Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,394: Anakin Skywalker (SDCC Yavin 4, The Vintage Collection)

ANAKIN SKYWALKER & Asajj Ventress
The Vintage Collection 2026 SDCC / Hasbro Pulse Exclusive
Item No.: No. G2768
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Hand, lightsaber, hilt, and Asajj's stuff
Action Feature: Swappable hand
Retail: $51.99
Availability: July 2026
Appearances: Clone Wars

Bio: Through the caves of Yavin 4, Padawan Anakin Skywalker takes on Sith assassin Asajj Ventress - and his rage leads him closer to the dark side. (Taken from the box packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: A battle-damaged Jedi... but not the same level of damage as the one we got in 2005. That means he's new enough to be worthwhile.

There was a tine when convention exclusives offered something unique or even impossible to match in the main line - this is not that time. Anakin Skywalker and Asajj Ventress give us two perfectly good figures in a perfectly tolerable TV-style box. There are no special accessories above and beyond previous basic figure releases, and there are a lot of shared parts - so this set's appeal comes from how much you loved the 2003 cartoon. This is technically a new costume, as Anakin's shirt and pants get more and more messed up as the fight goes on and this represents it when the rain starts. (If you've never seen the 2D Clone Wars there's a supercut edit of the original episodes on Disney+, and it's great.)

 Anakin reuses a lot of parts. The legs were used with at least four previous releases - the two Jedi Spirits from Return of the Jedi, one from Revenge of the Sith, and another from Ahsoka, and a fifth upcoming Attack of the Clones figure reuses many parts as well. Counting this figure, that's six figures with the same legs, and some shared heads, hands, torsos, and other elements within a year. That feels like an awful lot of shared re-re-reuse within a very short period of time, even if it makes sense. It also confirms that if you're feeling The Vintage Collection has been feeling very repetitive, it's not just you. It's a lot of very similar stuff lately and the savings are not being passed along to you.

I feel like I need some sort of venn diagram to explain all the overlap, but time is tight. This figure has torn pants on a new right thigh plus new arms... and I think everything else may come from other sets. You've seen the alternate hand and lightsaber before. The chest, belt, left thigh, waist, and boots were reused on all of the prequel Anakins from the past year. The head was shared with Attack of the Clones. The left hand seems shared with several Anakin figures. The right robot hand is new. The lightsaber hilt may be unique, in that the bladed version is painted silver and the unlit version from the belt appears to be molded in grey with black highlights. Asajj has more new going for her, but Anakin is basically a mishmash of other main line figures with some new colors and a new head. The soft goods parts of the robes are also a little different, with a couple of pre-cut tears in them.

The light browns are indeed different from all of the other releases, and of course the bare parts of the arms are brand new - and look great. The arm seems inset in the torn sleeves, and it looks pretty great. The hands bend and swivel, even the robot ghost hand. It's light on painted detail, but it's gold, and that's a start. I would have loved painted wires or other details, but at least it's very good at gripping a lightsaber. I would have loved alternate arms or something to plus up the package, but I assume the arms inset in the sleeves is what cost more money here. It doesn't feel above and beyond the quality of the many other Anakin figures of the past year, but at least it looks distinctive. There hasn't been a Yavin 4 duel-specific Anakin in any form for quite some time.

It's a very good looking figure, and pretty much precisely how they should have done it (recycled parts and all) but it feels like another case of a figure being at a deluxe-ish price with packaging that doesn't feel particularly luxe. It's fine. They seem to be pushing for a very specific nostalgia button, but VHS and VCRs were on the way out by the time this show aired. It was increasingly difficult to find VHS tapes in those days, but I remember watching the 3-minute shorts mostly on my laptop, because it was hard to find the show on the TV schedule. Lest ye forget, the shorts were barely longer than an ad break.

