Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,362: Zeb Orrelios (New Republic Pilot, The Vintage Collection)

ZEB ORRELIOS (New Republic Pilot)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Deluxe Action Figure
Item No.: No. G2766
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #400
Includes: Bo-rifle (pole mode), Bo-rifle (blaster mode)
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $27.99
Availability: July 2026
Appearances: The Mandalorian and Grogu

Bio: The Mandalorian and his young apprentice Grogu embark on a thrilling adventure as they travel the galaxy. (Taken from the figure's cardback. At some point I hope Hasbro realizes the space for bios that say nothing may be better used for other purposes.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: "Is it worth it?" is a question I should probably stop addressing, because on the whole the answer is "not really." Is Zeb Orrelios (New Republic Pilot) good? Yes. Does he have a great sculpt and good articulation? Absolutely. Does he have as much stuff in the box as previous Zeb figures at a lower price, including 6-inch scale ones? No.

Hasbro's engineering is, without a doubt, excellent. I assume at this point they get some sort of digital model from Disney consumer products and turn it over to a vendor to slice up the design, insert some joints, and budget out what paint and accessories you get. There's really little reason for anything to look any less than "very good," especially at current inflated price increases, so you'll be glad to know that the elbows have an exceptional range of movement so he can touch his own face. Or double-grip the bo-rifle, which is not a euphemism. The joints on this Zeb are all very similar to the previous cartoony models from The Vintage Collection with slightly more subtle settings and generally improved ranges of motion. Functionally, we're better off with one of the best mid-torso joints ever hidden by his flight vest. I assume Hasbro had more time to design these guys, given how far in advance this movie was shot and mostly completed.

Historically, some of the all-digital characters were a little off-model for their first action figures from the films. Boss Nass was weird. Jar Jar's personality was wrong. Several of the first Geonosians were based on their nude alien maquettes rather than the digital armored model in the movies. Zeb avoids those indignities with a blue flight suit and a white flight vest that seems like it could have been a leftover asset from the sequel trilogy. He has a Rebel/Resistance symbol on his chest, plus very subtle upside-down Aurebesh text reading "PULL TO INFLATE." Sensible! The quilted white vest feels much softer in texture and detail than many other figures, lacking the exaggerated cuts we got in the old days. It's probably truer to the reality of being a 1:18 scale replica of a digital model, but those who know things realize a lot of action figures have oversized heads or other exaggerated details to bring out memorable features. For being a digital purple giant cat man, it's odd to say "it's more realistic" but it's certainly truer to the films.

His face is incredible. The eyes are shiny, the lips are painted and parted slightly, and depending on the lighting you might see his teeth peek out from behind a smirk. He has his beard and other hair, with hints of furry arms and painted toenails. His fingers and toes are pinker - a bit exaggerated, and that's good - and all of the textures seem a little less shaggy than his Rebels figures from this collection. He feels more alive and colorful, with gear that's a little less impressive. You get two bo-rifles, and each one has two paint applications - the grips, and little rings. It's not as impressive as the wraps in the TV-specific ones, which had energy bits that this figure also lacks. I'm sure there's some accounting reason (tariffs, oil, Q3 EBITDA) that are why they left out the extra goods but this doesn't feel like a particularly "deluxe" release. It's good - but there used to be something more to a figure, like hands and extra gear, that warranted the price. Being tall isn't "deluxe" if we get Chewbacca or a Dark Trooper as a basic figure.

Price aside, this is a good figure. If it existed for $19.99, you'd go "Oh, this has the same articulation as a regular guy and looks like a happy guy." If he goes on sale, I'd strongly recommend it.  At $28 he's not terrible, just not impressive or visibly worth the $8 mark-up. As the first live-action Zeb, Hasbro nailed it. This is good, because I don't have it in me to pay another $28 for version 2.0.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth

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--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,362: July 14, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,348: Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios (HasLab, The Vintage Collection)

