Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,781: Rey (Dark Side Vision, The Black Series 6-Inch)

REY Dark Side Vision
The Black Series 2020 Line Look Blue Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Packaging
Item No.: Asst. E8908 No. F1307
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #01 - Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Includes: Lightsaber
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: January 2021
Appearances: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Bio: While searching for the Sith wayfinder, Rey envisions her turn to the dark side. Wielding a double-bladed lightsaber, her rage and immense power is frightening. (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!

Commentary: If you liked The Rise of Skywalker, or if you have taste, you can probably agree that Rey (Dark Side Vision) represented a tantalizing taste of a story we didn't get. Hasbro has mentioned on a few occasions that they knew they had to make her as soon as they could once she showed up in the trailer - and that wasn't much different from her appearance in the actual film. The vision was basically just Rey in one of very few significant costume changes, a mix of Palpatine's robes and Kylo Ren's outfit, with a nice hood and some dark make-up. She doesn't look super-evil, but she does look pretty cool. Also this figure has proven to be insanely popular, which makes sense, because Hasbro put a lot of love into this design.

The 6-inch scale figure has two key landmarks that are likely to grab your attention. The hood is black plastic affixed to the figure. You can turn her head inside it, but the hood won't move. It sits on top of her shoulders which have a cloth cape that is one of the better executions of robes, capes, and the like in this scale. Her double-lightsaber is hinged, with hilts designed to look like a warped take on the classic Graflex Skywalker Saber look. You can see Vader's black cap in the design, a mutant version of the Luke/Anakin tip, and some coloring that reminds me of Palpatine. It articulates nicely, and is one of the better (and more fun) accessories in this scale.

The figure herself is excellent. The hands can grip the weapon. She can stand without a hitch. The elbows can bend more than 90 degrees - that's a huge plus. You can see a little ring on her hand, and her outfit is sculpted with horizontal bands all over. This reminds me a lot of the 1977 Darth Vader suit's gloves... and Dark Empire Luke's outfit in the comics, and Kylo Ren's costume. Getting her to stand or posing her is an effortless affair, and she has great knee joints, rocker ankles, and thigh swivels. Anything below the waist is largely worthless thanks to the plastic dress clamshell, but it's nice to see they put the work into it since they were going to charge you the same regardless of the number of joints. There are about 29, by my count.

While this figure doesn't really do much to expand thee galaxy, it's good. The only suggestions for improvement I would make are ridiculous, as the portrait's printed face is wonderful, the articulation is as good as any Hasbro figure on the "better" end of the spectrum, and she just plain looks cool for a cameo costume. If you can see her for $20ish, buy her if you like her costume! This is a lovely figure and I can't see much reason for them to make more figures of this costume. Also, as I write this I do not have Asajj Ventress... I am curious if she will share leg tooling with this Rey. It would be hyperbolic to say that The Rise of Skywalker would all be worth it for this figure, but I would go as far as to say this may well be the best thing to come out of Hasbro's toys for that film. Their offerings since the new line look have been consistently superior.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,781: February 25, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,780: Incinerator Trooper (The Vintage Collection)

INCINERATOR TROOPER (The Mandalorian)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. F0879
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #177
Includes: Fire blast, flamethrower attached to backpack
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $12.99
Availability: January 2021
Appearances: The Mandalorian
Bio: Incinerator Trooper armor was exceptionally heat-resistant and bore red markings in order to indicate their specialty. (Stolen from Walmart.com. There is no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: The new Stormtrooper body has proven to be a good investment for Hasbro. The latest edition is this Incinerator Trooper, which drops the blaster pistol but adds a pauldrone, harness, backpack, flamethrower, and a flame piece. You're trading up here - it's a lot more toy for the money than previous releases.

Based on the trooper's appearance late in the first season of The Mandalorian, the nicely-articulated trooper added red stripes on nearly every armor element - just not the shoes, lower waist, or belt. There's no Imperial cog on the backpack, but it's not like it was easy to see on the larger figure - the color blends right in if the room is a little dark. Hasbro opted to make the red armor stripes clean, so there's no scuffing or weathering like on the packaging photo. It's still pretty solid - at this size, it's easy to be forgiving of deco that's good. It doesn't have to be perfect, especially if your vision is fuzzy. You can always add your own scuffs should it come to that.

