Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,289: R5-Z0MB (Droid Factory)

R5-Z0MB Halloween Edition
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $14.99
Availability: August 2024
Appearances: n/a 

Bio: All different types of droids populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors. This droid can be found wandering the bleak swamps of Corvax Fen on Mustafar. Join R5-Z0MB on their adventures throughout the galaxy. May the Force be with you... and your Droids! (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!  

Commentary: I dragged my feet on R5-Z0MB last year for some reason, and my invoice says I got it for $6.83 ($8.99 less a discount), which is a steal. At $15 it's not bad - it's a retool of a retool of a droid mold that's been in circulation since about 2008, probably. (There's still some debate on the Hasbro origins of Disney's droid molds, although I remember being told they weren't Hasbro molds even when it seemed they very much were in that first year. So teach the debate, I guess.) This one is pretty distinctive, and shows Disney's continued strength in coming up with something holiday-themed that's subtle enough to actually fit in with your other stuff. Hasbro's holiday items are great, but few "belong" with the movie toys. If this little guy was tossed in the back of Jabba's dungeon's boiler room, you'd say "yeah, that tracks." If it was dismembered in a big Sandcrawler, you'd go "oh was that in there in the movie?" It's a good design.

Oh, and don't forget to play your double-CD last show of Oingo Boingo this week. Happy Halloween.

The minty green "flesh" head and legs may not be exactly a match for typical droids, but it's close to my skin tone after spending all summer indoors here in Arizona. Bronze can get a green tint over time, so maybe that's what Disney was aiming for - the droid's panels are penny-colored. It looks great! There are specks and sparkle, shine and grime, disrepair and surprisingly clean panel lines. The body seems like a clean body just got filthy, same as the limbs. The head is where it gets good, with a massive gash in the side plus loads of dirty detail along the green base of the dome. One of the three eyes seems dead, and the trio shows signs of distress - like he was crying lubricant. The interior shows a pylon and some of the electronics inside, which is kinda creepy and cool. It's as close as we're going to get to seeing droid brains. There are silver marks where the head was seemingly chomped out, showing metal under the green paint. It's really a good design that makes you think of a story, because this guy has clearly seen some stuff that would turn your poo green. Maybe he gave Vader the stink-optic. It's hard to know.

I'd recommend this one. It didn't sell great at the time and it can be had for slightly over SRP now. It's worth the $20ish asking price, and I hope Disney considers reusing the mold for an x-ray droid, or something showcasing the interior. "The visible astromech" could be a pretty cool variant, or a "blueprint" deco like we saw from Funko this year and I've been asking various companies to make for the last 20 years. Not that I'm bitter or anything. Anyway, get this Shiromo in droid form, Disney really nailed every possible aspect of this design and deserve your praise/loose change for it.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Shop Disney. I got the August release in October 2024 at a substantial discount. Tellin' ya all the zomby truth - I'm OK with this.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,289: October 30, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,288: Greedo (Cantina Adventure Set - The Vintage Collection)

GREEDO Kenner Flavor
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Cantina Adventure Set Pack-In
Item No.: No. G1301
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #378
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $64.99
Availability: September 2025
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: A Rodian bounty hunter with a tapir-like snout, bulbous eyes, and pea-green skin, Greedo is overzealous with a blaster - and a pretty poor shot. (Taken from packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: It's Greedo! Some people say he's a minor character, and I disagree. As the first alien antagonist of the entire series, and one of very few characters to be named on-screen, kids remembered him and it just happened to help he's colored similarly to his name. Toy companies are usually really good about making him one of the first characters you get, but Hasbro gave Greedo something of a break from roughly 2010 to 2025. That struck me as odd, but this year we got two figures both from the same mold, both (more or less) exclusive to Hasbro Pulse, and both packed with different Cantina playsets. This one was colored like the 1979 figure and packaged like the Sears playset from that era. The other one is movie-specific and has a movie-specific playset. They're both good for different reasons.

Kenner and Hasbro have given 3 3/4-inch fans roughly five Greedo molds. While we've seen a wide variety in how they're painted, this is the first one since 1979 to come in the Kenner Green colors. For this release, Hasbro dropped the vest but ensured we got a lot of detail. If the figure sculpt looks familiar, there's a reason. Not only did Hasbro give its 6-inch Greedo the same treatment in 2021, but much of it is the same sculpt.

