Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,077: Cad Bane (The Book of Boba Fett, The Vintage Collection)

CAD BANE live action version
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Deluxe Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F7311 No. FF7314
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #283
Includes: 2 basters, hat
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $16.99
Availability: June 2023
Appearances: The Book of Boba Fett

Bio: Renowned bounty hunter Cad Bane was known for his impressive arsenal of weapons and allies. His work with the Pyke Syndicate on Tatooine led him face-to-face with Boba Fett. (Stolen from Hasbro marketing copy. There is no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

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Commentary: It's been a rocky month for news and commentary about Disney+ live-action shows, as a sudden rush to declare the Emperor having no clothes left fans going "yeah, we know." The Book of Boba Fett appealed to some and left others cold with a parade of interesting introductions and some backstory. But you weren't exactly left knowing who the antagonist was, or what Boba Fett is really after beyond "I wanna be a boss". And then Cad Bane shows up out of nowhere, when you could probably just as easily have thrown in a new guy, but hey, we got a shootout in our quasi-western crime space show for no good reason really.

The character's live-action appearance gives us "the same, but different" aesthetic popular these days. I guess the idea is that nobody really changes their style much after reaching adulthood. The character's duster is a bit more robust, but he has the same hat and gauntlets. His boot rockets are now gone, replaced by ammo belts. He looks like he did in The Clone Wars with red eyes and blue skin, adding a visible grimace instead of teh flat frown we used to get. It's a sensible change, and his arms have a pretty good range of movement. You can pose his hands like he's going to draw his blasters, but the shoulders are a little stiff. It's a pity - but at least the hips, knees, and ankles are pretty easy to move around. I found this figure stayed standing very nicely on my desk and didn't fall over despite being on a frequently bumped-upon workspace. That means Hasbro did a real nice job balancing him, and you can display him with a number of scenarios - he wouldn't look out of place in the cantina or Jabba's Palace.

While his appearance in The Book of Boba Fett required explaining to anyone not intimately familiar with the cartoons, his appearance as an action figure needs no explaining. Popular cartoon character, alien, bounty hunter, it's an easy sale. Is it worth $17? No. Most of these guys aren't - there's not enough here that goes above and beyond what we used to get for $10 beyond the mouth deco and removable hat. But I can't argue that it looks nice, and that Hasbro did a pretty good job making sure the hips move cleanly and that he stays standing. And his holsters work. And he can hold his blasters. If you like the character design, even if you're not a post-20th-century fan, he'd go well in any dioramas you may have featuring aliens.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,077: October 31, 2023