GARAZEB "ZEB" ORRELIOS (The Ghost Pack-In Figure)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Pack-In Figure
Item No.: No. G0040
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: HAS 006
Includes: The Ghost ship, expanded bo-rifle, compressed bo-rifle, 2 energy effects, 3 additional figures
Action Feature: Store staff on back, plug energy blasts on staff
Retail: $499.99
Availability: December 2024
Appearances: Star Wars: Rebels

Bio: During the time of the Empire, the Ghost served as a mobile base for General Hera Syndulla's small band of rebels working to aid the people of Lothal and other planets in need. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: While I opened The Ghost immediately, I dragged my feet opening the pack-in figures. I wanted to see if we'd get retail versions, and I guess technically we did. This version of Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios was based on his end-of-the-show costume from Star Wars: Rebels, making it a desirable addition to a collection of toys from a pretty good show with a pretty good toy line. I dare say Rebels was one of the two best toy line-ups since Disney took over, the other being Solo: A Star Wars Story for its pretty decent vehicle selection which mixed "amazing" (TIE Fighter, Han Solo's Landspeeder, AD-DT Walker) with "trash" (Kesssel Run Millennium Falcon, don't argue, I'm right.) If you liked The Clone Wars you have hundreds of great LEGO sets and Hasbro figures to buy. If you loved Rebels, it's a smaller collection - but pretty rewarding. The 6-inch figures? Good. The kiddo cartoon line? Wonderful sculpts, plus some of Hasbro's best vehicles since the line returned in the 1990s. Even The Vintage Collection delivers the goods, just not a lot of them. These guys were handled with care - even a retool like Zeb.

And with The Mandalorian and Grogu opening over the weekend, why not look at Zeb? I'm writing this before I see the movie, so if he does anything weird I am currently unaware of it.

As a figure that shares parts with a season 1-specific version [FOTD #3,161], this Zeb is still a solid figure with nearly identical accessories which, by modern standards, make it seem preposterous that the first release was sold as a "deluxe." You get bo-rifles in extended and packed-in modes, plus desaturated pink energy nodules. If you mixed them up in your personal collection, you might not easily be able to tell the difference - they were good before, and they're good here.

The figure itself has an all-new head, no shoulder armor, a new belt, and new neck armor. It looks different, the colors are a little different, but it's functionally the same figure. That is to say, Hasbro did a good job with articulation and wisely said "don't change it!" The legs swing forward nicely, the knees bend cleanly, the ankles rock, the wrists bend and swivel, and there's a rocking waist pivot joint too. With thigh swivels, knee joints, and elbow joints, plus the obligatory neck joint, I have no reason to make one complaint about articulation. He stands, he sits, he crouches, he's pretty much perfectly engineered and one of those figures you could hand someone as an example of Hasbro doing what they do well. I'm sure you can thank Lucasfilm too - with no skirt, no coat, and no unsightly dangling fabric, everything just works.

But how does he look? Great. Hasbro did a nice job here. Unlike the previous release, there's no "cartoon" version of this costume as an action figure. This is it. He has the red stripes on his shoulders, the yellow lights on his belt, the revised communicator colors on his wrist, and even that blue circle with a white triangle in it. He even has what seems to be Sabine Wren artwork in the form of the Big Bingo from earlier in the series - a nice detail, to be sure. The colors are all in line with how the cartoon model looked, but maybe not the brightness or contrast. The purple fur all seems darker, so the stripes are harder to see. However, this seems to make the smirking, sneering face look better. His smile really pops and his eyes are posed perfectly so he can elbow Ezra and needle him in your dioramas. It's a little bit of personality, but it goes a long way and makes this figure way more fun than his peers. It's rare that a modern The Vintage Collection figure has real personality - photorealism, yes, but not personality - and it really was a good choice here. It's kind of a shame they locked him behind a crowdfund, because I believe fans would clear this guy off the pegs if they ever put him out in an assortment in stores. At a reasonable price.