Since the Disney takeover, there have been whispers that Lucasfilm has approved digital assets that go out to Hasbro and Jakks and other companies that make figures, rather than doing their own in-house interpretations. If you put this figure next to Hasbro's 2013 6-inch figure, you'll note that the wrinkles on the suit are very similar if not identical on the arms and legs. Hasbro's 3 3/4-inch torso has more detail than the 6-inch one, especially on the back. You'll note this Kennery Greedo has a lot of folds and creases plus a nice texture, while the 6-inch one was significantly smoother. The chest seems very similar, with hands that aren't particularly different. The head appears to be altered a bit, with less oblong eyes dotted Kenner's familiar white highlights. I'd say this was a more successful execution of the Kenner deco idea.

Not knowing when to quit, Hasbro went the extra mile and left in the movie version's holster. As you know, Kenner 1979 Greedo had no belt or holster - it probably would have been a more accurate figure to just leave it out. We got his movie blaster, which looks fine, and which fits well in his hand or holster.

I had some difficulty getting him to stand right. While Hasbro has significantly improved articulation, Greedo took some work to get just-so thanks to fidgety ankles. He sits well, and the pivot joint at the waist is cut nicely at the belt so it's not an eyesore. The hands bend and swivel nicely, with fingers that are made to grip a blaster. Hasbro did a pretty good job here, minus the very shallow foot peg holes that probably will make finding a good stand difficult.

Paint on this bright green 2025 figure is pretty sharp. The 2021 6-inch Kenner Greedo had fades at his joints, which reminded me a bit of sofubi and higher-end collector figures. This one just keeps things simple, sharp, and elegant. The figure is mostly molded in color, and his off-center dots have him giving some of the best side-eye since 1979 Hammerhead. This figure has a lot of personality, and I'm honestly more excited about this deco than the movie deco for that reason. It's rare that I can point to a Hasbro collector product and say "you get a lot for your money here," but this is worth the asking price. I bought two - I rarely buy two of anything anymore.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse, I assume it's an exclusive as ShopDisney hasn't listed it (yet?). It initially sold out immediately, and has come in and out of availability several times during its pre-order window.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,288: October 28, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,287: Senni Tonnika (Cantina - The Vintage Collection)

SENNI TONNIKA The Greener One
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch HasLab Cantina Pack-In
Item No.: No. G1302
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #HAS008
Includes: 2 blasters, 1 alternate hand, 1 tumbler
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $399.99-$499.99
Availability: September 2025
Appearances: Star Wars 

Bio: With matching jumpsuits, metallic lipstick, and dark braids piled high on their heads, the Tonnika sisters stood out from the crowd in the cantina, and worked odd jobs for anyone who would hire them. (Taken from packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I never thought it was going to take this long to get an action figure of Senni Tonnika. We got one of the sisters in an Action Fleet Battle Packs set around 1996, which was rereleased without her a year later. Once Galoob does something, fans assumed Kenner (later Hasbro) would get to it soon. That didn't happen. We started hearing all sorts of reasons why we wouldn't get them. Nobody wants them. An actress said no, or there was no likeness release. Not worth the trouble. I've heard a lot of stories from a lot of people, but the important thing is we now have a licensed set of the twins. Are they perfect? No, but they're good. For background characters, I assume there has to be room for interpretation.

We don't know what kind of reference Hasbro worked from. The figure's coloration varies depending on where you look. Some photos show saturated colors, while others like the cardback are pretty pale. The figure itself has less anemic skin coloration than I would have guessed, with slightly less intense eyeshadow, but solid green lips and great hair. I think the wrist cuffs and outer-underwear seem colored like I would have imagined, but I'm not so sure about the bodysuit. I'm not complaining. The suit seems significantly tighter than the stills or the movies, clinging far more tightly to the torso and exaggerating her bust. I admit, I'm surprised, also the outfit has a few more wrinkles than the typically very smooth appearance of the costumes. I'm a little surprised that it seems Hasbro actually modernized the costume a bit and enhanced the physique. I'm genuinely surprised at the representation of her posterior. It's not huge, but it's notable for a 3 3/4-inch action figure.  Usually I'd expect details like these to be toned down at a smaller size.

The attention to detail is impressive, like the band around her leg and the jewelry around all three hands. She has an alternate left hand for drinking or for holding her own right wrist, and none of the wrists bend. Given the costs I'd like something fancy but given the delicate nature of the smaller appendage it's probably better this way. The blaster hands hold the Naboo-style blasters nicely, but I'm not sure how the drinking hand is doing due to the unusual shape of the tumbler. There's a grip in the middle, and by holding it one way it's too loose and the other, it's stretching the hands. Maybe it's best just to have them hang out at the pipe at the bar.

