Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,132: Qui-Gon Jinn (The Retro Collection)

QUI-GON JINN Just The Way He Was Never Intended!
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Target 6-Pack
Item No.: No. G0370
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, plus Battle Droid, Jar Jar Binks, Queen Amidala, Darth Maul, and Obi-Wan Kenobi
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $59.99
Availability: March 2024
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection is inspired by 1970s Star Wars figures and features original figure design and detailing! Continue your collection from the galaxy far, far away! (Stolen from the marketing copy. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I feel that there's a sliding scale with retro figures - almost none of these feel like they could have existed in the 1980s due to their posture and texture, but sometimes there are elements that feel right out of 1980. Qui-Gon Jinn absolutely feels that way. I would have loved to live in a world where Hasbro made one with a vinyl cape and telescoping lightsaber (because being from a prequel, it should look older than the 1978 figures.) What we got was a figure with cloth Jedi robes and a non-telescoping lightsaber, which is what we saw around 1983 - but the figure's texture is too smooth for 1983, as Kenner was putting subtle changes on its many figures.

Old Kenner figures were usually pretty on-model or wildly divergent. Luke looked more or less like what you might expect, Leia did the best they could with the engineering of the day, and I don't think there's anyone who can explain what was going on with R2-D2. Qui-Gon Jinn looks like a really high-quality knock-off with hints of the 1980s peppered throughout. The most authentically "old" detail is his left hand, which is a little more like the claw we saw on 1978 Luke. Can you cram an accessory in it? Sure - but it's not a "gripping hand," like the right hand. The robes mostly look like someone copied the reference photos well, except for the belt. In the movie (and most toys) the dark brown belt usually hangs a tiny bit higher, with some of the tan belt hanging below it. Here, the dark brown belt hangs a little low and it immediately struck me as just not looking correct. His boots look more or less like other action figure boots, but have that weird, not-quite-puffy rounded detailing that modern Hasbro Retro figures sport but old Kenner figures did not. You probably won't notice, but it really is one of those subtle "this isn't right" things that fans over 40 will see and are less likely to accept.

The head sculpt has an example of modern toy companies working around old limitations. The hair is a separately molded chunk in the back - old Kenner figures rarely had long hair or ponytails. In the case of Boushh, they just dropped Leia's braid entirely. Qui-Gon has a glued-in piece and while it does look sloppy, "sloppy" is how such a thing would probably look in the 1980s. The eyes don't quite feel right for the era, and the beard looks arguably too good. General Madine may be the most prominent beard in Kenner-dom, and Qui-Gon's looks too realisitc. Not that it needs to look weird, but sometimes weird is right with these old figures. The head also isn't particularly glossy, which hurts the old-ness a bit.

A green lightsaber that's just like Jedi Luke's is what one should expect, but the Jedi Robes - included with Qui-Gon but not Obi-Wan Kenobi - are also arguably too good for a retro figure. The hood sits well on the head, the texture is good, the feel is nice... Hasbro really struggled with cloth Jedi robes with sleeves when we started to get them regularly. This seems refined, which is odd - but also Kenner was pretty good about getting hats and hoods to fit, and most figures could fit in the appropriate vehicles. It makes sense that this would be just fine.

The figure's articulation is good, but I'm not buying the posture. The arms and legs swing forward well, and the long robes cut as leg joints do have a precedent. If you have a Hoth Han Solo or Bespin Princess Leia, their garments hang below the belt and above the knees, so this is more or less how it should look. The legs swing forward with little fuss, and the neck can turn without snapping off his long hair. That's more of a modern innovation, and I can't think of an old Kenner figure from the Star Wars era with long hair over his shoulders. Maybe I'm forgetting somebody. In terms of functionality, I would say it's appropriately retro with the quality-of-life improvements we got when Hasbro said "hey, we can use flexible plastic and the thumbs won't snap on our G.I. Joe figures." This is a good thing, even if it's not necessarily authentic to the era.

You can choose to like this figure for what it is - a licensed figure that looks like it could stand on a shelf with other old figures - or bag on it for not hiring an actual original gangster sculptor, and was probably sculpted digitally, and was spit out of a factory who doesn't grok that Kenner's old figures had good, crisp details - just not as much detail as a modern figure. For about $10, given what I assume to be a limited audience (the Venn Diagram of "People who love Episode I" and "People who love Kenner Action Figures" might be me and about 40 other people in total), it's this or nothing. I don't think someone like Stan Solo was ever going to crank one out, and I don't know that a Super7 or other company that trades in 3 3/4-inch retro figures would (in today's marketplace) come up with something that captures the tough-to-define posture and pose of those original figures. Having said that, I'd rather the original Episode I figures be posed and jointed like this so they could more easily fit in vehicles. It's good for what it is (a modern take on retro) and I can't argue the price.

