Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,367: Wedge Antilles (The Retro Collection)

WEDGE ANTILLES Kenner Debut
The Retro Collection Target Exclusive 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. G2554
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: DL-44 blaster pistol
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $64.99
Availability: July 2026
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Rediscover the classics with The Star Wars Retro Collection - inspired by the Kenner originals! (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 Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Originality is the art of concealing your source, and something seemed off about Wedge Antilles right away. I don't love this one. It looked familiar - but not like the 1979 X-Wing Luke or the 2020 Snowspeeder Luke [FOTD #2,698]. When I went into my ship room to see how Wedge fit in X-Wings and Y-Wings (just perfectly, even with the bulky helmet) I walked by my 2015 Saga Legends X-Wing Luke [FOTD #2,123], and there it was. Hasbro ripped off their own modern sculpt, rather than ripping off their previous real and faux retro sculpts. It certainly looks as if the sculptor cheated on the assignment for this one.

When I see this figure out of the corner of my eye, it reminds me of 1998 Biggs Darklighter - it's just not a first-gen flavored sculpt but it absolutely is very functional, can use his gear, and fit in old ships perfectly. It is a good toy figure, even if it does not look like a legitimate 1980s toy figure. I think they did a better job capturing the vibes with Snowspeeder Luke. If Wedge's sculpted torso detail was toned down a bit I could buy this 2026 Wedge as something that might have come out around 1984. Having said that, it feels amazing - the legs and arms swing perfectly, and the butt area isn't weirdly squared-off like some retro figures. It isn't a perfect Kenner figure sculpt, but I really do appreciate how it feels in my hands.

Wedge has very short arms, with fingers that more or less stop at the bottom of the torso. The level of vest and chest detail is much higher than any Kenner-era (or previous Retro) pilot figure, with many more vest ribs anything of that era. The torso doesn't really match the limbs stylistically - the level of detail on the boots, pants, arms, and gloves is much lower but generally in line with most of the best of Hasbro's retro modern figures. They're just very short. It's also worth noting that Wedge's helmet fits perfectly on that 2015 Luke - and vice-versa. I wouldn't be at all surprised if this sculptor used the CAD files for Luke as a starting point for Wedge, and just sort of didn't finish refining it.

Wedge retains details Kenner-era pilots lacked. While they did edit out the pockets on his pants, he does have the code tubes and shoulder pockets, same as 2015 Saga Legends Luke. Wedge has the same dube, the same basic straps (pushed up a bit on the legs, but same on the torso), plus the same tube on the lower left of the body. The chest computer has many of the same switches and buttons, just fudged a bit or moved slightly. He even has that often-ignored buckle on the back of his vest, same as 2015 Pilot Luke - the Kenner and Retro ones didn't have that.

Deco is more 1990s and 2000s than 1980s or 1970s. The previous Kenner/Retro pilots had black, not gray, chest computers and straps with white leg straps. The A-Wing and B-Wing pilots eschewed painting the leg straps completely, and if Hasbro's going for a 1980s vibe I wish they did that here too. The head sculpt is good in the "1980s removable helmet pinhead" sense, so no notes there. It was painted well, and sculpted appropriately. Painting the gloves made sense, but all of Hasbro's 1980s Rebel Pilots had bare hands - no gloves. Wedge feels more like a 1990s or 2015 figure, sculpted by someone who was probably on a deadline and painted by someone who didn't look at the previous four Rebel Pilots in this style. I don't think it's asking a lot for someone to look at Google and ask "how did they do this in the olden times?"

Wedge has two sensible accessories. The helmet was painted with an appropriate level of detail, including a yellow visor and some big green stripes on top - this is the right choice. I would have been happy if they cut out the visor, and I find the shape of the helmet odd. X-Wing and Snowspeeder Luke figures had helmets that bent inward toward the neck, while Wedge's flares out. It doesn't match and it looks too big for his head. The blaster is interesting. Cast in Kenner blue, it's a completely new digital sculpt with an appropriate level of detail. The lines on the grip are a little higher, and the cuts on the scope, the barrel, and the greeblies all seem to be a better depth. They're sharper, not as fuzzy or rounded as the scanned-in blasters of previous figures. Having said that, it's a little undercooked. One side of the blaster body is missing detail found in Kenner/Retro blasters, and the grip lines seem unfinished - like they should extend a bit more. I would have liked the area in front of the trigger to be more squared-off like the prop, but that's just a matter of taste really. As a new design, inspired by the old design, it's pretty neat. Nobody's going to be fooled into thinking this is the original.