The accessories are remarkably similar to the 6-inch one - there's even two protrusions on the thrower to grip the flame to ensure it doesn't flop out. The backpack, cables, and torch are connected and are going to take some effort to come off. I'm fine leaving it - it's a decent looking figure and a good accessory. It also amazes me that a plain Stormtrooper with less gear costs exactly the same as this deluxe model, but presumably, this is the world from here on out.

The packaging is sharp because it's one of very few figures to lack a "Small Parts Warning" box on the front. This makes it look more legit vintage, because none of the original toys sported choke hazard logos just yet. The 4+ circle is not quite how the old ones looked... but it still looks better than most recent releases. That mustardy yellow background and pillbox behind the name is magnificent, and the trooper portrait looks sharp. I really like this one. (It almost pained me to tear it open.)

As of my writing this, The Mandalorian has a rather small 3 3/4-inch action figure line. It's pretty easy to be a completist, especially given that most of the figures range from "good" to "excellent." The Carbonized guys are arguably skippable, but everything else is worthwhile. This one in particular is a great addition to the relatively tiny sub-collection, and I have to hand it to Hasbro that I'm glad to see them crank out some repaints and smart retools. I'd also be willing to buy every last alien and trooper they were inclined to sell me. And some vehicles. But until then, this is one of the better entries and one you should buy if you see it. Buy two, keep one in the package - it's pretty.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Walmart.com. Unlike most figures they have sent me, it shipped in a weird white box inside another box.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,780: February 23, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,779: Din Djarin (with The Child, The Vintage Collection)

DIN DJARIN (The Mandalorian)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. F0880
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #177
Includes: The Child, an ice cream maker, Beskar ingot, Beskar ingot stack, alternate head, blaster pistol, rifle, cape, jetpack
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $17.68
Availability: January 2021
Appearances: The Mandalorian
Bio: The Mandalorian is a formidable bounty hunter protecting a mysterious alien pursued by bounty hunters on behalf of Imperial interests. (Stolen from Walmart.com. There is no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: Making figures like this Walmart-exclusive version of Din Djarin (The Mandalorian) raises a lot of questions about costs. A normal 3 3/4-inch Mando is $13. A metallic repaint? $18. This $18 figure includes the most extensive deco I've seen on Mando yet, but also includes a bonus unmasked head - and those are expensive. And the Child. And an ice cream maker, and Beskar ingots. If a normal figure is $13, you get a lot more than $5 worth of extras in this set by most recent measurements. It may or may not be worth it to you, but I can't deny that you actually see something of value for the extra money here.

Mando is the same mold as the "full Beskar" version from last year, but with extensive "photoreal" paint applications. The head has a really good Pedro Pascal sculpt with a pretty good mustache on it, glossy eyes, visible lip color, and quasi-greasy hair. It's very good - back in the day Hasbro told me a new head sculpt with good paint could make about 1/3 of the cost of an entire figure, and if that's true, you get your money's worth here.

His Amban phase-pulse blaster is not very different from the previous release, but the pistol is a darker color. Of course, compared to the armor, it's almost not worth bringing up. The shoulders have excellent scuffing, as do the thighs, chest, and the now-dirty back of the armor too. Hasbro didn't skimp here - this is a gorgeous paint job on a figure that I would've suggested you track down anyway. The helmet also has painted signs of wear that really look wonderful. The back is pretty clean, but that's typical. I don't think anyone buying this will be upset.

The ice cream maker full of Beskar is pretty slick, but the lid is tough to pop off thanks to a soft plastic ring around the bucket part. You can also pop open the side of the bucket, Mr. Potato Head butt-style. The grey Beskar block and single slip fit in easily, making this a nice place to store pieces so you won't lose them. Because they're so small, you will lose them.

