LUKE SKYWALKER (Snowspeeder, Prototype Edition, Kenner Style)
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. F55569
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Grapple gun, lightsaber
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $10.99-$14.99
Availability: July 2022
Appearances: Star Wars
Bio: This Luke Skywalker figure is inspired by the colorful prototypes that enable the development team to look past the deco and focus on the sculpt, analyze mold alignment, and adjust for quality. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)
Image: Adam's photo lab.
Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!
Commentary: These things are kind of dumb. I'd rather have them in one solid color, but the
Luke Skywalker (Snowspeeder) Prototype Edition as weird in all the ways that work for me. I appreciate the nod to a weirder aspect of collecting, but it's also frustrating that the entire point - a figure to analyze mold development - lets you see where Hasbro came up short. The original Kenner figures were surprisingly detailed little guys with deep cuts for detail, giving us what amounted to the best - or at least, the somewhat goodest - that the 1970s and 1980s had to offer. If you pick up some of the Hoth Rebels, the patterns in the boots or pants are pretty striking. If you have a genuine old Dengar, there are some amazing little details in the backpack, straps, wraps, and clothes that got low-resolutioned out of the newer release. It's like they pushed up all the detail lines a fraction of a milimeter, which sacrificed much of the detail. I assume Hasbro did the same with their new sculpts too, because Luke - while neat, and symbolically awesome - doesn't have as much detail as the genuine article from 45 years ago.
Having said that, this figure is the same as
Luke Skywalker (Snowspeeder, The Retro Collection) [FOTD 2,698], except this one has no paint. And is in the wrong colors. I think they would have done well to just sell the figure with paint alone, but Hasbro wanted to crank out six variants under a single SKU - something they said they can't do anymore, but clearly, they can - with few development costs.. The figure is a pretty sturdy one who can stand, sit, and hold his gear without a fuss. I dare say he holds it better than a lot of actual vintage figures! The joints are nice and tight, and his coloring looks like a "best effort" prize in a kid's coloring contest. But therein lies the charm.
What's particularly interesting about some of these prototype figures are the accessories. The black grapple gun is nothing special, but Kenner (and Hasbro) never made this style of lightsaber in purple before! For that reason alone, it's pretty awesome - the blade matches the figure's head. (Red, blue, green, and yellow ones exist from currently available figures.) I'm tempted to track down other variants just for the lightsabers this time - that's a nifty prospect. I got mine for $10.99 because I assume Target.com goofed, which is welcome given that previous prototype figures were slightly overpriced.
What's funny - and sort of sad - is that fan-driven efforts can make slightly higher quality products at much higher prices.
Stan Solo Creations,
Garden State Kaiju, and
Healey Made - just to name a few - are putting out high-quality not-licensed efforts. Hasbro's still doing an admirable job, but if they could just fine-tune the molding, I think figures like Luke here would be a lot more enjoyable. It would also be nice to see a little more variation on the poses - but I don't get the feeling that people are as fanatical about "this is how Kenner would have actually done it" as I am. This figure is a great display piece, but probably only essential for Kenner loyalists and people who really love crayons.
Collector's Notes: I got mine at Target.
--Adam Pawlus
Day 3,003: February 14, 2023
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