Six Anakins sharing parts within a year is a lot, and the price for this set feels particularly high (and given that it did not yet sell through, I would say that's a fair opinion.) Having said that, it's the best/only version of this character in this costume yet, since it's mid-duel and we've not had one before. It stands out from the version from 2005 [FOTD #69]. I'd recommend this set if the price does not bother you, because the two figures would have been spectacular basic releases. And then you can also remember that the set in 2005 got you 5 figures for $20, and while those were more toy than collector product, it was still 5 figures for $20. I guess you have to ask yourself what rocker ankles, a swappable hand, and real cloth parts are worth to you.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse and I absolutely feel I overpaid.  But I also really like it.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,394: November 3, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,391: Clone Commander Cody (Utapau, The Vintage Collection)

CLONE COMMANDER CODY (Utapau)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Walmart Exclusive 2-Pack
Item No.: No. G3192
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #413
Includes: Blaster rifles, removable jet pack
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $39.99
Availability: August 2026
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: On Clone Commander Cody's orders, the 212th battalion's specially trained clone paratroopers searched - to no avail - for their missing former commander, Obi-Wan Kenobi. (Taken from the cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Walmart now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Pairing Anakin Skywalker with Obi-Wan Kenobi makes no sense to me, but some Walmarts are still stocked with unsold 501st Legion Clones from last year so I guess "why not?" It's the 20th anniversary of Hasbro's first take on this Revenge of the Sith figure, so I guess this is as good of a time as any to pretend that this was likely intentional. We got that first one in The Saga Collection, and then in 2010 we got another movie Cody in The Vintage Collection that was pretty spectacular for ten dollars. He had a little holographic Darth Sidious, Obi-Wan's lightsaber, and a removable helmet with a Clone head underneath - and a lot more sculpted (and painted) battle damage. But this new one has better proportions, and better articulation. Who can say which one is better?

Me, I can.

Because this one is fresh, this particular shade of orange is a bit more consistent - and looks more faded - so it matches recent releases. The plastic is new, so the armor is white - and that's good. It also has more fine line deco, with more subtle battle damage (that isn't necessarily evocative of the battle-wear on Utapau) as well as finer white pin striping on the helmet and shoulders. Colors are pretty good, and odds are this character's orange battalion marks should be a little more subtle than the previous saturated orange figures. I'd argue 2026 Cody is too pale, but that is left to people who are better with this sort of thing. For some reason Hasbro made the antenna in a bone color rather than silver - I don't care for that - and painted the backs of the hands too thinly. When dealing with a light color - like orange - on top of black plastic, you have to do an extra couple of layers or it looks sort of cheap. This is something you saw a lot in 1980s toys, but less in recent years. Hasbro also kept 2026 Cody rather clean. The legs and arms don't really h ave the sculpted dents of previous editions, nor does the figure have the multitudes of slashes, scrapes, dents, and muddy bits that we saw in the movie. The copper band on the arm seems a little pale, but the visor on the helmet looks great and is a separately molded part. That costs you more. The belt pouches have a bit more zing, with some silver ones. It's interesting to see that Hasbro added some detail, while leaving some off. In this era, at $20 (or $40) a whack, my hope is that every new remake would be unquestionably better... and this one is different.

I miss the loss of Obi-Wan's lightsaber - a great play/display feature - and Cody's actual head. Maybe Hasbro has a plan for version 2.0 with more wear, the head, and a removable helmet to go with the lightsaber. All you get here are two blasters, which is a real step back from the storytelling that Hasbro gave us with the previous release. An "Execute Order 66" hologram was worth the price of admission, and the extra stuff was icing on the cake. You didn't feel that you got shorted. This time I feel they left some stuff out, since we're seeing things like Embo with a hat and alternate hands or some really wild deco on the Remnant Troopers. Cody is fine. Cody does not impress with sculpt or deco.

Cody does impress with engineering, as his hips move nicely and it's easy to pose him to stand or sit in a ship. Usually there may be some fidgeting, but here he just works. It was easy to get his hands on his blasters, and the bend-and-swivel wrists make it easy to aim too. Hasbro did an excellent job ensuring he can hold the gear they gave him. The jet pack sits nicely on the back and is decorated fairly well. It's clean, and it matches the figure.

Hasbro did spend a lot of money on the helmet, which is probably why there's no human head. The visor is a separate piece, but so are the greeblies on the sides. There are tiny, fine details around the mouth that are incredibly well done. Also, they left the nub above his visor unpainted again. I'm not fond of "deluxe" pricing, but sometimes you see a figure and you just say "well, maybe we should have seen what another five bucks could have gotten us." Posing this figure is a dream, and he looks really good, but he falls short of the considerable ambition you can read into the final product.