 While those colors aren't perfect, I'm always going to give Hasbro more of a benefit to the doubt when making realistic figures out of a stylized design, or a retro figure off of any design. So maybe his shoulder paint isn't as bright as the cardback art - that's fine. It still looks cool, and the figure has plenty of detail and articulation. The only thing missing is a "Rebel" version of Kallus with the nicer hair and jacket from the end of the show, and maybe Hasbro will get to that someday. It's been a slow clip of new releases from Rebels, but at least when we look back at the run it's mostly very good. Get this one if you see him at a fair price, and if you don't, ask Hasbro to reissue him. I'll support you.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse. The set hasn't really held its value over time, which may be good news for you - you might be able to pick up the vehicle and all the figures for $100 or so more than I paid for mine as a pre-sale. And others may be willing to sell just the figures, or just the ship, if they're so inclined.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,348: May 26, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,161: Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios (The Vintage Collection)

GARAZEB "ZEB" ORRELIOS Vintage Debut, Sort Of
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Deluxe
Item No.: No. F9257
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: Expanded bo-rifle, compressed bo-rifle, 2 energy effects
Retail: $24.99
Availability: July 2024
Appearances: Star Wars: Rebels

Bio: Garazeb Orrelios, commonly known as Zeb, was a male Lasat rebel who manned the starship, the Ghost. Prior to joining the Spectres rebel cell, Orrelios was a Captain of the Lasan Honor Guard and was trained to fight with a bo-rifle. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

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 kind of groused at a $25 deluxe Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios coming, but it's good so now I un-grouse. I think the 6-inch "realistic" Zeb is actually a little bit better, with superior brighter colors and a face with more personality, but this is also pretty good. The one in the HasLab The Ghost should have a better face, but a different costume - so you'll probably want both. Hasbro has been doing this sort of thing with most of its deluxe boxed figures, so not only are you getting charged more - you're getting charged more twice. This hasn't yet happened with Jango Fett but I assume it's coming. So should you get this one?

I think so - this is a figure I'd strongly recommend to non-fans of Rebels who are fans of 1980s-style toys. He looks like a toy that may have existed from the late 1970s or early 1980s, and he's engineered well. He's loaded with articulation and his legs swing forward fully. There's no "well it barely sits," he actually sits very nicely. The arm joints are all good, the hands are huge, and the belt covers the waist joint. He can even mount either of his staffs on his back, but it's a little tricky to get things in just-so. It works, though.

While I would have liked a snarkier head or lighter purple fur on his face and legs, it's certainly good enough for me to say "give this one a look." Everything goes together pretty well, even if the character seems far more serious than he was on the series. The eyes are a little less lively than other figures, and the creature on his left shoulder armor is more subdued than I would like too - it's usually lighter and much more visible. But it's there, and it's not an eyesore. I assume it was a stylistic choice, but I should note it does appear significantly brighter on the figure's box. The yellorange looks great, though, and this is one of the most colorful figures we've had in a while. I really love it when we get something that has a color scheme that isn't "1970s earthtones living room" or "Z Gallarie Coke Den ca. 1988."

I find a lot of super-articulated figures to be annoying because you have to fight them. I don't want to spend a lot of time balancing it, or getting the joints coaxed into a position that allows them to not fall over. This one simply works, and he's easy to play with or pose without flopping over because the joint starts to slowly pose back to how it was in the box. Hasbro did a good job here, and if all figures were this good they could probably convince me that a $19.99 price on basics could be a good move. (This, of course, assumes better gear and fewer repaints/resculpts.) If you're going to make it good, I can't argue that the higher price seems to have resulted in a product with higher quality - but an alternate head would have made this a much easier recommendation. This is the perfect figure to hang out with your Fisher-Price Adventure People, so if that means anything to you, go ahead and order one of these at any of the many sponsored links on this page.

This is not the first 3 3/4-inch Zeb - one was made for the cartoon Rebels line that got rereleased in The Force Awakens trade dress as a set with Chopper. I'm also very keen on those figures, but this one has more sculpted fur detail, tons more articulation, and given secondary market prices may be the better overall buy in today's market. But if you're happy with Zeb Classic, I'd still recommend giving this figure a look because he really is a good example of Hasbro putting in the extra work to make fans happy (or happy-adjacent) to fork over a few more bucks.

