Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,371: BDX Droid (Green with Cresh symbol, Droid Factory, Boxed)

BDX DROID Green Cresh
Star Wars Droid Depot
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: 3 other droids
Action Feature: Hatless - I repeat, hatless
Retail: $49.99 $59.99
Availability: May 2026
Appearances: The Mandalorian and Grogu and theme parks

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 were featured in Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu. 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: It's time for me to look at the green BDX Droid. I checked my order to make sure I wasn't in error - but when I got this set back in May, it was $49.99. Disney Store increased the price to $59.99 at some point before or on August 1. For a fairly expensive, repetitive boxed set based on a movie most fans skipped? That's a curious thing to do. Target and Walmart have marked down most of their movie window The Mandalorian and Grogu toys, and there haven't been any reasons that I would guess to justify a sudden 20% price hike. It's not like there's a new low free shipping deal to counter, or some great coupon. As such, I'll spoil the ending and say "don't pay $60, wait for a deal or skip it."

At $12.50 a pop, these guys had some zing. eBay sellers are getting $10-$12 per on opened up sets, which is a bad sign. Typically, a figure from a boxed set commands a price at least slightly higher than its share of the boxed set. There are even complete sets selling for as little as $36 delivered. It feels weird to steer you to eBay rather than the original source, but we are in an amazing era where it's kind of hard to deny that a lot of these items are a bit overpriced.

Part of the reason for that may be profits. Disney did a good job making sure a tiny figure that could have gotten away with three joints had considerably more. Each leg is jointed at the knee, ankle, and hip. The neck is jointed to swivel and bend in two spots. That's 10 joints on a little guy and I don't think fans are going to give Disney credit for it since this isn't a figure that needs a lot of dynamic action poses. Since I assume we'll never see another of this theme park droid/cameo as a toy, it's good that Disney maxed out the feature set on the first drop so you can have them walk around your Rebel ships and pilots. And by that, I mean your old ones, because Hasbro avoided 3 3/4-inch ones this year.

The vaguely Tomy-flavored little robot has a couple of antenna and a hole for a hat or star or other accessory. There are even small holes for a stand. How thoughtful! The paint is perfectly fine for a Disney exclusive, with bright green stripes and a Cresh letter (C) on the side of the body. The eyes are painted, there are some decorated vents, and even the bottom of the feet got some black paint. They didn't skimp on deco, but what my theory presupposes, maybe they should have. A simpler 4-pack at $30 might have sold out, or maybe Disney knew this would be a struggle and decided to get as much as they could from a smaller potential customer base. Theme park fanatics know these guys from walking around and seeing or interacting with them, while the rest of us probably are unfamiliar with them outside their movie cameo. While I love a good droid cameo, this guy isn't 75% as good as one of Hasbro's increasingly impressive and robust The Vintage Collection offerings.

I assume theme park fans will get more juice out of these than Star Wars collectors. There doesn't seem to be much interest in building out a 3 3/4-inch Republic Base, so these guys will likely have to be adopted by another display or one of your many boxes or drawers. If the set didn't just happen to coincide with pre-orders and a free shipping offer, I likely would have skipped it. They're good enough that I would not say "avoid," but I'm finding I might have been happier to keep the fifty (now sixty) bucks.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney Store's web site. It did not sell out.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,371: August 13, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,351: BDX Droid (Orange with Dorn symbol, Droid Factory, Boxed)

BDX DROID Orange Dorn
Star Wars Droid Depot
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: 3 other droids
Action Feature: Hatless - I repeat, hatless
Retail: $49.99
Availability: May 2026
Appearances: The Mandalorian and Grogu and theme parks

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 were featured in Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu. 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: I fully intended to skip this set (and indeed, most Disney droids) after some fast sell-outs left some gaps in my collection that exceeded my willingness to pay on eBay - but then there were some restocks, and things worked out with free shipping, so I now have an orange BDX Droid. If you haven't seen the new movie - shame on you - but these guys were just background cameos on a New Republic base. They're blurry and in the background, presumably included to canonize them as something greater than a theme park gimmick. I'm assuming and projecting, at any rate - they look like they came from a different design school. These guys seem more in line with Tomy's 1980s robots and Nintendo's R.O.B. with vestiges of video game droids.

It is incredibly difficult to put a dinger on why some droids seem "Star Warsy" and some don't, and I assume it boils down to novelty. If Star Wars were Pokemon, the BDX is the Raichu to BD-1's Pikachu. I think. Someone correct me if I have that wrong. It's a bigger bot, with what seems to be an opening belly. Mine doesn't seem to open, but the seams for the mold have a big enough gap in it that it's either poorly assembled or maybe it really does open. I don't plan to break it and find out. Stock photography seems to be more cleanly assembled so it appears I just got a figure from (say it with me) the bad batch.

