Aayla VS. Aayla

[PMJ]

I prefer the Arealight head and headgear, the TLG face, The TLG body, and I think it is a tie with the arms and legs. They really should be original brown.

[prateek]

TLG version.

It's more blue, and it looks more like Lego.

[Nannan]

I don't like lightsaber blades pointing out of the smaller side of the hilt, so I voted Arealight's.

[Ogre]

Gotta go with the LEGO version, even though I REALLY dig the "Are you sure you want to mess with me?" look on Arealight's fig.

To me, it's not about how much work went into it, what 'void' was filled, etc...it's about the figure.

I don't like the curved torso. To me, all minifigs should have the standard tapered torso that has been around since the late '70s.

Also, aside from recent custom headsculpts, 'hair' and 'head' have been separate pieces and I like that, because it allows you to use the head and hair for other figures/creations.

Then there's the printing. Can't just be 'on top' and 'in front'...gotta have it all, IMO.

So, though Arealight's ROCKS, I have to go with the official LEGO release.

(AND I DON'T EVEN LIKE 'CLONE WARS'!!!!)

[SpiderSpaceman]

TLG version without any doubt what so ever.

Definitely. official version, no contest. You still get a head that's compatible with other headgear, the headtails being part of a headgear still looks continuous. the lips on the arealight figure are out of control, and the headtails seem severely misshapen.

I don't like lightsaber blades pointing out of the smaller side of the hilt, so I voted Arealight's.

this makes me chuckle

[Captain'Spaulding]

I vote for TLG, I like both, but I dislike Arealight's torso shape . I prefer print on TLG, the only thing that I prefer is the Arealight's cheast print. She got something beter than TLG.

[Brickdoctor]

Cheaper price, curved torso, and the skinnier lekku are all on Arealight's side, but the fact that the head is one piece and the scarf is another piece really sold it for me. TLG may have better shape and print accuracy, but I see more possibilities for MOCs with the Arealight one. Besides, Arealight's face expression is truer to the original Ep.3 Aayla.

[heofthehothbrick]

Voted for TLG Aayla. It's all in the face. She has that zen jedi look which I think looks better than Arealight's angry look. The Arealight version is still good though.

[Kliq]

I will be completely honest, when I saw this contest on the first page (and not knowing much about what's going on with Star Wars Lego these days) I thought that this was a match between two TLG versions of this character. I immediately thought of Arealight's version as the older version after recognizing TLG's CW face on their version. So without any bias, I thought TLG's version was better. I don't like the curved torso, something about it just makes me want to replace it. Arealight's idea to remove the hat without the rest of the headpiece is a REALLY nice idea, but again there are so many funny things I can do with TLG's just because the rest of the head does come off. The primary reason that I went with TLG was the face. Arealight's face has that strange mouth. It doesn't really look 'battle ready' to me, it looks more like she has a sour candy in her mouth. Overall, I would not be upset having Arealight's model in my collection, but if I had a choice I would go with TLG.

[Fumoffu]

I prefer TLG's. Its more consisent with being a Lego toy and that calm expression rest with me better than the "ready to fight".

[Stanley Kbrick]

I like the arealight way more

The shaped torso. I always disliked the TLG way of printing waists... and arealights idea is simply brilliant.

The "hair" the tlg version has detachable hair, now with all the other star wars custom molds and toy story molds, there is no way anyone of us can still honestly say the original lego feel is preffered because of history reasons.

the face print is better in arealights

and also not very important his version is way more cheaper

regards stanley Kbrick

[Captain Becker]

Lego version is better at me, i dont like that custom fig at all

Captain Becker

Edited August 1, 2010 by Captain Becker

[Aanchir]

I went with TLG's. Really, even with the quality of Arealight's work, he can't match what LEGO can put out with their resources. The proportions of the head and face are a lot more natural on TLG's, whether with or without the lekku and headgear. The quality of the torso print also feels better, with the black outlines on the dark brown outfit a lot clearer than the reddish-brown outlines on the reddish-brown outfit which Arealight's sports.

The only real advantage Arealight's has is the ability to remove the headgear. And considering that the face print and the straps around the lekku can't be changed, and the figure is for all intents and purposes forced to remain a depiction of Aayla and not some other Twi'lek, there's no real need for the lekku to be attached to the head rather than the headgear.

The fact that both use CW-style eyes (if it were Episode 3-style, there would be no whites) makes TLG's all the more convincing-- all you have to do to get an Episode-3 Aayla would be to print a new face on another medium blue minifig head, rather than print a custom-sculpted sand blue head with lekku. Thus TLG's-- by default-- has more potential applications than Arealight's.