She has no problems standing, and the joints bend nicely. She can sit, but she (and a lot of figures) have challenges looking right being seated. She does look better than some figures, though. While she does have foot peg holes, they're a little shallow for most figure stands. If you just want her leaning at the bar - and you probably do - all of this is moot.

Senni's head sculpt is really good. It might be perfect! The color makes it harder to tell, but the nose and the general shape of the face seems spot-on. The hair wig is dynamite, and the face seems fine - but when the color doesn't match the reference, it can be tough to tell. The Cantina lighting might have altered the perception of the actual costume, making it hard to know if I should complain about the color or just say "good enough, let's roll." Her eyes are clear and vibrant, popping nicely on her face. The lips are green... which is what you came here for. Over the years we've seen some very pale skin tones on figures and some look outright bad, so this particular coloration is - I'd say - fine. It might not be a perfect match to our imaginations, but the figure itself looks marvelous in the context of a figure collection in a diorama. Nobody's going to look at the figure and scream out that it's an abomination or anything.

The accessories were open to interpretation, and Hasbro drew from its reference bank to pull in a fun reference. The two Naboo-style blasters didn't appear in their hands on-screen, as far as I know, but they seem perfectly nice as a little bonus. The purple stuff in the cup looks cool too, but I assume she's more likely to be smoking or just hanging around. (Don't smoke, kids.) Re-re-rewatching the scene, it's a little tough to see but it sure looks like Senni is drinking something purple in her left hand.

Articulation is good - far better than we needed. She sits well enough, the neck moves nicely, and she has that pivot waist cut at the belt. I assume figure articulation technology will not improve much beyond where we are now, so this is probably as good as we're ever going to get. That's helpful, because I can't imagine Hasbro coming back to the sisters in five or ten years unless it was for Retro.

We don't get a lot of big payoffs in collecting. Fans have been asking for these figures since 1996 or 1997, plus we've wanted a bigger and fancier bar for years. Sure, we got a Creature Cantina a cardboard playset, and a build-a-bar - but this is something special, and it fits all our aliens. This is a real high note, and I'm curious how the next big thing (that isn't a Gunship) might turn out. I'm so glad Hasbro produced these figures, but I'm a little cranky I had to be so old before getting them. Something new from an old movie is an increasingly rare treat, and I hope we get a few more of them before we enter a phase of our lives where we may not be able to appreciate them.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse. I hope it shows up in the regular line, for now it's exclusive to a crowdfund that is no longer available outside the likes of eBay.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,287: October 23, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,286: Scout Trooper (Red Tech Speeder Bike / Epic World of Action)

SCOUT TROOPER Speeder Bike
Epic World of Action Speeder Bikes
Item No.: Asst. G0363 No. G03732
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Clear red Basket, circuit bike, red blaster
Action Feature: Bike rolls on wheels, blasts apart/crash mechanism
Retail: $19.99
Availability: August 2025
Appearances: The Mandalorian
Bio: Scout troopers were lightly armored compared to other stormtroopers, which allowed them to move quickly and easily on speeder bikes in a range of environments. (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: I'm guessing these "Power the Force" Epic World of Action speeder bikes are going to be the ones none of you buy and people won't even realize they missed. The assortment hasn't shown up in any US stores I frequent, and the plain version of this set seems to be in Target as a solid case only. That means both versions of Mando and the one Obi-Wan bike aren't likely to be in a big box store. Maybe they'll sell online, maybe we'll see them at Ross some day, but for now I haven't seen them anywhere. It's worth noting that despite the upgraded deco, the actual figure part is the same as the Scout Trooper from the bike [FOTD #3,215] from a few months ago. The rest has minor changes.

I saw this assortment at Toy Fair and my reaction went from "ugh, goofy paint and clear red parts?" to "Hey cool, goofy paint and clear red parts!" This is a silly item, and we don't get a lot of those. The core bike is pretty much the same as the previous one, but it adds an Imperial cog on the front of the bike plus adds some red circuit board patterns. Why? I assume because it looks cool. This is something that would be cutting edge 40 years ago. Today it feels kitschy, but I like it. You can also find a few more of these on the back of the bike. I'm not entirely sure why they did it since it adds a cost to the production. I don't know if kids will think it's cool or goofy. As a kid I wanted Batman in a black suit, or whatever was on-screen, but I wasn't a fun kid. As an adult I like these weird varied models, mostly because there's not much interesting in doing the same thing again and again. At least you can pretend some weirdo Imperial decided to customize a bike and has a thing for a certain kind of soldering project.

