Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,851: Flametrooper (Gaming Greats, The Black Series)

FLAMETROOPER Gaming Greats
The Black Series 2020 Line Look Blue Star Wars: Gaming Greats GameStop Exclusive
Item No.: No. F2844
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #03
Includes: Backpack, flame thrower
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.99
Availability: June 2021
Appearances: Jedi: Fallen Order
Bio:Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order features Flametroopers, specialized commandos that support the war machine of the Galactic Empire, highly proficient in the use of incendiary weapons. (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: I always feel weird when I point out I skipped a game (like this one) and have started skipping some figures from the line that don't sing to me - but this one I really liked. The Flametrooper doesn't look exactly like the in-game model, but it does sort of look like a McQuarrie Concept Snowtrooper. And that was enough for me! The more-expensive-than-it-should-be retool has new forearms, new lower legs, a new backpack, a new blaster, and a new helmet. I would like to think it would cost the same as an entirely new figure, but it's more.

If you bought the Snowtrooper a few years ago, it's functionally similar, with the same kinds of joints and basic silhouette. The new helmet looks like a Snowtrooper with new goggles, a painted stripe on the back, and a couple of things to let air out of the mask which don't seem to be present in the renders I saw from the game. (Which, hey, I like how the figure looks better.) They also rotate the shoulder pads around so the lines are on top, rather than the bottom - just like in the game. It's a much cleaner trooper with no ashes or soot, as opposed to the somewhat muddy Snowtrooper. Early photos of the figure do have darker grey boots and a higher level of contrast in the mask, which the final product does not share.

You can plug the torch into the backpack, which is a retooled Snowtrooper backpack. It all fits together nicely and he has no problems holding the weapon, which has a subtle red glow around the tip. It doesn't have a giant clear flame piece like the one from The Mandalorian, but the newly-tooled weapon is big, threatening, and most importantly looks like something from the early 1980s. The boots, in particular, look like something someone bought at a gardening shop and painted white. It's great. The new wrist armor also looks really good, adding new glove pieces to what looks like typical Stormtrooper armor. It feels legit. If this showed up in a new Disney+ streaming show, it seems like it belongs in that whole McQuarrie-esque early Empire look we've seen since Star Wars Rebels.

If you like what you see in the pictures, I can recommend this figure. It looks like a concept design, it fits the aesthetic of the 1980s, and you can probably find lots of reasons to like it if you like Imperial troopers. I'm finding I miss what I got in this line for in the first place - robots, aliens, and vehicles - but this is one of the best troopers we've had in the last year. This is, admittedly, somewhat light praise as we've had weird holiday troopers and carbonized troopers and other stuff that doesn't feel like it's doing much to reward long-haul fans... but we're not the market that we were in the 1990s.

I wish I had more to say, but part of what makes me feel like the world is passing me by is they're doing a smattering of toys from new stories, quickly moving on, and mostly all I can do is say "this is a nice-looking action figure" since there's no long-term desire. All kids of the 1970s and 1980s probably had figures that, upon release in the 1990s, felt like they achieved a life's goal merely by plunking down $6 for Ishi Tib or Pote Snitkin. I still get excited by new prequel guys or anyone from The Mandalorian since it's such a rich well of characters and designs. For this reason, it's a little tough to be genuinely amazed by a Snowtrooper retool, but I can't fault it. They did a great job making an action figure out of it, but there's no collection to be built around the game, no vehicle to pilot. Those with a relationship with the game may feel differently, but I don't feel particularly inspired to actually play around with a lot of these guys after the review is done - they're good, but they exist in a playtime vacuum. Also I am old.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from GameStop.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,851: August 31, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,850: Shadow Stormtrooper (The Vintage Collection)

SHADOW STORMTROOPER (The Force Unleashed redux)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. F2710
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #194
Includes: Blaster, rifle
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: June 2021
Appearances: The Mandalorian
Bio: Shadow Troopers were a branch of Imperial shock troopers deployed during the Rise of the Empire era. These units were often either under the command of stormtrooper commanders, or the Emperor's Shadow Guard. They had many encounters with Galen Marek. (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: Thanks to a churn of new fans and a taste for endless repaints, the non-canon status of the Shadow Stormtrooper from The Force Awakens games is an easy redeco that delights fans over and over. The two games from the series were rendered unnecessary by Rogue One, but they're still neat - and thanks to a massive marketing initiative with tons of merchandise, fans really stuck with it. Few games before - and none since - have enjoyed this level of Hasbro action figure tie-in product.

