfit they will go with. If they make a Boushh then that would win hands-down over this one. But even so, it might be a while til we find out. My current plan has been to just get a loose Endor Leia headsculpt and mod it into one of her other RotJ looks that I prefer [not sure which one yet], and if I can manage that, this ESB Leia would be a decent accompanying figure. 

So.... while I agree this one is rather lacking in certain areas, the outfit itself is enough to make me super tempted to get it [if I'm able to do so....that's another story, lol]. 


And who needs accessories when she has shimmery pink shoes!!! 

Stryker2011 wrote:Great review. My favorite part was the articulation section. Hilarious. That said, I passed on this. I liked the promo shots (mainly for the head sculpt, and hair style), but she seems to have the “dead eyes” of a stripper in the final product. To be honest, this was never a favorite look of Leia for me — kind of frumpy grandma clothes — and after two films where Carrie was stuck with either multiple layers, or baggy clothes, I could see why she complained to George that she wanted an outfit that showed off the fact that she actually WAS a woman (hence the reason we got the gold bikini).

Thank you very much. Glad you liked it. Maybe it is the eyes, I can't always put my finger on it. I should do better with the lighting, but at first this was just going to be a shorter and simpler in-hand sort of thing and I didn't bother (my desk is generally inundated with work stuff).

skywalkersaga wrote:I was wondering if you were going to get/review this one, GF! Glad to see you did.  I appreciate the detailed overview as always, and your honest opinion. Unlike you guys, I actually rather like this look from the film..... from my perspective, it's wonderfully retro 70s looking, which is a style I enjoy. Plus, she and Han have that cute little moment when he kisses on her the head while she's wearing this. While it's perhaps not my all-time favourite Leia look, I'm actually pleasantly surprised they even made it at all. 

Now, I'm rather with Stryker in that I thought the prototype head was lovely, but the one they came out with is lacking a bit....and it is indeed in the eyes/expression. They seem overly 'glassy' and blank. ETA: The Hoth Leia headsculpt was MUCH nicer. But sadly I missed out on that one, and now it's insanely priced. 

That being said, I'm actually considering purchasing this one... if for no other reason than I want to encourage Hot Toys to make more female characters dressed in non-action-y clothing! While this isn't quite a 'gown', it's still more stolidly feminine attire and I am all about that. The less Star Wars dresses I have to commission and/or make myself , the better.   I'd give anything for them to do one of Padme's equivalent costumes from either AotC or RotS, for instance. 

The only thing that gives me pause is that I'm still waiting to see if they will make a second RotJ Leia, and if so, which outfit they will go with. If they make a Boushh then that would win hands-down over this one. But even so, it might be a while til we find out. My current plan has been to just get a loose Endor Leia headsculpt and mod it into one of her other RotJ looks that I prefer [not sure which one yet], and if I can manage that, this ESB Leia would be a decent accompanying figure. 

So.... while I agree this one is rather lacking in certain areas, the outfit itself is enough to make me super tempted to get it (if I'm able to do so....that's another story, lol). And who needs accessories when she has shimmery pink shoes!!! 

Thank you very much. Like I said, I do like this look, probably better than many others, while reorganizing that is not super exciting in the end -- she does more in the Hoth outfit, which I like a lot less, although I think you may be right about the head sculpt that came with that. Perhaps because I am not necessarily after each version of a Luke, Han, or Leia (contrary to all appearances on that last one), I would be more excited about a different character that has not yet received an HT rendition -- but I would not suggest that this shouldn't have been done. It just seems to me HT is getting lazy and charging almost as much as if it were being more innovative. It really is a good set, provided you are alright with how limited it is and with the price. As for the shoes, they made me think of the Wizard of Oz. By the way, they are sculpted as one piece with the feet (I think).

Ah, sorry, I was tired when reading this late last night and thought you (GF) were not keen on the outfit but I must have gotten the impression just from Stryker’s comment. I actually really like the Hoth outfit as well (I think it’s again because of all the great Han x Leia scenes that it features in — I’m so predictable ) but sadly missed out on it . The price is just astronomical on the HT Hoth Leia’s now.

And yeah, it IS certainly sparse for the price (I was joking about the shoes, though I do like them for what they are). I noticed on a YouTube review that they are indeed attached to the foot.

