Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,216: Mace Windu (The Retro Collection)

MACE WINDU Kennerized
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. G0371
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, cloak, another 5 figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $59.99
Availability: November 2024
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection is inspired by the original 1970s Star Wars figures and features original figure design and detailing! Continue your collection from a galaxy far, far away. (Stolen from the marketing copy. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: This The Retro Collection Mace Windu in no way bad, but something about it seemed off - and it took me a while to finally just wander over to my old figures and compare him to the 1984 Anakin Skywalker and original Obi-Wan Kenobi. They're all aspiring to be very similar things, with similar levels of detail, but they're not the same - and the reason was a mix of texture and gloss! Jedi Master Windu turned out pretty well, but there are certain things that made his other figures really memorable like whites around his eyes (none here - Lando sometimes had them) and texture on his brown robes (smooth here.) Hasbro missed some opportunities for Kenner-style whimsy and fun weird mistakes, and it's a bit smoother than I would like, but it's good. And for the price, I can't complain.

This figure - and a lot of the newly-designed figures from 2024 - show signs of some evolution. On some, you're starting to see sharper details, although many look like the sculpt was put in Photoshop, selected, expanded by one pixel, and filled. Things are just the tiniest bit softer and rounder than they need to be - but the landmarks are generally good, if a little smoother than I would have loved. The robes aren't bad, but between the shine and smoothness they seem more hard and, well, "plastic" than the slightly more textured, wrinkled, and non-reflective torsos of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker from the old days. Mace Windu's barely-visible pants seem to have nailed it - the boots are also very good. The figure's torso has a shine that seemed to mostly go away by the 1980s, so I find it the slightest bit off... but I don't think any typical modern fan is going to notice or nitpick. They did a nice job, the robes look like an old figure!

His cloth robes are pretty good, and are better than a lot of modern era cloth robes. There are no robes with sleeves and a hood in the 1980s, so this garment iterates on what we got in the 2000s - and it's better! The hood sits on his head well enough. It's not perfect, but it's pretty good - which is about how good Jedi Luke's cape was back in 1983. Hasbro did a nice job on these, and as we have no real analog, all I can say is "good job."

The purple lightsaber is very similar to the one we've been getting with most new retro figures since Bespin Luke in 1980. It's been the Darksaber, and Obi-Wan's lightsaber, and many others - and now it's purple. It looks fine! It would be interesting to see a telescoping lightsaber in this line again, but so far Hasbro has completely ditched those. I think it would have been neat to do them for any stories that take place before the 1977 movie - to keep some sort of chronological toy fiction of style - but this is probably what most fans actually want.

I find the figure's head and pose to be pretty good. A lot of humans were all over the map - some looking more like their actor than others - and this one is smack dab in the middle. Does it look like Samuel L. Jackson? Sort of - but if you told me they sculpted a stunt double, I'd believe you. Han didn't look much like Harrison Ford, so a figure that seems close enough is probably the best way to go. It doesn't have to be perfect - you just need to recognize it. His pose is good too - the arms aren't bent at the elbow very much, but they do stick out to the side a bit which seems good for his cloth robes. His posture has a slight slouch forward, most of which is in his neck, taking him a step away from the very stuff poses we got on so many of the modern figures. Also notable is that this figure - like many of these figures - has hands that are better than most original Kenner figures. Mace won't drop his lightsaber - the fingers "pinch" a bit more, and that's the kind of improvement I really love to see in The Retro Collection. If Hasbro wants to fix "original" figures too, I'm all for it. Anything that makes them stand better, sit better, or play better is welcome.