The excellent trooper redesign from The Mandalorian and Rogue One is used yet again - there are some minor sculpt differences from the classic movie designs, such as the pistol - and molded in clear blue and sparkly grey colors. This is unlike the other Shadow Stormtrooper, which is a black figure. For those keeping track at home, there are at least three classes of Stormtrooper that fit the "Shadow Stormtrooper" bill - the silver lensed black ones from the Russ Manning comics, the black lensed ones from Crimson Empire, and also these blue ones.

Using the best Stormtrooper sculpt and a very good paint job puts this ahead of the Toys R Us one from about a decade ago [FOTD #1,371]. This brings the figure more in line with the figure's art and representation on the packaging, while the previous one - which used a different, older mold - was better about keeping the "cloaked trooper" gimmick at the forefront. They're each good for different reasons, but this one seems to borrow on the then-popular Tron: Legacy look with the blue striping and the dark armor.

The packaging is great, but it's best to open it - with two blasters and the best articulation of any Stormtrooper mold at this size, it would be great if these were easier to get so you could grab an army. They're online exclusives, so they may be in relatively short supply for a while. If and when Hasbro ever makes a new Galen Marek - a "Starkiller" with a better likeness from the first game would likely sell preposterously good numbers - but for now, you can pre-build or augment your armies. You know, for the Imperial playsets we all hope to someday get but haven't for a couple of decades.

For (at least) the fifth release of this mold in slightly different colors, it's nice to have something that's a real departure from previous versions. The paint is clear, the blue lenses are sharp, and there's no better trooper at this size for pretty much any pose you might want. Sure, there's no holster, but it's not like they're particularly fantastic on older 3 3/4-inch Stormtroopers. Given what a departure the deco is on this trooper from previous releases, I'd say get one or two. It's not like you're going to see a whole heck of a lot from The Force Unleashed any time soon - so horde what you can.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,850: August 26, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,849: BT-1 (Beetee, The Black Series 6-Inch)

BT-1 (Beetee)
The Black Series The Force Awakens-Era Line Look, 6-Inch Figure
Item No.: Asst. B3834 No. E4079
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #88
Includes: 2 dome panels, 2 dome guns, 2 leg covers, 2 leg blasters
Action Feature: Opening chest compartments, rotating dome lowers third leg, dome panels pop off so you can place guns, leg panels come off for even more guns
Retail: $19.99
Availability: June 2019
Appearances: Comics
Bio: A hostile astromech droid, BT-1 (Beetee) works with Doctor Aphra alongside the protocol droid 0-0-0 on destructive missions. The black metal-plated droid is heavily armed with flamethrowers and other destructive weapons. (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: A retool, but not a bad one. BT-1 builds on the R2-D2 mold and adds a new dome and lots of extra accessories, making it feel like a pretty good deal in its day. R2-D2 was always on the smaller side, so it's nice when Hasbro bulks up the figure with other stuff to make it a better toy. This particular model is based on the Marvel comics series from the new 2015-era comic books, but also draws a lot of inspiration from classic Kenner "Battle Droids" prototypes that never came to fruition. A number of robot mock-ups with extra firepower represented a lost line from about 1986, so it's nice to see that drawn on for more recent efforts.

Essentially R2-D2 painted in the dark grey - almost black - colors like a lot of Imperial droids, Beetee stands apart with a new, R5-esque dome. A giant eye has a gradient paint job for his eye, with a bright orange dot in the center that fades out toward the edges - it's very retro. The panels are largely silver, with an extra dongle on top of the head. On each side are removable panels, and you can plug in some massive firepower in there - and then put the panels on the guns so you don't lose them. (The 3 3/4-inch figure does not have that feature.) This is a really impressive remold.