This is one where I'd say it's worth getting if you need a Cody and never got one. If you're happy with your old one, this may not be an improvement. If I were working at Hasbro I'd want to try again... the light, subtle battle damage doesn't work well on a small figure and I would've opted for "clean" or "dirty," in-between doesn't work for me. I assume we got what we got due to costing issues, but I'd rather they save a few more pennies and just give us a clean Cody instead. Still, recommended because it's the first new movie Cody in 13 years.

If this seems harsh, there's a reason. As we march away from "toy" and into "collectible," I don't really see much reason to be happy with an upgrade that isn't an upgrade. If this were a kid's figure for $10-$13, I'd say "this is incredibly good for the asking price" because of course you had to trim paint or accessories to meet the budget. This 2026 Cody had a ton of work put into him, and is better than the "clean" 5-jointed 2013 Saga Legends Cody [FOTD #2,069]. Now that we're at $20 I want the best-looking figure with the best gear ever... and this isn't that. It shows a lot of tooling was used, and tons of fine detailing, and advances in manufacturing techniques. And that's good! But it's not more fun, and you'll probably want to keep the 2010 model around if you're doing dioramas because of his gear and special belt with a lightsaber holster. If you want a quasi "Expanded Universe" Cody for your off-camera dio stories or whatever, Hasbro's figure is the best possible option. I just couldn't recommend you not hang on to your old one, at least for his gear.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Walmart. It can still be easily found here.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,391: October 22, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,388: Geonosian Warrior (Vested The Vintage Collection)

GEONOSIAN WARRIOR (No wings, 2 per box)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Hasbro Pulse Exclusive Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. G3213
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Sonic Blaster, duplicate figure, 2 additional figures with wings
Action Feature: Blaster
Retail: $67.99
Availability: September 2026
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: Referred to by clone troopers as “bugs” throughout the franchise, these Geonosian drones first appeared in the second film of the prequel trilogy. (Stolen from Hasbro Pulse's marketing copy.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I was on the fence about skipping this set, mostly because Hasbro gave us two great Geonosian figures already - but these did have something new to offer. Sure, the engineering and digital sculpt of these silver-armored Geonosian Warrior (no wings) figures are more or less the same as their winged companions... and similar to the Picador and Poggle the Lesser. But as far as I recall, this specific costume does not exist anywhere else in the Hasbro 3 3/4-inch line. I also didn't remember seeing it in guide books. I had to go to the movie to find this specific costume, and they were in the grandstands. This makes the figure unique in that it is both new, and potentially just different enough to make you mad. The Picador and these guys have pretty much the same build, the same head, the same body, but different hands, armor, and accessories. (And in some cases, wings.) They're not wildly different looking, which is good because they match the movies. But it does make me wish George Lucas and team made some a little greener, some a little browner, and just mixed them up visually a bit. (Heck, maybe they did and we'll find out the lighting made it hard to tell.)

It's easy to forget that back in 2002 - 24 years ago - we got our first playset of the Geonosis Arena. It was pretty big, and you could connect smaller add-on pieces to it. I'd love to see Hasbro do more sets just like it, because it was a great idea - and it's the best place for this figure to hang out. With the HasLab Gunship you could probably buy a few, get some sand, and set up a big battle on a table in a room in your house... and that would set you back thousands of dollars on top of the extra room you probably don't have. As such, the main customer for these figures are likely to be fans in their 30s and 40s that liked the prequels and still have that old playset. It got kind of expensive when you weren't looking. There aren't a ton of vehicles for these guys either, nor are there grandstands to fill as of yet. (Honestly, I was expecting there to be some sort of build-an-arena playset this year rather than the Orray, but the Orray is a more fun item.) But I digress. Let's talk bugs.

 

I was not remotely excited about this figure until I opened the box. I got the set to get free shipping on another order - and it was probably worth it. I like the distinctive vest-like armor that also looks like coveralls. The armor texture detail was very nicely sculpted, and I was surprised to see multiple metallic deco hits. There are little gold bits, and a larger brass-like patch over the groin. I was surprised to see painted gold rivets on the back of the figure, mostly because it was something I would have costed out on account to it likely never being noticed. Well, I noticed, kudos to you Hasbro. Some white elements are also painted. Is it true to the movie? Good question - it's hard to find good reference, so I'm going to say it looks fairly close to the scenes I eyeballed and it's interesting unto itself as a costume.