Regardless of the failings of this one, I still am more tempted to get it as an actual full boxed figure than I am the upcoming RotJ Endor Leia. While I like the hairstyle and the sculpt seems nice, that particular outfit is one of MY least favourites (maybe cause of the rather ‘blah’ colour scheme?). I would like the Wicket though, so I’m kinda torn.

Oh, I meant to ask — what parts did you use to kitbash the Han in those pics? I have neither a Han nor a Leia in 1/6 form yet, and I’ve been trying to figure how best to remedy that. There’s that Fire(?) Toys ANH Leia set, but there’s no equivalent custom/KO set for Han. And now with this Bespin Leia, even if I got it I’d still run into the issue of not having a matching Han (especially since the Han figures are hard to find/expensive now).

Ha, even though I am often sure to not get a figure just from the title, I still like to read your reviews. When I saw the white background first I was sure our Gubernator got crafty with cookies wrappings, didn't expect this was part of the set.

I really like the shot of the three Leia's arguing/gossiping.

Totally forgot that look. Looks a bit Star Trekish maybe. Long time since I watched that movie. Btw, is there a figure of that silent bald dude with the Bluetooth earphones who saved everyone?

Ovy wrote:Ha, even though I am often sure to not get a figure just from the title, I still like to read your reviews. When I saw the white background first I was sure our Gubernator got crafty with cookies wrappings, didn't expect this was part of the set.

I really like the shot of the three Leia's arguing/gossiping.

Totally forgot that look. Looks a bit Star Trekish maybe. Long time since I watched that movie. Btw, is there a figure of that silent bald dude with the Bluetooth earphones who saved everyone?

No. There hasn’t been a (Lobot, I think his name is), yet.

skywalkersaga wrote:Ah, sorry, I was tired when reading this late last night and thought you (GF) were not keen on the outfit but I must have gotten the impression just from Stryker’s comment. I actually really like the Hoth outfit as well (I think it’s again because of all the great Han x Leia scenes that it features in — I’m so predictable ) but sadly missed out on it . The price is just astronomical on the HT Hoth Leia’s now.

And yeah, it IS certainly sparse for the price (I was joking about the shoes, though I do like them for what they are). I noticed on a YouTube review that they are indeed attached to the foot.

Regardless of the failings of this one, I still am more tempted to get it as an actual full boxed figure than I am the upcoming RotJ Endor Leia. While I like the hairstyle and the sculpt seems nice, that particular outfit is one of MY least favourites (maybe cause of the rather ‘blah’ colour scheme?). I would like the Wicket though, so I’m kinda torn.

Oh, I meant to ask — what parts did you use to kitbash the Han in those pics? I have neither a Han nor a Leia in 1/6 form yet, and I’ve been trying to figure how best to remedy that. There’s that Fire(?) Toys ANH  Leia set, but there’s no equivalent custom/KO set for Han. And now with this Bespin Leia, even if I got it I’d still run into the issue of not having a matching Han (especially since the Han figures are hard to find/expensive now).

No problem, Sky. I'm a little muddled on the outfit -- I like it but don't find it very exciting (I think I put it this way), which is almost a contradiction, but I don't know how else to put it. It is a nicer, more feminine thing for Leia to wear, that isn't quite as cliche as what she wears at the very end of ANH. She seems to have liked it, there is a set photo of her goofing around in the gown/cloak, making it bellow behind her back. But when you come right down to it, it's a little ... drab? Which is probably what they were going for, because the costume reference book mentions how they shrank back from original plans to make it dazzle. Anyway, I do have a thing for this look of Leia's (again, the hair plays a big part in this), so I suppose I was predisposed to get the set, despite how limited it is, and already having a (two) Leia(s).

I think that it is a little nicer in hand than what my photos suggest (again, I should look into a more professional lighting set up), though I can't promise you it would look quite as beautiful as the promotional images make it appear. If you like it, get it while you can. The price is bad enough, but it is better than other new releases in itself, and it would be more insulting once it escalates from a shortage of supply. Hoth Leia isn't my favorite (and I really don't like her hair), but the head sculpt was so awesome I had to have her. Can't say I regret it.