Collector's Notes: I got my set from Target. It was in a pile of stuff on the "Collectibles" shelves without any real indication as to where it should have been.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,132: May 9, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,131: Jar Jar Binks (The Retro Collection)

JAR JAR BINKS Just The Way He Was Never Intended!
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Target 6-Pack
Item No.: No. G0370
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, plus Battle Droid, Qui-Gon Jinn, Queen Amidala, Darth Maul, and Obi-Wan Kenobi
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $59.99
Availability: March 2024
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection is inspired by 1970s Star Wars figures and features original figure design and detailing! Continue your collection from the galaxy far, far away! (Stolen from the marketing copy. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: After other recent (and good!) figures of this character, I would not have expected to buy another Gungan. But in The Retro Collection, all things are possible and I got Jar Jar Binks. I would love nothing more than to take a crack at writing a story about him in a post-Empire world, but that's not likely to happen. What is likely to happen is me taking this figure to a bunch of vehicles to see if he'll fit, and thanks to his very long legs it's a mixed bag. He can fit in a Landspeeder or CAP-2 or even (shockingly) the AST-5, but his feet bump into the cannon of the MTV-7 which for some reason still remains on my desk to this day. I don't think that's a failing on anybody's part, he's just a really tall dude.

When translating any new design to the classic Kenner style, it's tough to say if Hasbro did a good job, or not. I think they did a bang-up job of making a good retro-style action figure, but the question we always have to ask is "but when was this figure made?" Is Hasbro tackling the design of a figure that could have came out in 1978 or 1983 or 1985? Usually figures are a pastiche of styles, cribbing details from each era to put something out that's something of an anachronism. For example, Jar Jar's ears being sculpted as big separate pieces is something I don't think you would have seen until 1983 or much later, but the legs having the sculpted "skirt" (and not a cloth one like the 1983 Klaatu figure) is something you could have seen as far back as 1978. The eye are perfectly 1978-ish, but the gripping hand is way better than anything we got in those days. His hands are almost modern, or at least, 1990s-style in terms of how well they grip the Battle Droid blaster. He stands and sits well, like most old figures, and I don't think any modern (read: late Millennial or younger) customer is going to have a problem with it seeming like something really, really old people had as a kid. You know, 40s, 50s, people who have one foot in the grave.

The coloring seems a tiny bit off, and that's where I think Hasbro rightly zagged where Kenner would also have zagged. His skin is molded in dark pink with a light beige for the mouth, nose, and ears - in their position I would have molded in cream and painted pink, but it works well and I don't see any blemishes. Hasbro opted to not include the skin pattern, but most interestingly the colors on Jar Jar figures tend to change a bit. In the movie, his shirt was more of a darker brown, and the vest was often a little darker too. This one has a lighter vest with a lighter brown pants and shirt - it's not as wacky as Walrus Man or Greedo or Hammerhead but it is off-model just enough for me to say "good job." He looks like Jar Jar Binks, but isn't perfect. That's what I want to see here.

Oddly, his hands are pretty much perfect - there's a separately molded trigger finger, which is not the kind of thing you saw from Kenner very much. You might have had fingers wrapped around in a closed loop, but this sort of thing wasn't typical until the 1990s. Also the left hand is interesting in that it's "broken," rotated so it can't hold a weapon and once again looking like something that came out of the 1990s. I can't quite tell what the design decision was here, but it really does seem like a heavily watered-down and somehow better figure than the staff-holding version we got in May of 1999.

Hasbro could've made a $17 (or $25) deluxe Jar Jar Binks in Vintage and it probably would have been great - but this goofball is also really fun. Sure he doesn't have the painted detail we got in 1999, but that's the point. He's a goofy salamander that looks sort of like he might fit in with your old Jabba's Palace or Cantina aliens. I think this is a great way to make me care about some figures I didn't think I would want to buy, and I'd recommend you pick this one up if you liked Kenner toys. Also if anyone out there from Hasbro is reading, consider a wave of Retro dudes for the next Star Wars movie's pre-release line. Don't wait 25 years - off-model figures made from preproduction designs are a blessing in the Kenner line, save authenticity for post-release The Vintage Collection figures.

Collector's Notes: I got my set from Target. It was in a pile of stuff on the "Collectibles" shelves without any real indication as to where it should have been.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,131: May 7, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,130: Darth Maul (The Retro Collection)

DARTH MAUL Just The Way He Was Never Intended!
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Target 6-Pack
Item No.: No. G0370
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, plus Battle Droid, Qui-Gon Jinn, Queen Amidala, Jar Jar Binks, and Obi-Wan Kenobi
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $59.99
Availability: March 2024
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection is inspired by 1970s Star Wars figures and features original figure design and detailing! Continue your collection from the galaxy far, far away! (Stolen from the marketing copy. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: A few years ago I was pondering if Kenner-flavored prequel figures would be cool, and now we've got Darth Maul just before the 25th anniversary of The Phantom Menace He was the first one I'd want to see in this style - but Diamond Select Toys made a Jumbo 12-inch Kenner figure too... and I think they designed it better. Diamond's had sharper detailing, a better head, a vinyl cape, but had a not-so-retro lightsaber with a silver hilt. Hasbro opted to make soft details with very few painted tattoo markings, a different pose, and arms that were, sadly, too big to fit in the Sith Infiltrator vehicle we got about 18 years ago.

If there's one thing that's increasingly clear to me about Retro figures, is that they would be massively popular if these things could be released before the movie or TV show. With rough details, they would be the ultimate "sneak preview" figures. If they're off-model or generally wrong? That's OK.