If this were the first sculpt from the 2019 reboot, I'd grouse "it's a good first attempt, let's see how they do later." Last year's new figures were generally better, although the Rebel Fleet Trooper and Luke grew on me a bit. I'll be curious to see if Wedge does, but as first impressions go I would say a) Hasbro tried too hard, and b) Kenner was not beyond reusing molds when it suited them. In this case I think I would've preferred the Luke body with a new head, or at least this body with the Luke-style of deco.

Packaging Notes: I would say the 2026 packaging is easily the best packaging of The Retro Collection's entire eight year run to date. The front of the cards lack the faux weathering, and now feature a low-tack sticker that you can remove easily and apply to your phone case. I would give the card fronts an A+ in terms of template revisions and execution. Sure, you have the choke warning and yes, now you have the obnoxious 4+ circle for age rating, but that's not going away until they stop making multi-lingual packaging. The back of the packaging is as likely as good as it gets. Over half tof th cardback is hideous, multi-lingual legalese - which I wish they could just leave on the box as the figures are not labeled for individual sale - but you do get a 1979-style 3x2 figure grid showing the wave. That's a plus! I hope they do something similar next year to showcase multiple items. I love an upsell, but if you've bought everything in one set it is a little less useful. Charming, sure.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target. It was on shelf, they did not fulfill my pre-order yet.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,367: July 30, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,270: Luke Skywalker (Rebel Flight Suit, Epic Hero Series)

LUKE SKYWALKER Rebel Flight Suit
Epic World of Action Luke Skywalker's Force Strike X-Wing
Item No.: No. G0768
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Figure, X-Wing, 2 proton torpedoes, 1 blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $29.99
Availability: May 2025 (Target), June 2025 (elsewhere)
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Luke Skywalker, a Force-sensitive human male, was a legendary Jedi Master who fought in the Galactic Civil War during the reign of the Galactic Empire. (Taken from Wookieepedia. 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 Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: If you have any sense of decency, you should buy a Star Wars Epic World of Action Luke Skywalker's Force Strike X-Wing Fighter. For what it costs, and what you get... it's crazy. A Speeder Bike is $20, and $30 gets you a whole X-Wing. The ship itself compares favorably to the POTF2-era X-Wings of 1995-2004, where the first release had electronics and the 2004 encore did not. It's roughly Kenner-sized, very Kenner-colored, but the mechanisms are largely gone. You do have a firing rocket - and a spare - but the wings are now manually s-foiled. It is a toy, but it looks and feels a lot like a Kenner offering. The paint and coloring are great, as is the articulated R2 dome. What's less great are the blue energy blasts in the engines (if you dislike whimsy) and the red blasts on each cannon tip, which as far as I can tell are not easily removed. If Hasbro reissues this with retro-style Kenner figures in 2027 for the 50th anniversary (and they should), I'd like to see them retool the ship to leave off the blasts and nix the energy things. But otherwise, it's great... and as a toy collector, I love it as it is with no changes. I just assume y'all won't want the energy blasts, as some of you are not fans of whimsy and imagination. But for $30, it's so perfect and we haven't had a good, sturdy, 3 3/4-inch-ish X-Wing (for kids) in nearly 21 years. It's worth noting the Epic X-Wing cockpit is big enough to fit a 1978 Chewbacca figure without a hitch.

But wait, we're here to talk about Luke. Interestingly, this may well be the first figure in the Epic line specifically from the Original Trilogy. Vader's configuration indicates he's (probably) from Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the Stormtroopers are up for debate. Everybody else is from a Disney+ streaming series, even Jedi Master Luke. Luke has only appeared in his orange flight suit on-screen in Star Wars or Return of the Jedi, and I assume they're aiming for Star Wars here. It's a shame they didn't put more OT stuff in this line - I think people would like it. I absolutely adore the toy ship, and the figure is very good.

Luke feels very close to a reimagining of the 1979 X-Wing Pilot figure. The key difference is that his visor is down - but the helmet is still very simple, with a few sculpted ridges and painted red Rebel logos on top. he has a chin strap, and a red stripe down the top. There's not much to it, so I can't complain about it. I feel like this was being done at me, sort of "Hey Adam, you want a Kenner head? Here you go." They got it right.

The body is good, but not amazing. The white vest remains as usual, and Hasbro painted the straps on the torso and legs. That's good! The gloves and boots are painted black too - that's great! You can see a couple of cut corners, though, and for the price it makes sense. The back of the figure is completely undecorated. The flight buttons and switches on the chest are all painted grey, to match the cable and some straps. It's admittedly very plain, and consistent with the (lack of) deco on Darth Vader. If you're going to cut a corner, though, that's the one I'd cut. The various silver cylinders on the arm are also unpainted - but Hasbro frequently leaves them undecorated, even on The Vintage Collection. They should paint them there, but here? It's fine.