The general design philosophy seems to match some other Disney droids, with colors and shapes that closely match Delta Squad from Republic Commando. The shapes look very much like they come from the era of the original Xbox, with heads that look like a 1980s toy robot, and greeblies that seems unmistakably Star Wars. For half-pint robots they seem a little small, but Disney did try to make them worth the asking price with a couple of neck joints allowing them to look up The head can also fold down to the body. Each leg is jointed at the hip, the knee, and the ankle. For such a small figure, there are a lot of joints here. But for $12.50 a droid, it still comes up a little short. You can get more action poses out of these guys than an astromech droid, but I don't think anyone would have missed it if they just had swappable limbs or static legs. The range of movement is somewhat limited, and you can't really get them to emote outside of the neck.

The paint applications are pretty much the same on each figure. All of them are molded in white (cost savinfs), with the same beige, pink, and black paint applications. They mix it up with the spot colors - each one has a unique icon on the left near the back. Orange has the Aurebesh character "Dorn," which is a D. I suppose this makes it educational.

This is an item that makes sense as a bit of corporate synergy. These little guys have been walking around the Disney parks for a while, and they put them in the movie - so of course it's a good idea for a theme park souvenir. In Disney's shoes I might've put it in a set with a different droid at a lower price point, because $50 for four nearly identical little guys is something that might appeal to a collector more than a child. I think it's a more interesting "toy robot" than "Star Wars figure," if that makes sense, and the kind of thing I'd probably be weirdly more excited about without Star Wars branding on the box. As there are no New Republic ships or playsets which need to be built out with wacky droids, this figure serves no real purpose right now other than to take up some space until a better home for it makes itself evident, or I retire and then just start selling this stuff off or something. I think Disney did as good of a job as they could have done to make this design at this scale, but I am not charmed by the very visible seams or how repetitive the set is. If it weren't for the free shipping coupon at a time there were 2 other droids I wanted in stock, I'd have skipped this set and probably never thought about it again. 

 Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney Store's web site. It did not sell out.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,351: June 4, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,309: Ahsoka Tano (Force Masters / Epic World of Action)

AHSOKA TANO Force Masters Pack
Epic World of Action Target Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. G0363 No. G0778
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 2 lightsabers, 4 other figures with accessories
Action Feature: n/s
Retail: $34.99
Availability: July 2025
Appearances: Ahsoka, probably

Bio: Jedi Masters take on Sith Lord Darth Vader in this 5-pack of Star Wars action figures inspired by Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, Force Ghost Yoda, Ahsoka Tano, and Darth Vader. (Taken from the Target's web site. Package 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: While I'm incredibly fond of Epic Hero Series and Epic World of Action, I think I can safely say it's the best figure line with the worst sense of timing. None of the figures were on time to be "on shelf" when any of the streaming series were near their respective debuts, although SM-33 was just late enough to make you mad. They're popular characters, but last year's - and now this year's Ahsoka Tano came out when her show was too far away from being new or recent. This one has some minor deco changes, and will be most likely marked down and out of Target before the second season trailer for Ahsoka makes its debut. This is unfortunate, as the figure collection is decent for the money.

This 2025 release is similar to the 2024 Ahsoka Tano [FOTD #3,117] on a single card, but with some extra paint. The paint doesn't make a lot of sense, but it looks cool. The 5-jointed figure added some "Force lightning" crackles to her gloves, lightsaber hilts, and oddly lightsaber blades. It's actually kind of cool on the lightsabers - it looks like she's absorbing Sith lightning. This would look super cool if they could integrate this kind of deco on specific collector figures, too - but here it's just kind of a head-scratcher. It makes the figure look new and different if you pay attention to this sort of thing, but given how many were sitting on shelves in Q4 last year I think people just overlooked it. Individually carded figures are in short supply, and nobody is supporting the cheaper vehicles - so people are ignoring the gift sets.

They're missing out. Ahsoka still has great face paint with nice blue markings on her lekku. The sculpting of her outfit still looks great, and all the joints move smoothly. Her pose isn't too extreme, or too generic, so you can have some fun posing her or putting her in unrelated vehicles. She stands, she sits, and she can hold her gear well. There's a hole in her back for expansion accessories, but for whatever reason Hasbro didn't take advantage of their various pegs and holes.