The clothes make the main - naked Geonosians had little impact on collecting, and that's most of what we got back in 2002 and 2003. They were based on earlier maquettes, while these new guys have the benefit of being modeled after nearly two and a half decades of looking back. I love the skin textures, and there are some nice colors too. The back of the figure's tail or abdomen - I don't know biped bug anatomy - has some brown on it, setting it apart and highlighting the various sculpted bands. The figure has a nice pivoting waist which is obscured but not hindered by the armor, and he has the same range of motion of the aforementioned Picador. You get swivel thighs, ball-jointed hips, rocker ankles, and just so many moving parts that it's almost overkill. Hasbro did a great job making what could well be the last Geonosian mold you'll ever need, and while I could say "swappable hands would be nice" I'd never make use of them. The closed right hand can hold the blaster, the open left hand can cradle it. It's one of the biggest opened hands I've ever seen at this scale, which is necessary because even this smaller sonic blaster is still pretty big compared to Republic issue firearms.

It's rare that Hasbro can make a figure and use the same mold for multiple releases but change out the armor and say "it's a new guy." (Ewoks, maybe Wookiees?) I'm sure it's a great cost-saving species, and this one has a fairly decent size sonic blaster. The first one we got in 2002 really could fire, and also was huge. This one will no doubt appear smaller, but it's a bit closer to the right size. I htink it's a tad small but that's also fine by me, it doesn't make the figure topple over and Hasbro did a nice job painting it. It's molded in gold with some dark brown around the barrel and the signature green inside. It's a good accessory. Most reference photos show them firing the blaster left-handed, which these figures can't do, but it's not like we can do much about it. If Hasbro ever does a carded variant someday, it might be nice to swap the CAD files' orientation and see if they can make them in the opposite stance.

If you're a prequel completist, you need this set - this is a new trooper costume that you don't have from a previous release. That makes it notable, because it's very rare that I can pick up a figure and say "this is new, actually." At $68 for 4 or $17 each, it is not a bargain. You don't get extra hands or gear or hats like you did with Embo, and there aren't unique paint jobs on each troop like we got with the Remnant Troopers from The Mandalorian and Grogu. The set has 2 each of 2 different styles of figure, and it's not obvious that you don't already have them. If you need every version of every alien, you need this. If you don't have the recent Picador or Sun Fac, I'd recommend this set to augment your existing bug clans. But if you don't like the prequels at all? You probably haven't made it this far. This is a good use of the troop box format, and it's always nice to get something new from the actual films.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,388: October 13, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,387: R2-D2 (D-Squad, Droid Factory)

R2-D2 (D-Squad)
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: Card, RX base
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $19.99
Availability: September 2026
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: All different types of droids populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid has their own unique personality and colors. This droid served Colonel Meebur Gascon and the droid unit D-Squad to infiltrate a Separatist Dreadnought. Join R2-D2 on his 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 eBay now!  

Commentary: Figures like this show a depth of fanaticism, an attention to detail, and a sign that someone probably should stop me from having a credit card. R2-D2 (D-Squad) is a figure I've been anticipating for a while, but I was not expecting it to be a theme park exclusive, nor $20, nor actually $33 after tax and shipping. I assumed Hasbro might put out an R2-D2 with swappable legs, or maybe we'd see a decal kit, or something. There are other differences on this R2-D2 from previous Disney releases, but the important thing to remember is that scene from the movie Mystery Men where Mr. Furious is spun around during a slow-motion costume reveal that while his outfit seems to be unchanged, they did in fact add flames to the back where you can't see them. And if that reference means anything to you: good, you're in the right place.

The main reason to buy this set is if you liked the D-Squad episodes of The Clone Wars. I very much liked those episodes, as they were super weird and actually just kept throwing weird and fun ideas against the wall in a story that I doubt we would see as creators are increasingly scared of fans. It looks like Disney has at least 3 of the 4 astromechs planned for the line this year, and I wouldn't be surprised to see group filled out by the 50th anniversary. The gist of the episode is this: the Republic puts R2-D2, a tiny frog Walter Matthau, and four other droids on a mission to blow up other droids. Upgrades from a mad scientist are doled out to each astromech, and you can tell where they are by some black and red caution marks - that's what makes this R2-D2 interesting. He got some upgraded rockets. Did Disney include rocket legs in the set? No. There's no new tooling here, it's the same basic R2-D2 mold you've bought as R2-D2 and possibly hundreds of other robots by now. What makes it unique is that R2-D2 from Disney rarely has the foot wires - this one has them.