Maul is a really tough nut to crack for true Kenner styling - after all, what do you emphasize? Do you pretend it's pre-1977 and give him early details like a vinyl cape or telescoping lightsaber? Or do you pretend Kenner never stopped doing Kenner-style figures, and make something that may look more like a 1990s release? This figure doesn't seem to hit any specific era with its massive 1980-style lightsaber hilt with two blades, the pre-1984 clean cut slice in the pants without any flowing fabric detail, and a head that has horns that somehow look better than the 1999 figure and facial tattoos that, I must say, don't do it for me. It's pretty close, but I don't know how Kenner would have done either the face or the make-up. It's just a lot more red and a lot less sharp angles than I expected.

In terms of functionality, it's pretty great - the aforementioned Sith Infiltrator ship from Hasbro has a few quirks and a small cockpit that was designed around jointed knees and smaller arms, so this one can sit in it - but you can't close the cockpit. He can sit, though, so break out the mini-rigs because his range of motion is excellent and he doesn't have any obstructions. They did a good job there, and he can holt the lightsaber better than most real Kenner figures. His pose is also pretty great, with a right hand slightly rotated to give him a slightly more dynamic shelf presence than most modern Hasbro incarnations of Kenner sculpts. I think they got that completely right.

He's also rather tall - Liam Neeson's a big dude and so are his figures, but Ray Park is a little short. Their Retro figures are about the same size. That seems like an OG Kenner move, were there wasn't a massive rift between the shorties and the Wookiees like we get with modern figures.

I'm less enamored with the actual robe sculpting - it seems unfinished, and is missing a certain sense of the weight or detail of an actual old figure. I would love grooves on the face for the tattoos (Klaatu had some real texture), and a chest that has some better layering. I'm not saying I could do any better, but it would be nice to have the lower torso area a smidgen more rounded so the legs swing forward more easily. It's good, but it could be just barely better - or, most fans won't notice and won't care because they will never open this one. But we will. I love how it feels as a toy - all the parts move more or less as expected and it feels like something you believe could have existed in the past.

As a bundle I assume this set is going to be destined for a sale unless the run was particularly low - that's no criticism of the set, I just don't think people going to Target are going to see a weird block box with no visible figures and drop $60 unless they are big believers in the format. I bought it at full price because I want to see more of these, and Hasbro's not making too many figures per year and the prices are generally on the fair side. Collector's Notes: I got my set from Target. It was in a pile of stuff on the "Collectibles" shelves without any real indication as to where it should have been.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,130: May 2, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,129: Jannah (The Black Series)

JANNAH Really, Really Cheap Now
The Black Series 6-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. E4071 No. E6055
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #98
Includes: Cape, blaster, quiver, bow, arrow, arrow group
Action Feature: Working holster, arrow fits in bow or quiver
Retail: $19.99 Availability: October 2019 Appearances: The Rise of Skywalker

Bio: From an oceanic moon, Jannah leads a band of warriors, ready to charge against the forces of the First Order. (Taken from the box packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Looking at a figure like Jannah with the gift of hindsight is peculiar - I had her sitting for almost five years before opening the box. I didn't exactly have a great time with The Rise of Skywalker, so a lot of the 6-inch figures just sort of sat unopened. That's not a knock on their quality - Hasbro did a great job outfitting Jannah with a lot of gear and articulation, plus she has that superior face printing technology from when it was still relatively new. I assume a figure of this quality would be "deluxe" by today's standards, given how much stuff they pack in the box - with paint! - for the price. And now it's worth less than half of what it cost, I assume in part because the sequels left people feeling pretty much done and then The Mandalorian was on. This is an ambitious figure with plenty going on, but since she didn't exactly have a great role in the last movie you can get her on the cheap now.

After opening her, I was impressed by the level of paint and articulation - and noticed that my sample had a missing paint operation. The glove on her right hand should have paint on the forearm, my sample was left undecorated. But she has red sandals, blue pants, silver armor on her torso and left arm, painted goggles, a painted face, plus black, white, gold, and silver bits. And a cape which is oddly clear plastic painted brown, which gives it an incredible texture in most light. It looks a little strange when backlit, I admit, but so did my friend's mom's intestine sculptures. And I assume this is some sort of skin cape.

I don't know that the figure was made after final casting was done - the level of detail is incredible, but the face isn't quite perfect, and the belt and some of the gear is not tilted the same as the publicity shots. It might be nothing, but you may have heard the legends of General Madine's beard. It's a nice sculpt. The hair is big and looks cool. The goggles look like something out of Rogue One and her pants are not unlike what we saw on Rey... but in terms of costuming, it really does feel like the modern era of Lucasfilm had lots of designs and pulled them out at random as needed. This figure would be right at home in a Rogue One shelf if you didn't know her from the final sequel film. The goggles and arm decor could probably have worked just fine in a Partisan stronghold. The elbow cuts are a little weird, but get the job done - plus she has double-jointed knees. This was around the end of when they were doing those, as they would be phased out in most new sculpts around 2020. Also notable, she has a mid-torso joint that's completely hidden by her silver belt and bandolier thing. That is how you hide articulation.

The range of movement is mostly great, the shoulders don't have quite the range of some other figures of this vintage but she can hold her bow and arrow. And blaster! It's really hard to get anything to sling over her back though, as her cape needs to be removed and the head does not want to come off without a fight (or heat.) As such, it's kind of a pain - but you've got options and you don't have to make use of the many, many accessories you got in the box.