If you got last year's figure, you're probably a completist and will want this one too. It seems silly to buy another copy of a figure that Walmart blew out under $3, but it's well-made and I don't mind a weird deco variant if it's interesting. This one is barely interesting - skippable for some, but Hasbro rarely does energy deco on its figures. It's kind of a shame we don't see more of it, because Quantum Surges or Emperor's Wrath lightning can look really good as two-dimensional paint applications rather than blue twigs or boogers. Ahsoka's a good figure, and this set is interesting enough at its regular price that I would certainly recommend it at a discount. I just don't expect the line to have much of a future, so go get the set and backfill the line while you still can.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target on sale for $24.49. If I didn't overpay for Walmart's exclusives last year, I probably would've bought this one at full price and not complain. I needed that karmic price adjustment.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,309: January 8, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,209: Grogu (The Armorer's Forge, The Vintage Collection)

GROGU (Armorer's Forge Playset Pack-In Figure)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Pack-In Figure
Item No.: No. G0360
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Carded The Armorer, Forge playset, anvil with alternate heads, Cabinet of Dr. Mon Calimari
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $59.99
Availability: November 2024
Appearances: The Mandalorian

Bio: This set includes several accessories ideal for play and display, like the Armorer’s forging materials and a selection of her finished helmets – plus a Grogu figure! (Taken from the Hasbro product page copy.)

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: Does anyone need another Grogu? Probably - after his introduction on the show, I envisioned Hasbro switching the entire line over to support him - to make "The Child" in numerous poses as a collectible, non-articulated figure and sold with dang near everybody - The Client, Mando, etc. - instead of a coin or other gimmick. I still think it would have been a good idea - for a babbling puppet with only one shirt, they've found tons of ways to make him as a toy. This one sports a unique addition to his costume - beskar armor, which goes under his robes.

At about 3/4-inches tall, this is clearly not worthy of being sold as an individually packaged figure, but we've seen a few of them. In this case, he's packed with a $60 playset, which includes a carded figure (let's say a $17 value) alongside a chunk of cave, a Mythosaur skull, some tools, and absolutely no paint. If anything, the figure is a modern collectible - as is the Armorer - while the playset itself feels more like a throwback to something in Kenner's MicroCollection. It's actually kind of amazing, and I'd recommend the entire set to anybody who's all-in on 3 3/4-inch as a scale, just be sure to steal the playset and give it to your Retro figures.

The Grogu figure itself is about as good as the other ones. Tiny black eyes, big green ears with a pink interior, teensy green hands, and a brown unzipped robe gives you a clear view of what's going on underneath. The Armorer built him a plate of armor with a partially visible mudhorn signet, and a tiny bit of chainmail visible just below his head. It's tiny, it's subtle, it's the kind of thing where you might be left asking yourself how many of this character you own... and why. The tiny arms move well given the size, and the head turns - but there are no foot peg holes, and no real way to interact with the playset beyond standing near it.

It's easy to crack jokes, but the figure is impressive - his wrists are jointed. That's a minor miracle. But would we as collectors be any worse off if our dozenth or so Grogu was a non-articulated, painted figure that maybe helped to bring this set's price down a few bucks? I love articulation when it adds to the play value, but as he can't really do much other than stand or turn his head anyway, I don't benefit from the moving parts. It's a well-designed figure and the designers should be proud of their craftsmanship, but as a toy, it offers nothing to give you a better time than you would have with your existing figures.

At $60 it's a little tough to recommend this set, because it feels like the playset part should cap out at around $20, the bonus heads aren't much of an accessory, and the carded figure is worth about $17. For $45-$50, I think it would be a pretty good item. At $60, it's for a certain kind of completist only, or for the Kenner-crazed fanatic who would probably just as easily have paid $60 for a fan-made version of the playset to go with those figures. Grogu doesn't do much other than look cool, and everything about this set looks pretty cool - you just have to get past the fact that the figures feel like 21st century designs while the playset comes from the finest plastic forges that 1982 had to offer.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,209: January 23, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,151: Doikk Na'ts (Dorenian Beshniquel, The Vintage Collection)

DOIKK NA'TS (Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Hasbro Pulse Shared Exclusive Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. F6984
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 7 band members with 2 Kloo Horns, 1 Fanfar, 1 Fizzz, 1 Ommni Box with pedals and stand, 2 drum sticks, 1 drum, 1 Bandfill,
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $89.99
Availability: March 2023
Appearances: Star Wars   

Bio: This 7-piece ensemble of Bith musicians was a common sight at the Mos Eisley Cantina, playing swinging instrumentals for the watering hole’s staggering patrons. (Taken from marketing copy. There is no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Crowdfunding for the Cantina ends next week. Pledge early, don't forget, because we want to put Arleil Schous in there with a Chinese menu in his hand. That's why we're looking at another band member - go support the Cantina and then come back to read about Doikk Na'ts! If you remember the 1990s, there was a Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina [that's an Amazon ad link too] he was a major player in "We Don't Do Weddings: The Band's Tale." This book had short stories about most of the major Cantina band patrons, ranging from the silly to the perfectly fine. This book - and others like it, but definitely this one - is part of what gives the saga the reputation of every minor character having some elaborate backstory. By the end of the 1990s, every corner of those original films was fleshed out by games, RPGs, comics, prose, action figures, you name it. This one came out in 1995, exactly the same time Kenner started making new action figures again.