What's more, R2-D2's prequel arm rockets are left out but the hooks are still there. Now you can add extra weapons in there, although you'll need to find somewhere to store the extra panels. If that weren't enough, the retractable third leg is present, as are the opening chest panels with the claw arm and datalink arm accessories.

Deco is good - there's nothing exceptional here, but you'll like the blue light on the dome, the silver panels, and the few pained highlights on the weapons. The copper panel cover on the torso is a nice touch, but the legs are sadly more or less molded in color. The center leg has a little bit of paint on it, which is better than nothing and certainly nothing to sneeze at.

As a resculpt of a resculpt, I particularly enjoyed the unpainted, outer R5-style eyes on the dome on the split panels and I always got a kick out of giving an R2-style robot a complete arsenal at his disposal. As a kid, I often played with R2-D2 as a cannon - just flip the body up, and it looks like it could shoot projectiles. This takes that idea and pushes it to an almost ridiculous level, resulting in a striking and admirably goofy concept that looks like it could have been made in the 1980s or 1990s. Since it came out in 2019, it shows there's still an appetite for fun in the world for those who get lucky enough to pre-order it online, otherwise it costs too much. If you can get it at a fair price, snap one up immediately - even if you don't like the comics, it's a great little bit of worldbuilding and a distinctive personality from the publishing program.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth in 2019.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,849: August 24, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,848: Doctor Aphra (The Black Series 6-Inch)

DOCTOR APHRA Marvelous
The Black Series The Force Awakens-Era Line Look, 6-Inch Figure
Item No.: Asst. B3834 No. E6052
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #87
Includes: Helmet, blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: June 2019
Appearances: Comics
Bio: On a mission gone wrong, Doctor Aphra finds herself at the hands of a formidable Sith Lord, Darth Vader. A rare survivor of such meetings, Aphra is recruited by Vader for her skills in reprogramming droids and her apparent lack of remorse for breaking the law to get what she wants. (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: You never know for sure what will be a big deal or not, but non-movie figures with short runs tend to get expensive in short order. Doctor Aphra was part of a later wave, right before the assortment got a new SKU, so she wasn't around terribly long and now commands over $100. (I am against this. You should be able to get one.) The character was an early breakout star of Marvel's Star Wars comics reboot, starting as Darth Vader's sidekick/assistant/collaborator and eventually getting her own book. Being first has benefits, and her popularity endures to this day.

While the figure does share elements of tooling with Jaina Solo, Chelli Lona Aphra recreates her character design from the comics quite well. A departure from some other breakout comic stars like Amaiza, the Zeltrons, and Darth Talon, Aphra gets such rare accoutrements as pants and a complete shirt. But does she get pockets that actually work? We may never know. The figure uses the photo-real deco on her face - fun, as he never had a real-life model - but it looks good. Her eyes have a little sparkle, but there's a little color bleed around her eye shadow areas. This was sort of common with some of the earlier photo-real printed figures, and later toys are a lot better. The brown vest has a hint of weathering on it, and it looks superb - the same is true of her shirt. The pants are also nicely textured, and the fingerless gloves... OK, those could be better. There's a little slop there.

Due to her release in 2019, Hasbro was still noodling around with articulation, making her a mix of amazingly good joints and some notions that have since been phased out. The double-jointed knees bend all the way back, plus she has an ab-crunch joint as well as a chest swivel. Sadly, her elbows can only bend to about 90-degrees - we've better figures in 2018, so it's a pity that they weren't improved here. Her hands have no problems holding her blaster, which fits well in a holster.

Because it's the 21st century, modern design aesthetics have crept in to stories timed around the original Star Wars film - I've got mixed feelings about this. Her ensemble seems to evoke Han Solo and other smugglers, and that's perfect - I love her flight cap with goggles, too. She also has circuitry tattoos, and ink in the 1970s was mostly reserved for sailors, bikers, and rockstars - it was a rarer thing. Obviously it's a big galaxy, but in the entire original trilogy tattoos are far and few between, so it always struck me as a little odd if you're trying to capture the design philosophy of the Carter era. (They weren't, obviously, this is my hang-up.) They're only on one arm, and everything else about this figure is pretty amazing.

