Star Wars The Black Series Paploo review
Paploo is one of the named members of the acclaimed killer Stormtrooper squad aka The Ewoks. They get based unfairly for being a teddy bear marketing tool, but I liked them in the 80s and love them now.
You’ve gotta admire the carnage these dudes wracked on the Imperials thinking they had the Rebels in a carefully orchestrated trap. Instead, they got beat down and their helmets used for drums.
Paploo had one of the highlight scenes of the battle stealing a Speeder Bike. I’ve been beyond slow opening and reviewing my Speeder bikes, but let’s take a look at its thief with his first solo edition. He got a figure in the Heroes of Endor Pulse exclusive set, but this is Paploo’s debut standalone Black Series figure.
Let’s see if this fierce Ewok fighter is ready to bash some Stormtroopers.
Packaging: I love when Hasbro rolls out the old school classic Vintage Card setup right down to the Kenner logo. This packaging is odd though as it’s featuring a picture of an Ewok who is clearly not Paploo. I wasted way too much time trying to find out this Ewok’s identity but eventually had to move on. Anyway, it’s not Paploo, which might be a problem for MOC collectors.
Over on the back, we get the cross sell with all of the other Vintage Card figures in Paploo’s wave.
Likeness: Similar to Wicket, I was very impressed by the sculpting on Paploo. The layering of the fur is tremendous. All the unique details of his head /body wrap are intact with the feathers and lining.
Paploo reuses the Teebo body, which is a solid build for a thicker, taller Ewok. His head sculpt is also good with a bit more intense expression than Wicket fitting for a more daring warrior.
He also has a belt with a detailed sheath for his knife. Paploo is not here to play around.
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Paint: Ewoks don’t exhaust the Black Series’ team’s paint budget. Paploo is also pretty simple in that regard. Smaller detail elements like his teeth and toenails are impressively done.
There’s a little slop with the feathers with white paint creeping onto the orange. I’m digging how the BS team was able to give the Ewoks’ eyes a glossy wet black look to make them pop.
Scale: It’s cool that Hasbro mixed up the scale with the Ewoks. Paploo is wider and taller than Wicket, the only other Ewok in a different mold. He comes up to Han Solo’s waist.
Articulation: The Black Series engineering team really did some amazing work with the Ewoks. Paploo has far more articulation than I expected and he’s capable of hitting some nice poses.
As an Ewok, he’s not gonna be doing thrust kicks. The mid-torso articulation and knee articulation allows him to hit all the necessary movement an Ewok needs.
Paploo has:
- neck
- ball-jointed shoulders
- elbow
- wrist
- wrist hinge
- torso
- hips
- knees
- ankles
Accessories: While not as loaded as Wicket or Teebo, Paploo has all he really needs. His main weapon is his spear.
It’s uniquely sculpted with two points, a wrap at the tip and fur wrapped around the middle. I wish the knife was removable.
Worth it? The main reason I missed out on Teebo was due to his $25 price tag. Despite the great engineering, the Ewoks just aren’t worth that price. Fortunately, Paploo hit a discounted price point of $14.91. That’s far more reasonable and worth grabbing for that price.
Rating: 9 out of 10
Paploo isn’t cheap, but he’s a nicely done figure. He’s a figure I won’t think about the price after he’s opened and this is a solid addition to the still too small Ewoks collection.
Where to get it? The 40th anniversary Retro figures seem pretty popular though Wicket’s price seems to keep in stock a little longer. Going online is probably the easier option. Entertainment Earth and Amazon still have him in stock.
As an Amazon and Entertainment Earth affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.