Taking a cue from real life, Doikk was a bit smarter than his bandmates in that he actually owned his instrument. He could leave and take another gig if he wanted, Firgrin D'an owned everybody else's gear - in the book. Obviously, these guys have yet to get any on-screen stories and are largely absent from the modern publishing game. The figure includes this instrument, which is a simpler reed instrument called the fizzz (or Dorenian Beshniquel) and doesn't look particularly fancy compared to some of the other stuff. It's no ommni box, at any rate - it just looks like a clarinet. Sort of, ay any rate. It has some painted details - not much, but it doesn't need much and it's not like you're going to get up in there to see it anyway. He has no problems holding it thanks to his excellent articulation. It's worth noting that this figure came from that awkward period before Hasbro did ball-and-socket jointed hips, so while they are extremely posable they're also closer to the shoulders. It's kind of hard to get them just-so, but you can, and once you do they're pretty good about staying put. The figure also has a cut joint mid-torso, which I don't care for, as I prefer articulation to be at the belt or below the shirt - you know, so it doesn't mar the design of the figure. Since the shirt is black, and behind his arms, you're probably not going to notice and I assume this could be the final 3 3/4-inch Vintage band member sculpt that we ever get.

Since it's the same figure seven times over, the different accessories make it something of an army builder. If you own a playset, you probably want multiples - but not necessarily. I bought it because I had a hunch we would, some day, be offered a bigger Cantina and apparently that day is now. If you back the HasLab, it ends and cards are charged on July 8. As such, I'd recommend grabbing your wallet and doing so now if you're going to - just so you don't forget, and so I can hopefully get my other wolfman. If you do support the Cantina, I'd also recommend setting up an eBay alert to monitor the band prices and if it's under $100 shipped (or thereabouts) pounce on it. You'll be glad you have it later, the original going rate was $90 so about $100 is pretty darned fair for seven sold-out action figures.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse. Within a week, it went up for sale at other fan outlets.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,151: July 4, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,148: Nalan Cheel (Fanfar, The Vintage Collection)

NALAN CHEEL (Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Hasbro Pulse Shared Exclusive Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. F6984
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 7 band members with 2 Kloo Horns, 1 Fanfar, 1 Fizzz, 1 Ommni Box with pedals and stand, 2 drum sticks, 1 drum, 1 Bandfill,
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $89.99
Availability: March 2023
Appearances: Star Wars   

Bio: This 7-piece ensemble of Bith musicians was a common sight at the Mos Eisley Cantina, playing swinging instrumentals for the watering hole’s staggering patrons. (Taken from marketing copy. There is no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: We haven't looked at one of these guys in almost a year, and a lot has happened! Back then, this was a shared exclusive that didn't sell through so it got opened to other partners, and it took a while but it finally sold through. And now it's expensive on the secondary market - and will no doubt continue to get pricey unless Hasbro reruns it (and maybe they should.) Heck, this set would've been a great stretch goal for the current HasLab Cantina, because Hasbro could tool one figure and sell you (and charge you) for seven. And you'd smile. As I write this - Amazon is sold out, and the cheapest set on eBay is a hair under $200. Sold listings are closer to SRP, though, so if you want one of these sets and can get it for $90 before shipping? You should do it now, before people get their Cantinas in-hand and decide to start filling it out. If history is any indication that won't happen before they get their playsets mailed to them, so you've got a while. But don't wait too long.

Where was I? Right, Nalan Cheel, complete with bandfill. The figure itself is the same as Figrin D'an and all of the others, which certainly saves on tooling costs and gives Hasbro a good incentive to make one really, really good figure. A figure like this needs incredible articulation in order to stand, sit, suck, blow, beat, tinkle, and do whatever else is necessary to these instruments. A figure like this has incredible articulation and would serve as a great basis for numerous customs - but you want him because he can play the bandfill like was was ringing a bell, or whatever. I have no idea how it's supposed to work - but he can easily hold it and look like he was designed to do so. Previous versions also could hold it just fine, but this one can emote thanks to all of the articulation. He can really look like he's swinging - and he can really get his, erm, lips around his instrument. Hasbro made sure the hands look great with lots of sculpted detail too, which is good because you're going to be seeing them a lot.

I hope Hasbro is considering Kenner 1970s-style band members for the 50th anniversary of the movie - it struck me as odd we never got them in the old days, and I was so excited in the 1990 when the Fan Club got one exclusive figure with five instruments. I ordered extras. I like this figure a lot because he can pose, he can stand around and look good, and they did an excellent job bringing him to life with modern standards. I keep forgetting Hasbro made these because I already had a band - but I shouldn't, because they're such a massive improvement.