I normally am not a fan of higher-priced plussed-up repaints, but this is a good one. The standard issue Mando is so scarce, this is a superior replacement if you can find it. You'll love the gritty armor, you'll adore the Child, and all the extra gear is icing on the cake. It shows just how nice a figure can be when Hasbro puts a little extra effort into it, and I would have loved to see the paint jobs on other recent The Vintage Collection rereleases lavished with such love as this release. I hope Walmart runs more of these and it's kept in circulation for a while - this is a must-buy for fans of the series. Unless, of course, Hasbro comes up with something even better.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Walmart.com but no pins were included with my order as later advertised on their site. If you got a spare pin for sale, hit me up. (I'll trade you for the Galactic Hunter pin, a limited edition with even more limited interest.)

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,779: February 18, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,778: Kuiil (The Black Series 6-Inch)

KUIIL I Have Spoken
The Black Series 2020 Line Look Orange The Mandalorian Packaging
Item No.: Asst. E8908 No. F1306
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #07 - Star Wars: The Mandalorian
Includes: Blaster, helmet with goggles
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: January 2021
Appearances: The Mandalorian

Bio: A vapor farmer on Arvala-8, Kuiil came to seek peace in an out-of-the-way world, which is now being trespassed upon by criminals and mercenaries. He has worked a lifetime to be free of servitude, and offers valuable skills for those willing to meet his price. (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!

Commentary: Season one of The Mandalorian is an amazing parade of awesome weirdness. The ugnaughts were famously poor sellers in the 1990s, lingering on some drug store and Kmart pegs for nearly a decade, but Kuiil gave the species a voice and a catchphrase - and that's valuable. I never would have expected to see the little porcine people as a figure in The Black Series unless we got into a playset/diorama phase - but if you give one of them a name, that's a whole different thing.

This is a good - if small - figure at 5-inches tall. It doesn't make you wince like a $20 Yoda - or Maz Kanata - because at least it's taller than most of the 3 3/4-inch scale line, and it has more parts. As always the sculpting is top-notch with wonderful textures on the skin, hair, and fabrics... all of which are plastic. The vest and belt buckle look great. The pouches? Awesome. And are those cargo pockets? Kuiil - you, me. The same. The colors don't bleed and I don't see a lot of slop here. It's a great clean design, but the trademark "used universe" weathering of Star Wars is completely absent. This is a squeaky-clean rural farmer and greasy repairman. I would have liked to see some more weathering, and while his face sculpt is perfect that could probably have also used a little more paint around the eyes. The personality is in there, but it's a lot brighter than the show looked - the eyebrows don't feel as wily or bushy. Or white.

Articulation is acceptable - but not impressive. While Hasbro has done a bang-up job improving elbows and knees to have a greater range of motion and no visible pins on many figures, Kuiil's elbows barely bend. The knees are great though, and it seems the hips have a full range of motion that would be perfect for riding a Blurrg. (Have I mentioned I've been nagging Hasbro to make one of those on and off for years? You should too. They were good enough to fight Ewoks and Separatists.) Kuiil stands well, and oh yes - his hat is removable. His backpack is connected to his scarf, though. Kuiil's hands also have no problems holding his blaster once you pry the fingers open.

You will not be amazed by this figure - but it's good, and a sign that things have gotten to a point where Hasbro feels comfortable giving us some unusual characters that work nicely. I worry that the saturation of Mando figures is still too low that a figure like this could hang around - like how you wouldn't buy Killer Moth before buying a Batman - but perhaps it will show there's still demand for deep cuts (as well as casual selections) from shows like this as time goes on.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,778: February 16, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,777: The Child (with Din Djarin, The Vintage Collection)

THE CHILD Technically part of an exclusive Din Djarin (The Mandalorian) figure
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. F0880
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #177
Includes: None, but Mando has an ice cream maker, Beskar, alternate head, blaster pistol, rifle, cape, jetpack
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $17.68
Availability: January 2021
Appearances: The Mandalorian
Bio: The Mandalorian is a formidable bounty hunter protecting a mysterious alien pursued by bounty hunters on behalf of Imperial interests. (Stolen from Walmart.com. There is no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: I should be on the way to Toy Fair today, but you know. Life. Ever since the show debuted, fans asked "when are we getting a 3 3/4-inch scale The Child?" Or "Baby Yoda" or "Grogu" or whatever - and here he is! Just in time for what is probably a temporary (if not permanent) departure from the show. At only 3/4 of an inch, he's a tiny little guy and it makes sense he is treated like an accessory, with no representation in the name box or the photo. It's also funny, because they could just as easily sold The Client or another character as an accessory to the kid and people would probably agree that it was worth $15.