Since I'm not a SW collector (I used to be, back when LEGO Star Wars started, but kind of gave up after BIONICLE started eating my budget), I'm just voting based on which one looks better and is more practical. So price could indeed be a factor. But I figure the price won't stay so enormous forever, especially with the possibility of Aayla appearing in more sets. Visually, TLG's is just more appealing, and I can't picture many people just giving in and buying the less-attractive one when they could be saving up for TLG's (and hoping for a price dip).

I think it's good news that LEGO's continuing to advance as far as minifigs are concerned, though, because I expect custom minifigs will continue to advance at a similar rate. It's LEGO's job to set the example which the customizers follow. That's my opinion, anyhow.

[The Legonater]

I'm going with TLG. I absolutly hate that curved torso, and the face on TLG's looks much more like Aayla. Plus the lekku is much more natural looking on TLG.

[Praiter Yed]

This is difficult. I like Arealight's shaped torsos - I'd like to see TLG adopt something similar in future. I hate the way they try to print a shapely female form (Imagine Slave Leia with a moulded torso - Mmmmmmmmm ). But then, I prefer that you could use TLG's head to create characters other than Twi-leks and I think the expression is more in-keeping with the ethos of a Jedi. The official version just scrapes a win from me - but I still want Arealight's Oola - Mmmmmmmmm

[Scouty]

I really like The LEGO Group's Aayla Secura. Looks more like her and more like a Twi'Lek.

Arealight does a very good job also, but it's a bit off.

[blksuperman2]

I had to go w/ the TLG version. I do love the Arealight one. I picked up all of the first wave Twi'leks they have. (Man do I love their Darth Talon). For me though the TLG version fits more in line w/ the Clone Wars style (which I don't mind).

I only wish that TLG would have made her hands blue. Really how hard is it to create a new color palette to match certain colors?

[Destroydacre]

TLG's is the better of the two, but both figures are pretty ugly, IMO. If Lego made a non CW version of Aayla, similar to the one of Barriss, that would blow both of these figs away.

[XimenaPaulina]

I only wish that TLG would have made her hands blue. Really how hard is it to create a new color palette to match certain colors?

I agree, the hands should've been blue, as Aayla never wore any gloves. I'm not so sure about the reason why TLG can't make such blue hands, maybe because the use so far is limited for the Aayla minifig only?

[Artanis I]

Some good points by everyone. Well done to Arealight, but TLG's version looks so much more like Aayla Secura. The official pieces are more versatile and although I like the idea of the curved torso, it doesn't look quite right. The colours on the custom don't look right either. The lekku are too spaghetti-like. The face looks like an angry sith out for revenge instead of a stoic jedi concentrating on the force. TLG's printing fits the clone wars character perfectly.

[LuxorV]

I agree, the hands should've been blue, as Aayla never wore any gloves. I'm not so sure about the reason why TLG can't make such blue hands, maybe because the use so far is limited for the Aayla minifig only?

Well, I would not say blue hands are that rare, even though they were more commonly used in older sets (Classic Space and Space mainly)

Looking at it closely, Aalya's mifig seems more medium blue to me though, and medium blue hands were only used for Watto. This makes them way more rare, even for a BL order to get Aayla the right ones

Anyway, I think the main reason for the 'gloved' hands is that almost all CW characters (with few exceptions, like Mace) seem to wear gloves. On the other hand, Aayla clearly did not.

[XimenaPaulina]

Well, I would not say blue hands are that rare, even though they were more commonly used in older sets (Classic Space and Space mainly)

Looking at it closely, Aalya's mifig seems more medium blue to me though, and medium blue hands were only used for Watto. This makes them way more rare, even for a BL order to get Aayla the right ones

Anyway, I think the main reason for the 'gloved' hands is that almost all CW characters (with few exceptions, like Mace) seem to wear gloves. On the other hand, Aayla clearly did not.

Blue hands - not that rare.

Sand Blue Hands (for Arealight's Aayla) - does not exist (at least, according to BL).

Medium Blue Hands (for TLG's Aayla) - rare, seen in Watto only as you said.

And Yep, Aayla never did wear gloves (both in the movies and tv series). Maybe the lack of available sand blue/medium blue hands is the main reason why TLG went the easy way out and just used bley hands.

Edited August 2, 2010 by KielDaMan

[Minxter]

Medium Blue hands or not I still vote for TLG`s version.

Interesting topic!

Minxter

[Future74]

I voted TLG version, without a doubt.

Aayla's expression is much friendlier, as a jedi should have.

This doesnt say I dont like Arealight's work, I love it, and AL's Aayla was available way before TLG version. Maybe Arealight's work inspires TLG too, and I hope they will make more alien minifigures.

[Flare]

Cheaper price, curved torso, and the skinnier lekku are all on Arealight's side, but the fact that the head is one piece and the scarf is another piece really sold it for me. TLG may have better shape and print accuracy, but I see more possibilities for MOCs with the Arealight one. Besides, Arealight's face expression is truer to the original Ep.3 Aayla.

So yer for Arealight as well?