It's worth noting that the carded Figrin D'an may be cheaper than the box set, so if you come across a bunch of those cheap you could buy the 1990s figures, steal their instruments, and fudge it. But I'd recommend this set - there were no drums in the old days, so this is a more complete experience. Get this set if you can, and I would anticipate there to be a lull in interest between the time the Cantina funds (if it funds) and the release of the playset. As your attorney, I recommend that you set up eBay alerts and keep an eye on prices.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse. Within a week, it went up for sale at other fan outlets.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,148: June 25, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,136: LOM-Series Protocol Droid (Black, Droid Factory)

LOM-SERIES PROTOCOL DROID Black 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 LOM-series protocol droid, also known as a LOM-series droid was a model of protocol droid manufactured by Industrial Automaton. They were designed with insectile features to emulate the species they were created to serve, the sentient Gand. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.   

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I do - and don't - miss the Disney bins. Their Black LOM-Series Protocol Droid doesn't really exist, but it looks cool. Disney put parts in bins with glossy black plastic and silver highlights, and you can mix and match them to make something new if you like. And I got something! I just took about seven years to do anything with it, which really just says how we have too many figures coming at me to enjoy, let alone fully absorb and reflect upon. He's been in a box since I got him and opened him - it's kind of sad, actually.

This particular sample looks like the kind of thing Kenner might have made in the 1980s if they rushed the figure out the door. The official Kenner figure is a little off-model, but this one is gleefully wrong in fun ways. A shiny black exterior with limited paint gives you a figure that could be in the Death Star playset that you probably don't have or the Star Destroyer that probably won't get made, but if it did, you'd be ready for it. It looks like a real toy - like something you'd see in a store and go "that looks cool" and pay whatever it would have cost. That era seems long over, but at least we got a lifetime's worth of figures to track down. Seriously, if you aren't already someone with a complete collection, it's going to take you actual years to get everything unless you happen to come into a complete collection auction some day. And you very well might as fans get older and exit this hobby.

My build uses the same arms as C-3PO with a LOM head and torso, but my pal selected the Death Star Droid-style legs. I like it! It's not "wrong" because there's no actual black droid to copy, and all the parts fit together perfectly. I was going to write "seamlessly" but that's not true - you can see the seams where the joints fit together, giving you about 20 points of articulation. I wish the figure had slightly more paint - none of the facial elements other than his eyes got any decoration, but it admittedly doesn't need a lot of embellishment. The big silver eyes pop really nicely, and it looks like the kind of thing that might be walking around off-camera on the original Death Star.

The figure included no accessories, and since you could pick the arms and legs I have no idea what you might actually find should one pop up on eBay. Hopefully it's similar to mine - it looks cool enough on its own to capture the feel of Star Wars without the actual grit, which is more or less how I think most of us saw the Empire much of the time. I'd recommend it at a fair price - which I guess would mean under $40 nowadays. Good luck, these are not common figures.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,136: May 23, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,114: Yak Face (The Retro Collection)

YAK FACE A Licensed Remake!
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Hasbro Pulse/Shop Disney 6-Pack
Item No.: No. F6988
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Staff, plus Mon Mothma, Yak Face, Emperor's Royal Guard, Gamorrean Guard, and Admiral Ackbar
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $72.99
Availability: November 2023
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Star Wars Retro Collection includes Star Wars action figures from the 40-plus-year legacy of the Star Wars Galaxy, including movies and live-action series. (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 eBay now!

Commentary: For the first time in America, the old Kenner Yak Face is just a toy anybody can easily get for a fair price. Back in the 1980s, this figure was legendary for having most likely not been sold on US soil. A tri-logo Return of the Jedi version was sold in Europe. A Power of the Force carded version with a coin (with French and English on the packaging) was sold in Canada. I have heard some people say they saw Yak Faces in Kay-Bee stores in the Pacific Northwest as they were being closed out, but I don't know if this was substantiated or not - point is, if you were an American fan you probably didn't have one of these in the 1980s. I got mine in 1990. Kenner (and much later Hasbro) would go on to make new versions, with an orange coat version from Kenner in 1997 and a super-articulated version from Hasbro came out in 2019 (and reissued in 2023.) They're all very good and slightly different, but none of them were the (fake) real deal.

Before I continue, I should point out that "customizers" (bootleggers) have also made reproduction Yak Face figures. I don't have any of those, so I can't speak to how they're unique. But I can tell you that if you never got an original, $72.99 for Yak Face and five other figures is a deal. I hope Hasbro does more sets just like this, with one ultra-rare figure mixed in with other reissues, for an average of $12.17 per figure. (Confidential to Hasbro: if you can sell these figures at more places than Shop Disney, they will sell. Shop Disney is not the preferred destination of Generation X and Elder Millennial Star Wars fanatics who would buy Kenner toys for themselves.)

His accessory is a staff that has a little give to it and feels incredibly close to a vintage sample. Tri-Logo Yak Face figures usually had no weapon, although I have seen a few packaged with a Tusken's Gaffi stick. Coin carded Power of the Force ones came with this staff - except it was slightly shorter, and darker in color. The 2023 one is a lighter gray, so it'll be easy to tell a fake one from a real one if they're both in the same room.