Coming in shorter than The Black Series figure, this figure looks better out of the gate with the collar and cuffs of his onesie painted a lighter color. He has only three points of articulation - neck and arms - with tiny painted feet if you flip him over. There's no issue with him standing up, and there are no foot peg holes. In the 1990s, this figure would have zero to one joints - today, Hasbro gave him actual ball jointed shoulders and a moving neck.

He also would have probably been unpainted or barely painted - today he has little black eyes, green feet and hands and the aforementioned robe deco. While I would have appreciated any texture to the sculpt under the robes, everything visible when he stands on a table looks great. He's oddly expressive for a face the size of a pea, with shiny black eyes and chubby little cheeks that go great with his big ears. You can even see a subtle pink fade in the ears, which 20th century toy companies would've (and had) skipped on similar figures.

I have to hand it to Hasbro, as an "accessory" this figure is pretty remarkable. Hasbro could've given Mando a messenger bag with a head sticking out of it, and this figure w ould have sold incredibly well - but instead, we got a full-bodied tiny sidekick figure. It might not be "worth" $18 but I can't imagine any fan of the series unwilling to pay that given Mando by himself sells for $13 (or more) these days.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Walmart.com but no pins were included with my order as later advertised on their site. If you got a spare pin for sale, hit me up. (I'll trade you for the Galactic Hunter pin, a limited edition with even more limited interest.)

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,777: February 11, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,776: Captain Rex (2020 Reissue, The Vintage Collection)

CAPTAIN REX Reissue of 2015 Phase II Armor Figure
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. E7763 No. F1096
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #182
Includes: 2 blaster pistols
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $12.99
Availability: December 2020
Appearances: The Clone Wars
Bio: Rex, formerly designated CT-7567, was a veteran Clone Captain, Clone Commander, and Advanced Recon Commando who commanded the Grand Army of the Republic's famed 501st Legion of clone troopers during the Clone Wars. (Stolen from Wookieepedia. There is 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!

Commentary: One of the most commonly asked questions I get about new announcements from Hasbro is "is this new?" This is sort of the problem with the line right now - it's not obvious what you're getting. This Captain Rex figure started shipping late in 2020, and is a redeco of 2015's Captain Rex [FOTD #2,166] which was a retool of some existing clone commander figures. Despite being a new release and his first appearance on a Vintage cardback, the figure is old. It's improved over the 2015 release and superior to the 3 3/4-inch The Black Series version, but it hasn't aged well.

I really scrutinized this one in an effort to find something that easily distinguishes it from its previous release beyond the date stamp. The deco is improved, sort of like the difference between a 1080p program and a pretty good 4k master. It's an improvement! The colors are brighter, the contrast is better, the kill marks are sharper, and you can see more - but it's also still the same old figure. I like the bluer blues and blacker blacks of this release, and things like the marks on the hands are much sharper in 2020. The white paint over dark plastic is still a little ugly, but it's better than before. Hasbro didn't take the opportunity to improve the paint with more damage or scuff marks, as it seems the same basic patterns were kept for the welding marks and stripes. If you saw this on the shelf, you probably wouldn't realize there were any changes unless you had the prior release in your pocket. I couldn't even tell any obvious differences when comparing the 2020 figure to my (and other sites') 2015 release photos. It's that close.

