Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,326: Yoda (Jedi Spirits, The Vintage Collection)

YODA (Jedi Spirits)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Hasbro Pulse Exclusive Special Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. G1395
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Three figures, one cane
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $57.99
Availability: November 2025
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: As Luke Skywalker and his friends celebrate the overthrowing of the Galactic Empire, he sees the Force spirits of Anakin Skywalker, Yoda, and Obi-Wan Kenobi looking on. (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: While not the first version of Yoda (Jedi Spirits), it is one of surprisingly few. For fans of 3 3/4-inch figures, we got a holo Yoda in 2005, and of course Force Ghost Yoda [FOTD #3,606] last year, with the very first Spirit of Yoda [FOTD #94] way back in 1998. Each version offers something a little different, but most of them do it with color. This one is similar to some existing Yoda figures you may have bought, now with clear blue hands and feet. The figure has darker skin and a darker brown outfit, plus that metallic blue shimmer that looks so good.

For whatever reason, the robe looks better here than on Anakin or Obi-Wan. You can still see right through it, but depending on the lighting it's a little less visible. He still has his flute and cane, plus the swivel elbows and wrists so he can hold his cane. It follows the template of the other figures in the set, and given Yoda's more recent appearances in The Last Jedi I don't think I like it as much. With Return of the Jedi you were dealing with an earlier level of optical effects, so there's probably some level of ambiguity as to how it was meant to look, and how it looked. Newer Force Ghosts are not really as icy clear blue, and you could probably have just gotten away with an opaque figure splattered in a slight blue metallic tint (like his head, cane, and body got.) The hands and feet are probably a step too far, and I can't say I'm ultimately thrilled with this set as a definitive take on these characters in this style. It's good, but it doesn't quite match what we saw in the movie (or what we thought we saw.)

At $58, this 3-pack came out before the big $19.99 price hike of a single figure last year - so it's rather expensive for what you get. Obi-Wan and Anakin have no accessories (well, an alt head, OK) so there's just not a lot here for the money. Yoda's face printing is very good, and the articulation is below average for 2025. It would be a stretch to say he feels like he's worth $19.33, but I also wonder how collectors perceive the value of this figure without an Ewok village in the first place. The 1998 3-pack had a themed base that was sensible and welcome. We haven't had a playset that really fits with this guy in decades. I doubt we'll ever get an official modular Ewok Village, so this guy's fate is probably to wind up in a shelf of figures lined up shoulder to shoulder (to knee) or to stay in the package. Maybe he'll get to be in some fancy Instagram photos. But more than likely, a regular Yoda figure would do the trick for pretty much all fans. It's a neat idea, but not one that necessarily benefits from the materials and articulation we're being charged more than full price for here. The main reason I'd still recommend this set is because the 1998 versions are yellowing (OK, greening) with age, and - at least for now - this one looks better. Hopefully Hasbro won't use clear plastic for future releases, so they to avoid looking awful as time goes on. It might be silly to think about how a figure may look in 20 or 30 years, but I'm hoping to still be here and enjoying my little plastic men.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse. Hasbro had a Pulse Premium exclusive window on this set for about a month, in which it did not sell out, nor did it sell out in subsequent months. It shipped in November, and it's still in stock.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,326: March 10, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,322: Obi-Wan Kenobi (Jedi Spirits, The Vintage Collection)

OBI-WAN KENOBI (Jedi Spirits)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Hasbro Pulse Exclusive Special Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. G1395
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Three figures, one cane
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $57.99
Availability: November 2025
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: As Luke Skywalker and his friends celebrate the overthrowing of the Galactic Empire, he sees the Force spirits of Anakin Skywalker, Yoda, and Obi-Wan Kenobi looking on. (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: There are some figures where you can't do much better than "meets expectations." Obi-Wan Kenobi (Jedi Spirits) is one of those figures. Whenever you're dealing with a trooper, a holo, or a ghost, getting anything more than a recolor is rare. In this case, Hasbro actually went the extra mile (and then ran back about 1,138 feet) with this one. Hasbro used Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi [FOTD #3,308] as the base for this one, and swapped out some bits. The hands and feet are now clear blue plastic, with a gradient transitioning to fleshy to ghosty in the outfit. The cloth skirt is now plastic - and kind of looks better. (There is no hook for the lightsaber hilt here.) The figure also got rid of the opaque Jedi robe in favor of a leaves-nothing-to-the-imagination blue one.

