Han Solo — Star Wars The Black Series 6-Inch Figure #08
Black Series Han Solo review — figure #08 from the 2013 Orange Wave. 7 accessories including swappable gloved hands, removable vest, and dual belt configuration. How does it compare to later releases?
Overview
Han Solo is one of the most-produced characters in Black Series history, with releases spanning the Orange Wave, the Blue Line, the Red Line, the 40th Anniversary Collection, the Galaxy Collection, and the 50th Anniversary line. If you’re trying to find the best Black Series Han Solo for a modern display, this 2013 Orange Wave release isn’t it — the 2021 POTF2-style 50th Anniversary version brought Photo Real face printing that significantly updates the portrait. But Black Series Han Solo #08 remains a historically important figure and, for its era, an exceptionally well-equipped one.
Released in Wave 2 of the Orange Wave alongside Boba Fett (#06), Greedo (#07), and Princess Leia (#05), this Han Solo was the Original Trilogy hero anchor of the 2013 launch. The A New Hope costume — open collar shirt, black waistcoat, dark trousers — is the most recognised Han Solo look and the one most collectors want as their primary display version. With 19 joints, 7 accessories, interchangeable hands, and a dual belt configuration, Hasbro delivered a figure that went well beyond what the $19.99 price point typically supported.
Accessories
Seven accessories makes Black Series Han Solo #08 one of the most generously equipped figures in the Orange Wave, and the configuration is thoughtful rather than padding.
The core loadout: Han’s DL-44 blaster and Han’s belt with holster. The blaster fits the right hand with the trigger finger naturally seated — galacticfigures confirms the fit is exceptional, one of the best in the wave. The belt holster seats the blaster cleanly for a drawn or holstered display.
The alternate loadout: a Stormtrooper blaster and a Stormtrooper belt. Swapping to this configuration transforms the figure for the Death Star infiltration scene — Han in his A New Hope shirt but carrying Imperial equipment. Both belts and both blasters fit correctly and swap without stress to the figure.
The removable plastic vest adds a third configuration — vest-on for the standard look, vest-off for a more casual in-ship read. The pair of pilot gloves are interchangeable hands, swapping out the standard bare hands to support the Millennium Falcon cockpit scene. Five distinct display configurations from one figure is exceptional value.
Sculpt and Articulation
The portrait captures Harrison Ford’s likeness well for a 2013 pre-Photo Real release — galacticfigures calls it a beautiful sculpt that captures the likeness very well, which is a notably positive assessment for the era. The face application is clean and the proportions are accurate. Up close against later Photo Real Black Series figures, the limitations show, but at display distance this Han Solo reads as the character convincingly.
The 19-joint configuration matches Greedo’s count from the same wave: ball-jointed neck with swivel, ball-jointed shoulders, elbows, wrists, and waist, ball-jointed hips with swivel thighs, above- and below-knee swivels, and ball-jointed ankles. The articulation supports the full range of Han Solo poses — blaster draw, two-handed grip, relaxed standing, cockpit lean. No significant balancing issues reported in action poses.
Display
Black Series Han Solo #08 works across multiple A New Hope display contexts. The cantina configuration — standard belt, DL-44, no vest — pairs directly with Greedo (#07 Orange Wave) for the Mos Eisley confrontation scene. The Death Star infiltration configuration — Stormtrooper belt and blaster, vest-on — pairs with Luke Skywalker (#01) in the same gear for the rescue sequence. The pilot gloves configuration places him in the Millennium Falcon cockpit context alongside Chewbacca and R2-D2 (#04).
For Original Trilogy hero displays, Han alongside Luke (#01 Orange Wave), Leia (Red Line #30), and Chewbacca (Blue Line #04) builds the core Rebel quartet. The Black Series has produced enough OT hero figures that a complete Death Star or Rebel base arrangement is achievable across the Orange and Blue waves.
The 2021 50th Anniversary Han Solo (POTF2 packaging) uses the same basic configuration with an updated Photo Real portrait — if you’re building a modern display and want the best-looking Black Series Han Solo in his A New Hope costume, that version is worth seeking out alongside or instead of this one.
Collector Notes
No variations are recorded for Black Series Han Solo #08. Secondary market values for loose complete copies are modest given the strong original production run.
The accessory situation is worth monitoring on loose secondary market copies. With seven pieces — two belts, two blasters, a vest, and two interchangeable hands — there are multiple items to verify before purchase. The Stormtrooper belt and the pilot gloves are the pieces most commonly missing from loose copies, as sellers may not realise the alternate hand configuration is part of the figure’s accessory suite.
Two later re-releases exist: the 40th Anniversary Han Solo (2017) in Kenner-style packaging, which uses the same mould, and the 50th Anniversary POTF2-style release (2021), which updates the portrait with Photo Real technology. For display purposes the 2021 version is the upgrade — the mould is effectively the same but the face printing substantially improves the likeness.
Verdict
Black Series Han Solo #08 is an excellent figure for its era and among the best-equipped releases in the entire Orange Wave. The seven-accessory configuration with swappable hands and dual belt options gives it display versatility that most 2013 Black Series figures can’t match.
For a modern Han Solo Black Series display, the 2021 50th Anniversary Photo Real release is the stronger shelf choice. For Orange Wave completists, Phase 1 Black Series collectors, or anyone who wants the historically significant first Black Series Han Solo in A New Hope gear — #08 is worth owning and still stands up to scrutiny twelve years later.