Until this week, Cortana from the Series 4 Halo blind packs was the only figure I had paid more than face value for…now the new Cortana from Series 5 Halo Heroes joined her in that status. As the first is my all-time favorite figure, I thought it would be a good idea to compare the two…
In terms of accessories, S5 Cortana comes with the nameplate stand and Guilty Spark, where S4 Cortana has a stand made to look like the chip she resides in. Unfortunately, there isn’t room for the S5 figure and Guilty Spark to comfortably be on the stand simulataneously, and while the chip stand is rather simple, it is unique to the S4 figure….verdict: Tie
In terms of the figures themselves, S5 Cortana is fully jointed at the shoulders, hips, knees, elbows, wrists and waist, while S4 Cortana is only jointed at the shoulders, hips and knees. The S5 figure has slimmer more feminine feet, but larger, standard hands and a thicker torso. The S4 Cortana has larger feet that fully enclose a stud, but more feminine hands, more slender limbs and a more feminine figure and profile.
The S4 Cortana is a lighter blue with lighter graphics that gives it a more transparent look. The S5 Cortana is a darker blue with heavier graphics, but sadly regular plastic purple hair that makes the head look much darker than the rest of the body. It also has a peg hole in the back that disrupts the fluid feel of the other figure. While the extra poseablity is nice, the more transparency and femininity of the S4 Cortana, and the ugly hair of the S5 figure make this an easy choice for me… verdict: Series 4 Cortana
If they had made what I think was an obvious choice to use the S4 head on the S5 body, this would have been a more difficult call for me. But as things stand, even with the deluxe stand and greater articulation, The original Series 4 Cortana is clearly (pun intended) the superior figure of the two…let me know if you disagree!
In terms of accessories, S5 Cortana comes with the nameplate stand and Guilty Spark, where S4 Cortana has a stand made to look like the chip she resides in. Unfortunately, there isn’t room for the S5 figure and Guilty Spark to comfortably be on the stand simulataneously, and while the chip stand is rather simple, it is unique to the S4 figure….verdict: Tie
In terms of the figures themselves, S5 Cortana is fully jointed at the shoulders, hips, knees, elbows, wrists and waist, while S4 Cortana is only jointed at the shoulders, hips and knees. The S5 figure has slimmer more feminine feet, but larger, standard hands and a thicker torso. The S4 Cortana has larger feet that fully enclose a stud, but more feminine hands, more slender limbs and a more feminine figure and profile.
The S4 Cortana is a lighter blue with lighter graphics that gives it a more transparent look. The S5 Cortana is a darker blue with heavier graphics, but sadly regular plastic purple hair that makes the head look much darker than the rest of the body. It also has a peg hole in the back that disrupts the fluid feel of the other figure. While the extra poseablity is nice, the more transparency and femininity of the S4 Cortana, and the ugly hair of the S5 figure make this an easy choice for me… verdict: Series 4 Cortana
If they had made what I think was an obvious choice to use the S4 head on the S5 body, this would have been a more difficult call for me. But as things stand, even with the deluxe stand and greater articulation, The original Series 4 Cortana is clearly (pun intended) the superior figure of the two…let me know if you disagree!