It's fine. Trying to evoke special effects from 1980 and 1983 as a physical object has been tough. In the 1990s, we got clear blue guys. In 2004, we saw some sparkly guys. This time, Hasbro split the difference and it should delight those who demand articulation above all else. I don't find that helpful here, because other than sitting on a rock once? It's not necessary. This is a figure that could have been rendered as a statue with limited neck and arm articulation, and may have been better for it. The Jedi robes being see-through just doesn't look right, because you couldn't see under his robes in the movie. I assume it is difficult, if not impossible, to come up with the right soft goods to pull this effect off as an action figure. This is why I very reasonably think Hasbro should stop trying, and just do a statue. Add an alternate "seated leg" set if needed, because the jointed ankles, knees, and hips are worthless on a figure with a long plastic skirt. If anything, I find the joints hard to get just-right for standing. Just having no joints would actually work better here, because nobody's going to put this guy in wacky combat poses. And to customizers that want blue Kenobi legs, I'm sorry, all seven of you are not worth catering to.

I really like how Hasbro handled the paint and shine here, because his head looks really good. If Hasbro kept the head and torso's look for the entire figure, with some hints of blue and glitter in the fabric on the robes, I think we'd be better off. Clear blue hands and boots don't really help the figure's overall look, but I guess for those who like vibes? It works. It's fine, but there's still room to try something else.

Nobody needs another upgrade of this guy in the future. This is fine, but I guess we're always asking the question about if there's room for improvement or any way to improve accuracy. Spirit Obi-Wan Kenobi [FOTD #1,317] from 2004 pretty much delivered a perfectly sculpted body and robes, but the 2025 figure is a bit brighter. Neither is the clear winner, but I'd like to encourage Hasbro to start ignoring super-articulation on some figures if it ruins aesthetics if and only if it's a figure that has no need to sit or go in a vehicle. That's a small last, I'm sure, but Spirit Obi-Wan Kenobi really only needs to stand around and look cool... so I bet they could deliver a better, cheaper figure using fewer pieces if they decide to try again. And if they don't? The textures, likeness, and general gimmick here are good enough. They just don't match the movie super well, and soft goods on most 3 3/4-inch figures are challenging to make look good. This one is OK - plastic would work better here..

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse. Hasbro had a Pulse Premium exclusive window on this set for about a month, in which it did not sell out, nor did it sell out in subsequent months. It shipped in November, and it's still in stock.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,322: February 24, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,317: Anakin Skywalker (Jedi Spirits, The Vintage Collection)

ANAKIN SKYWALKER (Jedi Spirits)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Hasbro Pulse Exclusive Special Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. G1395
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Three figures, one cane
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $57.99
Availability: November 2025
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: As Luke Skywalker and his friends celebrate the overthrowing of the Galactic Empire, he sees the Force spirits of Anakin Skywalker, Yoda, and Obi-Wan Kenobi looking on. (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: If there's a short list of figures I never expected to see again, it would be something like this Anakin Skywalker (Jedi Spirit) thanks to its alternate head. If I were Hasbro, I'd have sold one Sebastian Shaw figure, and one Hayden Christensen figure, but not a double-header. The sculpts are excellent. The deco is good. The soft goods are also present.

The body seems to be a mix of new and old parts. I noticed right away that the boots looked like The Journey of Anakin Skywalker's "Darth Vader" [FOTD #3,285], and the legs seem to match as well. They're cast in clear blue. The left hand seems similar to that figure, but I am not able to easily remove it to check. It isn't obvious to me that the arms are shared, and the torso is unique as it has a pull-out chest attached to head. I think that's a brand-new feature with this figure.

The quality of work is, as always, very good. There are a lot of joints and textures sculpted on the figure, and the Sebastian Shaw head's gray hair looks great his distinctive smile. Unfortunately the deco left off the pronounced eyebrows, which really stand out on the original movie scene and the ultra-rare carded figure packaging. It's a good head, it's shiny, and it looks like him - but it could look more like him.