The bike itself is a neat toy. They gave it wheels, and it has a crash mechanism. If you smash it into a wall, the figure flies off and the bike "ejects" the rider. It's a neat riff on the 1983 toy, and adjusted for inflation it's a pretty nice package. I feel like I should say "and I wouldn't mind seeing it in Kenner 1983 colors" but I assume that's not happening.

I'm a little disappointed in the figure being the same. I would have expected circuit patterns, or at least changing him from off-white to white. It's pretty much the same, but his blaster is now clear red. That's weird. I assume it was just done to look different on-shelf so people who might have seen the previous version look twice and consider giving this refreshed one a shot. The scout has no problems holding it, and the basket is in a matching red color. You can mount it to the bike and give Grogu a lift.

This is a neat idea and no doubt a result of Hasbro needing to get more out of its tooling. I assume it helped keep costs down, because it's basically the same as the previous version save for the red paint and the red accessories - maybe they got a bigger bulk production discount. I would have loved to see other colors, like a black armored scout on a green bike or something unique. It would also have been great to see a figure or accessory make some good use of the big 5mm peg on the back of the bike. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do with it, mounting another seat or a cannon would have been fun. I'm kind of surprised we're even getting this as most toy-first repaints tend to not be as whimsical, but at least it isn't boring. It's the kind of thing you can own and people will see it and go "I never saw that before!" and you can say "I know! Now get out of my house!"

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,286: October 21, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,275: Darth Vader (The Journey of Anakin Skywalker - The Vintage Collection)

DARTH VADER (Or, Anakin Skywalker)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch The Journey of Anakin Skwaylker set, Shop Disney/Hasbro Pulse
Item No.: No. G1282
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #344A
Includes: 3 lightsabers, 3 hilts, 2 alternate hands, Sith lightning wrap
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $49.99
Availability: May 2025
Appearances: Star Wars: Ahsoka
Bio: A hero of the Clone Wars, Anakin Skywalker was a caring and compassionate Jedi. But his deep fear of loss led him to become Sith Lord Darth Vader, who spearheaded the Empire’s eradication of the Jedi Order. (Taken from packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I don't read a lot of fan forums, mostly because the postings are from people who might not have the scars of having bought every last Anakin Skywalker - or Darth Vader - for the past 40-something years. I guess it's perception - from 2005-2011, there were tons of variations on the Revenge of the Sith Anakin figure. From the movie, from deleted scenes, it was almost a guarantee you'd get at least one new figure per year of this very costume. Each one has a new twist. This one has the most modern articulation, with the base figure mostly inspired by the various Force visions on the streaming series Ahsoka.

In the show, a 40-something Hayden Christensen is digitally swabbed and physically wigged to look like he did around 2005. The effect on the show is fine, but it works well as a figure. Plastic smooths over a lot of rough edges. The face sculpt is excellent, with Sithly eyeshadow and what seems to be very very small yellow eyes. What's funny is I'm unsure if the actual head sculpt is based on a 2005 head scan, or something more recent. His The Clone Wars counterpart seems younger, as very subtle marks between his eyebrows and around "Darth Vader"'s mouth makes him seem like it might be from a more recent scan. It's hard to tell - it might be my imagination, but his skin seems slightly more tanned too. The lips are painted perfectly and the eyes seem as good as technology will allow. It's remarkable. The wig is glued down and generally looks good enough, but hair is a challenging thing to represent well at this size. Or in this material. I don't doubt Hasbro will refine their manufacturing to get us an even better portrait later, but by then my eyes will likely be so bad I won't notice. This is great.

The body is also good. It takes the costume you recognize and adds in bending wrists, rocker ankles, and those great new hip joints. This would be a perfect figure to put in a vehicle, if Hasbro still made Jedi Starfighters. The texture on the sleeves and outer vest are amazing, and the soft goods are as perfect as we're likely to see at this scale. Those darker brown robes are separately molded, too. I'm wondering if this was a cost issue or a "premium" feature as getting paint hits down no doubt lowers the cost... but molds aren't free. The belt looks great, too. The right hand has painted silver clips so he can hide his cybernetic hand.