If she gets reissued for a lower price, you should pick her up. It's an amazing figure - her droid pals 0-0-0 and BT-1 are no slouch either - so I'd recommend picking one up if your budget allows. Fairly few modern Marvel-era characters have been made as figures, but the series continues to pick up new readers and is likely to keep doing well - meaning more figures can't be far behind.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth in 2019.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,848: August 19, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,847: Princess Leia Organa (Endor, The Black Series 6-Inch)

PRINCESS LEIA ORGANA (Endor)
The Black Series 2020 Line Look Green Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Packaging - Also PulseCon Boxed Set
Item No.: Asst. E8908 No. E9363 also No. EXXXX
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #05
Includes: Helmet, belt, poncho, blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: October 2020
Appearances: Return of the Jedi
Bio: Princess Leia Organa rendezvoused with the Rebel fleet and helped organize a plan to destroy the Empire's new Death Star: they would head to Endor and knock out the space station's shield generator. (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: My favorite movie for toys is Return of the Jedi, so I'm happy when Hasbro does something really well - like Princess Leia Organa (Endor) from last year. Kenner and Hasbro have both done several versions of this figure, and in various sizes. And with vehicles. But this time, she's 6-inches tall and for the first chronological time, she also has the photo-real face printing that everybody wishes they did years earlier.

The figure is a new one, with 2020-style elbow and knee articulation. This means they're like the 3 3/4-inch figure joints, although with a slightly deeper cut so they can bend more than 90-degrees. The costume is designed to look just like the movie, with blue-grey pants (complete with yellow stripes), the boots have painted soles, and she even has her blaster complete with a painted barrel. The helmet has the appropriate coloration and damage markings, plus the poncho looks closer to what you remember from the movie or the 1984 Kenner figure - a lot of Hasbro-era ponchos were a little on the dark side.

Having a figure with great leg articulation, a good costume, and top-notch accessories for about $20 should seem like a big deal, or at least enough to make a sale. However, I would nudge you to consider just how good the head is - not only did Hasbro do a dynamite job sculpting the figure, but a perfectly painted face makes it look like a 1983 Carrie Fisher was somehow shrunk and put on the head of a 1:12 scale replica. The eyes are dark, shiny, and intense. The lips and cheeks have just enough color. The skin isn't terribly waxy like some releases, with a hint of shine and great eyebrows. I'm impressed! We've seen lots of ups and downs when it comes to the faces of original trilogy leads as 3 3/4-inch action figures, and it's great to see that Hasbro continues to find ways to refine old figures or just make something wholly new that is extremely impressive. The various 12-inch figures over the year and Forces of Destiny figures were also quite good, but typically the boy's action figure line doesn't tend to get the very best Leia toys.

While one could imagine slight tweaks to improve Endor Han, Endor Leia may be as good as we'll ever see from Hasbro for quite some time. For a 38-year-old movie, near-perfection should be a lot easier to achieve since we've got lots of reference photos and numerous previous attempts to make this costume as a toy. Hasbro didn't disappoint, and even though the figure lacks any sort of action features, the poncho, holster, and helmet give you meaningful ways to interact with the figure beyond merely opening her, posing her, and then never having to think about her again. Sure it's dress-up play, but I'll take any sort of interactive features on these toys that we can get. You know, beyond the classic "face-plant" action.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth for the single release, and my 4-pack came from Hasbro Pulse.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,847: August 17, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,846: Han Solo (Endor, The Black Series 6-Inch)

