Black Series Bo-Katan Kryze Helmet review

With Bo-Katan taking such a prominent role in The Mandalorian season three, the time was right for Hasbro to welcome the stunning Bo-Katan Kryze Helmet to its acclaimed Black Series. 

Even though it’s described as a toy line, The Black Series collection is targeted more towards collectors as display pieces rather than as playthings (although you can do that too). The collection features high quality action figures, special items, vehicles and, of course, lightsabers from both the Star Wars canon and Expanded Universe – it’s certainly been a big hit with Star Wars fans!

From the Star Wars universe, Bo-Katan is a legendary Mandalorian warrior who has been making quite a stir amongst fans. If you haven’t watched the latest season of The Mandalorian yet, this is now your sign to go and catch up.

Hasbro has kindly sent us The Black Series Bo-Katan Kryze Helmet to review, so we’ve put it through its paces. You know, testing it while wearing it around the house doing chores, practicing our action poses, and having lightsaber battles with a certain Darksaber – real Mandalorian-like stuff. Recently we were also lucky enough to give the Denuo Novo The Mandalorian Helmet a try too, so it’ll be interesting to see how these two compare considering their vast price differences.

Black Series Bo-Katan Kryze Helmet review: Design

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• Life-size replica
• Great weathering effects
• Fun interior detail too

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Inside a rather suavely-designed cardboard box, alongside some very short and simple instructions, you’ll find the Star Wars: The Black Series Bo-Katan Kryze Helmet safely nestled. When you compare this helmet side by side with what you see in the live action episodes of The Mandalorian (or even the animated The Clone Wars), the accuracy is impressive. It’s a cool blue helmet emblazoned on the front with the white, gray, and black owl artwork of the Nite Owls, the elite squad of female Mandalorian warriors. 

Related: Mandalore: Everything you need to know about the Mandalorian home planet

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What really makes this helmet special is the weathering effects. The wear and tear details make it look like this helmet has seen some action, from dirt smudges to scratches and battle scars. We’d like to point out that this is all printed on and not 3D effects, but they look very realistic.

As the design is printed on rather than hand painted, some people have reported that the design on their helmet was a bit off center, although they have been offered replacements. We had no such issues with our helmet.

Hasbro Pulse have gone the extra mile and even provided ample details on the inside of the helmet too. It’s not something you’ll really see often, even when you’re wearing the helmet, but it makes you feel a bit better about your purchase. Plus, it’s special, thoughtful touches like this that fans will really appreciate.

Black Series Bo-Katan Kryze Helmet review: Features & comfort

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• Drop-down, light-up display
• Adjustable head strap, but no padding
• Weighty, but not heavy

Now, the thing to really get excited about for the Black Series Bo-Katan Kryze Helmet is the flip-down illuminated rangefinder heads-up display (HUD). It’s relatively simple, but it’s a fantastic feature with its 2 flashing red LEDs and white LED display that is powered by a single AAA battery. There is no on/off switch, all you need to do is press the button on the side of the helmet and this releases a latch (may take one or two goes to find that 'sweet spot') which allows the rangefinder to fall down in front of your eye and turns it on (remember to remove the plastic cover first). You can’t really see out of it when you’re wearing the helmet, but you look cool and that’s the main thing, right? The lights turn off at the 3-minute mark, although moving it back up turns it off again as well.

The visor itself isn’t too dark so you can still see through with reasonable clarity (I’m wearing it right now to write this review). The T-shaped slot does limit your vision, so do watch your step and be careful when tackling the stairs.

There’s plenty of space inside to accommodate an adult head (because let’s be honest, it’s more likely for you than the little one) and also room in front of your face so that you don’t feel smothered or claustrophobic. However, if you wear glasses you’ll find that the helmet won’t fit over them, so you’ll have to switch to contacts.

It’s a “one size fits all” so it can wobble a bit when it’s on your head, but there is a basic adjustable plastic strap inside. While there is some kind of air-filled padding at the top and back of the helmet, it could be a bit better and softer for the sake of comfort. You could always buy some removable fabric helmet pads from a skate shop/website for a snugger fit.

In terms of weight, the Black Series Bo-Katan Kryze Helmet feels sturdy enough to not feel cheap, but isn’t so heavy that it’s a struggle to wear for longer periods of time. Cosplayers will definitely love this as they’ll be able to cope with wearing the helmet for longer periods of time.

Black Series Bo-Katan Kryze Helmet review: Price

Helmets in the Star Wars The Black Series range tend to retail from $99.99 up to $131.99. The Bo-Katan helmet is priced at the higher end, going for $124.99/£131.99. It’s not an insignificant sum of money, but you can tell that Hasbro has really put in a big effort into making something that looks like the real deal – it definitely looks more like a polished display piece rather than a cheap, plastic toy. You can sometimes find this piece on sale, so you’ll be able to snag it for a lower price if you’re willing to look around and be patient.

Serious collectors with deep pockets might instead be interested in pre-ordering the high-end Denuo Novo Star Wars: The Mandalorian Bo-Katan Kryze Helmet for $675/£552. It’s made from sturdy fiberglass and boasts about being “recreated from the original screen-used production assets,” so you know it’s going to look fantastic. But, and a big one at that, the rangefinder on this helmet is static and does not rotate or light up. That’s why, especially with this great difference in cost, we feel that the Black Series Bo-Katan Kryze Electronic Helmet does offer a great product for the price.

Should you buy the Black Series Bo-Katan Kryze Helmet?

If you’re a Bo-Katan fan and collector of Star Wars merch, it’s a must buy. It’s in that sweet spot where it doesn’t look cheap and thankfully doesn’t break the bank either. The Black Series Bo-Katan Kryze Helmet will look great on a shelf as a display piece, drawing admiring looks, and cosplayers won’t turn their nose up at the quality of this helmet either. As the price tag isn’t outrageous, you’ll feel comfortable taking this helmet out for a spin in public (or just wearing it around the house feeling like a badass) and maybe even try and get a few action shots without fear of breaking it.

We cannot stress enough how impressed we are with the details of the Black Series Bo-Katan Kryze Helmet. The addition of the illuminated heads-up display (something that the much more expensive Denuo Novo Star Wars: The Mandalorian Bo-Katan Kryze Helmet surprisingly doesn’t do) is a fun touch, even if it’s a bit simple, it’ll still make any Star Wars fan giddy.

If this product isn’t for you?

As we mentioned previously, there is the higher end Star Wars: The Mandalorian Bo-Katan Kryze Helmet to consider. If you’re more interested in a beautiful display model rather than a role-playing accessory, then this will not disappoint. Although this helmet is quite pricey at $675/£552, there’s no denying that it’s beautiful – you’d think that it’s made from real beskar!

If you want a cool helmet to display but you don’t want to blast your bank account to smithereens, then the Lego Star Wars Helmet sets are a great alternative – this is the way. Sadly, there isn’t a Lego version of Bo-Katan’s helmet just yet, but we’re hoping there might be one in the future. In the meantime, both the Lego Star Wars The Mandalorian Helmet and Lego Star Wars Boba Fett Helmet are pretty neat!

Or if you're after some fun sci-fi-themed costumes and props, then our guides to the best star wars costumes and best lightsabers might just be what you're looking for.