The Hayden Christensen head is really good. The messy hair is just perfect, and a little darker than the aforementioned Darth Vader. It's not the same sculpt either - it's a little more lively. The face looks great with a slight smirk that feels like he's thinking "Thanks, kid" with a perfect scar and eyes. It's really good. I was trying to pop it off to swap with the Vader figure, but it was not easy to do - and I don't want to break it. As such, I'll just say Hasbro could sell me a Revenge of the Sith Anakin with this head for twenty bucks and I'd pay it. Each head has a slightly different robe "plug" that easily fits in a cavity in the figure's chest. I really admire the sculpting work done here.

I don't like the blue robes. While it does evoke a bit of that magical shimmering light that exists only in movie magic, there's one problem: you can see through it. In the movie, you can't. This may have been the only solution Hasbro had with this figure format, but that's the problem: not every figure should be in The Vintage Collection. This figure would benefit greatly from being a "salt shaker figure," because the lower robes hinder all articulation and he's likely to face-plant with his ankles. In the movie, he only looks around and moves his head - Hasbro could've sold us 3 mostly-statues for $45 or $50 and as long as they were clear with robes molded to them you'd hear no complaints from me. I realize this is ridiculous nerdery, but your clothes don't turn partially invisible when you're a ghost. At least, as far as I know, all I've seen is the movies. It's not like vengeful spirits in horror movies are accidentally flashing libidinous teens at summer camp.

I realize the power of The Vintage Collection to move (higher priced) product, but this figure - and this set - would be better off as low-articulation figures. Even at the same price, mini-statues would be a better solution to delivering action figures with some hard-to-represent characteristics. I would also have been fine with a slightly less sheer cloth robe, but let's be honest: I'm a nutty collector. Any collector that insists Ghost Anakin needs bend-and-swivel wrists, or elbows, or knees is nuttier than I am. I would want any Jedi with a lightsaber to have joints for fun poses.

We have had a few Sebastian Shaw figures (1984, 1998, 1999) and all of which have their pros and cons - but this one might be the best overall execution of the concept so far. But I'm not happy with it - I hope Hasbro tries again, and understands that fans will most likely be very accepting of swapping a few joints for a better-looking figure. No kid is going to play with Spirit Anakin, no ship needs him as a pilot. Statue it up, and I'll throw down another $20. But please, keep the alternate heads, and these head sculpts. They're very good. (Plus or minus some eyebrows.)

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse. Hasbro had a Pulse Premium exclusive window on this set for about a month, in which it did not sell out, nor did it sell out in subsequent months.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,317: February 5, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,313 Luke Skywalker (Force Masters / Epic World of Action)

LUKE SKYWALKER Force Masters Pack
Epic World of Action Target Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. G0363 No. G0778
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Green lightsaber, 4 other figures with accessories
Action Feature: n/s
Retail: $34.99
Availability: July 2025
Appearances: Return of the Jedi, or really The Book of Boba Fett

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: It would be hyperbolic to call this Luke Skywalker the worst figure in the line, but it's probably the least interesting in the set. The worst one of all time was a Target exclusive from a multipack - check out Luke Skywalker (Battle at the Sarlacc Pit) [FOTD #1,508] from 2008 if you want to see what really cheaping out looks like.

This figure is a slight tweak of 2024 Epic Hero Series Luke Skywalker [FOTD #3,142]. That was a perfectly good figure for what it was, and for what it cost. The quality of the figure is still quite good for an under-$10 5-jointed toy-style action figure that feels like a modern take on what Kenner might have done. It has one gloved hand and is light on paint, other than the surprisingly good face, belt buckle, hand, and now green lightning. Does the green lightning make sense? No. Did Batman having a neon green Deep Dive suit? Also, no. But sometimes you get a redeco to grab kids and make another sale on your tooling investment, and that's what we get here. The figure itself is fine, but no longer has the Grogu backpack. I think that's a mistake - but probably one that kept the set's price down. Since Grogu has been in and out of circulation with other toys, having the backpack might be handy for any kid who actually go into this line. (As far as I can tell, that sort of thing didn't happen and I blame the line's slow roll and wide focus.)

