Star Wars The Black Series Padme Amidala review – The Phantom Menace (02)
Padme Amidala finally getting a Phantom Menace Black Series figure shows a welcome change in mindset for the Hasbro Star Wars team. Phantom Menace only had one dedicated figure from the film with the 2021 deluxe Jar Jar Binks. It’s also the one prequel film with a small enough cast that it wouldn’t take but a small, focused effort to get the main players done.
We’d already gotten Darth Maul, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi and a much improved three pack in 2024, so getting the two important younger cast members in Anakin and Padme was key.
Let’s see if this Padme Amidala figure is the real deal or if this one is just a decoy.
Packaging: With the Phantom Menace packaging, Hasbro decided on a brighter orange yellow accent color. Padme is No. 3 after Anakin. Her mural image does a nice job of capturing a younger Natalie Portman. Behind Padme is the Theed Royal Palace in the background.
Her bio is less specific than most figures as it sums up her role in the prequels instead of her particular outfit represented with the figure.
Likeness: Padme Amidala has a number of looks to choose from for her first Phantom Menace Black Series figure. Hasbro resisted the urge to go for one of Padme’s more elaborate Queen Amidala looks just for the challenge. Instead, they went with her look from the final act when she pleads with Boss Nass to align with her Naboo forces and they take back the palace from Nute Gunray.
The queen’s “servant” attire when she travels with Qui-Gon, R2-D2 and Jar Jar would have been my second choice since that’s what she wears through a significant portion of the film. And it’s what she’s wearing when she first meets Anakin, who doesn’t have nearly as extensive a wardrobe.
For this flowing robed attire, the Black Series team gave the tapered sections a softer material. I really dig the work on the smaller details like her belt buckles and the ornate pattern on her shoulder section along the base of her robe.
Hasbro’s Black Series team hasn’t had problems capturing Portman’s likeness. It’s one they’ve consistently gotten right. I like the determination in her expression as it fits the moment of the Naboo and Gungans fighting back against the Separatists.
And her unique hairstyle from this sequence is dead on too. I’d love to see the Black Series continue to do more looks for Padme as she has so many looks throughout the prequels.
My figure did have what looks like some glue on either side of her head that creates shine points in her hair. It’s more noticeable under direct light, but it’s still annoying to see.
Scale: I appreciate how the Black Series team typically is so dialed in with scale. The Phantom Menace characters are perfectly synched up with each other, so Padme Amidala is taller than Lil Ani and looking up at Obi-Wan and Qui-Gonn. I’d love to get a Boss Nass and Captain Panaka as well since they interact so closely with Padme in this attire.
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Paint: Padme Amidala is away from Tatooine and doesn’t have to worry about the sand getting everywhere. In the film, her maroon robe looks like a darker shade, but it’s just a trick of the shadows. Hasbro got the color correct. The gold accents look great with a nice sheen to them.
It does seem like they didn’t quite get it right with the color of her clothing, which is largely obscured by the robe. In the film, it looks more like it’s orange and not pink. And the interior of the robe should have this same color along with a gold stripe along the width of the interior.
Padme’s head sculpt is nicely done with just a faint touch of blush on her cheeks and of course getting the mole on her left cheek.
Articulation: This is Padme Amidala at her most active in combat. Even then she’s mostly briskly walking with an occasional run. She’s mainly firing her blaster at the Battle Droids.
That said, she still gets plenty of range in her elbow articulation to fire away.
And surprisingly, her robe does not hinder any of Padme’s leg movement so she can hit plenty of deep stance poses.
Padme Amidala has:
- neck
- ball-jointed shoulders
- elbow (with swivel)
- wrist
- wrist hinge
- torso
- hips
- knees
- ankles
Accessories: Black Series figures don’t normally get a ton of accessories, but Padme Amidala actually has a decent amount.
She’s got her sleek small ELG-3A blaster. This is cast in a light grey color though it really should be silver to get that ideal sheen. It’s also missing the brown handle, a rarity with the Black Series line, which typically precisely matches up to the source material for the weapons.
In a nice bonus, she also gets the S-5 Security-grade blaster/ascension gun that she, Panaka and the troops used to escape the Battle Droids.
This is clearly where the paint app budget went as it has the silver sheen, black for the barrel and body and a brown handle.
She also gets another hand to better hold the ELG-3A.
Worth it? Padme is the usual $24.99. I was able to get her through a Hasbro Pulse sale and got her for under $17. That’s a good deal for a good figure.
Rating: 9 out of 10
Padme Amidala was long overdue for my The Phantom Menace display. She gets a really solid figure and hopefully this is just the first of her TPM figures.
Where to get it? I haven’t seen Padme Amidala in stores, but she’s readily available at Amazon and Entertainment Earth.
As an Amazon Associate and Entertainment Earth affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.