HAN SOLO (Endor)
The Black Series 2020 Line Look Green Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Packaging - Also PulseCon Boxed Set
Item No.: Asst. E8908 No. E9364 also No. EXXXX
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #05
Includes: Trenchcoat, Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: October 2020
Appearances: Return of the Jedi
Bio: Han Solo volunteered to lead the mission to destroy the new Death Star’s shield generator on the forest moon of Endor, where he and his strike team encountered Scout Troopers and Ewoks. (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: For years fans have been grousing that Harrison Ford's likeness is impossible to capture in plastic, and on the whole it seems they're generally right. You can capture a certain sense of Han Solo or Indiana Jones, but is it really Harrison? With Han Solo (Endor) from last year, it looks like the answer is "yes." The actor's wry smile doesn't translate in a single color of flesh plastic - a hint of scruff, some more color around his eyes, and painted lips make a tremendous difference and make this figure (available in a PulseCon set or by himself) absolutely worth owning. Since the Kenner 1984 Endor Trenchcoat Han Solo remains one of my favorites from that era, I'm glad that this 2020 figure seems to be my favorite from the bigger modern line.

The figure is a mix of existing and new parts. The head seems to be new, with incredible face paint and separately-molded hair that make a huge difference in elevating the figure form a perfectly good action figure to something you can look at and say "this looks like an actual technological advancement." The legs and lower body seem to be recycled from Bespin Han Solo (the SKU is still stamped on his boot), but the rest seems to be mostly new. He has no problems holding his blaster, and the coat fits really nicely. I'm not saying it's perfect, but Hasbro's relationship with soft goods has rarely exceeded the quality of what Kenner gave us in the 1980s. This is pretty good - a little thin, but with good stitching and it doesn't look bad.

This is probably the very best Han Solo to date - which gives me high hopes they'll do a pre- or post-Carbonite one some day that will look equally as good. (If you take the vest off of this release, the arms look bad - so he'd need more work.) Since this figure made use of old parts, there's not a lot I can say about the articulation beyond that the coat does a great job covering up all the joints and ensuring the figure has maximum mobility with minimal visible articulation breaks. It even hides the breaks in the yellow stripes if you want to have the thighs rotated. This is one of the perfect combinations of using the costume to both enhance the figure's look while hiding what makes it functional. Old fans should make this Han Solo a must-buy-while-they-still-can, because it's superb. It looks right. Heck, it even gives me hope that if we ever got another Indiana Jones line, maybe this time we won't have to go through 90 figures to find one that has a decent looking face. (2008 was a very awkward year on the pegs.) Get this one - and the matching Leia and Luke - if you still can.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth for the single release, and my 4-pack came from Hasbro Pulse.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,846: August 12, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,845: General Hux (The Black Series 6-Inch)

FIRST ORDER GENERAL HUX 2015 Debut
The Force Awakens The Black Series 6-Inch Figure
Item No.: Asst. B3834 No. B4598
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #13
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: December 2015
Appearances: The Force Awakens

Bio: A young, ruthless officer in the First Order, General Hux has complete confidence his troops, training methods and weapons. (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: By the time that First Order General Hux came out, fans stopped caring - the run size was initially pretty low before someone initiated a rerun, making the figure seemingly not-terribly-desirable if you compared the low secondary market prices against the availability. (I never saw this one in an actual store - just Asty, once.) For whatever reason, the new guys from The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi - and most of The Rise of Skywalker - failed to strike a chord with the core audience for The Black Series. It even took a while for that audience to warm up to the new scale, as the first waves in 2013 sat around (except Boba Fett) for quite some time. By the time Hux came out people who just saw the movie wanted the then-sold-out Rey and people weren't super interested in Screaming Space Fascist Weasley.

Upon his debut, this was a new sculpt - and when Hasbro did another 6-inch First Order Officer figure, they didn't reuse parts here. It's a pretty impressive release with a coat from his "let's shout from the balcony" scene as well as a hat, and of course he has a partially-painted blaster without a holster. The hat does not appear to want to come off. The costume looks great, with silver trim, glossy black boots and gloves, and an ornate hat that do wonders in completely drowning out the facial details of this figure. The hat's First Order symbol and glossy trim look superb, but also drown out the human face that has some painted hair and eyes... and that's it. The lips are incredibly pale and Hasbro no doubt took note when they did the First Order Officer figure later, as he seems less like the waxy corpse that we got with Hux. This isn't to say Hux is a bad figure - if anything, he's an excellent sculpt that could benefit greatly from a makeover in the Archive collection. You can tell the sculptors did a great job, but the slightly-waxy flesh plastic combined with no make-up or facial details may fall flat with 2021 audiences, much like fans seemed to more or less ignore him completely in 2015.