Speaking of hands, he has an alternate one. The left hand pops off and can be replaced by a Force-push/Thing from Addams Family extremity. It's silly to ask if you've ever really taken a look at your hands, but it is clear Hasbro has. The undersides of his fingers look like they have a little bit of that puffy give that our real hands do, and you can see signs of sculpted fingernails. This is super impressive, especially when you consider that Hasbro was just starting to figure out how to make fingers that can be splayed apart and not snap off around 2000/2001. We've come a long way.

Anivader also has two lightsabers, one lit and one not. They're good. Neither is the revised Vader hilt, but you get a red blade. A lot of 2005 figures were conceived of this way too, supposedly as a result of deleted scenes or editing that resulted in some changes during duels. Regardless, it's a match for what we saw on Ahsoka and it's good.

This is a very good figure. While you might not need the armored Vader or Clone Wars (with cape!) Anakin, this figure might be essential for your collecting well-being. Technically a streaming show figure, it'll fit in well with your prequel shelf and there are a lot of little details showing Hasbro's ever-improving capabilities. I'm not saying it can't be better... but at this price, at this point in time? You won't find much better than this.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse. And apparently it was sitting around for months until I cracked it open. New characters tend to get priority here.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,285: October 16, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,284: C1-10P (Ahsoka show redeco, Droid Factory)

C1-10P or Chopper if you're nasty
Star Tours Droid Factory Ahsoka Set
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: 3 more droids
Action Feature: Pops apart, jointed arms
Retail: $49.99
Availability: January 2024
Appearances: Ahsoka 

Bio: All different types of droids populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors. These four are featured in Star Wars: Ahsoka. May the Force be with you.... and your Droids! (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab. 

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I took a while to open Chopper, or C1-10P on the box. The reason I was in no rush is because Hasbro hade more coming, and Disney made several, and also I was more curious about how the set woudl look in the distant future of 22 months later. And here we are! The mold for this 2024 figure comes from 2017 C1-10p "Chopper" [FOTD #2,385] and that mold has been reused a few times for holiday, pride, Mickey, and other purposes. It's a good design and before Hasbro did their The Vintage Collection version, arguably the best you could get at this size. Today, I'd say it's acceptable.

The Chopper model on TV has changed a bit since the cartoon, with panel sizes altered a bit and their placements changed. An off-center tilted square is corrected on Ahsoka, but is still askew on this mold. The colors are good, with different panel coloring than the cartoon models. They're more in line with the TV show, but not as good as Hasbro's nor are they perfect. You don't get the weathering, and the metallic bits are more of a matte finish. The wires are more subtle, and the articulation isn't as good. But it's a lot cheaper - SRP on this set was a mere $12.50 a figure, versus Hasbro's $16.99 per. It's even cheaper on eBay now, because it didn't sell through at full price.

This Disney Chopper has a mismatched left foot, which doesn't match the show. But it does have a brown box painted in front of the right leg, which Hasbro left off. It's interesting to see which designers keep and lose various details, because neither is 100% correct. There are many nits to pick. This mold is also larger than Haasbro's, so I assume you'll probably just want to get theirs for the superior paint and extra accessories. Heck, Hasbro's got a dome that can tilt like it does on the show, while Disney's only swivels. Unlike Huyang, there's a clear winner - and this probably isn't it. It's not a bad figure. I like the jointed dome arms, and the flip-out claw in the chest. It's just an old mold that has since been supplanted. You will most likely get one as part of the 4-pack, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you're a Chopper completist.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney Store.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,284: October 14, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,283: Pirate Captain Brutus (Epic Hero Series)

PIRATE CAPTAIN BRUTUS (Port Borgo)
Epic World of Action Power the Force Deluxe Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F9949 No. G0141
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Figure, projectile, harness, blaster, sword, rocket launcher
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $12.99
Availability: June 2025, probably
Appearances: Skeleton Crew

Bio: When four kids make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, they get lost in a strange, dangerous galaxy. (Taken from the figure's 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: Hasbro's Epic World of Action (formerly Epic Hero Series) figure line is a weird one. If you're a kid and you buy the whole line, very few stories have more than a couple of characters present. SM-33 and Pirate Captain Brutus (Port Borgo) are the only Skeleton Crew figures in the line. If you want Jod Na Nawood, he's in The Vintage Collection and The Black Series, along with the kids and Brutus and SM-33. Based on the lower number of Brutus' SKU and the fact he has only five joints, I'm assuming this was meant to be a 2024 release that Disney said "wait, hold that back" and now that he's out, his collector-level peers are showing up at Ross for 70% off. It's a shame the kid figure from the kid line based on the kid TV show is currently only available online, months after the show ended, after kids probably forgot about it. It's a nice figure.