What makes this figure interesting? Green. The green lightsaber is indeed a Luke/Anakin saber, but it's the wrong hilt. It's a weird error in 2025, as Hasbro has been better about getting it right and/or just using Obi-Wan's hilt because it would be close enough to work in this case. This is the only green "Power the Force" lightsaber with all the crackles and bolts. It looks neat. Luke's wrists also have a very small amount of green lightning on them, which I assume fans will see as out of character (they're right) while the toy nerds will see it as too slight and barely visible to be worth the pennies for paint (they are also right.) I like it because it's a weird flex and an intentional design choice, which we almost never see in Star Wars toys. Once in a while we get to see someone make something up, but that's increasingly rare - style comes from the style guide, which comes from Disney, and is not always exciting.

I wouldn't recommend getting the set just for this figure, but the whole set would be a nice gift for a kid that likes Jedi (and Sith.) Luke and Ahsoka are the least changed in the set, but the lightsaber makes him look distinctive enough that I'm not complaining. That is, not complaining for sale prices. If you're in the future and this set is $50 or $60 you might be complaining, but today it's $35 or less. It's worth it for $35 or less, and I really like this series as a product not focused on the increasingly overblown "premium collector experience." It's a toy, not something trying to impress jaded aging people who are trying to walk the line between recapturing their youth and their jaded sense of fun, with the added bonus that some people still seem a little ashamed to be buying toys. Which I find hillarous, because unless you're a hardcore toy collector all little plastic men are viewed as kiddie fare. $8, $80, $400, it's still a doll to the normies out there so buy whatever makes you happy.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target on sale for $24.49. Presumably it'll be on sale again soon if it's not already.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,313: January 22, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,306: Force Ghost Yoda (Force Masters / Epic World of Action)

FORCE GHOST YODA Force Masters Pack
Epic World of Action Target Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. G0363 No. G0778
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 4 other figures with accessories
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $34.99
Availability: July 2025
Appearances: Return of the Jedi, 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: The centerpiece of this set - he's the guy in the middle! - is Force Ghost Yoda. I'm kind of surprised they didn't go with "hologram" as they're basically the same, but this clear-ish blue figure makes use of the great Epic World of Action Yoda [FOTD #3,231]... but without the gear. Will kids miss it? Probably not - but it would have been nice to have a little ship. Silly, yes, and I assume Lucasfilm shot that down because dead Yoda has no real use for knickknacks.

The whole set has four full figures and bonus accessories for the price of roughly four figures - so you could look at pint-size, gear-free Yoda as a freebie as much as a selling point. There's a The Vintage Collection Ghost Yoda out right now too, but this one has an amazing clear pearly blue color that just dazzles. Hasbro left it mostly unpainted, but they painted the eyes which really gives him a lot of - ha ha - life. I wonder if they experimented with unpainted eyes and realized this was just better. For those of you who have been collecting for the past 58 years, most holographic and spirit figures have no paint or very minimal paint, and rarely are the eyes decorated. This figure makes me think that is a mistake - you really need a focal point. Even most clear indie figures (hi Glyos! Hi Sofubi!) have painted eyes that make it seem like a real figure, rather than just an unpainted test shot.

The rich blue color looks fantastic, but it's not as clear as some other releases. You can see light through the hands and ears, but the level of opacity of the limbs does a good job hiding the various pegs used to put him together. You really don't notice the wrist joint pegs, or the shoulder pivot bits. Everything looks well-integrated, and the darker color does make it look a lot better. The range of movement is excellent for a spirit Yoda. Honestly, this could just be a non-jointed slug figure and you'd be pretty happy. I like that it can pose and be moved around, and the level of detail pops pretty nicely thanks to the sheen on the blue.

Nobody should ever steal a figure, but I'm kind of surprised not to see him missing from the 5-packs in Target. He's awesome. I just don't think people see the set, which isn't always at eye-level, and the packaging doesn't scream out "I'm Star Wars!" either. It's weird to say that Hasbro should make more eye-catching Star Wars-y packaging that might encourage purchases and theft, but that's where we're at. I think the yellow and white looks fine - but even before it hit shelves, absolutely nobody would look at this and say "this is a good design to engage fans, children, or adults." At least the figure is good, and you can toss the box out without any guilt when you open yours.