Since the old one is expensive, that's good for you - you can pre-order this one for as little as $12.99, which is good, because it's not amazing. The hips are last-century's swivel models, with no thigh cut joints. The shoulders, elbows, and wrists are good but lack the range of movement of the most recent figures. The hip joint is a basic swivel, which was outdated at the time of this figure's release. Sculpting is good, mostly using recycled Clone elements, with a helmet that strikes me as too small for the body. You may disagree. If you just need a Rex on your shelf, this is a good one, and priced right, and probably the best one you can buy right now.

I would invite Hasbro to try again - they often do, to amazing results - because Rex is superbly popular now that 13 years have gone by since we first got the animated figure in 2008. (Which I also happen to like more.) This Rex lacks a removable helmet or much personality, but the welding area is rusty and shiny all at once, making this a perfectly OK figure. In case any of this sounds contradictory, it kind of is - it's like a really good student phoned in a paper. Is it better than many of the others? Yes. Is it their best effort? Yes, but not if they put any investments into new clone sculpts in the past several years. We saw significant 3 3/4-inch figure improvements with the Rogue One figures in the 3 3/4-inch The Black Series in 2016, so anything before that seems almost primitive.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,776: February 9, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,775: The Mandalorian (Beskar Armor, The Vintage Collection)

THE MANDALORIAN Second Version - Full-Beskar Armor
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. E7763 No. F1095
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #181
Includes: Jet pack, Amban phase-pulse blaster, cape, blaster pistol
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $12.99
Availability: December 2020
Appearances: The Mandalorian
Bio: Din Djarin, commonly known as "the Mandalorian" or "Mando" for short, was a human male Mandalorian who worked as a bounty hunter during the New Republic Era.(Stolen from Wookieepedia. There is 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!

Commentary: If you ask me - and you should - The Mandalorian should be the 21st century's Batman. We should have a rogue's gallery, various figures with specialized armors and action features, "wonderful toys," and the whole bit. It's the best Star Wars going right now, and people love it - and product is in rather short supply. There are still only a handful of figures from this series in this scale, and it looks like there are going to be a lot of similar-but-different-ish Mando figures.

This is the second 3 3/4-inch Mando - and he's got a lot of new parts. The shoulders, torso, left thigh, left lower leg are obviously new. I'm squinting at the other parts and pieces, all of which have been given new paint. It seems like they did a better job upgrading the 3 3/4-inch figure than they did the 6-inch figure, as I totally missed Hasbro kept the knee pad for the big guy but retooled it out of the little guy - which matches many of the photos. (I also realize I don't have the best visual reference for this show just yet.)

While the number of points of articulation are impressive, getting the figure to stand is a pain. How this is done, I don't know - he's hard to get standing up straight and the joints are not conducive to standing there, or sitting really, thanks to all the accoutrements hanging off his person. (Yes I am saying I wish they also did a 5POA figure.) The deco is gorgeous and this shiny silver figure is even shinier than the 6-inch one, a beauty on the 6-inch by 9-inch cardback that you dare not miss. The smudge on the thigh looks great, the little details are gorgeous, and there are so many moving parts if you have a lot of patience to pose the figure. Needless to say, I am not a patient poser - I like my figures to stand the first time, and this guy fell over a bit during photography. It's still beautiful, what with the cape, the bandolier, and the removable jet pack.

It's worth noting the weapons are painted surprisingly differently - the coloring on the Amban phase-pulse blaster uses different paint masks and brighter colors. The pistol is also brighter and shinier. The jet pack is a duller grey, but it still seems more chipper than The Black Series accessory. The cape can be nudged out of the way for a unique tab/slot for the jetpack, and there's a slot on the bandolier to hang the aforementioned rifle if you're so inclined. Due to how two objects cannot occupy a single space, you can't hang both the jetpack and rifle at the same time.

