X-WING PILOT (Duros)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Shared Exclusive Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. F9395
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 4 Pilot figures with 3 Rebel Blasters like the Troopers and 3 Rebel Blasters like Luke's Pilot blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $54.99
Availability: September 2024
Appearances: ??? Bio: The Duros were a humanoid species common in the galaxy native to the planet Duro. (Taken from Wookieepedia.)
Image: Adam's photo lab.
Availability:
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Commentary: The
X-Wing Pilots continue with a representative of the
Duros! Kenner skipped these guys completely - we got the first one, Ellors Madak, as the very first Fan's Choice figure over 20 years ago. We also had a few others like Cad Bane and Mouse. We haven't yet gotten the rest from the Cantina, despite a new Cantina being just around the corner, it seems like something of an oversight - we saw a pair talking, yet after nearly five decades we have only one. Who will make the other one first - Hasbro, Stan Solo, or The Next 17? For now, all I know is that there is a very good chance that this nameless figure is going to be going into my HasLab Cantina as a stand-in for Baniss Keeg, or for the people who prefer the New Testament names, Chachi De Maal. The figure has the head down, at least, so it'll be a good enough diorama filler.
The body is once again the same old Luke body, with a helmet that looks more or less like any of several helmets - the coloring is kind of like Dak's, the layout is kind of like a typical Ahsoka helmet, but as far as I know it doesn't belong to anyone in particular. The flight suit is the same as we've been getting, but the head and hands? Those are new.
This time around the hands have fingerless gloves - something unusual for pilot figures - with shiny blue fingers poking through. The finish on the glove part of each bend-and-swivel hand is decidedly not as glossy as the glove part on the forearm, so you may see that as disjointed depending on how (or if) you display the figures. If you don't open them, obviously, you will never notice. I wish it was more consistent, but it's good enough. If we lived in a world where we got more vehicles, I'd say you could just put him in an X-Wing and you'd never even notice, but there hasn't been one on-shelf for a while now. Having said that, the blue fingers are more visible than the lack of gloss, so odds are most fans will like this figure just fine. Or if you throw him in the Cantina, he works as a smuggler in a slightly-off disguise. It is also worth noting the new fingers fit in the blaster perfectly.
The head is really good. Hasbro has done so few new aliens from the original three movies - or indeed, any of the movies - for a while, so a noggin like this shows what we're missing. The blue molded plastic alien head looks like a small rubber mask, and that's what we want. The sculpted ridges are all very good, with big red eyes and that familiar dour mouth and gaunt cheeks. It's really great - but Hasbro wasn't content to cast it in blue with red eyes. The various wrinkles and smile lines seem to all have a little extra paint, bringing out the detail. It looks really good to my eyes, giving him a little more life and personality that somehow shines through even in lower-light situations. Hasbro did a great job here.
Hasbro understood the assignment and nailed it. Sure, it wasn't something anybody was asking for, but it turned out well enough and I hope it serves as a reminder to Hasbro/Disney/Lucasfilm that a cool alien figure is worth doing, even if it's from nothing. Imagine how much cooler it would be if we got some more from the Cantina! I know I do. I think this was a good - if odd - choice for production, but if taken for what it is, it's pretty good. It would be nice if the map or code cylinders on the left arm were decorated, but they aren't, and that is something most fans are unlikely to notice as these remain in their boxes.
I'd say this set is worth getting if you've got a burning need for more figures - it's a lot more interesting than "trooper from game" or "another Darth Vader in 2024," but it isn't anything you couldn't have customized yourself 20 years ago. I appreciate the imagination and effort to give fans something new on a limited budget, but also, I'd appreciate something new with a full budget.
Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.
--Adam Pawlus
Day 3,186: November 5, 2024