Deco is similar but not identical to other releases. The greeblies are frequently painted this time, so when you look on the dome's holographic projector or that long, rectangular bar on the back you will find them filled with black paint. The little dots over the red dot on the back are painted, but interestingly the panel to its left is left silver. Usually it's painted in blue, and it's worth noting nearly every panel is painted more cleanly and centered than previous recent releases. I should also note, that unpainted silver panel on the back seems to be par for t he course for most prop photos - but for all I know it's a Mandela Effect thing and I need to see if it changes from movie to movie. Depending on how persnickety you are about details, this sort of thing might be very appealing to you until you start doing the math of "my cartoon droid in realistic style is more movie accurate in some ways but lacks the dirt and grime of the cartoon." Pobody's nerfect.

With a rich silver paint on the dome, and sadly a lack of metallic shine in the blue on said dome, this is a pretty good figure. If you don't have an R2-D2 - and is that even possible - this is a perfectly good one. I wish they retained the "action feature" just because that seems like something I'd go nuts for as a child, and I have a weird fondness for black and yellow caution tape and coloring on toys. Was it worth $30? Not really. Would it have been worth $20 at the theme park? Probably, but after I paid for parking it'd be $30. The mouse demands the $30 sacrifice, and I think this is one of those things that's more of an emotional need to complete D-Squad than it is to have a particularly fresh R2-D2. It's good. They did a nice job. It is not exceptional, nor was it a good deal. I assume we will some day see a D-Squad gift set, because it's what I would have made. If you live in a future where such a thing exists, get it unless you really, really need a red RX droid's foot.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Shop Disney. It sold out very quickly.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,387: October 8, 2026

 

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,333: QT-KT (Droid Factory, Carded)

QT-KT Think Pink (Again)
Star Wars Droid Depot
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: Collector card, TC-332 Arm
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $19.99
Availability: March 2026
Appearances: The Clone Wars

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 on missions aboard Separatist Dreadnaughts. Join QT-KT 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 eBay now!

Commentary: As time goes on, some of Disney's droid figures aren't terribly exciting only because other (sometimes better) versions exist. This is the second QT-KT figure. While the first built off the build-a-droid chassis, a QT-KT droid based on the Vintage R2-D2 mold was one of my babies [FOTD #2,312] at work. I would have much rather seen other members of D-Squad, preferably with the black and yellow caution markings. This particular retake on QT-KT is different from the original, but not necessarily better.

Deco is very similar, so whichever one you get should be satisfactory. This 2025 Disney version adds a little extra silver paint around the ankles that Hasbro's (and the animation model) didn't havee, but also cleans up the silver paint around the vents in the middle of her body. Hasbro's deco of the nozzle near the bottom of her body seems more accurate, but Hasbro left off the silver paint on the vents near her left foot. Neither has the weathering seen on the cartoon, nor the flying drone from the top of her dome.

Another notable difference are her black and yellow dome markings. Hasbro's seemed a little thicker and just felt more accurate when compared to real caution tape. Disney's 2026 figure feels a little more haphazard, a little thin, and just not quite right when looking at the cartoon. But, maybe you'll like it better.

In terms of features, I would say Hasbro's is better. The retractable third leg is a plus, as is the sensorscope, and I can't knock the opening body panel with a pop-out arm. All of that is great. Disney's droid has a spare build-a-droid arm - which is good - but droid herself can only pop apart. Disney's dome is also one of the loosest I've ever had, and is incredibly easy to accidentally pop off. Maybe that's a plus! Some are very difficult to remove.

I'm sure my age is showing, but there are a lot of figures where I would say I was pretty happy with what I had. Disney's silver panels look perfectly nice when compared to Hasbro's flat gray ones, but neither feels particularly superior. It is currently slightly cheaper to get the Hasbro model (out of packaging) thanks to the insta sell-out of Disney's figure, but that could change. In 2026, these figures now cost a painful $19.99, plus about $10 shipping, plus tax. In most jurisdictions, one droid will cost you $33 delivered. That's a lot of money. I don't feel she's worth that asking price, and I would say that this particular build-a-droid program is something of a drag for completists that may have many of these figures at home. But if you just want a pink droid, and you can get this one for a decent price? She's not bad. She'll get the job done. She's just not a complete improvement over the original.  