There are some pretty unsightly gaps around her bottom and her elbows when those joints swing forward, but other than that? It's a decent action figure. It's by no means perfect, but you got a lot for your money, and I would have preferred a slightly better head. And maybe the belt and stuff being tilted right. But that's sometimes as good as you can get when the figure comes out at roughly the same time as the movie, but I don't recall her (or many of the new movie figures) flying off the shelves. Heck, even her wavemate Cara Dune sat a while until... you know. I'm curious if we'll ever get another Jannah, or if she'll show up in the alleged Rey movie, but if she doesn't you can just be impressed her single arrow can fit through a little plastic tube on the bow and look like she's about to launch it. As I pretty much memory holed The Rise of Skywalker and have been putting off a second viewing since 2019, I am not sure if this figure is going to stay out on display. I'd recommend it as being a decent figure for the asking price, but especially if you're fond of the newer films and the future eras of Star Wars. Just don't pay full retail for this one, the eBay prices are incredibly low.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,129: April 30, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,128: Darth Vader (Epic Hero Series)

DARTH VADER New Kids Line
Epic Hero Series Basic Figure
Item No.: Asst. F9405 No. G0100
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Cape, lightsaber
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: January 2024
Appearances: Obi-Wan Kenobi
Bio: Seduced by the dark side of the Force, Sith Lord Darth Vader led the Empire's eradication of the Jedi Order (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!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Look - they can't all be amazing and fun. I'm pretty open to new things, toy things, kid things, things for that ever-growing class of toy collectors who seem to be ashamed of buying toys for children. I want to see stuff that is the very best example of what it can be in my toys, be it a perfectly-executed gimmick, an amazing sculpt, or a figure that's satisfyingly made to fit in a pilot's seat. This Darth Vader exists in a unique spot where you can go down the checklist of the things it does well, while not arriving at a satisfying finale. The same is true for most Darth Vader figures - there are some good ones, but think about it - how many were truly great figures that can stand, sit, be posed properly, with a correct lightsaber, good deco, and capes that don't get in the way? There really weren't many - quite a few get the job done, to some extent, and I would say my all-time favorite one was the 30th Anniversary Collection Darth Vader [FOTD 1,163] from 2007 (and 2006.) 

We've seen better sculpting, but for its time and place 2006-2007 figures satisfied fans of all ages with a good accessory, a nice gimmick, robes that just plain worked, and tip-top articulation featuring legs you could swing forward and it didn't have that weird codpiece that would flip up sometimes when he sits. There's so much going on right with that figure that it was easy to take for granted, and people hand-wave away things like sometimes getting the hilt wrong (I've done this) or heads falling off (you know who you are.) This new figure excels in no specific way. It is mid. Not Mid, the kid from Final Fantasy V, but middling. The other figures in this line show signs of refinement. Not Darth Vader. (Also not the Stormtrooper.)

I should make an aside to tell you that this Darth Vader appears to be based on his appearance in Obi-Wan Kenobi, which makes him the only figure in this entire line to date that comes from a timeline before the first movie from 1977. How can you tell? The gloves are the ones with the horizontal ribbing across the hands, rather than parallel to the arms. You'll see those in Rogue One and Star Wars as well. The other tell is that his shoulder region does not have his robes draped over it, but rather, under it. In the two aforementioned movies, the robes are on top. This combination of robes below the armor with these gloves is unique to this series, although Disney has used it in spots since 2019 (if not earlier) despite it not having appeared anywhere yet. I'm nitpicky.

His pedal extremities really are colossal. Darth Vader has unusually big feet, yet has problems standing - the center of gravity is off, the capes do him no favors. The other figures in this line are easy to pick up, pose, and place on a table. Vader may stumble over - the only figure in this line to do so. You really have to get his arm out front just-so in order for him to not flop over backward, which is really an upsetting thing if you're a child and this is your favorite bad guy. You can swing his arms and legs forward, but the cape is cut oddly - like some of the ForceLink-era figures - with odd cuts that may help him squeeze in a ship, but there's no ship in this scale as of yet. So what's the point? The figure has no ship, no playset, no action feature - is his purpose merely to be collected? Does he need to exist? He fills a space in an assortment and no doubt makes people in suits who make decisions happy, but there's a lack of creativity here that stings a big, especially after over 60 Darth Vader figures from Hasbro alone.

Darth Vader's sculpt is mostly great. The detail doesn't get lost at all (like spots in 2022's The Retro Collection Darth Vader [FOTD 2,961], which had some pretty soft gloves and underdefined helmet detail. The factory made this figure sharp - which I assume means a lack of understanding what "Retro" really means, and some nice work on the toolmasters here. The quilted sleeves look good, and the armor is shiny. The helmet seems assembled off-center, with the crest on the top not quite lining up with the nose - also the lenses aren't painted here. Numerous chest details are left off, as are some elements on his belt. Hasbro also integrated the wrist sockets to snap in accessories from other figures, and thanks to the design and coloring they blend right in.

I'm not fond of the cape, either - it's kind of a hassle to get the peg lined up in his back, but once you get it in there it is sturdy. If it were a bit longer it could help prop him up without having to balance him exactly perfectly. The lightsaber feels short, but isn't - it might just be an illusion from his size, and the decision to make the hilt silver rather than all black or silver with black highlights. It seems wrong - no doubt to keep costs low, which I can appreciate, but it's not going to win him any beauty contests.