I'd recommend getting the Epic lines if only because it's a small, cheap collection with a few vehicles and the whole shebang is affordbale. Hasbro dropped the ball with aliens. There's no Han, there's no Leia, nor R2-D2 and C-3PO. But it's pretty good for a smattering of troopers and heavy hitters alongside some weird, fun repaints like Yoda. The very concept of lightning Jedi is silly, but I won't argue that the figures are good. If this Yoda were a weird indie bootleg for $35 I'd probably want it anyway, so the whole boxed set for that price isn't bad. Just keep an eye out for clearances, given we're now after Christmas I assume Target has probably slashed the price. (I wrote this a few weeks ago.)

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 3,306: December 30, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,232: Velken Tezeri (The Vintage Collection)

VELKEN TEZERI Figure Debut
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. F6986
Number: #286
Includes: Blaster, helmet, 3 more carded figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $72.99
Availability: October 2023
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Protected by Skiff Guards, Jabba the Hutt's sail barge bustled with court members, henchmen, and dregs of the galaxy who attempted to curry favor with the grotesque crime lord. (Taken from the figure's set's box.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: The first-ever action figure of Velken Tezeri is here! If Wookieepedia is correct, Larry Holt played both this guy and Taym Dren-Garen in Return of the Jedi, but the heads under the helmets are not identical. Multiple characters in Jabba's employ wore a very similar vest, so maybe we'll see these parts recycled again on other figures down the road.

The upper legs and hands seem shared with Taym Dren-Garen, which despite being a lifelong fan of the film seems like a nonsense phrase. Both humans are part of a 4-pack, and are rarities in that Hasbro has made very, very few new figures to go with Jabba the Hutt in the past 10 years. Actually, they've made very few in the past 15 years but we got a few like Brock Starsher, Vizam, Vedain, and Wooof. I can't really sugarcoat it, because Hasbro (and before them, Kenner) went to town in the '00s bringing us a who's who if aliens like Ephant Mon, J'quille, Tanus Spijek, Hermi Odle, and also Pote Snitkin, Amanaman, EV-9D9, and so on. But not so much the humans... these are things we thought we'd never get as I got a lot of whispers about a lack of motivation to do unmasked humans to which likeness rights may never have been requested. As such, it's a minor miracle Velkan Tezeri has a toy, or a name, because he's an amazing and bizarre choice for the 40th anniversary of a movie. "Stuntman in helmet and puffy vest" is a kind of a toy you can only get in Star Wars and is what makes the whole enterprise just so fantastic. I'm not here to buy 20 Darths Vader in every scale or variation imaginable. I just want every weird new guy that can possibly exist.

Admittedly, he's not a weird figure. Velken has a great beard under his helmet, which has a connected face mask. The silver is great, as are the painted rivets. His eyes are excellent, the hair under the helmet is top-notch. For a figure with recycled parts he's generally stellar with perfectly good pants, a working holster, and a little water bottle on his belt. A wash gives his vest a weathered, dirty look and he has bend-and-swivel wrists.

This is an action figure that exists for action figure collectors. Movie fans probably won't care. Kids don't know who this is. You're only going to want him if you've bought nearly every other alien from the movie, and I have, so Hasbro coming to me and asking $73 for one old figure and three new (newish) ones hurts a tiny bit. I can't say I'm upset though - I want new characters from the original movies, or from any aspect of the 1980s. I don't want another super-articulated version of a character I own, but I'll show up for any adventure Hasbro wants to go on in terms of obscurity. The quality is there, the form fit is good, the sculpting is a good as it's going to get, and I'd recommend this to anyone who has been grousing about a lack of freshness in Star Wars. I can't get excited about trooper builders from a video game, but I had zero problems plonking down a lot of money for a character like this. As far as I'm concerned there's no such thing as "too obscure" and if Hasbro ever made Velken in "Kenner style" I'd buy two more. That's a lie, I'd probably buy three more.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,232: April 15, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,225: Tessek (The Vintage Collection)

