Star Wars Black Series Red Line

The Star Wars Black Series Red Line is the longest single run in the 6-inch line’s history — 112 numbered figures released across 25 waves from 2015 to 2020, all carrying the distinctive red packaging of Phase 3. It begins with Finn (Jakku) at #01, timed to coincide with The Force Awakens launch in late 2015, and closes with Kit Fisto at #112 just as Hasbro transitioned the line into the Galaxy Collection era. Between those two figures lies the most comprehensive single era of Black Series collecting — covering seven films, four animated series, comics, video games, and the start of The Mandalorian.

For anyone building a Star Wars Black Series collection seriously, the Red Line is unavoidable. Most of the line’s most sought-after figures — Darth Revan, Grand Admiral Thrawn, 4-LOM, Count Dooku — appear here and have not been replaced by Galaxy Collection updates.

What Is the Black Series Red Line?

The Black Series Red Line is the collector name for Phase 3 of the Star Wars Black Series, covering the numbered mainline figures in red packaging from late 2015 through 2020. Hasbro introduced the red packaging alongside The Force Awakens and used it for five years, overlapping with three sequel trilogy films, two anthology films, and the launch of Disney+.

The Red Line numbering sequence runs independently from the Orange Wave and Blue Wave — it resets to #01 rather than continuing from #16. This means there are three figures numbered #01: Orange Wave Luke Skywalker (X-Wing Pilot), Blue Wave Sandtrooper Corporal, and Red Line Finn (Jakku). Collectors tracking all three phases need all three.

The Red Line also introduced dual-numbered figures at #90–#97 — figures that shipped in two variants (standard and First Edition) under the same number. These are not errors but intentional production variants, most of which are functionally identical figures with different packaging inserts.

What Changed From Blue Wave to Red Line?

The Red Line launched at the same articulation standard as the Blue Wave but the era spans a transformative period for the line’s quality. The most significant change comes partway through the Red Line’s run — Hasbro introduced Photo Real face printing in 2019 starting around wave 22. This technology, which uses actual actor photography applied to figure faces, dramatically improved portrait accuracy on human characters. Figures from #90 onward generally have better face printing than anything before them.

This creates a quality split within the Red Line itself. Red Line figures from waves 1–21 (2015–2018) use the pre-Photo Real painting approach with hand-applied face paint. Figures from waves 22–25 (2019–2020) use Photo Real and look noticeably sharper. When assessing whether to buy a Red Line figure for display, knowing which era it comes from matters.

The Red Line is also where the Black Series first tackled Photo Real updates of earlier figures — the Archive sub-line within Phase 3 reissued popular Orange and Blue Wave characters with Photo Real faces, effectively superseding those earlier releases for display purposes.

The Five Years of the Red Line

2015 — The Force Awakens launch (Waves 1–4). The Red Line opens entirely focused on The Force Awakens, with Finn, Rey and BB-8, Kylo Ren, First Order Stormtrooper, Chewbacca, Captain Phasma, Poe Dameron, and supporting characters filling the first sixteen numbers. Force Friday — September 4, 2015 — put five figures on shelves simultaneously in a coordinated retail launch that set records for the line.

2016 — Rogue One and Rebels (Waves 5–10). The Red Line’s most diverse year. Rogue One brought Sergeant Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor, K-2SO, Imperial Death Trooper, Director Krennic, Baze Malbus, and Chirrut Imwe. Star Wars Rebels contributed Kanan Jarrus, Ahsoka Tano, Sabine Wren, and Hera Syndulla. Darth Revan arrived as the line’s first Knights of the Old Republic figure, triggering immediate demand that hasn’t subsided.

2017 — The Last Jedi and saga deepening (Waves 11–14). Grand Admiral Thrawn at #47 is the standout figure of this year — a Walgreens exclusive that drove lines and remains one of the most sought-after Red Line figures. The Last Jedi wave brought Rey (Jedi Training), Kylo Ren (unmasked), Luke (Jedi Master), and the first General Leia. 4-LOM completed the original ESB bounty hunter lineup alongside Bossk and IG-88 from the Blue Wave.

2018 — Solo and Original Trilogy depth (Waves 15–20). Solo: A Star Wars Story brought Han Solo, Lando, Qi’ra, Tobias Beckett, Range Trooper, and the line’s first Rio Durant. The year also filled Original Trilogy gaps — Han Solo (Bespin), Princess Leia (Hoth), Lando Calrissian (Skiff Guard Disguise), Rebel Fleet Trooper, and Dengar rounded out scenes that had been incomplete since 2013.

2019–2020 — Photo Real era and The Rise of Skywalker (Waves 21–25). The introduction of Photo Real technology at wave 22 transformed human figure quality. The Rise of Skywalker brought Rey, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, Sith Trooper, Zorii Bliss, Jannah, and the Knights of Ren. Cal Kestis and the Second Sister Inquisitor from Jedi: Fallen Order arrived alongside early Mandalorian figures. The prequel trilogy received late attention with Battle Droid, Mace Windu, Padme Amidala, Plo Koon, Anakin Skywalker (Padawan), Count Dooku, 0-0-0 (Triple Zero), and Kit Fisto.

What Is Worth Buying From the Red Line?

The Red Line contains more than a hundred figures — not all of them warrant the same attention. The clearest framework for deciding:

Buy the Red Line version when no Galaxy Collection update exists. This covers most of the line’s unique characters — Darth Revan, Grand Admiral Thrawn, 4-LOM, Baze Malbus, Clone Captain Rex, Count Dooku, Kit Fisto — these are the only Black Series versions of those characters available.

Prefer the Galaxy Collection version when Photo Real updates exist. Rey, Kylo Ren, Finn, Poe Dameron, First Order Stormtrooper, Han Solo, and many others have been remolded or updated with Photo Real faces in the Galaxy Collection era and look significantly better on a modern shelf.

Consider the Archive sub-line for Orange and Blue Wave characters reissued within the Red Line packaging era — Archive figures gave Photo Real faces to Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Han Solo, Princess Leia, and others without a full Galaxy Collection remold.

Red Line Exclusives and Variants

Beyond the 112 numbered mainline figures, the Red Line era includes retailer exclusives, Gaming Greats releases, Archive figures, and 40th Anniversary figures — all in red packaging. Notable exclusives include Grand Admiral Thrawn (Rebels) at Walgreens, Gamorrean Guard at Target, and Mara Jade Skywalker at GameStop. The Gaming Greats sub-line launched within the Red Line era with Starkiller from The Force Unleashed and the Purge Trooper from Jedi: Fallen Order. For the complete exclusives picture see the Exclusives Guide.

Red Line vs Galaxy Collection

The Red Line ended in 2020 when Hasbro transitioned to the Galaxy Collection format — dropping the numbered sequence entirely in favour of grouping figures by film and series. The Galaxy Collection uses Photo Real as standard, offers improved articulation on most figures, and is the current production era for the Black Series. The Red Line is now a closed collection that can be completed, which gives it a different appeal to certain collectors.

For a full breakdown of how the phases compare see Phases Explained. For the figures that continued the line from #112 onward see the Galaxy Collection.

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Part of Star Wars The Black Series. Related: Blue Wave | Orange Wave | Galaxy Collection | Phases Explained | Gaming Greats | Exclusives Guide.