While Mando and Ahsoka were largely well-executed affairs in Epic Hero Series, doing what they should do without any real caveats, Darth Vader seems like a bad first handshake to this new line. I could see this figure turning off fans from buying more, not because it is terrible but because it's just below average enough to throw off the curve. I would say this is my least favorite figure in the entire line, and experiencing it in 2024 certainly made me think back to all of the Darth Vader figures. So many of them do interesting or weird things, but I don't think any of them was a favorite toy. I would invite Hasbro to try Darth Vader again, perhaps as a deluxe with an interrogation droid or some sort of wrist-mounted Force blast, with the goal of making a figure who could fit in a ship with no problems and who can stand without fuss. Also with a centered helmet - mine might be a special case, but I can't un-see it. I would nudge you toward the other, non-Imperial figures from the first wave as places to start.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,128: April 25, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,127: CZ Series Communications Droid (Gold, Droid Factory)

CZ SERIES COMMUNICATION DROID Gold with Silver Head Highlights
Star Tours Droid Factory Customizable Figure
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney?
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Removable limbs
Retail: $12.95
Availability: April 2017
Appearances: n/a
Bio: The CZ-series communications/business droid was a droid series produced by Serv-O-Droid, Inc. The CZ-series was released as Serv-O-Droid began to wane in its position as a dominant droid manufacturer. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I don't deny that as I get older I take the hobby for granted a bit, but I still get excited by some things. The Gold CZ Series Communication Droid is fun because it's unique. There are so many figures we get these days where you can pick it up and say it's a lot like a figure you already own, but not this one. While Hasbro has done a CZ-4 droid, that was an oddity - Disney did them in other colors and they made some interesting choices along the way. This gold version uses the same parts as the other Disney droids I plucked from the bins, with very limited paint.

Articulation would be excellent for 2008 - but this figure came out in 2017, so swivel hips and shoulders were a little old-fashioned at that point in time. Swivel wrists are fine, and bend-and-swivel wrists, knees, and elbows made it a decent figure. The neck swivels, and there's a nice pivoting waist joint. While a new figure could add articulation, these droids work well as being slightly stiff. Anthony Daniels and the other performers had severely hindered movements, so figures that can't sit easily make some degree of sense. The hips only swing forward about 45 degrees, and you don't need a protractor to measure the disappointment. Unless you just want him standing around, in which case he's perfect.

As the CZ droids are known mostly from their filthy on-screen appearances, a shiny non-vac gold finish brings out a lot of detail and ribbing you don't normally see. What's particularly amusing is that the details look more like something out of the 1960s - if this came out of Mel Birnkrant's sketchbooks, it would fit in with other midcentury droids. The ribbing on the torso and arms really stand out nicely, and I wish we could see more of this figure so customizers could fill in those chest panels like some sort of stained glass window. It's a nice, angular, weirdly blocky look that would be right at home with any of a number of toys that predate The Transformers. If this were in Adventure People, I guarantee you that the toy snobs would be telling you how great it is and how you're a monster for not having one next to your Opticon.

Deco is light, but good. The figure has a painted midriff that you probably won't notice thanks to the chest hanging over the painted colorful wires, but at least it's there. Disney went the extra mile by painting black dots for his eyes plus subtle silver detail around the face like a mask. It's really striking, and very un-Star Wars-y. Given the dogmatic adherence to classic designs in the Disney era, I'm absolutely delighted that once on a while, we get a figure that looks like it might not necessarily have come out of the same old design aesthetic. This is fancy.

Looking on eBay, very few come up for sale and he's about forty bones if you can find one. The sick thing is that I should be decrying this as highway robbery for a figure you had to assemble yourself, but we live in an era of $17 Hasbro figures. Is $40 outrageous for a figure that had a $100 cover charge, parking fees, and possibly an airline ticket or rental car involved? Probably not. I don't have to like the price, but this is absolutely one of the most charming gold and silver droids you can get that look like it came from an unlicensed fan film you never saw. If you have a chance to get it at a fair price, failing to do so is a mistake on your part.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney Hollywood Studios. Thanks Shannon!

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,127: April 23, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,126: The Mandalorian (The Book of Boba Fett, The Retro Collection)

THE MANDALORIAN Kenner Take Three
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F6874 No. F8563
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Darksaber, blaster, cape
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $11.99
Availability: December 2023
Appearances: Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett

Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection features design and detailing inspired by the original 1970s Star Wars figures and features original figure design and detailing! Continue your collection from a galaxy far, far away. (Stolen from the marketing copy. Packaging has 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! 

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I was rewatching The Book of Boba Fett last year, and much like anything that came out after 1983 it's something of a guilty pleasure. Episode 5, "Return of The Mandalorian," remains a favorite and I caught myself smiling constantly while watching the unusual protagonist infiltrate a butcher shop, hang out on a ring planet, duel for his honor, build a new car with Jerri Blank, and outrun Appa driving an X-Wing. That's a spectacular hour of television, and to honor it, Hasbro brought back a figure and swapped out an accessory. This new figure has the Darksaber from 2021's Moff Gideon [FOTD #2,821] replacing the Amban rifle from The Mandalorian [FOTD #2,941] from 2022. Considering both figures sell for under retail price now, it will not surprise you that I consider Hasbro blowing one of its precious slots on this to be a massive waste of resources. We could have a Remnant Biker Scout or maybe R5-D4 or something we didn't already own. But I've never seen this wave of The Retro Collection The Book of Boba Fett figures in a store, so does it matter?