Since this is a 4-inch line, it's a hair bigger than 3 3/4-inch. I bring this up because there isn't a 3 3/4-inch equivalent, it's this guy or bust. Given Arleil Schous isn't yet known to be coming, this is a different species of wolf man that is pretty inexpensive. I don't yet have mine in hand so I can't confirm if he can sit on a stool, but the legs do swing forward. With only 5 joints his motion is limited, and this is one of few Epic figures where I found it to be a problem. One of the feet is curled up a bit, so balancing him can be tricky - it might just be my sample. I'm not sure, he comes one per box and no stores have him nearby.

He has no problems holding his gear. Hasbro made the hands fit the flintlock and sword, plus the added optional harness has a hole so the big rocket launcher can balance without (necessarily) toppling the figure over. It's a good design, they clearly put thought into making it work as a kid figure. The rocket launches nicely, but again, the foot might be a problem. It's not as awkward as making a 1995 Obi-Wan or Han Solo stand, but if you remember fidgeting to find their sweet spot? It reminds me of that very specific issue. It's not impossible to work with, but it might require a little adjusting.

The general vibe of the figure is decent. It's a toy! The shoulder swivel, the ball-jointed neck moves nicely. The body has a lot of sculpted details, but they're not all fully painted. The figure is significantly cheaper than collector-level stuff, so some of his buckles and pistols are left undecorated. But you do get red eyes, partially painted boots, some painted skin, and a figure that's decent if you can get over yourself that you collect toys, and not some adult fancy collectible. He looks great in a sea of other aliens too, but it is worth noting he's taller than most of them thanks to the subtle change in scale. I don't think it's any worse than anything from the 1990s, so your own experience with toys will probably say a lot about how much you like this.

Since there's no Skeleton Crew line at this scale, I'd recommend it to people with alien dioramas like Jabba's Palace or a Cantina. Everybody needs more drinking buddies, and for around $13 it's a worthwhile addition. If you're the kind of weirdo who collects toys but can't collect toys without elbows, well, you do you. But this is a great addition to the decades-running Kenner and Hasbro party of rubber-masked, latex-gloved, lightly armed space freaks. The texture on the pants is great, the personality is top-notch, but if they made a better version I'd probably chase that down first.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,283: October 9, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,271: Luke Skywalker (Tatooine, Landspeeder - The Vintage Collection)

LUKE SKYWALKER (Tatooine)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Landpeeder Vehicle Pack-in on Deluxe Action Figure Card
Item No.: No. G0673
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #344A
Includes: Landspeeder, floppy hat, cloth poncho, macrobinoculars, lightsaber hilt, full lightsaber, droid caller
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $59.99
Availability: June 2025
Appearances: Star Wars 

Bio: Luke Skywalker owned a battered but speedy X-34 Landspeeder, racing the sand-packed and sun-faded crat across the desert between the Lars homestead and outposts such as Tosche Station and Anchorhead. (Taken from marketing copy. There is 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'm constantly at war internally. The factions are "I want the best, cheapest thing" and "I want the best thing, period." Right now Luke Skywalker (Tatooine) is a deluxe figure packed with the 2025 Landspeeder. It shares parts with TVC #344 Luke Skywalker [FOTD #3,214] from earlier this year... but it's better. How much better? Would you believe just better enough to make you mad until you play with it? It's as perfect as you can possibly get these days.

If you want a figure to stand around and will never sit, you'll want the basic carded Luke. But you might also want this one for his accessories - many of them can swap between figures. If you want to use single Luke with the hat and poncho? Go wild. If you want to have Landspeeder Luke sit in the bar at the Cantina? Go nuts. I think the Landspeeder one is better, and makes a better argument for Hasbro's $25 deluxe program than its previous releases. I don't think the average fan necessarily wants a $25 Momaw Nadon, but the average fan probably doesn't know how much a Luke costs or cares. They just want a good one, and it's this one. Like the name says, it has all his Tatooine stuff and surprisingly it all fits on his belt. Sure, the holes are tight, but you can get them on there and they're not loose or anything. That's impressive.