Since there's a lot of wiggle room on what it means to be a true Kenner figure, and a lot of artistic and editorial choices, I would say this one is a success. It's not how I would necessarily do it, but comparing it to other Retro-style figures not made by Kenner employees in their 70s or 80s, it looks like it belongs with Hasbro's other figures when you put them all on a shelf. I'm almost disappointed they didn't make him wrong on purpose with a 1998-style blue lightsaber like we got on that first mail-away Mace Windu figure - but again, that's the kind of nonsense I would argue to do. I like it enough to say I'd recommend him if you're collecting the line, and he's a very good figure in the set that holds up well - but not perfectly - against your actual ancient figures.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,216: February 18, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,215: Scout Trooper (Speeder Bike / Epic Hero Series)

SCOUT TROOPER Speeder Bike
Epic Hero Series Speeder Bikes
Item No.: Asst. G0363 No. G0372
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Basket, bike, blaster
Action Feature: Bike rolls on wheels, blasts apart/crash mechanism
Retail: $19.99
Availability: January 2025
Appearances: The Mandalorian   

Bio: Scout troopers were lightly armored comapred to other stormtroopers, which allowed them to move quickly and easily on speeder bikes in a range of environments. (Taken from the packaging)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: One thing Epic Hero Series was short on for most of its first year were vehicles - so I'm glad we got a Speeder Bike with Scout Trooper, or Biker Scout to us old people. Like other 2025 figures, he has more articulation with increased movement on the hips, knees, elbows, and shoulders, like other competing $8 kid figures from Mattel or Spin Master. He has a blaster - but it's a Stormtrooper, not Biker Scout blaster, so that may agitate some people. It's also probably a cost-cutting move, so I'm not going to complain too much. For the asking price of $20, a pretty good $8 figure and a pretty good $12 bike seems like a decent deal - but getting him to sit just right can be tricky.

If Hasbro sold this trooper on a card by itself, I think it would be a massive hit. He's not too tall, he has just enough articulation to be interesting, and the Remnant Trooper slightly off-white deco hints at the post-Imperial lack of literal polish seen in plasteel uniform parts. The figure shows no actual mud or dirt splatters, but Hasbro still managed to evoke an aged, decaying era. That's good! The black bits look great, and everything seems pretty cleanly done. Most of the joints move well, but they're not quite as easy to move as the fancier The Vintage Collection figures. It took a few moments to get the legs posed right to stand, but since then he's stayed upright. The detail is pretty good - not like this figure has a ton of fancy greeblies - and it reminds me a lot of what the Kenner 1983 figure could have looked like as a more modern toy. I only wish it had the classic blaster pistol, rather than a Stormtrooper's blaster.

As far as bike compatibility goes, the figure isn't perfect. I wasn't able to get his feet on the pedals, his hands on the handlebars, and his butt on the seat very well. If you're willing to let the pedals go, it works pretty well and looks decent. The bike itself looks a lot like the old Kenner toys, down to the vertical handle grips, but there are some big departures. The flaps don't move - but you get wheels! You can zip it along the floor, and then the nose can hit a wall and flip the figure off the bike. It's a pretty cool mechanism, and it's a neat spin on the original toy which exploded as you press down on a pack on the back. This time around it has a big peg on the back, which presently serves no purpose. There's no part in this line which connects to it, although it does match the trooper's back hole.

The bike also has a cannon underneath, plus a cool little side basket for Grogu to sit in. (He's not included.) This makes it a real toy, and a pretty decent one - other than not sitting on the seat as the designers intended, it's good enough and fun enough for me to say I'm glad I got it. Maybe they'll revise the figure or the bike for a Return of the Jedi redeco some day, but until then I like this toy and hope kids pick it up - it's just about five years late for the episode tie-in, a blink to an adult or an eternity to the kids to whom this toy is marketed. I'm seeing a lot of these in Target right now, so you can probably easily get one. Give it a look if you see one on-shelf, because $20 for a pretty posable figure and a bike is a steal when most 3 3/4-inch figures are $17.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,215: February 13, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,214: Luke Skywalker (The Vintage Collection)

LUKE SKYWALKER (Original, 2025 Redux)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. E7763 No. G0903
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #344
Includes: Droid caller, lightsaber, lightsaber hilt
Action Feature: Droid caller and hilt connect to belt
Retail: $16.99
Availability: January 2025
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Nineteen years after the formation of the Empire, Luke Skywalker is thrust into the struggle of the Rebel Alliance on a journey that will change the galaxy. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Go get this one. Un-retire from collecting, and go get one now.

