AAYLA SECURA Jedi Hologram Transmission
Revenge of the Sith Collection 2
Item No.: Asst. 85714 No. 86750
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: III-67
Includes: Lightsaber blade, hilt, display base
Action Feature: Hilt plugs into hole on belt
Retail: $5.24-$6.99
Availability: Fall 2005
Appearances: n/a

Bio: Aayla Secura is an empathic and highly intelligent Jedi Knight with impressive fighting skills. During the Clone Wars, she leads a battalion of clone troopers against the Separatist forces on the planet Felucia. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's toy room.

Commentary: Repaints are a fact of life-- thankfully, Hasbro has managed to come up with some repaints that aren't totally miserable. A few years ago they got the idea to do clear figures like this Aayla Secura, a "hologram" (or "ice sculpture") which takes an existing mold, adds blue plastic and sparkles, and strips away all paint. The end result is a fairly interesting one, because on one hand, it forces you to examine the figure on a different level and brings the sculpt to the forefront. On the other hand, it's just a cheap, unpainted figure for the same price as the fully painted one. In a year like 2005 where figures were cheaper, this wasn't so bad, but as prices creep up it is a little unfortunate.

This release gets points because Hasbro had the good sense to base it on an already great design. Aayla isn't quite super-articulated, but she's close-- were it not for the fact she has a swivel elbow rather than ball elbows, she would probably be perfect. She can sit, stand, and do a lot of things a good toy figure should do. This is great, but not entirely necessary due to the fact that this is a figure more or less aimed at collectors who are just going to stick her on a shelf or leave her in the package. It's nice that the release is more than merely a clearish blue statue, and for Hasbro's purposes, they couldn't have released a better version of this character in this state at the time. The big question for you is if you like the idea of these holographic figures or not-- if you do, get her. If you don't, save your money.

Collector's Notes: As one of the annual final (and seemingly obligatory) repaint waves, this figure came and went quickly in many markets. Even still, it's not like it's "rare"-- they're around, and they're still fairly cheap. While some fans don't much care for these "holo" repaints, it's arguably better than neon repaints, or "desert camo" versions.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 755: May 30, 2008