 

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Shop Disney. It sold very quickly.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,333: April 2, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,312: R7-A7 (The Vintage Collection)

R7-A7 Version 3.0
The Vintage Collection Amazon Exclusive 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. G0266
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #322
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Pops apart
Retail: $69.99
Availability: May 2024
Appearances: Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Bio: After Ahsoka Tano left the Jedi Order, her trusty astromech droid A7-A7 stayed by her side to combat the force of the Galactic Empire.(Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I took a long time to open this R7-A7 droid figure because I already had a cartoon version [FOTD #1,509]. Also, Disney did a bin version [FOTD #2,163] that was slightly more saturated than this one, but fundamentally the same basic design. It's good Hasbro made a version easier for fans to buy, but also, it's kind of exhausting to go back in the stacks and realize how many of the more-or-less same figure you've got at home. Disney's sculpt is very, very similar to Hasbro's.

And of course, Hasbro made one that is slightly better.

They share a similar build with pop-off legs, a pull-out middle leg, and a dome you can remove. Hasbro's has sharper detailing, with a gray area under the dome and the oh-so-important wiring on the feet. Disney typically leaves those off, and Hasbro never does. Is it worth the upcharge? Maybe. But since it's on clearance now, Hasbro's is clearly the way to go. The green isn't quite as bright, but it's good. There's also no "hat hole" on the top of Hasbro's dome, leaving us an overall better-looking figure.

Disney's droid has blue lights that tend to color outside the lines, and appear brighter and bolder. Hasbro's color inside the lines. I like Disney's light treatment a little better, but when you get down to it they're both very similar figures. I'd highly recommend this set at current cheap prices. Under $40, this is a great set, even with the duplicates. Is it essential? Not really. Will I care about the live-action interpretations of select The Clone Wars guys in ten years? Probably not. But if you need a fix, this is a nice set and one that - as a set - probably wasn't helped by it being 50% "just different enough to make you mad." It's ultimately unsatisfying to leave collectors going "Don't I already have this?"

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Amazon. Late in 2025, this set showed up at TJ Maxx and Marshall's for about $19.99, so we can all feel like we should have waited.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,312: January 20, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,311: Clone Captain Rex (Force Mech Suit / Epic World of Action)

CLONE CAPTAIN REX Force Mech Suit
Epic World of Action Amazon Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. G0363 No. G1418
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 1 Mech, 2 big blasters, 2 small blasters, big and small removable pauldrons
Action Feature: n/s
Retail: $21.99
Availability: July 2025
Appearances: The Clone Wars, probably

Bio: Gear up for battle! Open the Star Wars mech suit at the feet and place the Clone Captain Rex action figure inside. (Taken from the Amazon's web site. Package has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: If you bought Deep Dive Batman and though "Ha ha this is goofy I love it," this carries on Kenner's proud tradition of doing things that are silly fun. Some of you will love Clone Captain Rex with Mech Force Suit, and some of you will hate it. The reasons are going to be the same - it's basically the same as the single-carded Epic Hero Series Rex [FOTD #3,290] from a few months ago, with added paint and accessories. The $8 Clone figure was augmented in this $20 boxed set. They're good for different reasons, but I would probably steer you to the mech set just because it's more fun.

Rex himself is the same figure, with the same generous-for-a-kid-line articulation. You don't get a waist, or ankles, or wrists, but you do get a good range of movement everywhere else. The rangefinder does not move, but the pauldron (and head) are removable. He has holsters for blasters, but only one will fit due to the blast effect on his clear blue blasters. The toy designers did a good job here - but all versions of the figure were not exactly impulse-buy-in-a-store products, so its success is determined by the marketing Hasbro isn't doing. To my knowledge these weren't shown on a fan stream or in any hype event, so you're pretty much relying on people like me to tell you about these and I'm late because Amazon keeps marking down things, and I hate feeling bad about paying full price. I also would not be surprised if it got Ross'd in the next two years. Regular Anakin showed up at Ross within weeks of showing up at Target last year.

What makes this Rex unique? He has some tech circuity stuff on his chest on one side. Had Hasbro left it off, you'd never miss it - but the variation makes both this figure and the standard figure unique enough to warrant your interest. Or, just different enough to make you mad. I like goofy things, so I wanted both.