I've noticed I've been considerably more grumpy, mostly because a lot of Star Wars action figures are getting further away from the original movies, or the original characters, or an ability to function as a toy. I like Retro because they play nicely... and Epic Hero Series for pretty much the same reason. I don't mind good upgrades of original figures, especially when they're like this Luke Skywalker and make good on a ton of necessary changes. For starters, the boots are probably correct - publicity photos show tan wraps, but they seem lighter in shots from the film. The removable droid caller is awesome. The head sculpt is a big improvement. Also, the last "farmboy" Luke figure was sold in a hard-to-find gift set back in 2009. There was a "Death Star Escape" version in 2011, but those wanting a plain white Luke from the original movie haven't had one in 14 years. That's preposterously long for the main outfit of the main character in the main movie.

If I have to knock this figure about anything, it's only one part - and I don't know that technology or materials would let it be better. Let's start with the "skirt." It's the right size, it fits well, the color matches the torso and arms - that's good! The holes are perfect fits for the lightsaber and droid caller. You can't beat that! Standing around on a shelf or in-pack, it is beyond improving. It is perfect. It is great - for a collector figure. If you're going to display this in a diorama, standing, this is it. If you're going to have him sit, it's not so good - it's a little thick so it looks right, and while it bends, it doesn't bend much or well. It gets in the way of the legs swinging forward a bit, so it might be a struggle to get him in one of your old Landspeeders. This has been true for pretty much every Luke since about 1998 - the 1978 and 1995 ones have squared-off joints so they just swing and sit, no fuss no muss. It is a fight to get Luke's hips bent 90 degrees with this in the way. Also, the texture and wrinkles are very good - but there are some horizontal lines in back, and I can't help but wonder if they're artifacts from a 3D print. Probably not! But that's where my head goes these days.

That is where my complaints stop. Vehicle functionality aside, this is a good figure with good articulation. The limbs can assume a variety of poses without sticking out oddly. That's good! His wrists can bend and swivel, his ankles rock, the knees are mostly hidden in the pants folds, and the white material is some of the best we've seen. His neck appears to be a separately molded neck piece - that has got to cost a bit more - with a separately molded wig. The eyes and lips are glossy and painted very nicely, with tiny details added to the belt. It's a new high bar for the character, and short of wild new manufacturing techniques I doubt we'll see any real improvements for years to come. Things like a thinner, durable material so the shirt can bend and maybe hide the arm joints would be amazing - but unlikely. Hasbro experimented with cloth in 2004 and it was a great idea, but it doesn't look quite as good as a plastic figure. And none of those other figures have a shirt that looks as good as this one.

I had no real problems getting this figure to stand, or to assume a few good poses. Hasbro did a nice job of incorporating modern articulation like the ball-and-socket hips, thigh swivels, and a more or less typical waist joint.

His accessories are pretty great. The hilt looks good on both lightsabers... perhaps not perfect, but scaled down to a better size with painted details that look proper. The hilt-only saber fits in the peg hole perfectly, almost looking like it's part of the figure's sculpt. The same is true for the tiny grain-of-rice sized droid caller. Once connected, it looks like it belongs on the figure. That's hard to beat. The lightsaber is similarly good with its blue blade, which is kind of the most old-fashioned thing about the figure. This was innovative back in 1995, and by now I was wondering if we'd find some new technique with a clear white core somehow - it's probably very difficult to accomplish, but I assume someone, somewhere, is figuring out how to hollow out the thin blade and paint the interior white or something. Maybe not. For now it looks great, and I doubt it would get any better in the next 5-10 years.

I wouldn't say anything is missing... but there are things I'd like to see. We've never had a Farmboy Luke packed with the Jedi Training Remote, and that would be nice to see. We also haven't had Luke include a blast shield helmet in quite some time. Were Hasbro to re-reissue this figure with alternate gear, I wouldn't mind seeing those. Or a poncho. Or macrobinoculars. And the floppy hat. Again, if they were so inclined to do it. (Watch, it's the SDCC exclusive or something.)