This Han is a kitbash. The outfit is (all? -- it's been awhile) from the Sideshow Han set, the head is from a third party I got on eBay or Onesixthkit, I believe Rogerbee is the one who originally posted about it on the old site, and I went for it. I just looked on there, and it may be this one (at least the first photo for the listing, not 100% sure the others are of it):
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Head-Sculpt-For-Hot-Toy-Figure-Body-Custom-1-6-Scale-Harrison-Ford-Han-Solo-Head/264316578127?epid=697803124&hash=item3d8a7ee94f:g:F-sAAOSwkitb6ETh

Roger did a better job with his kitbash, probably using a better body (mine was Soldier Story, if I recall). See in this thread:
https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t1188-ebay-and-speedpak-from-china

Anyway, even if you can't find this one, there does appear to be a wealth of HT knockoff Han heads on eBay and one of them might work for you.

By the way, when I was looking for the Han Solo head in our threads on google, I came across that charming photo of you with your pooches.

Ovy wrote:Ha, even though I am often sure to not get a figure just from the title, I still like to read your reviews. When I saw the white background first I was sure our Gubernator got crafty with cookies wrappings, didn't expect this was part of the set.

I really like the shot of the three Leia's arguing/gossiping.

Totally forgot that look. Looks a bit Star Trekish maybe. Long time since I watched that movie. Btw, is there a figure of that silent bald dude with the Bluetooth earphones who saved everyone?

The Gubernator would love to get crafty with cookie packaging, but it would seldom survive the first assault on the cookies themselves. Oh why did you have to mention cookies this early in the morning!

I went for that photo (3 Leias gossiping) in lieu of a more line-up one driving home the fact this one comes without any accessories.

I don't believe anyone (except maybe Kenner/Hasbro, but I don't know) has ever done a 1/6-scale figure of good old Lobot. He was one of my first Star Wars figures (Kenner "classic scale"), at a time I didn't even know who he is; I spent a long time trying to turn him into the emperor.

Thanks for all the info, GF, and for reminding me about that thread with the discussion on the various knock off Han heads, I'd never have found it again otherwise. And ha, apologies in advance to any random person doing a search who comes across me and my dogs instead. 

There are indeed lots of KO Han heads floating around ebay, but it's very confusing as I am guessing a number of them are all supposed to be the same head, and yet every pic looks completely different! I tried to pick the ones with the least-flattering images, since I figured they would be more likely to be the correct ones, lol. 

This is, I presume, the KO of the ANH Han head. There are two links showing the same head.... if anyone has one of these and knows what it looks like in-hand, let me know if either of these pics accurately depict it? The first listing seems to be using photos stolen from Giantoy.  

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-6-Scale-Harrison-Ford-Han-Solo-Head-Sculpt-HW-O-Neck-For-12-Action-Figure-new/193022393681?hash=item2cf107fd51:g:XKQAAOSwhvFZNCTd


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-6-Han-Solo-Harrison-Ford-Head-Sculpt-Star-Wars-For-Hot-Toys-PHICEN-Male-Figure/162562024233?hash=item25d973a329:g:6jMAAOSwvflZS0B1

There are loads of other listings with pics showing a head with similar features and expression, but they all have completely different lighting and seemingly widely varying quality of paintjobs. It leaves me   

Back to the actual topic though -- Yes, you are right, if I'm going to go for this Leia figure, I need to decide asap, as the price is only going to increase. And any higher, and it would probably price me out ...especially since I'm still trying to save my pennies for any other eventual Hot Toys output that ends up being a 'must-have' for me. 

If I miss out on this one, do you have any thoughts on that Fire toys knock-off ANH Leia set? Or does anyone have experience with it? I'm curious about it, but the thing stopping me from ever getting it has been my uncertainty of the costume and headsculpt's compatibility with a smaller female body. I'm concerned it was perhaps made for a 'regular' size 1/6 body, and thus would have height accuracy issues alongside other figures. 

Would rather get this Bespin one, but just trying to cover all my bases....

GubernatorFan wrote:I don't believe anyone (except maybe Kenner/Hasbro, but I don't know) has ever done a 1/6-scale figure of good old Lobot. He was one of my first Star Wars figures (Kenner "classic scale"), at a time I didn't even know who he is; I spent a long time trying to turn him into the emperor.

That's so cute and funny, love the mental image. Lobot for Galactic Emperor! :'D

skywalkersaga wrote:Thanks for all the info, GF, and for reminding me about that thread with the discussion on the various knock off Han heads, I'd never have found it again otherwise. And ha, apologies in advance to any random person doing a search who comes across me and my dogs instead. 