Articulation is very good, better than any non-The Vintage Collection sculpt of Luke as a pilot. It does come up short in the hips - I'm surprised they restricted movement here. They can't swing forward very much, but can move just enough to fit in the X-Wing. The shoulders, elbows, and knees have bend-and-swivel joints, with no wrists or ankles. It's actually pretty perfect and exceeds what you need to put in the Epic X-Wing. He stands easily and can hold his blaster. But, he towers over non-Epic 3 3/4-inch scale figures, so keep that in mind.

I was curious if he fit in other vehicles. This Luke is too big to fit in the 1999 POTF2-era Y-Wing or the 2019 TVC X-Wing, but can fit in the 1995 POTF2 X-Wing and 1996 POTF2 Snowspeeder with no problems.

This figure (and vehicle) push buttons. This makes me happy. I'm sad that there are practically no examples of Original Trilogy-specificness in this line, because this is so neat. If you have $30, go get one. If you see it on sale for $15 or less, maybe get two. I liked this line's version of the N-1, but I really like Luke and the X-Wing. I would consider suggesting this set to fans of The Retro Collection too. While the clear red and blue parts are a little odd for that era, it is sized to fit Vintage and Retro figures.

Hasbro, if you're reading - I'd love to see Darth Vader's TIE Fighter, a Millennium Falcon, or a Landspeeder in this format. If you're feeling saucy, pretty much anything from the Disney+ era of ships... that aren't bikes or swoops would also be very exciting. For $30 you get your money's worth.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,270: August 26, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,268: Carson Teva (The Vintage Collection)

CARSON TEVA Figure Debut
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F6878 No. G0931
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #363
Includes: Blaster, helmet
Action Feature: Removable helmet
Retail: $16.99
Availability: July 2025
Appearances: The Mandalorian

Bio: Based out of an Adelphi outpost, Carson Teva leads New Republic reconnaissance in the Outer Rim, including patrols over distant worlds like Tatooine in an effort to maintain order. (Taken from the figure's 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: He's one of very few Star Wars characters to have a helmet prop replica before an action figure. A massive hit of new The Vintage Collection just hit last month, and hey it's Carson Teva! Modeled after his season 3 appearance on The Mandalorian (in 2023), the character debuted on the show way back in 2020. There was a time where Lucasfilm gave Hasbro enough of a lead to get a figure on-shelf for a movie's debut, and now? Five years. If we're being generous, his last appearance in this specific version of the costume was in 2023 - that's two years and three months. It usually takes about 18 months to get an item from "we should do this" to market but we have seen a lot of recent evidence that it can be done in about a year.

Accessory interaction is excellent. He's got a big blaster, and it fits in his hand nicely. The helmet fits perfectly over his head. Short of a drink accessory, there's not much else I can ask for. Also I'll be getting a lot of little glasses from Hasbro very soon. No notes on the included accessories.

The head sculpt is very good. We haven't seen Hasbro do a lot of figures with this much variety in facial deco. It's a bald man, with a mostly white beard, and somewhat black hair. His lips are painted and glossy, as are his eyes. I wouldn't say the color fades are perfect, but it's close enough that you immediately know who it is and probably wouldn't realize it was off without holding it up to a photo from the show or Kim's Convenience. Maybe he's just got really good sculptors, or has a good noggin for plastics, but it's amazing to see what Hasbro can do for a face painted on a piece of plastic the size of a peanut.

The costume is also very good. We've had so many orange flight suits that there's not much of a challenge here for Hasbro. The color matches well, the straps are here, and this particular sculpt - when combined with the leather jacket - hide a lot of the joints. He's got a waist pivot under his flight computer and vest, and normally I'm not a fan of those. But, again, you can't even see it - it's perfect. The arm joints are good, with shoulders that are generally hidden and even a tiny patch tampo on the left arm. Elbows and wrists are as good as always. The hip joints are cut nicely, clearly someone made this going "he has to be able to sit in a vehicle cockpit." I tested him in a couple of X-Wings, and sure enough, he fits fine. Thats great!

The jacket is one place you might pick some nits. It's mostly good - the patches are very good for their tiny size. It's worth noting a few characters are missing from the white patch on his chest, and they're - obviously - a little underdetailed. I don't think it's a huge deal. It's definitely close enough, if they reissue him for a movie I'd love to see them find a higher-resolution printer but they're still generally excellent. I wasn't expecting any kind of pad printing on a jacket, and Hasbro did a very good job with the three patches. Given the lack of sculpted detail under the chest patches, I have to assume this jacket piece is planned for reuse on another figure soon.