As to the figure, it's incredibly close to replicating the original. I would say the new one is close enough for those who don't have the budget for the real deal. Putting them side-by-side, I immediately noticed the 2023 figure has blue sleeves and pants that are darker and more saturated than the original. The figure's painted skin is almost identical to the original, but the molded plastic head is slightly paler. The hair around the neck is a little different, as are the boots - but they're close. The skin of the 1985 figure head is a little glossier and slightly more opaque, arguably making it a barely superior option if money is no object.

The sculpts are a little botoxed in 2023, but not entirely. The neck hair is a little washed out, but the bumps on the hands are seemingly just as good - if not better - than the original figure. The wrinkles on the outfit are virtually the same, just a little more rounded, and the head's many bumps, wrinkles, and hair show slight signs of generation loss. It looks like they made a copy off an original figure, but for all I know it was a not-as-good-as-it-could-be digital scan. I know which one is which in front of me thanks to thinks like copyright and a couple of paint dings, but I'm quite impressed how similar they look. If anything, the richer blue on the 2023 version almost makes me think that should be the original.

The other figures in this set are all good, but let's be honest - you could have bought Wicket, a Gamorrean Guard, an Emperor's Royal Guard, or Admiral Ackbar by now if you really wanted one. They were cheap for years. It is very unlikely that Yak Face has ever been anything close to "affordable" for American collectors, even adjusting for inflation this 2023 set is cheaper than buying all six carded around 1990. While it's not a perfect recreation, it's the best alien in the entire set - it's so close and there's nothing like the Gamorrean's eyes or Wicket's nose that stands out as being "off." I hope all the teens and young adults who couldn't afford a Yak Face at secondary market prices in the 1990s find out this one exists so they can get it. This is a big dang deal, and Hasbro has a few more they could make to really ignite the old fans again like double-telescoping lightsaber Luke, Darth Vader, or Obi-Wan, a vinyl cape Jawa (although Stan Solo has cheap ones now), the blue Sears Snaggletooth, or Vlix. Just throwing that last one out there.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse, who seem to have sold out days after shipping. Check ShopDisney for availability but they also seem to be out.

Extended ramblings: It's my hope this line continues until Hasbro remakes the entire original Kenner line. All of it. I really appreciate having low-cost close-enough versions of these figures I can just pick up and play with, without the concern of "this is worth a lot of money and is old and rare." I've never know Yak Face to be anything other than a holy grail figure - everybody else, I got for $25 or less. In most cases, $10 or less. A lot less. I've been enjoying just picking up a "rare figure" and putting him in random vehicles and having him in my pocket, changing the context of this particular action figure from "holy grail" to "something new that might actually wind up on clearance some day." If I could, I'd buy literally every Kenner action figure, vehicles, and playset in this style just to experience them again as worthless toys. As a kid I got to play with about 40ish figures just after the line just ended and it was flea markets or bust. Getting to hold a "rare figure" like it's worthless is quite a joyful moment. Anyone that wants it can just get it. It would be wonderful to see Hasbro continue with Stormtrooper Luke, Amanaman, EV-9D9, and so on. The originals can still be valuable pieces of desirable toy history, but having more easily available reproduction 1970s and 1980s figures that people can just play with in the sandbox and beat up again - maybe even with their kids or grandkids - would be truly priceless.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,114: March 7, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,113: Princess Kneesaa (Ewoks Cartoon, The Vintage Collection)

PRINCESS KNEESAA Cartoon Version
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Fan Channel 2-Pack
Item No.: No. F8300
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #283
Includes: Bola, bag, hood, coin
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $36.99
Availability: October 2023
Appearances: Ewoks

Bio: Clever and courageous, Kneesaa embarks on adventures with her EWOK friends on Endor's forest moon. (Taken from the 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: Some of you are going "Wow, it's the first-ever Princess Kneesaa figure!" but it's worth noting Kenner made a few in its preschool line in the 1980s, plus this exact figure was sold as Kneesaa [FOTD #1,868] way back in 2012. But there was a twist - while this figure was in a 2-pack for $37, the original release was in a 5-pack with tons of accessories and newly tooled parts for the wallet-stomping price of *checks notes* $40. Call it inflation or just a bigger reach for wallet share, but this is basically the exact same figure - minus a "movie hood" - but adding a coin and a bag for more than twice the price. Hasbro sold figures with coins for $6.99 in 2007, so while inflation is real, this is another one of those things where fans have to ask if it's worth the price to buy it again. As that set sells for $150-$200 in the box, this is probably going to be your cheaper alternative assuming you don't want the other furballs.

Through gritted teeth, I recommend this to a certain kind of 80s kid who loves Saturday morning cartoons. Hasbro did a decent job painting an existing movie-style figure with cartoon-style deco, even if it means a higher price with far fewer paint ops, accessories, and figures from her previous release.