There are indeed lots of KO Han heads floating around ebay, but it's very confusing as I am guessing a number of them are all supposed to be the same head, and yet every pic looks completely different! I tried to pick the ones with the least-flattering images, since I figured they would be more likely to be the correct ones, lol. 

This is, I presume, the KO of the ANH Han head. There are two links showing the same head.... if anyone has one of these and knows what it looks like in-hand, let me know if either of these pics accurately depict it? The first listing seems to be using photos stolen from Giantoy.  

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-6-Scale-Harrison-Ford-Han-Solo-Head-Sculpt-HW-O-Neck-For-12-Action-Figure-new/193022393681?hash=item2cf107fd51:g:XKQAAOSwhvFZNCTd


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-6-Han-Solo-Harrison-Ford-Head-Sculpt-Star-Wars-For-Hot-Toys-PHICEN-Male-Figure/162562024233?hash=item25d973a329:g:6jMAAOSwvflZS0B1

There are loads of other listings with pics showing a head with similar features and expression, but they all have completely different lighting and seemingly widely varying quality of paintjobs. It leaves me   

If you want the head Roger and I have, try checking with Onesixthkit to see if perhaps he still has some, although it might be sold out. Of the other options, it looks to me like the second listing (acecunion) has the better chance of getting you what you see -- although even there it is possible they simply slapped their name on pre-existing photos. I have bought from them before, and they have not disappointed. Also, and more to the point, they have supposedly sold 30 of these head sculpts already, and I don't see anyone leaving negative or neutral comments about them, so I'm guessing no one felt cheated. I hope that is good advice.

PS - I got burned buying THIS one (or one purporting to be it, using the same photos), avoid it.

skywalkersaga wrote:Back to the actual topic though -- Yes, you are right, if I'm going to go for this Leia figure, I need to decide asap, as the price is only going to increase. And any higher, and it would probably price me out ...especially since I'm still trying to save my pennies for any other eventual Hot Toys output that ends up being a 'must-have' for me. 

If I miss out on this one, do you have any thoughts on that Fire toys knock-off ANH Leia set? Or does anyone have experience with it? I'm curious about it, but the thing stopping me from ever getting it has been my uncertainty of the costume and headsculpt's compatibility with a smaller female body. I'm concerned it was perhaps made for a 'regular' size 1/6 body, and thus would have height accuracy issues alongside other figures. 

Would rather get this Bespin one, but just trying to cover all my bases....

Since you like what you see and are not having a problem with the scarcity of accessories, I would say go for it. You are not going to get a stab at a less expensive Leia from Hot Toys (probably, then again they do love to redo the same characters over and over -- but even if they ever give you Ewok village Leia, she's have rooted hair and that might drive up the price all over again). As for the ANH knock off (which is a very different look), I don't own one to be sure, but I think it is decent quality. If it is a knock off proper, it would be about the same size as the original, and the original is about 10.5 inches tall. There is a YouTube  comparing them (after 3:35, before that it shows you Hot Toys and Sideshow side by side), but it doesn't seem to be very much in focus (and in this instance, it is just the head sculpt).



This next one is just on the knock off, but it does look pretty good (in this instance, he got the whole set).



Again, I hope this is good advice.

I have that same Han Solo head sculpt as Roger and the Guv, skywalkersaga. I’m not using it if you want it — I went with the smirk from the Han Trooper version to make my ANH Solo.

Thanks for the comparision vid, GF. It does seem to be more or less the same size. Good to know. While It's not my all-time top look, I just wanted to have a back up plan. I actually don't mind the original on-screen ANH style, but the depictions of her iconic white dress in 1/6 form are often too bulky and don't drape well enough or capture the 'flowy-ness' of the material. Even the official Hot Toys version is still a bit on the bulky side, imo. In that regard at least, this ESB Bespin outfit is an improvement. 

When it comes to RotJ Leia, I DEFINITELY want/need a depiction of her from that film -- RotJ Luke is currently very lonely -- but I'll just have to see what HT does. I would think that Boushh would be the look they'd be more likely to go with, since it's high time that got a 1/6 upgrade. It's also one of my fave Leia outfits, so I would not complain if that were the case. Though likely a Boushh figure would be quite expensive, comparatively. Currently, my plan is to get a loose Endor Leia sculpt and convert it to the Ewok village look with tibetan lamb hair. I have no idea if it's feasible, but I hope so. 

