Star Wars Black Series Blue Wave

The Star Wars Black Series Blue Wave covers sixteen 6-inch figures released across 2014 and 2015 — the second numbered series in the Black Series line, following directly from the Orange Wave that launched the format in 2013. Blue Wave figures carry the distinctive blue packaging of Phase 2, numbered #01 through #16 across five retail waves (waves 5–9 in the overall line sequence). Together with the Orange Wave’s thirteen mainline figures, the Blue Wave completes the first thirty numbered Black Series releases.

If you are building a complete Star Wars Black Series collection, the Blue Wave fills in characters the Orange Wave either skipped or only touched briefly — Return of the Jedi heroes, the ESB bounty hunter lineup, the first prequel Jedi, and the first Clone Wars army builders. It is the wave that turned the Black Series from a promising launch into a credible saga-spanning line.

What Is the Black Series Blue Wave?

The Black Series Blue Wave is the informal name collectors use for Phase 2 of the Star Wars Black Series 6-inch line — figures produced and released under Hasbro’s blue packaging design from mid-2014 through late 2015. The blue box replaced the orange packaging of Phase 1 and was itself replaced by the red packaging of Phase 3 in late 2015.

The Blue Wave figures continue the numbered sequence begun by the Orange Wave. While the Orange Wave ran #01–#14 (with no #13), the Blue Wave runs #01–#16 with its own numbering sequence — so there are two figures numbered #01 through #16, one from each phase. This trips up new collectors regularly: Blue Wave #01 is Sandtrooper Corporal, while Orange Wave #01 is Luke Skywalker (X-Wing Pilot).

Blue Wave vs Orange Wave — What Improved?

The Blue Wave figures use the same articulation standard as the Orange Wave — double-jointed knees and elbows, ball-jointed head and torso, swivel wrists — and both phases predate Hasbro’s Photo Real face printing technology introduced in 2019. Portrait quality on human figures from both eras is noticeably weaker than current Galaxy Collection standards.

What improved from Orange to Blue is scope and character selection rather than engineering. The Orange Wave was heavily weighted toward A New Hope and The Phantom Menace. The Blue Wave spreads across the full saga — Return of the Jedi, The Empire Strikes Back, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith all get meaningful representation for the first time.

Paint consistency also improved slightly through the Blue Wave run, and some figures show tighter assembly tolerances than the earliest Orange Wave releases. Neither phase is where you look for the best Black Series versions of characters — that belongs to the Galaxy Collection era — but the Blue Wave holds up better than its age might suggest, particularly on alien and armoured figures where portrait technology matters less.

All 16 Blue Wave Figures

Wave 5 opens with Sandtrooper Corporal, Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight), and Chewbacca. The Vader and Luke Jedi Knight pairing gives Return of the Jedi its first 6-inch representation in the Black Series — the throne room duel finally playable. Chewbacca had been notably absent from the Orange Wave launch and his arrival was one of the most requested additions.

Wave 6 broadens the roster — TIE Pilot is the line’s first Imperial pilot figure and remains a popular army builder even in the Photo Real era. Yoda brings the first prequel-era Jedi to the numbered line. Clone Trooper Sergeant is the first Clone Wars army builder. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Blue Line) in his Revenge of the Sith costume is the second Obi-Wan in the line after the Orange Wave ANH version.

Wave 7 delivers two of the most memorable costume variants in the early Black Series — Han Solo in Stormtrooper Disguise and the paired Luke Skywalker in Stormtrooper Disguise from the Death Star infiltration. Bossk joins the ESB bounty hunter lineup that Boba Fett had anchored since the Orange Wave.

Wave 8 adds Emperor Palpatine — the first Sith ruler in the numbered Black Series line, arriving with both a lightsaber and Force lightning accessories — alongside Clone Trooper Captain in red-marked Phase II armour.

Wave 9 closes the Blue Wave with its three most significant figures. Clone Commander Cody in orange-marked Phase II armour had been among the top fan requests since the line’s launch and delivered strongly on arrival. IG-88 in full assassin droid scale made a striking shelf presence given his height relative to standard figures. Princess Leia Organa (Boushh) in the Return of the Jedi infiltration disguise rounds out the wave and remains one of the better Leia releases in the numbered era.

What Is the Blue Wave Worth Collecting?

For collectors building a complete numbered Black Series run, the Blue Wave is essential — these sixteen figures form the bridge between the Orange Wave launch and the Red Line that carried the line through 2015–2020.

For collectors who only want the best version of each character, the picture is more complicated. Several Blue Wave characters have received Galaxy Collection updates with Photo Real face printing that are simply better display pieces than the 2014–2015 originals. Darth Vader, Luke Jedi Knight, Emperor Palpatine, and Obi-Wan Kenobi all have superior modern releases. If display quality is the priority, buy the Galaxy Collection versions of those characters.

Where the Blue Wave holds its own against modern releases is on figures where the portrait technology gap matters less — armoured characters, aliens, and droids. The TIE Pilot, Bossk, Clone Commander Cody, and IG-88 all remain competitive on a modern shelf despite their age. None of these has received a definitive Galaxy Collection replacement as of 2025.

Secondary Market

Blue Wave figures are readily available on the secondary market at modest prices — most individual figures trade for £10–25 carded in good condition, with Commander Cody and IG-88 at the higher end given sustained demand. The Boba Fett and Han Solo in Carbonite SDCC 2013 exclusive from the Orange Wave remains far more expensive than anything in the Blue Wave. Completing all sixteen Blue Wave figures in blue packaging is straightforward and inexpensive compared to other collecting goals in the line.

What Came Next

The Blue Wave was the last packaging era before Hasbro redesigned the Black Series in red for Phase 3 — a change that coincided with the launch of The Force Awakens in late 2015. The Red Line ran from #01 through #112 across 25 waves and covered the full prequel, original, and sequel trilogies in exhaustive depth. For the full context see Phases Explained.

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Part of Star Wars The Black Series. Related: Orange Wave | Red Line | 40th Anniversary | Phases Explained.