Right now I'd say the big problem for this figure will be availability. I assume Hasbro didn't make a lot of it, and it's the kind of thing that will probably sell well in stores to fan-types who aren't extremely online collectors. I hope you got yours - it's a figure that shows massive improvements in sculpting and articulation, and for now it's definitive. Maybe Hasbro can make a better one - with slightly more feathery hair or a slightly-open mouth - but aside from that? This is as good as this kind of figure is likely to get for a while. Go get it, and/or start asking Hasbro to reissue it. This is a figure upgrade that's so good that lapsed collectors should come back just to pick this one up. It's worth the asking price, as long as you're not buying it as an actual toy to play with.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,214: February 11, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,210: Mae (Assassin, The Retro Collection)

MAE (ASSASSIN)
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. G0386
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Vinyl cape, 2 knives, another 5 figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $59.99
Availability: October 2024
Appearances: The Acolyte

Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection is inspired by the original 1970s Star Wars figures and features original figure design and detailing! Continue your collection from a galaxy far, far away. (Stolen from the marketing copy. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: A ninja! Well, more or less - for whatever reason we haven't had a lot of figures that make me say that we're dealing with the arts of ninjutsu, or at least its American pop culture ideal, in Star Wars. Mae (Assassin) does a pretty good job of taking a good costume and giving us a compelling figure. Osha [FOTD #3,191] looks great, but Mae - despite being a twin - share zero parts. I assume Hasbro broke some law of toy manufacturing to bring us this much variety. She has two new knives, a vinyl cape, and a lot of sculpted detail.

Mae's hair is secretly amazing. Because of the vinyl cape, her separately molded plastic wig looks like it's the same as Osha. If you slide the cape off, you'll see it's actually a very long piece. The vinyl cape also obfuscates all of Hasbro's hard work sculpting what may be one of the most fascinating costumes in recent Retro memory. She has chain mail under her top, as well as extra armor over her chest for bonus protection. Is it any good against a lightsaber? We'll never know. Her boots are shiny but don't look like there's much going on - but she has enough belts, wristbands, and cloth elements draped over her person to make up for it. There's a mask covering her face, and from behind (sans cape) there are lots of sculpted cloth bits, hair, and other bits and pieces.

New Retro figures tend to eschew inner-leg detail on "gown pants." Most new figures are just flat - but Mae has some exposed pants inside her right leg. I appreciate the extra unnecessary detail because this sort of thing adds cost to a figure, but somehow, did not cause the price of the set to exceed the very fair $60.

Her accessories are good, but not amazing. I wish Hasbro went with a cloth cloak rather than the vinyl cape, but at least the vinyl cape slides off so you can see the fantastic costume. Mine came pre-wrinkled, and I'm a little scared to heat it with a hair dryer or hot water because I haven't tested this material under those conditions. (I should have bought a spare Reva or Grand Inquisitor as a guinea pig.) The stock photos of the vinyl cape look amazing, but the reality is that it feels about as good as any old Kenner plastic accessory. It's thin, it's fine. Her two swords also look good, and both hands can grip without dropping them. In short, Hasbro executed this figure almost to the very best of their ability. The only way I think Hasbro can improve this figure - and indeed future figures - is to get rid of the inner "tray" in the packaging as it seems to distort the vinyl capes and wrinkle them. I haven't seen this happen to actual 1978-1985 Kenner figures - these trays are a menace. Still, even without the cape, this is one of the very best of these figures. I didn't expect to love it - sure it looked cool, but I was continuously impressed the more I looked at her. It's a shame she won't have more stories, but I guess that means I can have her show up pretty much anywhere my toy box can travel.

This is a good figure. Even if you threw your arms up at the show, this is one of those toys I wish I had as a child. Maybe it wouldn't be everybody's favorite, but who wouldn't have wanted a cool Star Wars assassin with all of this detail? The costume is as good as anything we saw out of Jabba's entourage, and it has more textures and materials than just about anything else we got out of Retro in the past few years. I'm not going to recommend this figure to you if you're not on board with The Retro Collection, but I'm going to suggest you pick this set up if Kenner is your jam. She's not a cool alien, that's true - but as human costumes go this may be the best to hit this format. I know you're not going to listen to me, but don't skip this set. Despite it being 50% Jedi, it's still really good.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,213: February 6, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,212: The Mandalorian (Speeder Bike / Epic Hero Series)