Stryker -- thank you so much for the kind offer. I probably ought to figure out what I'm doing re: Leia figures first, but once I do I'll let you know. :')

HT is already doing Leia from ROTJ if you recall:

https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t2081-new-product-hot-toys-star-wars-return-of-the-jedi-princess-leia-1-6th-scale-collectible-figure?highlight=Endor+Leia

https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t2083-new-product-hot-toys-star-wars-return-of-the-jedi-princess-leia-and-wicket-1-6th-scale-collectible-figures-set?highlight=Endor+Leia

That’s not to say there won’t be other versions, such as Boushh, in the future. I wouldn’t mind the Ewok version, and of course, since I already have ANH and Hoth versions, I definitely want the Slave version (but right now, as long as Disney is in psycho PC mode, that one may not happen for a very long time — if at all).

Yes, that RotJ Leia does look quite nice, and I'm very keen to see how the headsculpt on it turns out. I'm just torn when it comes to purchasing the full figure since I don't necessarily want to display her in that Endor outfit [with or without the poncho]. My preference for displaying a RotJ Leia would be for Boushh or the Ewok village dress [or one of each]. Nothing against the Slave Leia outfit, since unlike some I have no issues with that look, and even, gasp, LOVE IT.  But I just think that one works better in a diorama display where you can give her some 'context', such as having her either lounging like in your Jabba dio, or in a more action-y set up like in the sail barge/Battle of Karkoon scene. I'd feel like having a Slave Leia just stuck on a figure stand would be kind of a waste, lol. 

I understand your grumpiness on the Disney issue, Stryker...believe me.   Though hopefully you can eventually kitbash a Slave Leia using a nicer headsculpt? Even if it means getting an HT sculpt modded and repainted to match a tbleague body or something....surely it would be worth it.

skywalkersaga wrote:I understand your grumpiness on the Disney issue, Stryker...believe me.   Though hopefully you can eventually kitbash a Slave Leia using a nicer headsculpt? Even if it means getting an HT sculpt modded and repainted to match a tbleague body or something....surely it would be worth it.

Great minds think alike. I POd the Leia/Wicket 2-pack, and an extra Endor Leia for that very reason — to modify the head sculpt on the single version, and see how the underlying body looks (in the hopes I can find a seamless match somewhere).

Stryker2011 wrote:

skywalkersaga wrote:I understand your grumpiness on the Disney issue, Stryker...believe me.   Though hopefully you can eventually kitbash a Slave Leia using a nicer headsculpt? Even if it means getting an HT sculpt modded and repainted to match a tbleague body or something....surely it would be worth it.

Great minds think alike. I POd the Leia/Wicket 2-pack, and an extra Endor Leia for that very reason — to modify the head sculpt on the single version, and see how the underlying body looks (in the hopes I can find a seamless match somewhere).

Awesome, I can't wait to see how that turns out!  

Oh, and I meant to say to GF not to worry about the lighting in the review pics, I think they look fine. Though I did also go through and watch almost every Bespin Leia review video I could find on youtube, and it seems like this headsculpt is one of those where the lighting and the angle can make quite a difference in the overall impression. It seems like softer/more diffused lighting is much kinder to it, and greatly reduces the glassy-eye look.

Part II: Kitbash Potential

One of the cool things about having more than one ESB Leia is that, between them, you could (almost) make a third. In the more action-packed scenes on Cloud City (Han being put into carbonite; the escape), Leia still sports the braided hair from the "Bespin" version HT just made, while wearing the white garb from the "Hoth" version from some time ago. So you can put the "Bespin" head on the "Hoth" figure, shed the beige vest, and you are almost there. I say almost, because on Cloud City Leia wears different boots than she did on Hoth. They are white and heeled -- you could get closer to the look by using the boots from ANH Leia (which HT produced first), although they are not quite the same in appearance -- they have flat black soles instead of a white heel, and they are ribbed, although one is not likely to notice that part. Because they are largely obscured by the pant legs covering them from above, you might be able to get away with it.

