Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,049: Han Solo (The Vintage Collection)

HAN SOLO without Endor Trenchcoat
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Deluxe Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F7311 No. F6878
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #281
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $16.99
Availability: June 2023
Appearances: Return of the Jedi
Bio: Han is just this guy, you know? ( There is no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

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Commentary: This Han Solo figure - with no special identifier in the name capsule, which is a shame - would probably be your "Endor Raid" or "Ready for Action" figure, if you're in to older toy or trading card references, respectively. What's good is it's a new take on the Endor Han Solo outfit, which we last saw reissued two years ago and it really didn't turn out well - but you got a coat, and it was $12. This 2023 Han Solo has no coat, but you get a new head and some new parts slapped on the 2018 Solo: A Star Wars Story body so it's better than what you have but still not good enough to be a $16.99 figure. At $12, I'd say "hey, they did a nice job given the circumstances!" At $17, we're being charged a premium price for a product that is most certainly not premium. Other figures in this assortment have had alternate hands, bonus accessories, removable helmets, and Han has a blaster. If they threw in the coat I'd give it points for being a good replacement for an old figure, but as it is, it is not. And as usual it'll probably sell out and be hard to find in stores thanks to the starved market for this kind of thing.

In 2023, the 2016-style leg joints are kind of awful. You know the ones - you get the then-exciting thigh cut for swivels, and a bend-and-swivel hip joint with pretty limited movement despite additional parts and assembly costs. The knees and ankles are more or less the same as always, but these ones don't rock from side to side. Han has swivel and bending wrists, and that mid-torso joint Hasbro seems to love but just looks like Han got cut in half with a lightsaber. As bodies go, it reuses a lot of old (young) Han's parts and disguises them nicely enough that at first glance, this looks like a figure that was made to be this specific Han Solo costume. And that's pretty impressive.

It takes some fidgeting, but you can get him to stand upright. The range of motion in the legs is pretty stiff, so it's not exactly easy (or fun) to pose this figure - but at least he can hold his blaster, and so can his holster. And from some angles, the head looks a bit like Harrison Ford. It's a hard face to get right, but it's one of the better attempts. His hair is a separately painted "wig" piece, so you can see some extra money went into molding that and making sure it fit well so he has a clean hairline.

We got an improved head sculpt, but after 46 years it's not like any Han Solo figure has been exactly perfect. Fans wanting the most accurate Hasbro Han might be better getting the 6-inch Endor Trenchcoat version, possibly still on shelves near you right now. For 3 3/4-inch Return of the Jedi Han Solo figures, this may be as good as it gets for a while and that can get pretty frustrating. We know they can make really awesome hip joints and smooth articulation all around, without unsightly belly cuts, but here we are. Carded fans will probably dig it, and I assume those looking to upgrade would be well-served to get this Han - especially if he shows up on sale. But he's not exactly a great value proposition if you're cutting back.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,049: July 25, 2023