The good news is that the figure is worth the wait - but it's also an example of the very real problem of fans losing interest/patience by the time things come out. This figure would probably also do well next year as a movie tie-in, but we'll see how big of a role (if any) he has. I recommend getting him for retail price because he's new, he's cool, and the actor Paul Sun-Hyung Lee very much seems to be one of us. When it comes to higher-priced figures I'm always looking for something to complain about, and all I can say here is that he might be hard to find. Hasbro didn't disappoint here, so go get this one if you can find it and like the show.

Future mold reuse predictions: a first-appearance no-jacket Carson Teva would require alternate arms. Jek Porkins could probably also be made from that retooled mold. Given 2027 is just around the corner, I would probably place a bet on the latter being made for the 50th anniversary of Star Wars. I would be very surprised if Hasbro had neither planned, and semi-surprised if one of them weren't packaged with an X-Wing repaint for $130.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,268: August 19, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,251: Human Male Rebel Pilot (Rebel Pilots set, The Vintage Collection)

X-WING PILOT (Human Male)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Shared Exclusive Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. F9395
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 4 Pilot figures with 3 Rebel Blasters like the Troopers and 3 Rebel Blasters like Luke's Pilot blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $54.99
Availability: September 2024
Appearances: ???

Bio: Who imagine I'm not human
And my heart is made of stone
I never had no problems
And my toilet's trimmed with chrome
I'm a man, yes I am (Taken from The Spencer Davis Group.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: The X-Wing Pilots this Human Male! At last, we have a human male Rebel pilot. Unprecedented! The same Luke body returns once more, and this time it's a pretty simple head transplant. The all-new head has painted lips, clear eyes, and some forehead wrinkles that say "why yes, I was old enough to vote for Reagan." I have no idea who this was meant to represent, but each detail is impressive - the eyelids, the ears, the hair, everything looks like Hasbro spent countless hours getting it just right. Or, maybe they scanned it, and it took about an hour. The hair texture is excellent, and it looks like a real person. Probably. Maybe it's like a police sketch made up of various parts of Hasbro's accounting department - we'll probably never know. (That would be a great Q&A with Hasbro. I'll just bring a box of figures and ask "Who is this?")

Hasbro used the best mold available to them at the time, which isn't great in 2025. I've said this before, but one of the things that irks me about collector figures - rather than toy figures - is the amount of fidgeting you have to do just to get him to sit down. The hip joints Hasbro used for figures from the back chunk of the 2010s had a good range of motion, but you had to very carefully rotate the upper thigh and with the straps? It's a slog. It's better than the 1970s-style swivel joints in terms of getting a figure to look cool standing up, but I vastly prefer the modern ball-jointed hips in most circumstances. Granted, I really love the Kenner figures because you could just slide those suckers right into a cockpit with no fidgeting at all.

If you're looking for a figure to fill your shelves, this is it. At this point you've got dozens of pilots and starfighters, but Hasbro hasn't delivered a lot of Rebel bases for these guys to populate. Or New Republic, for that matter - the helmet here seems more in line with the 21st century Ahsoka and The Mandalorian designs. I'd rather "filler" troopers be cheaper, lower-articulated figures - but that's me. It's good for what it is, but I also feel that a lot of the lines are a little less "special" due to the repetition and randos. It's a special treat to get a new Star Wars figure, so when it's an anonymous nobody, sometimes you have to ask "why?" If we ever get a hint as to who this is, it might be a little more special.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,251: June 19, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,205: Hera Syndulla (The Ghost, The Vintage Collection)

HERA SYNDULLA (The Ghost Pack-In Figure)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Pack-In Figure
Item No.: No. G0040
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: HAS 003
Includes: The Ghost ship, meiloorun fruit, blaster, Kalikori, 3 additional figures
Action Feature: n/a
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: Well, you can't get this Hera Syndulla because this live-action version of the cartoon version of the character was packed with a HasLab The Ghost which arrived late December 2024. She, and most of the figures in this set, share some tooling with other figures - I would've been fine with straight repacks (or early releases) to not irritate figure completists who don't want to spend $500 ($600 after tax and shipping) to get a complete set. As of my writing this, it looks like eBay sellers are getting $100-$125 for her, which is more or less normal for The Vintage Collection rarities upon release now. For the fans who bought these sets to part out and flip, I assume they're mostly very happy. Even the ship (sans figures) goes for a pretty penny, but will it last? If history is any indication with Razor Crest, probably not, no.

Hera surprised me by being mostly new with few shared parts. I would've assumed they would have kept the legs, or parts of the body, but no - the only parts that carry over with the Disney+ release are the head and the hands. This means that Mary Elizabeth Winstead's face is painted green and appears on this figure, with a gray (rather than brown) flight cap. I think brown looks better, but this is very good, and the sculpt was already excellent. The eyebrows on my sample seem a little weak, but it's a good "real life" translation of the cartoon character plus or minus the fact that her lekku generally are a little wider apart.

