Review and comparisons on the Black Series Bo-Katan Kryze helmet from Hasbro – packaging, impressions, materials, aesthetics, features!
Bo-Katan of clan Kryze was born during the era of the Galactic Republic. Her sister Satine Kryze ruled Mandalore with pacifist ideas but many Mandalorians, including Bo-Katan, were against it. As a culture that values power and strength above everything else the idea of being a peaceful civilization wasn’t very appealing to them.
As a result, the Death Watch was created in an attempt to recover the Mandalorian throne and return Mandalore to its old ways.
The character of Bo-Katan has been around for more than ten years. She was first introduced in the Clone Wars animated show, then returned for Star Wars Rebels, and finally made her live-action debut during Season 2 of The Mandalorian.
We’ve seen her go through good and also extremely bad moments in her life, after the Empire took over things went downhill for the only survivor of clan Kryze. One of the most recent episodes of The Mandalorian (The Mines of Mandalore to be more specific) has set up what is looking to be a redemption arc for the former ruler of Mandalore.
She’s a fascinating and complex character that is slowly but surely becoming a fan favorite.
Her high presence and importance in Season 3 of The Mandalorian made me think that it’s the perfect time to review her Black Series Helmet. These are my thoughts, impressions, and experience with it.
Disclaimer: This review is not sponsored. I bought the product with my own money. The thoughts in this review reflect my personal experience and it may be different from yours.
First impressions and unboxing experience
One of my favorite things about Hasbro helmets (other than the helmets themselves) is how they are packaged.
The box is medium-sized with 32cm width(12.5 in), and 28cm height (11 in). If you like to keep your boxes for displaying or because of the re-sell value you’ll find it more than easy to fit this box in a closet or small shelf.
It features multiple pictures of the helmet from different angles and an image of Bo-Katan in the style of the Black Series figures.
Some helmets come in two or even three pieces but this one is a single piece.
It is wrapped in thick paper and cardboard is used to protect the sides of the helmet. It’s decent protection for standard shipping and handling but a drop from a significant height will probably damage it.
The only thing you need to assemble is the Rangefinder. It might be a bit tricky if this is your first Mandalorian helmet but if that’s not the case then you should have no problem at all.
Aesthetics
This is the first time that Hasbro uses this mold. Repaints can get old really quickly so it’s very refreshing something completely new is released.
Bo-Katan’s helmet is heavily weathered (for a Hasbro product), just like we saw it in Clone Wars, Rebels, and The Mandalorian.
It has lots of scratches and battle marks on the front, back, and sides of the helmet.
The colors are very nice, even if you are very nitpicky about them I think you’ll find the “Mandalorian blue” more than acceptable.
The inside is just as you would expect a Mandalorian helmet to see. Obviously, it’s all black but it’s really nice to see details like the small circuits.
Materials and features
The plastic feels very sturdy and of good quality, it is a lot better than any of the Stormtrooper helmets I’ve tried. Obviously, it lacks a little of that metallic look that all Mandalorian helmets have but that’s expected for a product of this price range.
I think that depending on the height and surface, Bo-Katan’s helmet could survive being dropped. I’d never encourage you to test this but it’s nice to feel that it is of higher quality than many other helmets from Hasbro.
The visor surprised me, I can see and walk without any problems (assuming the floor is not full of obstacles). Avoid holding it by the visor, it can be easily scratched if you’re not careful.
Mandalorian helmets do not come with voice changers, instead, they have rangefinders that are ready to engage with the press of a button. You require three AAA batteries that are not included.
Is the Bo-Katan Kryze helmet comfortable to wear?
The first thing that I have to point out is the size. Bo-Katan’s Black Series helmet is thinner than any other Mandalorian helmet. This is the first time that there is no need for extra work like adjusting the straps or even adding custom padding. Keep in mind that this point is very subjective, all heads have different sizes and shapes so your experience might not be the same as mine.
Things can get hot very fast when wearing something that covers your entire head and this is no exception. It is certainly not as suffocating as my previous experiences with helmets but I still can’t imagine wearing this for more than an hour, especially in hot and crowded places. It is also important to note that people who wear glasses won’t be able to use them while having the helmet on.
I don’t have any issues with the previous points because I only have it displayed on my bookshelf but if you want to cosplay for the first time it’s important to know that it might not be a comfortable experience.
How much does it cost? Is it worth it?
The good thing about this helmet not being so recent is that you can get it for very decent prizes. I have seen it being sold from 100-190 USD, it’s a huge range but patience and looking in the right places are key if you want to get it for a good price.
Bo-Katan is having a huge role in the third season of The Mandalorian and this might make her popularity skyrocket, if that happens there’s the possibility of increasing demand and price so have this in mind.
110 USD is how much I paid, it was a very good purchase. It is a unique helmet (so far), the looks are on point and it is more comfortable than many helmets of the Black Series line.
How does it stand against other helmets?
There are many options when it comes to Star Wars helmets. In the last year, I’ve purchased two of them; the Death Watch Mandalorian and Artillery Stormtrooper helmets. It obviously depends on your personal taste but I’ll try to compare them as best as I can.
I consider Bo-Katan’s helmet to be superior in terms of build quality. It is sturdier than both and the plastic feels of higher quality than the Stormtrooper’s.
It is also easier to see where you walk with this one. The Death Watch helmet has a bigger visor but I found it harder to adjust so my sight line wasn’t optimal. No helmet has good ventilation so keep this in mind when going to conventions or costume parties.
All of them look good, but this one stands out from the rest. The Mandalorian Death Watch is basically a repaint from Boba Fett’s helmet. There are also many Stormtrooper repaints, some are better looking than others but at this point in time it’s pretty hard to get a Stormtrooper helmet that is new.
Bo-Katan’s is different in almost every sense, we’ve never seen this shape in a Black Series helmet, the Nite Owl paint job is very cool and overall, it stands out. It is also related to one of the coolest characters in recent Star Wars media.
In case it wasn’t already clear, this is by far my favorite one. I got it for a decent price, aesthetically speaking it stands out from other helmets and it is relatively comfortable to wear.
Should you buy it?
Whether you’re a hardcore collector or a regular person just that wants to have cool Star Wars merch, it’s never easy to decide how to spend your hard-earned money. There are thousands of articles that you can buy; lightsabers, figures, LEGO sets, ships, helmets, clothes, etc.
I don’t consider myself a hardcore collector but I still have a decent amount of Star Wars merch. Hasbro products are never my first choice when I’m looking to add something to my collection mainly due to space limitations and MSRP prices that I consider to be too expensive for what they offer.
Helmets normally fly under my radar mainly because I don’t think that I can use them to their full potential. Ninety percent of the time I’ll choose something else but this toy is incredible. If you want to acquire your first Star Wars Black Series helmet this is one of the best options in my opinion. It stands out, you can find it for a good price and it’s cosplay ready.
Hasbro tends to have problems with the quality of a lot of its products, many are simply not good enough and the ones that are well done can be very expensive. This is a good quality Star Wars product and you can still find it for a more than acceptable price. Only you can decide how to spend your money but I genuinely think this product is really worth a try.
