Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,280: Chewbacca (Epic World of Action)

CHEWBACCA What a Wookiee
Epic World of Action Power the Force Deluxe Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F9949No. G1149
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Figure, projectile, green shield, regular bandolier, green bandolier, bowcaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $12.99
Availability: June 2025, probably
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith meets Star Wars

Bio: A legendary Wookiee warrior, Chewbacca was part of a core group of Rebels who restored freedom to the galaxy. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

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Commentary: Hasbro's Epic World of Action (formerly Epic Hero Series) figure line is really something. Each individual figure like Chewbacca stands on their own. Literally! They don't topple over, the articulation is often very good, and the sculpts aren't bad. This figure is clearly derived from whatever CAD files were used to squeeze out The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi versions of The Black Series Chewbacca, with different articulation and a few tweaks. The hands are very different, but the hair dangling off the head and crotchial region, plus some patterns on the legs, seem to carry over - they're coming from a similar place. The face is very different, but the true fanatics can see weird fur pattens and go "I see what you did there."

Each of these figures is excellent - but weirdly, it doesn't hang together well as a collection. We're about a year and a half in and there's little resembling a team for kids to buy beyond Mando and Grogu (and maybe Luke and Ahsoka, if you want to do that episode.) This Chewbacca doesn't necessarily seem to have a buddy yet, although I suppose he could pal around with Yoda. It's a stretch - sadly there's no Han but I suppose he could hang out with X-Wing Luke.

The figure itself is well-engineered. Compare it to a $16.99 The Vintage Collection figure, and he does pretty well as he's bigger, just about as sturdy, and has a very good range of motion. He has no problems standing, and Hasbro did a great job making sure you can pose him and express his personality. The details are good, the bandolier is great, and the only place it comes up a little short is the paint and the lower waist. The paint is a little light in spots, and I don't love the widow's peak on the front of his head - but the eyes are good, and he's now growling. I like that a lot. The painted fingers and palms are great, as are the painted toes. It's a decent, mostly subtle look with the upper thighs being a bit more harshly colored, but overall it's really good. It's a great Chewbacca, and if you just want a generic Wookiee you can ditch the bandoliers.

He's tall. I found he wasn't to tall to be crammed in the seat in the cockpit of the big Millennium Falcon with the top shut, which is amazing. But he does have problems sitting - the fur flap doesn't have a lot of flex. I'm not sure why Hasbro keeps putting it here, rather than trimming it away so his legs have a greater range of motion. It's worth repeating that this area seems to repeat the same fur "skirt" pattern we saw in The Black Series 6-inch Chewbacca figures. It doesn't get in the way of him standing in a number of action poses - only sitting.

The toymakers behind this make me mad because they're so good. It feels like a plussed-up Kenner-style figure from the early 1990s, when Batman or Robin Hood or whoever had a giant weapon they couldn't possibly carry without falling over. Sometimes Kenner would engineer the figure to balance around a big venus flytrap or punching glove, and sometimes they wouldn't. In this case, the designers gave Chewie an extra bandolier with a hole in it. This tells you where to put his oversized rocket-firing bowcaster so he can balance and not fall over. It's perfect. It's also optional, so if you just want the basic Chewie you can have that too. Sadly there's no basic bowcaster in the set - but the big rocket launcher is pretty great for what it is.

If you collect toys, add this to your next online order. I haven't seen this wave in stores yet. I hope the line continues for years because I love what Hasbro did here, making something that looks good for older fans but will no doubt be fun for kids who just want a nice figure. Weird gear that's optional makes me very happy, but I also like Chewbacca with the weirdest gear. While he doesn't have waist, wrist, or ankle articulation, this particular figure doesn't need it. I'm cranky he can't sit in a Cantina booth, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't consider picking up a second one and making some cuts or bends to see if I can change that. He's super big and really fun, so get him for a kid or for a work desk play thing.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,280: September 30, 2025