Collector's Notes: There's a variant! The head deco has two versions - mine is supposedly the fixed release, and matches the packagings. The lines on the head are wider and not tapered at the ends on some figures. I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,161: August 8, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,728: Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios (The Black Series 6-Inch)

GARAZEB "ZEB" ORRELIOS 6-Inch Debut
The Black Series   2020 Line Look Purple Star Wars Rebels Packaging - Deluxe Figure
Item No.: No. E5213
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #01 - Star Wars Rebels
Includes: 2 blast effects, Lasat Honor Guard Bo-rifle
Action Feature: B-rifle telescopes and can be mounted on figure's back
Retail: $29.99
Availability: July 2020
Appearances: Star Wars Rebels

Bio: Meet the muscle of the Ghost team. Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios was a cunning Lasat Honor Guard who adopted the cause of rebellion against the Empire.   (Taken from Hasbro marketing materials.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: I was immediately taken by how good Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios is - but also taken aback by the fact he costs $10 more than Chewbacca, K-2SO, and other larger characters.  There may be an extra part in the body with extra ankle peices, and sure the weapon is more complex - but $10 more complex?  Maybe.   I'll also say that it's a big, satisfying, and generally good figure whose joints move smoothly to the extent that it's $10 better than most Hasbro offerings.

Zeb's about the right size, a head taller than Boba Fett and eye-to-eye with my movie Iron Man figure.  He's taller than the rest of the Ghost crew, and his "realistic" face printing is always a little unsettling, as it is on other aliens.   The printed-on face has a lot more detail than the animated model, but the same can be said of his skin - the stripes look as good as if not better than what we saw on the TV show.  His colors and proportions are about the same, but some places - like the belt buckle - look colored a bit differently.   As a "realistic" figure, Zeb stands out as an oddity given his bright colors and decidedly less bland costuming.   The green and yellow costume looks like something out of Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers, but that's also exciting from the perspective of a collector.  I mean, I've got tan figures, grey figures, black figures, and white figures.... yellow and green and purple?  That's a rarity in Star Wars.

 In terms of size and build Zeb has more in common with Mattel's Masters of the Universe Classics in that he's a big, beefy barbarian build with similar - but I daresay better - articulation.   Hasbro hid the waist joint perfectly, and it's just one of the 31 joints on this figure.  A lot of that are in the ankles, thanks to rocker ankles and another set of rocker leg joints right above it, but you still get the usual great range of motion that Hasbro normally gives you.  It's just better - the elbows are well-hidden and can bend at a deeper angle.  The figure's body looks like a costume, and generally a lot of the best aliens do.  The mouth is closed, unlike the usual teeth-gnashing smiles we get from Zeb, and the eyes are looking around almost thougtfully.  His pointy ears and beard look perfect, and he's got the nifty face flourish on his shoulder armor.

The staff itself is an impressive piece with multiple telescoping parts in addition to two pop-off energy blasts.  It might be one of the most ornate weapons we've ever seen, and I imagine Disney Consumer Products was hoping Rebels to be a bigger hit so they could sell kids a full-size Nerf gun of one.  You have to contort it a bit to have him hold it, and his hands don't love holding it like he did on the show.   Mounting it on the back is far easier, but you don't have to do that either.  By stretching it, shrinking it, or shoving it out of the way, you're granted considerably more options than the usual hold-it-or-holster-it decision we usually get.

Comparing it to the other more expensive deluxe figures, this is one of the better releases.   It doesn't necessarily feel heavier or more expensive, but the joints move more gracefully and it seems like he's ready to be posed in a much more exciting action sequence.  I would've liked a stand - I am concerned about those double-swivel-rocker-ankles holding up to time and gravity.  Aside from that, this could be a new unreasonable standard to which we can hold Hasbro.  They've come a long way in engineering elbow joints, and these are much more subtle with better integration of the pins than other relatively recent releases.  As a shared "fan channel" exclusives you'll want to order it online or from a local comic or toy shop - it won't be offered in big box stores.   If you've been buying the Ghost crew you'll need Zeb - and getting him is going to make you ask if we're going to get Kallus plus important variants of Sabine, Kanan, and Ezra.  I'm guessing no - but I'm glad team Hasbro waited to do him until they could do it this well.   And also after the series ended.  (Rebels took a while to get better.)