It's good. If you have the previous figure, it's the same figure. He's got the same basic detail, and he looks just as good. It would be great to see a shinier, lighter silver armor paint variant, or perhaps a vac-metal take on the figure. The coloring is a little drab, and had they thrown in the Beskar Spear or some other extra I would probably encourage absolutely everybody to buy it. I assume he'll sell if he makes it out to shelves in the wild. The figure's head swivels nicely, the cloth cape hangs a little awkwardly, and all four limbs swing forward nicely. He has the same SKU mark as the previous release, but such is life. Half of this wave is corner-cutting with a variant Tusken, Grogu with a backpack, and Luke with one less accessory.

While he doesn't have a holster loop for blaster storage, Mando does have a sculpted-on rocket pack. He also fits in The Vintage Collection N-1 Starfighter, but it's a tight squeeze.

I complain, but I assume the reuse of parts was done to get the line made. Reusing existing tooling saves money, and having a The Book of Boba Fett wave of Kenner figures - even if it's missing Pelli Moto or a Boba Fett with his post-Hammer pants phase - is still something of an unthinkable miracle. The sculpting is a little soft, but he still looks like something Kenner might have sold us in the late 1980s had Star Wars not burned out in a blaze of $1.00 Droids and Ewoks cartoon figures at Kay-Bee Toys. It pushes my nostalgia buttons, but it's also completely redundant if you've been collecting these as you probably swiped Gideon's Darksaber and handed it to Mando as soon as you had the figure.

While some nonbelievers may disagree, the original Kenner line is what brought most of us here. Hasbro can make fancier, more expensive figures, but they're not always as fun. This is fun. And if you don't already have Mando in a Kenner format, you really ought to snag one. But if you're a carded collector, go ahead and get 'em all.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.  I have yet to see any of this wave in a store.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,126: April 18, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,125: Count Dooku (The Vintage Collection)

COUNT DOOKU It's Been a While
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F6878 No. F9973
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #307
Includes: Alternate lightning hand, hilt, full lightsaber
Action Feature: Swap left hand with Force lightning hand, plug lightsaber in belt
Retail: $16.99
Availability: March 2024
Appearances: Star Wars: Attack of the Clones

Bio: Once a Jedi trained by Yoda, Count DOoku became disillusioned with the Jedi Order and thirsted for greater power - ultimately leaving the light side and becoming Darth Sidious' disciple, Darth Tyranus. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Not every wave is a delight, as Count Dooku (a new figure and I believe the first new 3 3/4-inch one since 2010) came in a wave with Finn, Cassian Andor, and a Clone Trooper, which is the kind of mix that just feels sort of disrespectful given their low secondary market prices. But we'll get to them later - for now, let's focus on the good. When inspired, Hasbro still makes the very best figures money can buy, even when they could probably have gotten away shipping an old one again with minimal modifications. Since they started rethinking articulation and face deco, we've been getting a parade of excellent "classic" characters from the Pre-Disney era. New sculpts don't disappoint, and Hasbro has found some improvements in fabric and articulation too.

This figure is one of the best. While not a fun toy, anyone looking to add him to a carded figure collection or any sort of diorama display is going to be in love.

If you bought and are not triggered by my invoking Lando Calrissian from 2021 [FOTD #2,870], you may recall that is also a good figure that had one of Hasbro's greatest capes. It's a thin, one-layer affair with lining that makes you go "wow, how'd they do that?" Count Dooku also has the dark brown cape with a nice light tan lining, and it's thin. It hangs well too - it's possible to "pose" it a bit if you fold it just right, giving him a dynamic silhouette that seems to defy physics. A silver string holds it together, and its only shortcomings are a lack of the two round metal bits that hold the costume cape in place. I assume they'll figure out how to pull that off next time, and there's room for improvement around the neck - but at this scale, I think it's safe to say this is dang near perfect.

His accessories are sensible - you get a lightsaber hilt that plugs in his belt, and does so without a fight. The lightsaber fits in his hand easily, and you can swap the right hand for one that shoots out Sith blue Force Lightning. Other than including that "motion blade" from The Black Series Count Dooku [FOTD #2,678], which I would love to see more of at this scale, I can't really ask for much more in the way of gear.

The figure itself is also great, with an excellent tiny portrait that makes the most out of multi-color hair and teensy face paint. While his hair and beard are a smidgen grayer than whiter, at this scale, I think it's fine. His eyes are a little glossy, with subtle forehead wrinkles and a dour expression. We've had so much gradual improvements that I assume most fans will just dismiss it, but compared to the 2010 Count Dooku [FOTD #1,426] it's utterly amazing. Hasbro has come an incredibly long way in human head sculpts for movies that are not the original trilogy, but maybe we'll see some massive improvements as new ones start to ship. I don't know how anyone can look at this figure's head and not go "wow." It's remarkable, and of course, there are lots of reference materials from Star Wars and Lord of the Rings including 3D objects and probably a trove of Gentle Giant head scans. Whoever did the work here, they're awesome, and deserve a pat on the back.

