Despite her brief appearances in the films,  Aayla Secura has a good following among the fan base.  As far as her action figure, I didn't really give much thought to an upgrade even with the less than spectacular efforts in 2003 and 2005. But Hasbro took the Twi'lek Jedi Master to another level of sculpt and super-articulation to give us a definitive version for awhile.

VC58 AAYLA SECURA

Appearance: Revenge of the Sith
Sequence: VC58
Asst. 98524/37499
Includes: Lightsaber, Lightsaber hilt, Removable Robe
Retail: $9.99
Released: April 2012

Cardback:  Celebrate the legendary Star Wars saga that changed the universe forever! This collection brings to life the incredible story of good versus evil that captured our imagination and took us to a galaxy far, far away. Iconic Star Wars heroes and villains are captured with incredible detail and premium features to commemorate each epic tale in the Star Wars saga. May the Force be with you! [IMAGE BANK PHOTOS]

SCULPT/PAINT: Aayla's skin tone is bluer and richer than her previous iterations. The sculpt work on this figure is really well done with a good balance of proportion and feminine lines as well as a good facial resemblance to actress Amy Allen.  Additional details include paint deco on her lekku in the form of pink spots and two fingers on her left hand extended to unleash some Force.

ARTICULATION: Hasbro wanted to make sure you can pose this figure in various battle positions, so the 14 points of articulation includes ball jointed shoulders, elbows,and hips. The ball joint articulation located on her midriff instead of a swivel waist was a good design decision by Hasbro to accentuate the feminine aesthetics as well as giving an extra range of motion and poseability. We're glad they left that navel alone.

ACCESSORIES: She comes accessorized with a lightsaber and unlighted hilt that attaches to her left hip. While Hasbro gives you the option of a Jedi robe, the soft goods looks huge and doesn't lay as it should, so Aayla is best displayed without it. You don't want to hide this figure's figure, if you will. Besides, she never wore one in ROTS. 

CARDBACK: The colorful Felucian backdrop Hasbro used for the card front  sort of looks busy and obscures the stock character photo that's layered over it in some ways. That photo had more pop against a more neutral Geonosian background like in the 2003 blister packaging. Like the rest of Wave 4, which were originally scheduled for release last year,  Aayla's card back is the 2011 style with a photo of the figure's first appearance as an action figure and a lineup of the rest of the wave on the bottom portion.

Looking at that 2003 figure on the cardback and in our photo comparison, with its pre-posed action sculpt and magnet on the hand gimmick, you gain an even deeper appreciation for what Hasbro achieved with this latest and ultimate version.

TOPPING THINGS OFF: The ill-fitting robe is the only flaw to this otherwise superb figure, and it's negligible. What counts is the amazing work Hasbro has done underneath, and that's a superior super articulated and excellently designed Aayla Secura that leaves all previous attempts in the dust. A definite must collect.

RATING: MOST WANTED