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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,728: September 24, 2020

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,111: Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios (Star Wars Rebels Mission Series)

GARAZEB "ZEB" ORRELIOS and Stormtrooper
Star Wars Rebels Mission Series
Item No.: Asst. A5228 No. A8658
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #MS01
Includes: Bo-Rifle, Stormtrooper figure
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: October 2014
Appearances: Star Wars Rebels

Bio: Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios and the crew of the Ghost go on a rescue mission that entangles them with the Galactic Empire's Stormtroopers. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Commentary: If you've been reading this series of articles, you know I'm a big fan of changes in figures that make for better toys - and I find many of the figures with five points of articulation to be charming, durable, and priced right to serve a function as a toy.  Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios falls a little short here.  While this two-pack with a Stormtrooper does bring an adequate bang for the buck, Zeb has shortcomings that weren't present on previous releases like Kanan, Ezra, and the previous Saga Legends/Mission Series figures over the past year and change.

Creating a consistent, solid program of action figures is tough - not impossible, but a challenge.  Star Wars is, at its heart, a figure-and-vehicle line so compatibility between the two is very important.  Unfortunately, Zeb's a big guy and is too wide to fit in the Phantom as pilot or as cargo - unless you cram him in there on his side.  He also won't fit in most of the recent TIE Fighters like we saw in "Fighter Flight."  This is a common problem since 1995, while Kenner's designers made sure the original Millennium Falcon and Chewbacca could play together in 1978, we're not seeing enough of that kind of foresight today.  And as you know from the movies, people get upset when there's a lack of vision.   His legs are a little more wobbly than his peers, and may require some bending to get him to stand upright.

Zeb's 5 joints move freely and taken as a stand-alone collectible, he's fantastic.  He's pretty big, pretty beefy, colorful, and seemingly a fine sibling to the likes of Kez Iban.  As a figure unto itself, it's neat - the green eyes, white shoulder design, black stripes, and yellow body suit all look pretty nice and are quite close to the character design, but close is sometimes not enough.  Kanan and Ezra are pretty simple designs, and Zeb's lack of paint reveals how much budget cutting we're getting here. His eyes are a tad too green and lack the shading around the eye sockets.

Animated Zeb's amazingly expressive mouth is completely lacking in the action figure, so we miss out on those great teeth and big black maw.  It's not wildly inaccurate, but the figure suffers because Hasbro is looking to save a few pennies - which I suppose opens the door to future, higher-dollar Zebs and that's probably what some people would ask for anyway.

His hands easily hold his somewhat awkward weapon - a Bo-Rifle.  It looks like it was designed to be a roleplay weapon, and Hasbro took a few shortcuts to make it at this price point - you'd pretty much have to.   There are articulated elements near the grip on the show, but for the toy they're fused.  One is open, one is closed.  A red laser sight above one of the barrels is the only paint you'll get, as the wrappings are left undecorated along with the rest of the plastic.  It's primitive, but so is the entire package - Zeb feels like a Kenner figure from the very late 1980s or early 1990s, minus the action features.  It's for the best, really. 

This is the best Zeb you can buy, and I believe Hasbro could make it very nice if they decide to repaint it in a gift set or another package down the road.  The sculpt is good, but if Hasbro gave it a more expressive head and a little more deco it'd be very good.  And if they did a version for The Black Series I think a lot of fans would be pretty happy.   Since Zeb has some problems standing and can't fit in vehicles, the figure comes up short for me and I'd like to see another attempt soon.  Given the budgeting on these things it ain't bad, but as this segment's biggest cheerleader I'd be doing you a disservice by saying that this is a fantastic figure.  It's OK - if this is the only Zeb we get, it's acceptable.  For the asking price, this set is certainly worth it.

Collector's Notes: I got this from Entertainment Earth.  This wave is starting to show up at Target, Toys R Us, and reportedly elsewhere.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,111: November 12, 2014