This figure was designed to sit in the Landspeeder thanks to the cloth lower tunic. That's good! It works! But it's extremely difficult to get Luke's hands on the control yoke. The steering wheel can rotate, and your fingers are likely too big to get around in there. I wish the Landspeeder's "glass" came off so I could easily place them on the wheel, but no dice. You can get close though, and I assume close is going to be good enough for a lot of people. It would be nice if it were easier, and the only way to do that would be more moving parts on the Landspeeder or super gummy hands on Luke... and people don't like that. He fits though, and there's no resistance getting him in the seat.

The hat is new to this figure - we've had others, but this is a new mold - and fits perfectly. It's snug. The poncho takes some contortion to get over his body, but it's not too hard to do. Hasbro did a nice job. His hands can hold his stuff too, and short of a Treadwell droid buddy or some blue milk I can't really think of much else you'd want to throw in the box for Tatooine. Presumably there will be retools with a Stormtrooper belt down the road, or maybe a Millennium Falcon version with a helmet and training remote. I could see other versions too - and depending on your display needs, they may be super welcome. You'd probably want one for every vehicle or playset if you set your stuff up like that, so even though you just bought a basic Luke, the Deluxe one serves a purpose. As long as I have a use or a function for new versions of the same guy, I can't complain too much. Hasbro did us a solid by changing up the deco on the leg wraps - these ones are dirty, so he isn't identical to the pure white basic carded version.

I really think Hasbro could take this deluxe figure and sell it for $25 on its own to a decent audience of fans. I'd recommend they all just buy the $60 Landspeeder set. A lot of that is probably just an affinity for the first movie and all of its stuff, but this is the very best version of this figure and this vehicle right now. The last new mold we got for a Landspeeder was in 2002. It's a good piece. If this is literally the only Star Wars ship a fan ever buys, it's a good one, at a good price. It's rare to have an item I'd recommend to a cranky collector or a fresh newbie, but this is it. I don't know why anyone who loves the original trilogy wouldn't buy at least one.

Hasbro would probably have more enthusiasm toward the HasLab Gunship had more people had this in hand first. I'm not saying a ton... but you can pick it up and go "Oh yeah, this is a really good remake."

Landspeeder Notes: The Toys R Us exclusive Saga mold from 2002, repainted and repackaged for Target in The Vintage Collection around 2010, is proportionally and functionally similar. The wheels retract and roll, and they're the same basic shape. The 2010 model has similar colors to 2025, but the 2025 one feels sturdier and has more painted detail. The hood opens (like 1978/1995, not like 2002/2010) and there are lots of fancy painted bits under the hood and on the control console. It's more of a little prop than a toy. There aren't any good places to store the gear, and there are no foot pegs or magnets to secure R2-D2 or C-3PO to the back. But if you just want the very best 3 3/4-inch vehicle on a shelf, and you're not going to play with it, you can't beat this one. All of Hasbro's The Vintage Collection vehicle molds are excellent, getting you something close to a prop replica. The prices are expensive for a kiddo toy, but I think the discerning older fan will get this set and be pleased.

I assume Hasbro could someday do one with die-cast metal parts, magnetic levitation, an actual glass window, and some sort of internal lights. But I don't know that I need a $200 ultra-deluxe movie-quality 1:18 scale prop, when this is plenty good. But there might be a day when there's a squeeze for those last Generation X dollars in a few years.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,280: October 7, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,281: Padmé Amidala (The Black Series 3 3/4-Inch)

PADME AMIDALA On Geonosis, Nexu Pets You
The Black Series 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. A5077 No. A5158
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #01
Includes: Battle Droid blaster, Naboo blaster
Action Feature: Working holster
Retail: $9.99
Availability: July 2013
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith  

Bio: Padme Amidala is captured during a mission to Geonosis and must fight for her life in the execution arena. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Way back in 2013 I cut back writing these reviews - after 2,000, I wanted to stop, it seemed silly to keep going. And I guess I'm at 3,281, only doing 2 a week most weeks - so there's a lot I could go back and revisit, like Padme Amidala. She came out in 2013 in a wave that was all updates of figures that had already had figures in the past decade, and were basically updates of updates - I was cranky, especially in panel reveals, mostly because what I want as a collector is something I don't have yet. You're not going to get me to applause for another Clone Pilot in 2013, so I was equally grumpy to see them in 2025. It doesn't mean they weren't good - it's just hard to spend hundreds (thousands) of dollars on stuff that you realize isn't going to take your collection to new heights, even if it's an improvement. I'll take a new ewok, barfly, pilot, Jedi, anything that I don't have at home seems like a good time. But Hasbro has done multiple releases of this Padme at 3 3/4-inches, and we got another one coming up in 2026 - or two, or more, who can say?