Anyway, below is a shot of this simplest of kitbashes with the wrong (Hoth) boots...



And below with slightly improved (ANH) boots...





And below you can't tell what boots she has on at all...







Plus a line-up of all three HT Original Trilogy Leias so far (the point was the others had guns and other accessories -- ANH Leia also had the imperial blaster rifle I lent the custom Bespin one in the first shot above).



What do you think?

That's excellent! I'd wondered if 'Bespin Escape' Leia was possible to create with those, and you answered the question superbly. The ANH boots help give the right impression. And it's great to see the 'I love you, I know' look. :'D

She looks great like that. Nice bash.

skywalkersaga wrote:That's excellent! I'd wondered if 'Bespin Escape' Leia was possible to create with those, and you answered the question superbly. The ANH boots help give the right impression. And it's great to see the 'I love you, I know' look. :'D

Thank you very much. Yep, the boots are suggestive enough, if not accurate. And I thought you'd like that.

Stryker2011 wrote:She looks great like that. Nice bash.

Thank you very much. Glad you liked it.

Awesome Gub, that's the ultimate Leia!!! Even if all three are beautiful, I prefer your custom mix! (great review btw!)

blackpool wrote:Awesome Gub, that's the ultimate Leia!!! Even if all three are beautiful, I prefer your custom mix! (great review btw!)

Thank you very much, Alex, I'm glad you liked it. That Leia definitely "kicked ass," and I'm happy my attempt to recreate her by mixing and matching from the three sets resonated with you.

Ok, I went and bit the bullet and ordered the Bespin Leia -- directly from Sideshow, since the only way I could afford it at this time was via payment plan. ;p Means she probably won't get shipped to me til sometime in April, but I thought I'd rather wait a few extra months to have her in-hand than miss out on her completely. 

Now hoping they will eventually make a Bespin Han -- if it were to end up anything like the one teased in the promo pics of the Bespin Leia, I'd be all over that. ;D 




I'd probably pose them exactly like that, too.

skywalkersaga wrote:Ok, I went and bit the bullet and ordered the Bespin Leia -- directly from Sideshow, since the only way I could afford it at this time was via payment plan. ;p Means she probably won't get shipped to me til sometime in April, but I thought I'd rather wait a few extra months to have her in-hand than miss out on her completely. 

Now hoping they will eventually make a Bespin Han -- if it were to end up anything like the one teased in the promo pics of the Bespin Leia, I'd be all over that. ;D 

Congratulations, and I hope you love her. Yes, a Bespin Han would be a welcome thing, not so much because he would be so different (eh, collar, long sleeves, no pockets on back of jacket, different color stripes on pants), but because they will get another chance of getting the face right -- and if they do, it would have the Hot Toys treatment which is still more often than not a very good thing. Looking at the photo, I do think they must have made a prototype, because the clothing does look better than the Sideshow version (which you see in my photos).

GubernatorFan wrote:

skywalkersaga wrote:Ok, I went and bit the bullet and ordered the Bespin Leia -- directly from Sideshow, since the only way I could afford it at this time was via payment plan. ;p Means she probably won't get shipped to me til sometime in April, but I thought I'd rather wait a few extra months to have her in-hand than miss out on her completely. 

Now hoping they will eventually make a Bespin Han -- if it were to end up anything like the one teased in the promo pics of the Bespin Leia, I'd be all over that. ;D 

Congratulations, and I hope you love her. Yes, a Bespin Han would be a welcome thing, not so much because he would be so different (eh, collar, long sleeves, no pockets on back of jacket, different color stripes on pants), but because they will get another chance of getting the face right -- and if they do, it would have the Hot Toys treatment which is still more often than not a very good thing. Looking at the photo, I do think they must have made a prototype, because the clothing does look better than the Sideshow version (which you see in my photos).

Thanks! This will be my first 1/6 Leia, and I'm glad it's this one that will have the honour. I really would have liked Hoth Leia as well, but I came too late to 1/6 scale and missed out on her, so I didn't want the same thing to happen on this one. 

I very much hope that HT Bespin Han will indeed materialize -- as you say, it looks like there is at least a prototype done for the body and the outfit, but I'm guessing the head is still being worked on. I could be wrong, but I don't really recall them showing figures so prominently in another figure's promo pics without having the plan of eventually releasing said figures. So... fingers crossed?