The costume is effectively the cartoon suit from the final episodes of the show - the gray around her collar is a big change, and the shoulder armor is absent. It's pretty close to the outfit she had throughout the series, though, but has the little rank badge on her shoulder, the medal on her left shoulder strap, and the gray straps on her orange flight pants. She even has the silver on her boots, and a working blaster holster! Hasbro nailed the costume's translation to this particular look with no real shortcuts. For fans of Mary Elizabeth Winstead asking "Is it caked?" the answer is "no," the proportions of this figure's body are more aligned with the cartoon. I wouldn't have minded if they made her headphones bigger and gave her different goggles too, but such is the mystery of whatever budgets Hasbro deals with.

As the pilot she can fit in her ships - The Ghost has multiple seats and beds for her to use, and the articulation allows her to make good use of them all. The Phantom is scaled-down to roughly mini-rig (with fancy paint) size, with only one very small seat and a scaled-down Chopper. The ship itself does not impress up-close, and it severely limits which figures can fit inside the cockpit, which sort of ruins its "toy" value. But - Hera can squeeze in there, barely. The Retro Collection Hera will not fit, though, and I think Hasbro would have been better off fudging the ship up a bit or even selling it separately in a better toy size. I'm sure I'll sound whiny saying this, but I paid $500 for this thing, and The Ghost ship is about 2/3 empty bulk, The Phantom is almost comically downsized - which I didn't noticed at SDCC 2023 when I saw it in person - and the figures are more than 50% recycled parts. I expected a little more. Knowing that the Cantina is looking to be a little light (I don't need 100 glasses), I don't know how excited I will be to bang the drum for the next The Vintage Collection crowdfund.

As far as accessories go, it isn't above/beyond most normal figures. You get a meiloorun fruit (you got one with Zeb already), a blaster (same as Ahsoka Hera), and a Kalikori - a bit of Twi'lek family history/folk art/artifact action that, were it left out, you may not miss it. It's a nice extra, though, and I appreciate every last thing Hasbro can put in a set like this to add some semblance of value to a toy, even if that amount is maybe fifty cents. Was it worth buying this set for this figure - indeed, any or all of the figures? Heck no, unless you need a complete set. I assume Hera fans will want them all, and with good cause - this is a nice figure! Fans would appreciate it if Hasbro did a "white box" or photo cardback release later, maybe minus the accessories. At the right price, this is a well-crafted figure that delivers the promise of a real-life version of a cartoon character as a higher-end collectible action figure.

Vehicle Commentary: The entire package is probably not really worth the asking price, but you can see where the money went. The packaging (note below) is overkill, and the ship itself is decorated with loads of painted buttons, switches, screens, and panels inside the ship that older fans will most likely never really see nor appreciate. It's too fancy, yet also downsized, which probably is going to leave some fans with a sour taste in their mouths. Hasbro did a Galactic Heroes version of The Ghost for about $40. I feel as if it might be worth it for fans to consider lobbying Hasbro for more "toy" items because perhaps a $100 The Ghost would've scratched the itch, especially if size compromises are unavoidable. The Barge and the Razor Crest felt like the best possible expressions of those vehicles we could get with no wasted space... and the figures were pretty redundant. This set has figures that are different enough that you'll want them, but the vehicle comes up a little short in many places and overdelivers in others.

After three huge HasLab ships and a number of hefty The Vintage Collection releases, space is now becoming a concern. Hopefully Hasbro's next pick has a smaller footprint. A big tall Death Star that's basically a DETOLF but a playset could be fun. Or The Black Series AT-ST. Or just a really big box of unlikely The Retro Collection figures. What would you pay for a legit Vlix or two packed with the entirety of 1985 (and unproduced 1986) Droids cartoon figures? I can't do another ship that's going to require the purchase of new furniture to enjoy it, though.

Packaging Notes: This may be the most overpacked figure of all time. Hera comes on a standard, unpunched cardback. It's packaged in a big brown box with 4 other figures that measures 31x11.5-inches - which for 4 6x9-inch figures is kinda bonkers. The Retro Collection multipacks just stack them tightly. The Vintage Collection Amazon/Pulse sets sort of stack them with the bubbles visible. That box is packaged with 3 other boxes with ship parts in a graphical The Vintage Collection box, which has corner protectors and is in a brown cardboard box, which has additional corner protectors in a bigger, third cardboard box. And you know what? Despite the two outer boxes being perfect, my inner graphical box has dents on it - so it's a lot of extra cost taken on by Hasbro and the consumer that may not have done us any good. At least the carded figures seem to be perfect, but gosh it's a wasteful use of space.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,205: January 9, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,194: X-Wing Pilot (Human Woman, The Vintage Collection)

X-WING PILOT (Human Female)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Shared Exclusive Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. F9395
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 4 Pilot figures with 3 Rebel Blasters like the Troopers and 3 Rebel Blasters like Luke's Pilot blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $54.99
Availability: September 2024
Appearances: ???

