Review: EXO-6’s ‘Star Trek II’ Lt. Saavik Figure Is Right Up Your Alley

The Wrath of Khan Lt. JG Saavik 1:6 Action Figure (Kobayashi Maru Edition)

Manufacturer: EXO-6
Price: $200
Grade: A+

Saavik!

It was clear from the moment she uttered the word “damn” during the opening Kobayashi Maru sequence in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan that Kirstie Alley was playing a different kind of Vulcan in Lt. “Mister” Saavik. Taking her cues from actor Leonard Nimoy’s Spock, Alley captured the formal language and diction of the original Star Trek’s Vulcans, but she sometimes stepped out of their strict rules of behavior, especially after the death of her mentor, Spock—Alley let Saavik’s tears flow openly during Spock’s funeral. Originally written as a male (which carried forward in the character being referred to as “Mister” throughout TWOK), and at one point designated as half-Romulan to account for her greater emotional range, Saavik was also intended as a romantic interest for Kirk’s son David Marcus. But in The Wrath of Khan and as played by Alley, Saavik is a far more independent character and a kind of foil for both Kirk (who she constantly reminds about regulations) and Spock.

Kirstie Alley as Saavik in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (Paramount)

It was a popular portrayal and character—so popular in fact that Alley demanded a higher salary to appear in the follow-up, The Search for Spock, and the production quickly rejected her demands and recast Saavik with actor Robin Curtis. It’s a shame because Alley made for a more dimensional and intriguing Saavik. No disrespect to Curtis, who was directed by Leonard Nimoy to be far less emotional than Alley, but I’d still love to see some alternate version of Star Trek III where Alley’s Saavik deals with young Genesis Spock’s pon farr and witnesses the brutal killing of David by Klingons. Alley went on to a quite successful career that played to her skills at comedy, including a long run on the sitcom Cheers, and sadly died in 2022 at the age of 71.

Kirstie Alley as Saavik in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan publicity image (Paramount)

EXO-6 Saavik Figure

Collectors have been eager for EXO-6 to get into the “monster maroon” costume phase of The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock and The Voyage Home, and after the debut of Klingon Kruge from Star Trek III, Saavik marks the first Starfleet character from the trilogy to boast the retro naval uniform dictated by director Nicholas Meyer (who wanted a look reminiscent of The Prisoner of Zenda) and costume designer Robert Fletcher.

EXO-6 Saavik figure

EXO-6 has been expanding their line of action figures at increasing speed this year and seemingly as a lifeline to collectors who aren’t made of money (like me), they’re offering bare-bones “Essential” releases of their Starfleet characters that remain at around a $200 price point, along with “Standard” versions that boast full sets of accessories and extras and can get close to $300, the Hot Toys area. In this case the “Kobayashi Maru Edition” Saavik is the Essential version, presenting Saavik in her uniform with only an extra set of hands (she has two open hands and two clenched fists) as accessories—after all, you don’t need a phaser to take the Kobayashi Maru test.

EXO-6 Saavik figure, showing two different hand options

Let’s get this out of the way—this is a fantastic figure. Some of EXO’s earlier figures, particularly some of the Voyager characters, were very good but doll-like—very, very good dolls, but not in the Hot Toys arena where figures look startlingly life-like, like shrunken real people. It’s always tougher to do female figures in this scale and avoid the Barbie doll look, particularly with sculpted hair.

Close up on EXO-6 Saavik figure sculpt and hair

Female faces are smaller and their smooth features leave much less room for error in creating likenesses. But EXO has already produced some superb female figures, including DS9’s Major Kira and Voyager’s Seven of Nine. Their Saavik, sculpted by Dean Tolliver, is probably their finest yet. This captures Kirsty Alley with her startling, piercing green eyes and elegant features, Saavik’s pointed ears (one ear features a tiny red earring) and her piled up “regulation” hairdo. The sculpt and paint details capture not only Saavik’s Vulcan reserve but a hint of the character’s passions churning just beneath the surface. And now you can stand her next to Kruge just to get a feel of what The Search for Spock would have been like with Alley in it.

Close up on EXO-6 Saavik figure sculpt and hair

EXO has captured the character’s iconic uniform with all its bells and whistles, starting with the shortened Starfleet boots, the distinctive red-striped “bell bottom” pants, and the militaristic red wool jacket with its opening flap and shoulder epaulet snap, black leather belt and Starfleet pendant buckle, metal Starfleet badge and wrist and shoulder stripes and rank symbols.

Boots for EXO-6 Saavik

Jacket details for EXO-6 Saavik

Sleeve details for EXO-6 Saavik

Chain-like metal embroidery lines the jacket flap seam, and the flap is held into place by a snap pin on the epaulet and another lies inside the flap just under the collar. The snaps are designed to hold the flap tightly in place to give the uniform a smart, wrinkle-free look so once you’ve opened the flap you need to tug the interior snap over toward the figure’s right to line it up with the snap on the flap itself—I wouldn’t advise doing this a lot as I would think the snaps would wear down over time but it all seems quite durable and secure.

Jacket details for EXO-6 Saavik

Jacket details for EXO-6 Saavik

As the other figures have been supplied with either TNG-style or TOS-style transporter display stands, EXO has tweaked Saavik with a new, Wrath of Khan-style transporter pad with a clear, circular grid piece as seen in the movie.

Transporter stand for EXO-6 Saavik

Kobayashi Maru Saavik is an outstanding figure that belongs in any serious Trek collection and as EXO gets into the more popular characters like this the odds increase that they will sell out and become extra expensive to obtain, so if you want Saavik, act now. The Kobayashi Saavik was made on December 6th at exo-6.com for $200.

EXO-6 Saavik with other recent movie-era figures

If money is no object, the “Regula One” edition Saavik features the figure in her wildly complex and functional landing party jacket along with a TMP-style phaser, Wrath of Khan communicator and a superb replica of the super beefy “heavy duty” tricorder used by Saavik and Chekov in the movie. She also comes with all the extra hands she needs to hold all this equipment. Regula One Saavik is available now on the EXO-6 site for $270.

Regula One Saavik

A closer look at Saavik

And here is an instructional video for the Saavik figure, released by EXO-6…

Jeff Bond is a freelance writer and book author who’s addicted to plastic models and action figures. You can catch up with him on Facebook and Instagram where he posts model works in progress, and takes commissions. His latest Star Trek book is Star Trek: The Motion Picture: The Art and Visual Effects.

Find more Star Trek merchandise news and reviews at TrekMovie.com.