In terms of appearance this is my favorite season 2 version of Mando. (So far they haven't made the post-upgrade pre-signet figure, or the slight-upgrade armor.) The decision to make the Beskar nice and bright was a good one, rather than the duller metallic grey of the 6-inch counterpart. If you want a packaged figure to display in your (home) office, this is it. I'm glad the upcoming vehicle pack-in has a cloth cape - I'm gonna need it - but this one isn't bad either. I assume we'll be getting another variant with a spear, or other versions eventually, but I'm also hoping we see Lava Armor or Night Attack or Ice Combat editions because I am the devil on a toy company's shoulder. Actual toys I can play with would be most welcome, but this figure scratches all the collector itches. Minus the Beskar Spear.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,775: February 4, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,774: Jar Jar Binks (The Black Series 6-Inch)

JAR JAR BINKS 6-Inch Scale Goofy
The Black Series 2020 Line Look Mustard Star Wars The Phantom Menace Packaging
Item No.: No. F0490
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #01 - Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
Includes: Cesta, Atlatl, Gungan Personal Energy Shield
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $29.99
Availability: December 2020
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: A clumsy, well-meaning Gungan outcast on Naboo, Jar Jar Binks struggled to prove his worth throughout his life. (Taken from Hasbro marketing materials.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: A figure that will invite controversy merely be existing, Jar Jar Binks is one of very few figures in this scale from 1999's Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Along with Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, Darth Maul, and a Battle Droid, it's an interesting choice - but even more surprising given his design hints that the figure may have been finished quite some time ago, and his price point and extra accessories is, to say the least, curious.

Before we get critical of the why and the how, let's talk about what you actually get - a very good figure. This Jar Jar Binks delivers a good collector's release, but seems to exist mostly through the lens of the time during the prequels. The skin pattern is excellent, the colors are spot-on, and the face is decidedly not wacky. I kind of wish he looked goofier, but there's always a chance for another release with a mini Pit Droid and an alternate head down the road. (Personally, I'd love to see him with the numb tongue face and the dopey thumbs-up, like Gentle Giant did for their excellent mini bust.) The team at Hasbro did a bang-up job making sure he looked like the best-possible-for-2019 (despite his 2020 release) Jar Jar Binks figure, taking design cues largely from the 1999 figure. The skin is right. The vest is right. The pants are right. They painted the claws and toenails perfectly. I daresay it looks more lifelike than the very good-for-1999 CGI model on the big screen.

There are floppy - but not too floppy - ears, and two neck joints. It's easy to groan about Jar Jar getting a 6-inch figure before a second Cantina patron got made, but it's impossible to deny just how well he turned out. The arms alone have a glistening texture that looks better than almost anything else we've seen from Hasbro. The articulation is very appropriate for a couple of years ago, with hands that can easily grip the included accessories, stable feet, and for some reason double-jointed knees. Hasbro has started talking about their desire to hide pins in joints, so these are something of an oddity as part of the 2020/2021 line when troopers and Jedi and other releases were designed to have simpler articulation with a deeper cut when it comes to the leg. Nevertheless, it's good. There's really nothing else here they could have done better as articulation goes.

So far he's our only Gungan in this scale, so it makes some degree of sense that he got an energy shield, an atlatl, and a cesta (spear) in the box - but it would have also made a lot of sense to give him zero accessories, or an alternate tongue-out head. The gear in here sort of shoves him off to the Battle of Naboo, and probably increased his price when there's little reason for him to have been this expensive - even the much larger Chewbacca sold for $20.

I think it was a mistake to make him $30 - time will judge, but so far the $30 price point has been used for bigger guys that wouldn't fit in a normal box. Mr. Binks would fit in a normal $20 box, and the extra accessories aren't necessary - and seem kind of out of place here. There's no reason to sell a figure with more accessories than he can carry when Hasbro is inclined to release multiple versions of core characters, especially not for $10 extra. (I think the $30 Boba Fett will sell fine, but it also should've had more in the box or been stripped down to a $20-$23 figure. Unless the paint job is exceptionally gorgeous, of course.) If you can take aside the strangeness of charging so much more for a figure that's not as big as/bigger than Chewbacca, nor seemingly as complicated, I'd say buy it.

It's a very good figure, and unless Hasbro does a Jar Jar 2.0 - and I hope they do, just for alternate head sculpts and a folded-up Pit Droid - this figure is exquisite. I can fault the price point, but I can't fault the quality. Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,774: February 2, 2021