Bio: Yeah, yeah, yeah, she's a lady
Oh, whoa, whoa, she's a lady
Listen to me people she's a lady
Yeah yeah yeah yeah she's a lady
Whoa whoa whoa she's a lady
Talkin' about the little lady
Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa
She's a lady
Yeah yeah yeah she's a lady
Whoa whoa lord, she's a lady.
I can't live without that
She's a lady
Ooh ooh she's a lady. (Taken from Tom Jones.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: The X-Wing Pilots continue with a representative of the Human contingent! I was ready to roll my eyes and grouse about how we're getting an old mold again with a new head of an (as far as I can tell) anonymous extra or Hasbro employee... but she turned out pretty well. Maybe it's the bright lights bringing out her best, maybe it was the pizza I had at dinner, but the figure is fine. Your socks may not be knocked off, but for whatever reason tonight I was impressed, even by the imperfections. The unpainted silver greeblies in her sleeves are sharply sculpted, and even in orange they show Hasbro did some nice work. Molded separately in color, the white vest looks sharp. The panels on her chest look great, the buttons are nicely painted, and the suit is mostly orange with black gloves and boots. The separately molded hoses and straps look far superior to the unpainted, tightly-sculpted ones we got in 1979 and other than the old, outdated hip joints the body is still pretty decent.

Her helmet is the same basic template as the entire set, which borrows a look from the Ahsoka series. Two stripes run down her helmet, one of which is super wide. The colors don't necessarily correspond to a specific show character that I noticed, but perhaps your eyes are more eagle than me at my old and increasingly impatient age. I seem to recall Hasbro saying these are original pilots. There's no weathering or damage deco, but for a made-up figure that's fine. I can add some if I want.

I don't recognize the face, which may prove awkward down the line. I've met a lot of people from various companies involved with these toys and I look at a wonderfully tight hair cut, sharply painted eyes and lips, and excellent eyebrows... and I also hope she isn't reading this and going "dude, we met at the party with the Jenga thing remember?" Hasbro's ability to make a human head seem eerily real yet small enough to shoot out of your nose is incredible, and also, not recommended. But I can say that whoever this is, I hope she's happy with the results because I absolutely believe that this is an actual person somewhere.

Given Hasbro's anxieties about SKUs and tooling budgets, I'm genuinely curious why we got an anonymous pilot in an era where vehicle play isn't really a thing anymore. It's a very nice figure - a magnificent demonstration of Hasbro's capabilities in head sculpting and facial detailing that, at this size, is unbeaten in the business. But given the sprawling franchise, the split focus between "classic" and "new," and a massive lack of support of new entries in the series, it seems like an odd choice. If you can get this set for a fair price I think you'll be pleased and impressed if you're looking to add new Rebel pilots to your collection, and of course to see Hasbro prove that they could make more amazing characters from the original trilogy were they so inclined.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,194: December 3, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,186: X-Wing Pilot (Duros, The Vintage Collection)

X-WING PILOT (Duros)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Shared Exclusive Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. F9395
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 4 Pilot figures with 3 Rebel Blasters like the Troopers and 3 Rebel Blasters like Luke's Pilot blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $54.99
Availability: September 2024
Appearances: ???   

Bio: The Duros were a humanoid species common in the galaxy native to the planet Duro. (Taken from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: The X-Wing Pilots continue with a representative of the Duros! Kenner skipped these guys completely - we got the first one, Ellors Madak, as the very first Fan's Choice figure over 20 years ago. We also had a few others like Cad Bane and Mouse. We haven't yet gotten the rest from the Cantina, despite a new Cantina being just around the corner, it seems like something of an oversight - we saw a pair talking, yet after nearly five decades we have only one. Who will make the other one first - Hasbro, Stan Solo, or The Next 17? For now, all I know is that there is a very good chance that this nameless figure is going to be going into my HasLab Cantina as a stand-in for Baniss Keeg, or for the people who prefer the New Testament names, Chachi De Maal. The figure has the head down, at least, so it'll be a good enough diorama filler.

The body is once again the same old Luke body, with a helmet that looks more or less like any of several helmets - the coloring is kind of like Dak's, the layout is kind of like a typical Ahsoka helmet, but as far as I know it doesn't belong to anyone in particular. The flight suit is the same as we've been getting, but the head and hands? Those are new.