THE MANDALORIAN Biker
Epic Hero Series Speeder Bikes
Item No.: Asst. G0363 No. G0372
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Darksaber, rocket, launcher, bike
Action Feature: Bike rolls on wheels, removable launcher, launching rocket
Retail: $19.99
Availability: January 2025
Appearances: The Mandalorian   

Bio: The Mandalorian traversed Tatooine on a speeder bike, a vehicle capable of high-speed travel that requires skill and fast reflexes. (Taken from the packaging)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: When Epic Hero Series became a thing, Marvel's figures had ball-jointed shoulders, knees, elbows, and hip joints. Star Wars had a ball-jointed neck and swivel arms and legs - until now! The biker assortment features greater articulation at the shoulders, elbows, knees, and hips, making this The Mandalorian the best in class for this particular line. This level of articulation has been the norm for Mattel Jurassic World humans and Spin Master's various Batman and DC Comicss lines, and they seem to do pretty well. If Hasbro made a "one size fits all" line with about this level of articulation, I think it would be pretty good - I dare say, good enough - if it meant getting more new characters in the line. If we could live in a world with Gunter or The Stranger or maybe a new Cantina patron with knees and elbows, I think we'd all be a lot happier than not getting them in the $16.99 assortments. As a figure, he's great. He looks well, he poses nicely, the separately molded belt and bandolier stand out a bit more, but mostly it's nice to have a tiny bit more articulation on a toy figure made to be a bike rider. His cape and Darksaber are similar to the other releases, so the main reason to buy this figure is, well, the figure. And the bike. The figure sculpting is nice and crisp, but on a shelf it's going to look pretty similar to the ones you purchased last year.

The bike is pretty neat - but the interaction isn't fantastic. I love what Hasbro did with the vehicle. Clear wheels? Great idea. Removable firing rocket launcher with multiple mounting points? No notes. Great idea. A big peg on the back which serves no obvious purpose? Uh... I'll get back to you there. Presumably a future toy will interact with it, but right now the backpack hole fits. I assume that was not the intent, because why would you have a guy flailing back there? ...maybe I just answered my own question, having Mando drag a guy around might be fun. The rocket fires well, the colors and paint are good, the designers did a good job making a fun toy.

However, there's a problem. Mando is a good figure. The bike is a good bike. Mando is not good at sitting on the bike. I think if Hasbro dropped the foot pedals, this would be a better piece. The 1983 Speeder Bike cheated - you just put the Biker Scout's butt on the seat, hands on the handlebars, and that was it. It worked, it was fast, it was fun. This one requires massaging all the joints just-so to get the butt kind of close to the seat, with hands on the handlebars, and the feet will probably eventually pop off the foot pegs. It just doesn't work as intended - I'm not sure if it wasn't tested with physical product, or if the joints just aren't quite what the prototypes were, or what. The cape gets in the way, too, and there's no on-board weapon storage. If you are happy with 3 parts of his body touching the bike, it gets the job done - but it looks like they were struggling to pull it off in the packaging photos, so what chance do I have?

I'd recommend either element - the figure, or the vehicle - on its own merits, but together they don't hang as well as I would like. A figure that can't fit in the seat, or use the clearly provided foot pegs on the pedals properly, would be the kind of thing that annoyed me to no end as a kid. So if it bothers you, maybe skip this one. If you can settle for a hovering foot or butt or maybe only have one hand on the handlebars, I'd say it's good enough to give a try and I hope there are other vehicles in the works that may not require such a specific seating position tolerance.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,212: February 4, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,211 Bo-Katan Kryze (Single, Epic Hero Series)

BO-KATAN KRYZE 2024 Kids Line
Epic Hero Series Basic Figure
Item No.: Asst. F9405 No. G0143
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Darksaber, blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: July 2024
Appearances: The Mandalorian   

Bio: A gifted warrior, Bo-Katan Kryze is a legendary Mandalorian who refused to align with the Empire's occupation of Mandalore. (Taken from the packaging)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: This figure isn't that old, but Bo-Katan Kryze was dumped at Ross pretty lickety-dang-split last fall. You could get her for $3.99 or less, and as I write this she's pennies above $3.00 on Amazon - it's a real pity, but understandable. Hasbro's excellent Epic Hero Series styling is in a line that's kind of small, kind of scattered, and divided against itself. Walmart had a nearly identical Bo-Katan Kryze [FOTD #3,179] last year as an exclusive, but in a 2-pack with different gear. Which one is better? Probably the cheaper one, which at this time is this single release. The figure itself is the same between releases - only the gear is changed. If this was on-shelf nearer to The Mandalorian airing new episodes, or was part of a line with more momentum than "two waves in a year," perhaps it wouldn't be quite so cheap. As I said, she's pretty good.