Speaking with hindsight, I can say that this Padme was, in 2013, interesting. She was a new mold, possibly based on an existing sculpt but unquestionably a new mold with different details on any hypothetical shared parts. They're clearly not from the same mold - but enough elements look similar enough that I wouldn't doubt an old wax sculpt got reworked, or had an alternate version, or something. They're different but seem consistent enough to be from the same hands. This figure is more off-white, rather than brighter white like the Padme figures we got in 2002, 2008, 2007<2024, and others based on those molds too. There are a bunch of these, and they're all pretty great for their time. Heck, the frumpiest one is 2024, and it's still pretty good. The rest all look a lot like Natalie Portman's head and costume, with liberties taken with the body.

For 2013, this was a more or less standard figure with the bells and whistles of the time. She has a working holster, non-rocking ankles, ball-jointed knees, swivel wrists, a perfect mid-torso pivot joint that uses the costume to determine the articulation, bend-and-swivel elbows, and swivel shoulders. Everything is good, except I would complain the bare elbow's ring is the white color instead of skin color. Why they didn't gang mold it with the fists, I don't know - but if you poe her with the elbow bent, you won't notice. That's how she's been on my shelf... for twelve years. I have a bunch of Attack of the Clones figures lined up on risers and haven't touched them since putting them there. She stood, she never fell over. That's good engineering.

The sculpting itself is good, with a costume that doesn't get in the way of the articulation and abs that say "you fat loser, do some sit-ups." In addition to bodyshaming middle-age toy collectors, Padme's joints are perfect to allow her to assume a number of action poses and not fall over. Given the trouble some later figures have with stability from their hip or ankle joints, she's impressive. The paint is also minimal, but good - her face, cuffs, and some of her skin has added pigment. I am especially impressed that she has not discolored, and her hand (molded in flesh) and arm (painted) still match after this much time. The level of detail on the costume - the raised piping, the creases - are all great. They're more pronounced than other Action Jumpsuit 3 3/4-inch figures, but they're nicely defined and her hands have different personality. This one can point! It's a little thing, but it changes up the figure's whole vibe.

Photo printing in 3 3/4-inch figures is a relatively new thing. Before they printed eyes and make-up on the heads, they had paint masks or hand-painted each one to the best of their ability. The factory did a great job here, the eyebrows look decent, the eyes aren't exaggerated much, the lops are fine, and the hair seems good. On her back, she has Nexu claw marks and the requisite blood marks. Also her pants are tight.

This figure may not be up to 2025 standards, what with rocker ankles and ball-and-socket hips with a photo-real face... but she's good. I bet Hasbro's new one will look stunning in 2026 but there's nothing wrong with this old one. She's expensive on the secondary market and generally quite good. If Hasbro didn't have a new one, I'd recommend this one to new fans (at the right price) because it's eerily good at certain angles. Obviously the face painting could be better today, and I think if Hasbro reissued this one with new face deco people would probably say "eh, good enough." I think this was only the third sculpt (but fourth release) of a "torn" costume Padme, and it's the best of them so far.

Philosophical Notes: One of the bigger questions I've had lately is "what does it mean to collect?" If you were collecting toys from or before the 1980s, most toy lines were generally new things that didn't last long. In 1994 there were only a few Optimus Prime toys, and they were all different. Battle Beasts had sticker variants (or Lasers) but they're all pretty distinctive. You could buy one of every Star Wars figure from the original Kenner line and not feel anything was too samey - not so with these today. The shift to collectors has stopped figures from being in circulation for years at a time, and now we're seeing reruns of reruns of reruns - even this Padme was a re-re-remake at her time. No child has had the chance to buy a Padme on a toy shelf in years, and won't when The Vintage Collection one comes out due to price and distribution. It's weird to see how toy collecting has been seeking out weird things on the secondary market, to hunting stores, to ordering online, to upgrading things you probably own and maybe forgot you bought. Presumably the upgrade cycle will continue as technology - and our willingness to pay more - continues to increase, but it's also why I find kid stuff and Retro so charming. It is what it is, and money can't make it better.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,281: October 2, 2025