This time around the hands have fingerless gloves - something unusual for pilot figures - with shiny blue fingers poking through. The finish on the glove part of each bend-and-swivel hand is decidedly not as glossy as the glove part on the forearm, so you may see that as disjointed depending on how (or if) you display the figures. If you don't open them, obviously, you will never notice. I wish it was more consistent, but it's good enough. If we lived in a world where we got more vehicles, I'd say you could just put him in an X-Wing and you'd never even notice, but there hasn't been one on-shelf for a while now. Having said that, the blue fingers are more visible than the lack of gloss, so odds are most fans will like this figure just fine. Or if you throw him in the Cantina, he works as a smuggler in a slightly-off disguise. It is also worth noting the new fingers fit in the blaster perfectly.

The head is really good. Hasbro has done so few new aliens from the original three movies - or indeed, any of the movies - for a while, so a noggin like this shows what we're missing. The blue molded plastic alien head looks like a small rubber mask, and that's what we want. The sculpted ridges are all very good, with big red eyes and that familiar dour mouth and gaunt cheeks. It's really great - but Hasbro wasn't content to cast it in blue with red eyes. The various wrinkles and smile lines seem to all have a little extra paint, bringing out the detail. It looks really good to my eyes, giving him a little more life and personality that somehow shines through even in lower-light situations. Hasbro did a great job here.

Hasbro understood the assignment and nailed it. Sure, it wasn't something anybody was asking for, but it turned out well enough and I hope it serves as a reminder to Hasbro/Disney/Lucasfilm that a cool alien figure is worth doing, even if it's from nothing. Imagine how much cooler it would be if we got some more from the Cantina! I know I do. I think this was a good - if odd - choice for production, but if taken for what it is, it's pretty good. It would be nice if the map or code cylinders on the left arm were decorated, but they aren't, and that is something most fans are unlikely to notice as these remain in their boxes.

I'd say this set is worth getting if you've got a burning need for more figures - it's a lot more interesting than "trooper from game" or "another Darth Vader in 2024," but it isn't anything you couldn't have customized yourself 20 years ago. I appreciate the imagination and effort to give fans something new on a limited budget, but also, I'd appreciate something new with a full budget.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,186: November 5, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,180: X-Wing Pilot (Miralan, The Vintage Collection)

X-WING PILOT (Mirialan Female)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Shared Exclusive Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. F9395
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 4 Pilot figures with 3 Rebel Blasters like the Troopers and 3 Rebel Blasters like Luke's Pilot blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $54.99
Availability: September 2024
Appearances: ???   

Bio: Mirialans were a near-human species native to the planet Mirial. They had skin tones ranging from green to yellow or pink to purple. Most had traditional geometric tattoos on their faces which symbolized personal achievements. (Taken from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I am of two minds of these trooper sets. I love getting Stormtroopers or generic guys. The X-Wing Pilots and unmasked figures are a little squirrelly. Hasbro's copy places these figures in Ahsoka, and their helmet designs look similar to ones on the show - but I don't recognize this Mirialan from the show. Given the hubbub about SKU count and the capacity to make new products, it's a little weird to see effort going into a set that's X-Wing Luke's body with four new heads. It's certainly interesting, but not as interesting as getting actual characters from one of the shows, or comics, no matter how obscure. Back in the 1990s and 2000s I was a lot more interested in "let's make up new stuff" because a few thousand figures in, I'm starting to be concerned we'll never get the original Power of the Force Imperial Dignitary Sim Aloo and I'm about 335 days away from assuming a mass release of Vlix is being saved for when my body is in the ground. As a kid I loved the idea of figures with no story and going on fun new adventures. As an adult, I still do - but these are less toys than collectibles, despite the packaging.

All four figures are basically the same, and the savings were passed along to us. The Mirialan is a green-headed lady person on Luke's body with a ponytail. They did a very nice job sculpting the face, which is expressive and has great eyebrows. And eyes. The tattoos are no slouch. Really, they poured a lot of love in the design and it shows. They even painted her lips, which is the kind of thing we didn't get on toys when we were kids, or much at all until more recently. Her hair is a separately molded piece, and it looks amazing. If you got this 20 or 30 years ago, your mind would be blown, although you would probably still be surprised it's on a Luke body.

The Luke body was OK for its time, but today it's not great. I'm a big fan of functionality, and this body had some rotten hips. Old Kenner figures and new "kid" Hasbro figures usually have hips that only swing forward - these are what you want when you have a vehicle pilot. This particular body has a joint that is similar to the shoulder joint, with the peg going up into the abdomen rather than the side. This means you have to do a ton of fidgeting to get her to sit in anything, it's not fast and it's certainly not fun. This kind of articulation is good for dioramas and playsets, but Hasbro doesn't make either for X-Wing pilots and certainly not for post-Return of the Jedi Rebel pilots. For a figure that will just stand around, they're great - but these white boxed figures beg to be opened and enjoyed, there's just not a heck of a lot of good places for them to live other than on your shelf with your thousands of other figures.