Articulation is typical for his day, with double-jointed knees, rocker ankles, and perfectly fine hips which are blocked by both a skirt and a coat. On one hand you have to appreciate Hasbro putting in the extra articulation that you paid for, even if it's basically superfluous. On the other hand, Hasbro could probably keep costs down and drop the price of the assortment by taking functionality into account and leaving out joints you can't possibly use - especially since they opted to not reuse parts of this figure for other First Order officers for whatever reason. Even if they didn't cut our costs, they could have put the extra tooling money into deco and an extra 20-30 pennies could do wonders to giving Hux the snarling, twisted performance we got to see on the big screen for the character's memorable debut.

It's great that Hasbro made this guy - even as a year-end wave that initially didn't see much distribution - and made more later so fans who missed him could get it. But also fans didn't really show up for this one. (Check your collection, I can wait.) Heck, mine even stayed in the box until somewhat recently and I like the figure and the character a lot. The coat detail is great, the fine texture on the uniform is superb, and I love the clean silver lines on the sleeve. But - and this is increasingly an issue for me - these tip-top 6-inch collector figures aren't much fun. They stand, and thanks to the ankles they often topple over. There are virtually vehicles or playsets to use with them, unlike other toy lines that practically demand that you interact with them and get some sort of fun results. For fans of the sequel trilogy, this is a must-have figure until/unless a redeco comes out with an improved head. I hope they do it eventually, but I assume that the sequel trilogy - and General Hux - will be swept under the rug like the prequels for a few more years. You kick the sequel movies like the football. Oh! Oh movie jail for the sequels. Movie jail for the sequels for One Thousand Years!!!

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,845: August 10, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,834: Paploo (The Vintage Collection)

PAPLOO Take 4
The Vintage Collection Walmart Exclusive Action Figures
Item No.: No. F3113
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #190
Includes: Hood, knife, spear
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $12.93
Availability: July 2021
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Paploo was a male Ewok of the Bright Tree tribe on the forest moon of Endor. During the Battle of Endor, Paploo aided the Rebel strike team that was led by Han Solo in destroying the generator powering the Death Star II's deflector shield. (Stolen from Wookieepedia. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: I admit, I did not expect we would ever see a new Paploo but as Hasbro seems intent on remaking as much of The Vintage Collection as possible to ensure an analog with the original Kenner line, it makes sense. Many of thse figures are reruns with new heads or fixed paint jobs, but this is a weird one - we've had pretty good Paploo figures over the years. The 1984 figure - which was common as dirt here in Arizona in the late 1980s toy shows - provided some of the inspiration. The costume on the cardback doesn't really match the figure, and the headdress seems closer to what he wore in the movie. What surprised me is that despite tooling new parts, the head was just the 2012 Lumat head again... which means it's an improvement, with room for improvement.

This very same body has a ton of articulation and was previously used to make the likes of Logray and Teebo figures, to name a few. He stands, he has lateral hip joints, he even has elbows and wrists - which is amazing, considering most Ewoks had to be content with five points of articulation until the early 21st century. His staff appears to be new, and the headdress is also new - the big feather sticking up is a huge improvement, and the feathers are all painted quite nicely. There's a lot of color in the movie costume, and the hood here seems to capture that quasi-handmade feel that you want.

The fur color is mostly pretty good, but the face is a little dark and this seems like it could be a stopgap figure before another release comes later. The head has some lighter fur on it, some lighter skin on the lips and nose, plus visible teeth in the movie - this figure has incredibly dark eyes almost hidden by the dark fur, and the skin seems largely unpainted. I genuinely don't expect there to be another Paploo any time soon, and each modern version offers unique features that make it a compelling figure. With Ewoks as toys, the variant rereleases with different hoods or accessories are secretly fantastic for those of us who really like buying Ewoks so we can populate a shelf with lots of different-looking figures.