Count Dooku's costume and body are great. Well, they're as great as modern figures can be, with a little hinge on the swivel wrist, rocker ankles, and lots of places to make little subtle movements. The elbows don't quite bend as much as I would like, but that's probably OK given how I will be posing him. He stands well, and while you can swing the legs forward it is worth noting his "skirt" does tend to get in the way a tiny bit. It will bend forward, but I am worried about bending any kind of plastic long-term like that lest it break some day. Cloth doesn't necessarily look better, so for now I would say that this figure was engineered as well as it can be if you want it to have the kind of ball-and-socket hip articulation everybody absolutely loves thees days.

I was very fond of the previous Count Dooku figures Hasbro did, which were generally either priced well and often included fun action figures or cool accessories. Heck, a lot of them were even shining examples of articulation and sculpting in their day - but it has been almost 14 years since the last new examples of the character in this size, so I'm glad to see Hasbro take another at-bat. I'd go as far as to say I'd like to see them try again on a number of prequel figures, but it looks we have to choke down the vegetables that are The Acolyte Jedi first. (Memo to future haters: the show hasn't even aired yet and the costumes are drab and boring. I hope I adore the show, I'll probably like it, but I digress.) If you get a shot at this figure, buy it. Yes, even for $17. It's a good figure and it's worth supporting Hasbro when they turn out exceptional work like this.

Collector's Notes: My copy got two identical upper arms - I'm seeking a replacement, but it's still quite good as a figure even with the defect. I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,125: April 16, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,124: Saw Gerrera (The Black Series)

SAW GERRERA Really, Really Cheap Now
The Black Series 2020 Window Box Line Look Rogue One Packaging
Item No.: No. F4065
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #10 - Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Includes: Blaster, cane
Action Feature: Breathing mask, working holster
Retail: $33.99
Availability: October 2022
Appearances: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Bio: Gererra is bunkered on the ancient world of Jedha, coordinating a prolonged insurgency against the Imperial occupations, his ailing health does little to wither his resolve to fight. (Taken from the box packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Nobody cared about this Saw Gerrera figure. I've seen them at or below $3 - for a deluxe The Black Series figure. Mine sat at the floor of my desk since it arrived in 2022, I just never felt a need to crack the box open - heck, I'm only opening it now in 2024 because it's arguably the most interesting figure within reach. It's kind of amazing to take a step back on the last few years and see that nearly every deluxe price point figure hit a wall - fans said "nope!" and Hasbro made them in quantities big enough that distribution was, for once, not a problem. This figure was also released after what I would believe to be the peak in COVID toy hoarding, which seemed to be over by the end of Summer 2022. The excess builds of that era are still being felt at big box stores and deep discounters, with stuff that amazingly has still not sold. This has nothing to do with the quality of the product - there are a limited number of collectors (or "fans" as the biz keeps calling them, which I think means the eye is off the ball) because there aren't a lot of people clamoring for a figure from a then-six-year-old movie. And it's a nice figure.

At $33.99, fans have high expectations. Hasbro came close to meeting them! The figure doesn't have that much more going on in the way of parts and pieces, but there are straps, a breathing mask with tube, a working holster, a plastic cape, and a ot of paint. But it looks like "deluxe" now means "slightly beefy," "popular enough to break out of the assortment," or "this one probably costs a smidgen more to make than a typical bottom-of-the-budget figure." As of this figure's release, its price means it was a whopping nine dollars higher than a then-typical $25 base 6-inch figure. It's better than a typical figure, but that's a lot of money for things like his many colors of teal on his armor, his awesome retro silver rings on his arms, and a very nicely decorated and sculpted Forest Whitaker head. The little ridges on every strap, the tiny wrinkles and scars on the eyes, the vents and creases in the outfit, someone put their heart and soul into making sure that the sculpt was good, and also that the tooling in China represented that level of detail in the final product.

The paint masks, not so much - but the sculpting is incredible. The head has subtle scarring and really nice hair, proving the persons behind the figure ensured that there was a strong design for Hasbro to work with. The problem is that we didn't get $9 worth of paint on this guy. It's impossible to look at the sculpt and not be awed by the level of detail on his armor, with a robot foot, a sandal with exposed fleshy foot, a nicely sculpted cape, hoses, a mask with clear plastic, and a lot of nicely integrated articulation. If we were leaked an unpainted test shot I'm sure we'd all have just gone "Wow, this is going to be amazing!" plus or minus a level of indifference for Rogue One at the time of its release. Sure, Andor was getting a lot of praise but it did little to elevate the character or the movie on which it was based. As a group, we have no attention span, so fans just ignored this one and you didn't hear a lot of complaints about the lack of white or gray in his hair or beard, or the many unpainted buttons on his gauntlet or the greeblies on the canister on his belt. It's amazingly robust looking armor, round and seemingly like something that could survive quite the blast - but the light-up elements from the movie weren't painted. There are no little green lights or other details that would have brought this figure to life. It looks like an action figure - and it is an action figure! But there has definitely been an expectation for this 6-inch line to be Hasbro's best of the best, and as time went on we saw little details shaved off and the result being perfectly nice if you're not super picky.