For 3 3/4-inch collectors, she's oddly tall. This line was scaled to 4-inches, which means she and her cohorts are - say it with me - just different enough to make you mad. You can't fit her in some existing vehicles, and it's an odd editorial choice to make unless the intent was to make a kid line that collectors wouldn't want. Which is a shame, because the sculpting is still very good, with crisp - but limited - deco. The amror is very nicely designed and you can see some unpainted elements of her costume, like her holsters and knee pads. She still looks good, especially for the price. You get a blaster (not in the 2-pack) and a Darksaber, both of which fit nicely in her hands. Given that the blaster mold was used in another exclusive set, you might not even want to bother with this one for accessory completism - but I did, because it's a small line and one I assume will not be around in a couple of years.

Lady Kryze stands well, sits without a problem, and has a ball-jointed neck. The arms and legs swivel just like old Kenner figures, making her a fairly stable and sturdy companion on your desk or in your kid's toy box. While I would recommend her to anyone looking for a cheap thrill, I must confess I didn't bother to open her until a couple of weeks ago. I did open the 2-pack version though - the figures were close enough to the same where I probably could have left her carded, as one version of her was sufficient. I did want to let you know to check your local stores for her in case she's on clearance, because for under five bucks pretty much any Star Wars figure is worth your money. Given her season 3-specific Mythosaur pauldron, she might scratch an itch that would let you skip a $16.99 The Vintage Collection too. It's a figure that does a good enough job, but it would appear the market disagrees. Their loss - these figures feel like old Kenner figures, and they're sturdy, and adjusted for inflation they're quite a bargain. I would have liked to have seen this line take off and be something kids buy, but Star Wars does not seem to be their favorite thing this year.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,211: January 30, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,210: Clone Trooper (Phase II/Revenge of the Sith, The Retro Collection)

CLONE TROOPER Phase II, Kennerized
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. G0371
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, another 5 figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $59.99
Availability: November 2024
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection is inspired by the original 1970s Star Wars figures and features original figure design and detailing! Continue your collection from a galaxy far, far away. (Stolen from the marketing copy. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: This The Retro Collection Clone Trooper is not one of my favorites. Some elements are good, some aren't - I'm curious if I can ever find out who sculpted which figure, even with names redacted, to see if there are any patterns. From an execution and a design perspective, it does not exactly fill me with delight. It's an official "Kenner" figure, so I am interested in it. I would probably not have bought it were it a fan-made design from a seller on Etsy or eBay.

The figure's pose is rather bland. Design decisions are going to vary from person to person, but Hasbro's other "Retro" work showed figures like the Death Trooper tried to be a bit closer to Kenner's 1978 ideal. That figure had a hand that couldn't hold an accessory, generally glossy armor, and a neck that couldn't articulate - just like the first Stormtrooper. The Clone's limbs are a bit stiffer, posed out a bit, with a neck that actually can turn and a smaller helmet. It doesn't feel as much like an old Kenner figure, which usually had large helmets.

With the Clone Trooper Hasbro opted for a jointed head, decided to not paint the elbows, and sculpted the figure to look more like some of its modern simplified figures. It's rounder than I would have expected. He feels a little less "real" having a fair amount of symmetry in he design. A little variation in pose would help, as the figure stands stiffly with a smaller-than-typical helmet for a trooper. The arms and legs feel a hair yellowed upon receipt, and the material lacks the shine of an original Stormtrooper. The proportions of the chest feel a little off - maybe the stomach area is a little too small, or the top part is a little too long - and the boots seem like platform shoes. They did a good job making a figure look like a Clone Trooper, and they did a nice job picking which trooper a hypothetical Kenner would probably make. (Specifically, one that wasn't of any import in Revenge of the Sith as much figure design was done before the final cut of the film.) Red or blue markings would probably cost Kenner more money, so keeping it plain sounds like a move they would admire.