Kneesaa is essentially Wicket with a new head and a pink hood. This release keeps the same joints and body parts, but drops the dirty fur paint in favor of a cleaner (cheaper) deco and new added dark fur around the eyes. This brings her closer to her cartoon appearance. Hasbro doesn't bother to paint the stitch deco on the hood either, rather just giving us a weird blue line over the top of her head. The blue feathers are still painted, but the plastic is nice and pliable and it feels great. Hasbro also included a reuse of Wicket's bag, which was not originally sold with Kneesaa in 2012.

 She also has some ropes with rocks on them which she can wear. It's not a weapon per se, but it is a carry-over from the aforementioned gift set. I think this version of her does a good job replicating her cartoony fur colors, but it comes with a lot of cost-cutting. As far as I can tell the set sold out cleanly, but I sometimes see them at GameStop stores for roughly retail price. I hesitate to say it's worth $37 because compared to other Hasbro Star Wars product, you're not getting your money's worth. But if you want these characters, there aren't a lot of options on the market and the original releases of these figures will cost you more money. It's a far cry from 2 Ewoks and a Freeze Frame Action Slide for $5.99 in 1998, but it would seem the younger fan (or "child") market is no longer the goal here.

The one thing that may throw the whole price calculous out the window is old-school Kenner coin fans. For an all-new coin, right now, given there may never be another one, this is a hard proposition to poo-poo. I think collectors will probably be fine with this set for the price thanks to the brand-new Kneesaa coin. Since Kenner's original Kneesaa concept never got far enough along to get a prototype coin, we've never seen one of these before. The coin's artwork looked very familiar, and Hasbro, if you're reading - I'll even pay $20 for Kneesaa's coin again if you pack her with that Kenner-style prototype figure, finally produced for the mass market. For some fans money is no object, but it depends on the specific product - if you really like a format or want to add a specific piece to your collection, the one Ewok thing being sold to you from the cartoon series in decades (other than apparel) may be a "shut up and take my money" proposition for you. I had no problem throwing down a couple of Jacksons to get this set, but also, I assume that it is extremely unlikely we'll ever get more 1985 Ewoks or Droids toys before the 40th anniversary in 2025. And if not then, probably not before we die.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,113: March 5, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,110: R4-Series Astromech Droid Black with Silver

R4-SERIES ASTROMECH DROID Black Dome with Red and Silver Markings looks like R4-I9
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: Head, 2 legs, torso, central third leg, optional hat
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $12.99
Availability: Fall 2015
Appearances: n/a

Bio: These figures do not have specific packaging or configurations. As such, we will be treating each dome as a unique "figure" as that part is the most plentiful. There were 25 domes in the 2012 series and 25 domes in the 2015 batch so far. While Hasbro had said they didn't design the first batch, they included Hasbro copyrights. This batch does not - markings read "© DISNEY" and "© LFL" as well as "China" on each leg. (Taken from the packaging)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I've had this R4-Series Astromech Droid with black dome and silver markings for so long... I forgot what wave it was from. I have a pegboard of unopened figures to review and I've been alternating between Vintage, Black Series, Disney Droid Factory, and Retro figures - and I noticed this on the back of a peg, covered in dust, hanging there for almost nine years. Hasbro has released so many action figures that I've been reviewing anywhere from 2 to 5 per week for almost 18 years, and if they stopped making new ones tomorrow I could probably fill this site for a few more years. It stands as a testament to just how much longevity this line has, but also, how overwhelming it is. It's arguably inaccessible to new fans now, with figures like the "parts bin droids" requiring you to have been at a certain place at a certain time to be aware they existed so you can reference the few online guides to parts. They don't have specific names or official configurations either. If you want this exact droid, you cobbled it together through little parts bins at a theme park. You may not be able to find it on eBay as you see it here, and you may have to buy multiple figures to put it together.

Each one was made of as many parts as you decided to cobble together - a dome, two legs, a middle foot, a body, and an optional hat. They were $12.99, which wasn't cheap by the standards of the day when you could get a Hasbro figure for about (or under) ten bucks. Today, you can't get much of anything for under $17. It's less of a collectible than it is a souvenir to delight children with a custom-made memory of their visit to a magical place... while vexing adults who want a complete set without even knowing what the complete set truly was.

This particular R4 dome looks a lot like R4-I9 [FOTD #996] from 2003, which appeared as the only genuinely new figure in a Toys R Us exclusive gift set. Disney keeps the silver trapezoid outlines on the black dome and the silver band around the base, making it look fundamentally identical - but it's not. This is a different mold, with different proportions and a hole in the top so he can wear a hat. You probably won't be able to tell that from the photos, though. The Hasbro R4-I9 had a body with silver panels. Disney did not offer that color of part in its bins - the black body there had orange panels with some silver accoutrements, so you couldn't replicate the other droid at the time. Instead, you get something new with bright silver on the outer parts of his feet and lots of colorful dots on the cord-free legs which results in a distinctive figure for which there is no backstory. You make the story here.