Given the reduced price of all the 2021 fifth anniversary Rogue One figures and the Andor figures from 2022, Hasbro probably made the right move to not spend every last penny on deco here. Fans didn't come out for him in a big way (and may have just made too many) which means that you can get this figure with real presence for your shelves for less than what a fast food combo meal costs. Customizers will see a lot of details they can upgrade if they're so inclined, and people like me who are untalented hacks can just squint at this and go "hey, they missed a spot!" At a smaller size, this level of detail would be fantastic and at the current lower price, I don't think fans would be in any position to complain about having an amazing actor in a really creative costume. 

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,1243: April 11, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,123: Paz Vizsla (Epic Hero Series)

PAZ VIZSLA New Kids Line
Epic Hero Series Deluxe Figure
Item No.: Asst. F9949 No. G0138
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Backpack, fire gauntlet, rocket, rocket launcher
Action Feature: Rocket actually fires spring-loaded projectile
Retail: $14.99
Availability: January 2024
Appearances: The Mandalorian

Bio: A descendant of the esteemed House Vizsla, brawny warrior Paz Vizsla is protected by the strongest Beskar armor. (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!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: While I'm not crazy about what you get for the deluxe price, I can't deny Paz Vizsla is a quality figure. At $15 he's a hair under the prices for current Vintage figures - some of which have 3-4 accessories, alternate hands, and a couple of dozen joints. This figure has four accessories and five joints - the math doesn't work out. But, I will say it's about half the price of Hasbro's excellent but also pricey deluxe Vintage Paz Vizsla. There has been a pattern of many of the best characters being pulled out from basic assortments and upgraded, which I would assume aligns with what they would expect the Amazon or eBay prices of quasi-scalped figures to be. But that's a wild hunch - and it makes for a higher price point with more features, something I'm told retailers want.

You're going to lose paint applications and accessories when you do a kid line at a lower price. I'm sure Hasbro is making bank on this, but other than a lot of missing silver deco it's pretty much what I would want. The caps of his backpack are plain yellow, there's no cable to connect to his rocket-launching weapon, but other than that? This is how he should look. You can make out all the key sculpted elements, like the extra padding under his shoulder armor (unpainted), the belt (painted), the differently colored gauntlets, the yellow armor on the lower legs... most of what you want is here. Even the kama is here to cover his butt, and it's a separately sculpted piece. I had no problems getting this figure to stand with all of his gear in hand, and that's something Vintage figures can't or won't do. This is a sturdy toy that's just as deserving of the "Kenner" branding due to how it feels. If you had old Kenner toys as a kid in the 1980s or 1990s, Paz's construction will immediately feel familiar.

 He's not too bulky, or wormie. He stands easily, he sits well, and he feels like something you probably should have owned in 1996. As to the figure, the colors are brighter and the battle damage is somehow still there. You can see a bunch of dents on his helmet and chest, meaning an aspiring future customizer might take a silver Sharpie to him to fill in the missing chest silver or add some roughing-up to the greaves. But not me - I like it as it is. It is the kind of figure that comes close to what I wish we got in the 1990s, in that he's not overly buffed up and he had a cool play feature. The lack of a cable to his backpack may be seen as a loss to some fans - and I can understand why - but sometimes those things hinder posing or require a lot of fuss to get positioned properly. If the cable is too stiff, the blaster sometimes "rights" itself out of his hand - that doesn't happen here. The big rocket launcher is held over his shoulder with no problems. Granted, it's not how it was on the show, but I'm just impressed he can hold it at all without flopping over.

 His accessories are uniformly good. The backpack plugs in the hole, and serves no real function otherwise. Hasbro could have cut costs by molding it to his back, and saving some tooling costs. The wrist gauntlet has a plugged-in flame, and the entire thing is cast in clear orange plastic. I had no problems plugging it in to his left wrist hole - there's one on the right, too. The aforementioned blaster has a firing projectile that feels like it's on a delay - when I press the big orange button, it doesn't immediately launch. But it works! And rocket launchers with Hasbro Star Wars figure are a surprisingly uncommon feature. Older fans do not enjoy fun.

Given that the super fancy The Vintage Collection Paz figure is marked down at some stores, and is shockingly well-executed with separately molded armor, and shields, and all sorts of elements, that one is your best bet as a collector. It's not a lot of fun to pose, though, but it looks incredible when you get it set up and looking just perfect - and that comes with the realization that you are unlikely to touch it again, because it was a pain to get it to stand up. 

Conversely, this Epic Hero Series Paz Vizsla stands, sits, holds his gear, and does anything a traditional toy figure should do without any fussiness. I love articulation, but more than that I love stability, durability, and the ability to fit in some vehicles. The Vintage Collection release is utterly gorgeous... but this is the one I'm going to play with. I doubt I'll convince many of you of the surprising reality of these toys as good, functional toys. You know what your needs are, and if this guy ever goes on sale cheaply I recommend picking him up immediately. Even at $15, it's a more satisfying toy than a lot of the stuff I've bought in the past few years. I hope Hasbro keeps this line going and includes some of the lesser characters from the shows, like those super cool Dark Troopers from the end of last season.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,123: April 9, 2024