Sideshow Toys 1/6 Scale Star Wars - Mythos Obi-Wan Kenobi

"Mythos is not based on any scene. It's kind of connecting dots in between what could have happened, what might have happened. It's for you to decide how you want to display it and the story you want to tell with your collection."— Matt Bischof

True to that philosophy, Sideshow’s 2017 1/6 scale Mythos Obi-Wan action figure features a facial likeness clearly modeled after a middle-aged Sir Alec Guinness. Although the figure was released 12 years after Revenge of the Sith—giving Sideshow the perfect opportunity to use a middle-aged Ewan McGregor—they chose Guinness instead, which aligns perfectly with my own preference for the classic "Old Ben" likeness.
In 2024, Sideshow release another statue version in 1/4 scale of this character now giving both headsculpts options.

Chronologically, the figure is set in the timeline between Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV – A New Hope. After surviving the Jedi purge of Order 66, Obi-Wan went into hiding on the desert planet of Tatooine. Adopting the alias "Ben" Kenobi, he lived in complete seclusion to avoid the Empire's attention, dedicating his life to a single, critical mission: ensuring the safety of Anakin Skywalker’s young son, Luke Skywalker.

I did not originally plan on collecting this figure, but an opportunity presented itself on Carousell in November 2023 at a very attractive price. Since it’s a decent piece, it was one of those 'no harm in adding him to the collection' moments. It was advertised as used but complete, but upon inspection, I discovered Ben Kenobi's lightsaber hilt was missing. Fortunately, the seller gave me a further discount, making an already cheap figure an absolute steal. Because it also came with its original packaging box, I walked away with a fantastic deal.

As I mentioned, Ben's lightsaber hilt was missing. The one shown in the picture was actually modified by pulling the lightsaber 'beam' out of the attachment, which was permanently glued on. I did this in a way that still allows me to re-attach the beam whenever I want to use the lighted saber effect

 

 

The Ben Kenobi depicted in this figure seem still full of zest, humping all the gear he need to bring the fight to another day and fully ready. Stark differences from the Ben Kenobi in the Disney's Kenobi miniseries in 2022.

 

DESIGN - 3/5

The GOOD
> Cloak Material : The fabric is soft yet heavy enough to drape naturally. The hood sits perfectly on the head without needing a wire, achieving a realistic flow.

> Belt Durability : Despite being a 9+ year old figure, the belt (presumed to be pleather or high-quality treated leather) has completely escaped deterioration and remains in one piece.

> Ankle Articulation : The split-boot design successfully allows for a great range of movement at the ankle.

> Hands : With soft pliable rubbery plastic makes it easy to work with them holding gear without need for extra heating action. Downside is a weaker hold.

The NOT SO GOOD
> Boot Design : From an aesthetic and personal preference standpoint, a solid, full pair of real leather boots would look better than the split-boot design.

> Lack of Cloak Wires : While the hood doesn't need them, having posing wires along the front opening of the cloak would drastically improve the figure's ability to hold dynamic action poses.

> Rifle clutching right hand : Suppose the appointed hand for this function with index finger unable to lodge inside the trigger ring. Hence it does not serve its intended function well.

Verdict
> The figure strictly follows the standard release playbook, making it a solid but somewhat unexceptional release overall.

 

SCULPTING - 3.5/5 

> Headsculpting : very well sculpted face and it can be recognize easily as a younger Alec Guiness's Ben Kenobi. But hair sculpting need to be more refine ie increase the number of hair strands as the hair looks lumpy.
Albeit the beard are sculpted beautifully.

> Gloves hands : fingerless gloved hands give opportunity to scrutinize the fingers and fingernail clarity which is apparently here. Gloved lines and details are also included.

 

PAINTING - 3.5/5
It is an OK paint job on the face but I have seen better ones. In 2017, where this figure was released, there was already a very high painting standards on the headsculpts that the other big brands have implemented. Sideshow is lagging behind in this area which they always have. Especially human faces.
Nevertheless good weathering paint work were given to the gear and the boot. There is even weathering on the Jedi garb (cloth material) which is a level up.
Win some, equal out for others.

ARTICULATION - 2.5/5
Standard 1/6 humanoid figure's articulation. I tried and failed to achieve a peering through the binoculous pose as the wrist pegs are too short to allow further swivel of the hand upwards. Another major issue is the lose grip (see Design) although not a fault in this department.
Read that between releases there are changes to this figure one of it being the earlier release has a double joint elbow while the later release used a single joint. As such earlier release is more desirable, such as mine.
However, there is no reason to not give all figure a double jointed articulation if it is available let alone reverting to give less articulation is not acceptable.
But well, no breakthrough in this department.

ACCESSORIES - 4.5/5
It is incredibly rare for a figure to achieve the "zero leftover parts" holy grail, especially with a release as packed as the Sideshow 1/6 Mythos Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Sideshow designed this specific figure as a narrative bridge between Episode III and Episode IV, making every single piece of gear a deliberate storytelling tool rather than box filler. By treating the Clone Wars armor, the Gaffi stick, and the packed supplies as environmental backpack gear rather than functional clothing swaps, they ensured that 100% of the narrative accessories live on the figure simultaneously.
This contrasts sharply with figures like the Hot Toys Remnant Snowtrooper, where the included Mouse Droid sits completely independent of the figure, forcing you to either dedicate separate shelf space to it or banish it to the dark confines of the retail box.

To maximize the figure and ensure nothing but the plastic tray is left in the box, the entire arsenal distributes perfectly across his body:
> The Nomad Backpack: Serves as the anchor for the non-wearable Clone Wars armor pieces (chest plate and pauldrons), the Gaffi stick taken from a Tusken Raider, and the macrobinoculars.
> The Belt Loops & Holsters: Dynamically holds both Anakin Skywalker’s lightsaber hilt and Obi-Wan's own hilt, showcasing his status as the guardian of the Skywalker legacy.
> The Droid Parts: The training remote and the severed droid head can be held using the swap-out hands to instantly create an active training or scavenging scene.

This release proved that Sideshow could shift away from generic extra hands and stand-alone props, instead engineering an ecosystem where the figure is the display environment. 

OVERALL - 3.5/5
For a non-canonize character, it is as close as it can get and also gives a fun notion on progression of the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi from being young powerful with the force to slowly aging before we see him once again as the old hermit Ben Kenobi. This was all before Disney's miniseries with his namesake comes out in 2022.
Hence to me, this is an interesting figure to be had at best. The price I paid for him is about right and he has a place in my already very packed display cabinet albeit a 3rd roll-er.
It is a good figure but don't pay more than SGD250/- new for it that's all I have to say.