Her flight suit does look good, given how much of it is molded in color I assume it's also slightly cheaper to manufacture. Sculpted details are crisp, and painted elements - like the glossy boots and gloves - look excellent.

The figure's deco is as good as can be expected, with an otherwise good sculpt and a nicely painted helmet clearly inspired by the paint on the props on Ahsoka. It fits perfectly, and isn't too snug or too loose - Hasbro should, again, be proud of the engineering of what was done here. She has a good head on her shoulders. If Hasbro had a pilot bar or some similar locale, she'd be right at home. Maybe she'll hang out in the Cantina next year. I feel like a bit of an ingrate for poo-pooing the choice - they did a good job - but as aliens go, "human but green" is about as boring as they come. Unless they're reusing this tooling later for another human figure in one our species' many fine colors, in which case, kudos for planning ahead.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,180: October 15, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,146: Luke Skywalker (RacerVerse)

LUKE SKYWALKER on X-Wing Go-Kart
Hot Wheels Racerverse Basic Car
Item No.: Asst. HKB86 No. HKC07
Manufacturer: Mattel
Number: n/a
Includes: Fake paper orange track
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $5.99
Availability: 2023
Appearances: Star Wars   

Bio: Luke Skywalker, a Force-sensitive human male, was a legendary Jedi Master who fought in the Galactic Civil War during the reign of the Galactic Empire. (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: One of the things as you get older - and it most likely will happen to you - is your favorite franchise expands beyond the scope of what brought you to it in the first place. Since Disney took over we saw a hard shift to non-classic stuff (I'll say original trilogy and prequels are left out a bit usually) so I find something like Luke Skywalker exciting, despite being beyond my focus as a toy collector. A $6 Hot Wheels car that looks sort of like a McDonald's or Burger King toy? And I can race it on a track? Sure, why not? It's a small line, and I was getting bored writing about super-articulated figures.

This toy is a toy. It's not a toy pretending to be a collectible, so far Mattel hasn't put out any $30 collector versions for Star Wars - it's just a basic toy you throw at a kid and collectors will ignore. Exciting. Dropping all pretense, they managed to deliver a toy X-Wing with an action figure at a low price point - sure it's non-removable, but it'd fall out if it were. Luke has a helmet with a translucent visor - but no eyes underneath - and a determined look on his mouth. The helmet is painted roughly as well as any typical Hasbro version at this size, with an orange flight suit and two hands molded to some controls stuck on the vehicle. The exaggerated noggin is not unlike a Bobble Head or any of a number of Happy Meal toys, just big enough to show a little detail and sized similarly to that which you see on a typical 3 3/4-inch action figure. It's not movie-perfect, it's not a real actor's likeness, but it's a good toy head.

This feels like something I would've liked to have as a kid - but it's not quite as good as the Blockade Runner in terms of design. Red 5 is brought as an X-Wing with no X.... and really, no wings. To be able to fly through tracks, Mattel truncated the design to have cannons above the engines - so you get two - with pylons that look sort of like vestigial wings. It's a sensible design, and if it were a Tomy toy from 1982 from Japan I'd have paid a ridiculous amount of money to get myself one. Instead it's $6, with a plastic top and a metal bottom with four rolling wheels. There are yellow and red paint stripes, a black block for a fake cockpit, and nothing too out of the ordinary. It seems like a good recreation for its size class, and while I wish R2-D2 was in some way represented maybe that's coming with something else later. It's a fun little design and it looks like the kind of thing a neighborhood kid might get in a Power Wheels car. It's a fun thing to mess with on my desk.

As a Hot Wheels car, it's pretty good - I've been trying out cars on launchers and tracks lately, and it goes about as well as Leia. (Chewbacca is, surprisingly, the big winner of the three I got so far.) If you put him on your launcher he glides perfectly nicely along the orange track for a bit, but not super duper far. I'm not sure if it's materials, weight, design, or something else - I'm not an engineer. But he rolls merrily along and Mattel does a good job making sure their toys actually function as toys, which is always welcome.

I don't yet know if I'm going to buy the prequels, sequels, or spin-offs - but Mattel, I'm in for a few more original trilogy go-karts. I'd love to see a few more of these - and at the rate Mattel is pumping them out, I already know I can't (and won't) collect everything in all the brands. For those who pick and choose these could be really fun pick-ups, so check the store and grab one if you see something that looks interesting. Even if you just play around with it for a day, it's six bucks, and you don't have to worry about losing accessories or anything. It's just a car.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,146: June 20, 2024