The mech is a unique mold, but it functions like the other ones. There's a hinge in the helmet, so you fold it up around the ankles and there's a clip to place Rex inside. Hasbro respects the kids who got this, so you'll see loads of circuitry inside along with padded elements and pretend controls. It is notable that Rex' rangefinder makes it a tight fit, and Rex' arms will stick out of the sides. It's goofy, and intentional - and I think a mistake. It would have been good to just cram them in the design somehow. There are no blaster storage areas, so you'll have his hands holding the guns sticking out under the mech armpits. Silly? Yes. Did Hasbro do it better with the S.N.A.K.E. armor about 40 years ago? Yeah. But who knows what kinds of meetings they had with Disney to get something this far and away silly approved for Star Wars.

Mech deco isn't merely good, it's interesting. He has blue stripes on his chest, knees, and shoulders as well as the tech pattern. There is a faux pauldron and ammo pouch on the mech chest, and clear blue fists. The wrists have a rotating joint, but you also get bending elbows and (barely) ball-jointed shoulders. The neck and legs don't move, but I don't think this item would work as a toy if they did.

Play features include 5mm ports - which mean something if you have a collection of 1980s Takara-designed toys. Transformers and Battle Beasts frequently used 5mm ports for their weaponry - which means you can plug Mini-Cons and the like on Rex' mech. You can also give the clear blue blasters to a number of modern (and old) Robots in Disguise. A clear blue shoulder pad also pops off and on using the 5mm peg, meaning your kids will have more fun with this than you will.

I don't know anyone who bought this figure - or at least, nobody told me. They're missing out, it's pretty cool. I assume kids of this era won't even know it exists, and it's likely the victim of being a good concept with terrible timing. Rex isn't on any new shows right now, and Star Wars is increasingly (and I hate to say, somewhat deservedly) a cultural punching bag. Product is rarely or never on-shelf with a new TV show or movie, reaction to recent TV shows has been poor, and follow-through on everything seems erratic and irrational. This toy would have been neat in 2008, during any of the many seasons of The Clone Wars. Or The Bad Batch. Or Ahsoka two years ago. But now? It's confusing, it's weird, and only the depraved toy junkies are going to buy this. So you know I love it, and if you're still reading my crap after 31 years you might too. I'd say get it now that the price is a little wobbly, and if you see it on deep discount maybe you'll want to buy two.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Amazon on sale under ten bucks.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,311: January 15, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,310 Anakin Skywalker (But He's Got a new Cape, The Vintage Collection)

ANAKIN SKYWALKER (He's Got a New Cape!)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch The Journey of Anakin Skywalker set, Shop Disney/Hasbro Pulse
Item No.: No. G1282
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #n/a
Includes: 3 lightsabers, 3 hilts, 2 alternate hands, Sith lightning wrap
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $49.99-$57.99
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: Say it with me - Anakin Skywalker is just different enough to make you mad. This version - from the 3-pack - is the one you want. A single-carded version of The Clone Wars armor (but live action) Anakin Skywalker [FOTD #3,221] was released about four months before the triple figure deluxe set came out. The figure is very good - as of now, this is the best version of this costume you can get. You get a de-aged Hayden Christensen with a separately molded wig (good) and shoulder armor that's molded right on (even better), plus gloves and boots and cloth bits so he can sit in starfighters. In terms of sculpt and function, Hasbro did a very nice job here. The figure, lightsaber, and hilt are pretty much the same from either release.

What makes the set special - not counting the so-far exclusive "Dark" Anakin/Darth Vader and a unique x-ray Darth Vader - is a cape. You're buying this figure for a brown piece of cloth with two elastic loops, and elastic may not last forever - so be careful with it. The stretchy blank bands go around each shoulder, with the brown cape hanging... let's say naturally. Because of the width of the elastic, it does look a little awkward in spots... but generally OK. If you missed this set, I bet a fan maker could stitch together a good one with non-elastic string that could be installed by removing the arms and popping them back in. Hasbro's solution is more functionally elegant for fans who may not have both versions of the figure, and may want to remove and replace this cape.

I don't think the cape is worth the asking price, and the set overall is a little weak if you don't actively want all three figures. In terms of pricing, it's close to consistent with the single-carded The Vintage Collection product. I'd recommend it for anyone who doesn't have these figures, and depending on your display or vehicle pilot needs it's better to get a duplicate with a cape than a straight-up repack. For more extensive notes on the original figure, please read my review from last year.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse in May. 

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,310: January 13, 2026