Deco is a little weird - sloppy in parts, especially around the mouth which has entirely too much paint. Details are fuzzy and the chin compartments bleed together in a way that looks unintentional. The mouth, nose, and visor are all very flat, and not textured like the movie helmets or the original Stormtrooper figure. This figure looks a lot more like the Mission Series/Saga Legends figures from just over 10 years ago. It's close, but could probably use a little bit more revision to nail a look that feels like Kenner. Jango Fett was the same way - the silver paint makes it feel much more like a current figure than something your dad bought for you, or his dad bought for him. Gosh we're old.

The Clone blaster is a reasonable recreation of the movie prop, which is good. I guess. It's not bad - the original Kenner Stormtrooper figure's blaster clip is famously on the wrong side of the accessory, and that kind of "wrong" is somewhat charming. Here, it's just a small modern accessory. It's a little big and maybe a little too nice for a Kenner-era accessory. There's nothing wrong with it, and I wish they did something odd with it. But that's just my preference - whoever made it did a fine job. They also gave the pistol grip that familiar grid pattern, and I really like that detail.

Complaints aside, the figure-ness of it is excellent. He holds his blaster (albeit awkwardly), he can stand and sit, he can pilot a lot of ships, and he can stand. These are all things you want a figure to do, and not all figures succeed at it. I wish it had a little more gloss and personality, but that's me. Any designer is going to take their own direction on these things, and while I think it falls short of my expectations, for all I know it was a plan to reuse the body with other clones down the road. (I have seen no sign of this yet. Heck, as I write this no other Retro figures are known to be coming.) I don't think many old-school Kenner fanatics are going to love this one, but that's OK - some of the other figures in the collection will make up for it.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,210: January 28, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,209: Grogu (The Armorer's Forge, The Vintage Collection)

GROGU (Armorer's Forge Playset Pack-In Figure)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Pack-In Figure
Item No.: No. G0360
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Carded The Armorer, Forge playset, anvil with alternate heads, Cabinet of Dr. Mon Calimari
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $59.99
Availability: November 2024
Appearances: The Mandalorian

Bio: This set includes several accessories ideal for play and display, like the Armorer’s forging materials and a selection of her finished helmets – plus a Grogu figure! (Taken from the Hasbro product page copy.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Does anyone need another Grogu? Probably - after his introduction on the show, I envisioned Hasbro switching the entire line over to support him - to make "The Child" in numerous poses as a collectible, non-articulated figure and sold with dang near everybody - The Client, Mando, etc. - instead of a coin or other gimmick. I still think it would have been a good idea - for a babbling puppet with only one shirt, they've found tons of ways to make him as a toy. This one sports a unique addition to his costume - beskar armor, which goes under his robes.

At about 3/4-inches tall, this is clearly not worthy of being sold as an individually packaged figure, but we've seen a few of them. In this case, he's packed with a $60 playset, which includes a carded figure (let's say a $17 value) alongside a chunk of cave, a Mythosaur skull, some tools, and absolutely no paint. If anything, the figure is a modern collectible - as is the Armorer - while the playset itself feels more like a throwback to something in Kenner's MicroCollection. It's actually kind of amazing, and I'd recommend the entire set to anybody who's all-in on 3 3/4-inch as a scale, just be sure to steal the playset and give it to your Retro figures.

The Grogu figure itself is about as good as the other ones. Tiny black eyes, big green ears with a pink interior, teensy green hands, and a brown unzipped robe gives you a clear view of what's going on underneath. The Armorer built him a plate of armor with a partially visible mudhorn signet, and a tiny bit of chainmail visible just below his head. It's tiny, it's subtle, it's the kind of thing where you might be left asking yourself how many of this character you own... and why. The tiny arms move well given the size, and the head turns - but there are no foot peg holes, and no real way to interact with the playset beyond standing near it.