The staff seems to be entirely new with a very fluffy grip, and the knife slides nicely in the sheath on the belt. Hasbro did an excellent job picking good accessories (and making new ones) for their various Ewoks, and this Paploo is no exception. I just wish I liked the face more. For most fans it's going to be good enough - the hood overpowers the head inside the garment. On a shelf of figures, it'll never "pop." Being an older fan, I remember how the face of the original toy always seemed striking and even how some of the subsequent ones really had distinctive and often cute faces - even the weirdly worried 2009 The Legacy Collection figure is unforgettable. The costume is arguably more important than the face, but you get so much personality in these little furry faces that it's a shame they couldn't have given us a new head here. Especially given that the body is from 9 years ago.

This brings us to it still being the best Paploo in over a decade, with the best costume we've seen probably ever, and it's a good figure in its own right. If it was just sold as "Ewok" you'd go "Oh, that looks kind of like Paploo, neat, I want that." On its own merits as a little plastic man I totally love it and recommend it to the others who can't get enough of Endor's most popular non-Dulok citizens, but those wanting the absolute definitive Paploo-to-end-all-Paploos are still going to need to wait longer. If you can find one for $13, I'd say just grab it. I wouldn't count on interest in this kind of product to last long enough to necessarily warrant another lap around the Ewok track so this might be as good as it gets. (But if you have the 2009 figure and are happy with it - it being one-half of a two-pack of figures for $8 - you may not need to upgrade.)

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Walmart.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,844: August 5, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,843: Scout Trooper (Electropole, The Vintage Collection)

SCOUT TROOPER (Jedi: Fallen Order with Electrostaff)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. F2708
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #196
Includes: Pole, energy crackle
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: June 2021
Appearances: The Mandalorian
Bio: Scout troopers, also known as biker scouts and Imperial sharpshooters, were specially trained stormtroopers of the Imperial Army's Stormtrooper Corps. (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: In 1996, fans online were really upset and annoyed that the IG-88 figure Kenner put out was very similar to the 1980 toy, just with new deco, a waist joint, and a couple of minor tweaks. And that was about 16 years apart. The latest edition is this Scout Trooper, a trooper of Theseus, started live in 2007 as a super-articulated figure and this one is effectively a somewhat upgraded version of that figure (its 2012 rerelease, to be precise.) Now in 2021, that's only 14 years apart, but that's still kind of amazing. How many toys are kept in circulation with minimal changes for so long?

This is a pretty good super-articulated figure. The neck is jointed for maximum improvement riding his speeder bike, and the hips were upgraded in 2012 to allow for lateral movement for improved piloting of said vehicle. The arms, hands, and everything else are basically the same as the 2007 release in terms of functionality. You get about 25 points of articulation, plus a holster - but I should note, no blaster was included in this particular 2021 release.

Deco is slightly different than other releases, as the forehead lines were dropped, the shoulders are white (not black) rings, and the soft belly portion is white rather than the dirty off-white color. Hasbro painted the soles of the boots too, which is a nice feature. The straps of the bags hanging off the belt are white this time, and you also get a whole new harness over the figure's chest. It's a lot like what Hasbro did to the 6-inch The Black Series figure - and since you can re-sell the same figure again, you can completely understand why they'd want to repeat the upgrade with the 3 3/4-inch figure line.

The packaging is great, but the main reason to buy this figure is the electropole with the energy effect. He has no problems carrying the weapon, and with the harness it almost looks like a new trooper. My standards for "new" are pretty low when it comes to army-builders, so something like a recolored shoulder or a dirt-free paint job just add to the fact they actually sculpted some new parts here.

This item was developed to be a shared exclusive, so you'll probably find it at some online stores and distributors - but it won't be showing up at big box stores. I'd recommend getting it if you can find one at the right price. Is it worth $15? It's a bit of a pill to swallow at that price, but it's pretty well-done and it's not like there's a lot else to pick up in this scale right now. Maybe some day we'll get Cal Kestis in this scale too, but for now at least we have a couple of troopers. It's a start!

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,843: August 3, 2021