Back when the parts bins first came out, I had a collecting crisis when I was faced with a lack of legs - which Disney later "fixed" by having a leg serve as both right and left, dropping critical parts from them. It's efficient, but also a bit sad... and over 100 Disney droids later, I may be droided out. It could be old age - I've been writing about Star Wars toys online since 1995 - but I can't muster a lot of enthusiasm about this one now. It's a good figure. The paint is clean, the design is good, and the parts I got all go together nicely with a bonus silly top hat. If you can get this figure, it is a treat, it feels like a nice product and has aged incredibly well with no squeaky parts or other unpleasantness from the passing of time. The only thing going against it is that there are so many figures - no new fan is going to be able to collect them all, or even know what they missed as there's no complete, definitive guide to everything. With few playsets or vehicles, droids like this serve less of a function beyond "collectible." A couple of very similar builds on eBay go for about $25-$30, with others seemingly declining in price - perhaps due to the obscurity of the line and lack of names. If you missed out on bin droids, I suggest you go to eBay now and start browsing. Given inflation, being able to purchase these well-made figures for $20-$30 may be an exciting prospect for those who missed them over the past decade and change.

Collector's Notes: I got mine in 2015 and I am actually not sure how long these parts were made in the bins. I got this from my pal Shannon who was cool enough to get me a set from Disneyland.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,110: February 22, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,081: Wicket W. Warrick (Ewoks Cartoon, The Vintage Collection)

WICKET W. WARRICK cartoon version
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Fan Channel 2-Pack
Item No.: No. F8300
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #283
Includes: Spear, bag, hood, coin
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $36.99
Availability: October 2023
Appearances: Ewoks

Bio: Wicket's friendly, adventurous, and mischievous nature makes him a leader among the other young EWOKS. (Taken from the 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: There are a lot of things Hasbro makes where I don't know who the audience is going to be, but I do know that this Ewoks cartoon Wicket W. Warrick was made for me. If you were a kid in the 1980s, you may have watched these shows on Saturday mornings for a couple of years, and then saw them at Kay-Bee for a buck. What's interesting about Wicket is that he's a remake of a character from 1985, while Kneesaa never actually came out until now. (There's still hope!) Back in the early 1990s and late 1980s, nobody wanted those figures - I got them super cheap and their relative scarcity was in large part because nobody cared to sell them. As such, if you didn't have the then newly-sculpted cartoon-specific Ewoks, you can get these now.

This figure takes the 2010 The Vintage Collection movie mold - which also had a movie hood, and was only $10 - and adds the requisite collector tax mark-up, giving you a reissue of the coin (freebies in the $6.99 line in 2017) instead of a hood at what is basically a 85% mark-up. If you just had the orange hood, rather than the green hood, I'd probably say no - but since they gave you the season two hood first, this is interesting. On the actual cartoon, it was an orangey brown. On the old licensed merchandise and package art, Wicket's hood was usually a dirty yellow. The bright orange of the final figure is a rung below neon, and seems much more saturated and bright than the relatively muted product photography. The mold isn't new, but it's good - Hasbro is excellent at making the most of its existing tooling library, and gives you a handy pouch for sunberries on the side. This accessory is why I pre-ordered the figure, but I'd be lying if I said it turned out like I expected. The cartoon one was brown, while Kenner's preschool Wicket was that yellow color. As such, this is different enough where Hasbro has wiggle room to make another couple of cartoon Wicket figures if they really wanted to do so.

The spear is fine, and he can hold it with both hands since they did a good job designing him. Having said that, you won't feel you got your money's worth with swivel ankles, jointed hips and shoulders and ankles, and a jointed neck that won't move much. Combined, the two-pack has about as many parts as a modern full-size figure (give or take) so I'm sure Hasbro is making a good return on this mold investment - and it's a nice figure. The eyes are painted to be sort of like the movie while also being vaguely like the cartoon. The fur patterns are much cleaner than the movie version, and I actually kind of prefer it. You can move the legs so he can be posed standing without falling over quite nicely.

This figure is very much for a specific kind of fan. I'm sure completists will grouse, and even though this is something I very much want I do feel a little stung over the price tag. I assume we'll never see another Ewoks cartoon figure, but I like it enough to say that old Kenner kids might want to look into getting it. It's also worth noting the bonus coin feels a lot like the original, minus a sharper sculpt that seems a smidgen off from the real deal while paradoxically looking almost identical save for revised copyright markings. I bet it could pass for a genuine original if a fan wasn't intimately familiar with the years being stamped on the Kenner versions. Recommended if you like this sort of thing, and don't mind spending the equivalent of $18.50 for a repaint of a figure you may own already given the obscure nature of this release.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,081: November 14, 2023