It's easy to crack jokes, but the figure is impressive - his wrists are jointed. That's a minor miracle. But would we as collectors be any worse off if our dozenth or so Grogu was a non-articulated, painted figure that maybe helped to bring this set's price down a few bucks? I love articulation when it adds to the play value, but as he can't really do much other than stand or turn his head anyway, I don't benefit from the moving parts. It's a well-designed figure and the designers should be proud of their craftsmanship, but as a toy, it offers nothing to give you a better time than you would have with your existing figures.

At $60 it's a little tough to recommend this set, because it feels like the playset part should cap out at around $20, the bonus heads aren't much of an accessory, and the carded figure is worth about $17. For $45-$50, I think it would be a pretty good item. At $60, it's for a certain kind of completist only, or for the Kenner-crazed fanatic who would probably just as easily have paid $60 for a fan-made version of the playset to go with those figures. Grogu doesn't do much other than look cool, and everything about this set looks pretty cool - you just have to get past the fact that the figures feel like 21st century designs while the playset comes from the finest plastic forges that 1982 had to offer.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,209: January 23, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,208: Padmé Amidala (The Retro Collection)

PADME AMIDALA Kennerized
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. G0371
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, cape, another 5 figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $59.99
Availability: November 2024
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection is inspired by the original 1970s Star Wars figures and features original figure design and detailing! Continue your collection from a galaxy far, far away. (Stolen from the marketing copy. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: This The Retro Collection Padme Amidala is very good - some parts almost seem to go above and beyond Kenneryness, while some - presumably as a result of digital sculpting - seem a little weird. I think the personality and pose show massive improvements over other "new" figures, but if I have to nitpick (and I do!) the boots seem off. So you should totally get this figure - and she's better than most old-style figures I see these days.

Let's start with her gear. The cape is really neat, with the elements wrapping above (and under) one another giving the figure a distinctive look I just don't see on other figures. The fuzzy white material reminds me a lot of the 1983 Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker cloak, so I would say Hasbro nailed it. It's not as bulky as the one in the movie, which is kind of amazing - when you do soft goods at this size it's incredibly difficult to make things thin and sturdy that hang well.

Her blaster is all new and more or less perfect for the format. Hasbro de-evolved the design to something simple in a light gray color that seems close to some of the older Kenner blasters. I assume if this were an actual Kenner figure, they might have just tossed her a Battle Droid blaster or an existing Squid Head blaster. This looks better than that, so kudos to Hasbro for doing a good job on something new - but I'd be just as happy with a recycled blaster, given how often Kenner did that.

But how about the figure herself? She's good. I feel like a lot of complaints fans had about Hasbro's other "new" Kenner figures were addressed well. She stands tall, but not stiffly - her back has a curve to it and her head sits forward a bit. Each arm is posed differently, with a slightly bent right arm that can hold a blaster and a mostly straight left arm that is not capable of gripping an accessory. Each arm has a silver band and is incredibly skinny - most Leia figures had arms with a little bulk on them. I think this is better than I would have expected, so nicely done Hasbro. Her torso is smooth and tight, and could probably benefit from a wrinkle or two on the front. The back has some, and the front is just a little too pristine - it doesn't look bad at all, but a little more detail would be nice.

Her legs are posed well and proportioned pretty well, again, they're thinner than we usually got in our human figures. (There were so few women it's not like we have much to compare here.) The boot coloring and proportions seem right, but the boot detail seems a little too perfect. I assume these were sculpted digitally because the straps on the back all seem to be lines that are a little too straight, a little too clean. The ones on the front are so subtle, they feel like a modern figure. Kenner was not known for subtlety, as you can see if you have legit old-school Hoth figures from 1980-1982. There were some deep, exaggerated cuts and this figure is certainly not about that sort of thing.

While her hair is a little light on sculpted detail, the paint is good, and the paint is in the right place. Hasbro did a great job with her pose and accessories, with a face that feels Kenner-appropriate and some sculpted elements that are a tiny bit overcooked - but with the cape, you probably won't even care. I doubt Hasbro will make more figures from Attack of the Clones in this format, but I hope they consider it. Three figures from a movie isn't a collection, it's not even a sneak preview wave. (We got four there!)

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,208: January 21, 2025