The Ronin — Star Wars The Black Series

Overview

The Ronin is the nameless wandering swordsman from The Duel — the opening episode of Star Wars: Visions Volume 1. Fan Channel exclusive. $24.99. 2025. 20 points of articulation. The figure brings the most visually distinctive character from the anthology series to the Black Series, translating the anime-inspired samurai aesthetic into the standard 6-inch scale.

Star Wars: Visions is an anthology of short films from various anime studios, each set in the Star Wars universe but operating outside the main canon. The Duel was produced by Kamikaze Douga in a black-and-white ink wash style — the only episode in the anthology presented that way. The Ronin is its central character: a former Sith who now wanders the outer reaches, protecting villages from bandits, carrying a red lightsaber concealed inside a wooden staff.

The Figure

20 points of articulation: ball-jointed top neck, ball-jointed lower neck, butterfly joints in the shoulders, ball-jointed shoulders, swivel-hinged elbows, ball-jointed forearms beneath the sleeves, swivel-hinged wrists, ball-jointed waist, barbell-jointed hips, ball-jointed knees, and swivel ankles. The butterfly shoulder joints are significant — they allow the Ronin to achieve the wide, sweeping sword stances the character uses in the episode, which a standard shoulder joint would restrict. For a figure whose primary appeal is samurai posing, the articulation scheme is well-considered.

The figure is the coloured version of The Ronin — the production art configuration rather than the black-and-white ink wash of the episode itself. The colour palette is dark and muted: grey and black robes, weathered accessories, a design that reads as both Star Wars and chambara simultaneously.

Accessories

The lightsaber is designed to store inside the wooden staff sheath — the key design detail from the episode, where the Ronin’s identity as a Force user is concealed until the moment of combat. The staff can be held in either hand. The straw hat is removable. The cloak layers over the figure correctly and doesn’t restrict the articulation significantly for standing poses.

The Visions Context

The Duel was produced by Kamikaze Douga and runs approximately 13 minutes. The Ronin is never named in the episode — the credits list him only as “Ronin.” He arrives in a village being extorted by a bandit gang led by a female Sith. He defeats her, takes her kyber crystal, and moves on. The visual language is deliberately referential to Akira Kurosawa’s samurai films — Yojimbo particularly — with the Star Wars iconography mapped onto the jidaigeki genre rather than the other way around.

The Black Series figure is the coloured version, which Hasbro produced alongside promotional materials for the episode. A separate fan-made black-and-white display approach exists but requires custom painting — the retail figure is the colour version.

Display

The Ronin works best in a dedicated Visions display alongside other anthology figures, or as a standalone piece on a shelf that has room for a design that doesn’t quite fit anywhere else in the Black Series. He doesn’t belong with the Clone Wars figures or the Original Trilogy era — he’s from a parallel Star Wars that runs by different rules. That distinctiveness is the display argument: a shelf that includes The Ronin has something no other Star Wars shelf has.

For posing, the butterfly shoulder joints mean you can replicate the defensive two-handed grip from the episode’s opening sequence, or the wide guard stance from the duel itself. The staff/lightsaber concealment mechanic is the figure’s most interactive feature — it works cleanly and adds a layer of play that most Black Series figures don’t have.

Fan Channel Exclusivity

Fan Channel exclusive at $24.99 — available through Entertainment Earth, BigBadToyStore, and Hasbro Pulse. Not a wide retail release, which means acquisition requires intentional sourcing. Secondary market availability is straightforward; the figure hasn’t commanded significant premiums.

Our Verdict

The Ronin is the best argument for the Visions tier of the Black Series — a figure that exists nowhere else in the line, from a story that exists nowhere else in Star Wars. The articulation is well-suited to the character. The accessories are thoughtfully designed. At $24.99 Fan Channel pricing it’s fairly valued. If you watched The Duel and wanted it on a shelf, this is exactly what you’d want.

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Part of Star Wars The Black Series | Star Wars: Visions. Related: Gaming Greats | Expanded Universe Display.