TESSEK Squid Head Take Three
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. F6986
Number: #286
Includes: Blaster, cape, 3 more carded figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $72.99
Availability: October 2023
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Protected by Skiff Guards, Jabba the Hutt's sail barge bustled with court members, henchmen, and dregs of the galaxy who attempted to curry favor with the grotesque crime lord. (Taken from the figure's set's box.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: One of the reasons I dragged my feet opening this set is it was two obscure new humans (exciting), one repack of a figure I already bought twice, and this new Tessek. Now I loves me some aliens - but I was also really happy with the ones I had. The 1983 Squid Head may not be the right colors, but he's a delightfully chunky alien who could hold his blaster, and look cool doing it. In 2001, Hasbro did another take on him - this time all-plastic - adding a working holster and fixing the colors. I would argue the 2001 Power of the Jedi Tessek may be the best overall... but if what you need is articulation, this 2023 release is the winner.

Despite being a recognizable alien, this character (and his species) has precious few figures. What's interesting is he's not an all-new release. The arms? Bib Fortuna. The legs? Cal Kestis. The hands, cape, torso, and head all seem to be new. I'm torn between praising Hasbro's cleverness, and being a little annoyed that the arms seem too skinny. When paying premium prices for fancy collector figures I want it to be all-new, but truth be told, it's not bad. The joints all move well, everything fits together nicely, and the head and hand sculpts are all excellent. The colors are a little too saturated, and the cape hangs kind of funny - but it needs to, in order to look like the movie.

Reusing elements has some positive side effects. Cal Kestis' legs can swing forward without hinderance. The cloth cape and skirt don't get in the way, and his girdle looks absolutely great. The arms move nicely, and the fingers - while odd - can hold his blaster without much fuss. The tongue and teeth look great, and the eyes look good too. It's weird that the cardback photo doesn't quite match the movie or figure, but hey, he's got eyes. I think they're a little dark, though.

This is a good figure that gets the job done. But if I were on a budget, I could skip it and be happy with the previous two - not because the figure is bad, but because it's overkill. For an alien who stands and does nothing, I don't need knees, or ankles, or wrists. A figure with five or six joints more than fills the need for a figure to hang out in a room with other aliens. The 2023 release has a sharp sculpt, great soft goods, and excellent coloring - so if you're buying one, this is probably the one to get - but don't feel bad if you've only got your originals. Kenner and Hasbro always do a good job with this guy, down to what I assume are some back-of-neck gonads.

If Hasbro is still making figures in 8 years, I'd suggest they re-reissue this guy in "Kenner colors." That is, a silver belt, paler robes, desaturated skin, and so on. I think fans would appreciate "Squid Head." This figure has been selling for $25-$60 by himself, so maybe there's no real reason for Hasbro to make fans wait. Of course, you could also just get a Power of the Jedi Tessek for about ten bucks (cheap) or the 1983 Squid Head for a mere $30 and up. None of them have ankle tilts, though.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,225: March 20, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,223: Taym Dren-Garen (The Vintage Collection)

TAYM DREN-GAREN First, probably only figure
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. F6986
Number: #287
Includes: Blaster, hat, 3 more carded figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $72.99
Availability: October 2023
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Protected by Skiff Guards, Jabba the Hutt's sail barge bustled with court members, henchmen, and dregs of the galaxy who attempted to curry favor with the grotesque crime lord. (Taken from the figure's set's box.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: It's easy to take good things for granted - I got this awesome Taym Dren-Garen figure in 2024 and didn't get around to cracking him open until last month. There's so much inbound stuff that it can be easy to lose focus when Hasbro actually delivers something not merely good, but seemingly impossible to imagine actually existing. We've gotten precious few all-new characters (with recycled bits) in the past few years for Return of the Jedi, so getting Obscure Human Extra from a movie 40 years late is something of a miracle. Is it perfect? Well, it's close enough. I'm still salty about the Bespin Guard not being quite right, but this guy? Hasbro was 100% right to reuse molds as needed.

The upper legs and hands seem shared with Velken Tezeri, a character I did not know by name. For some reason I saw a trading card for Taym and the moose antler hat is easy to remember, and also Vest Bare Arms Guy, but this really shows you the power of merchandising. If you put out books, comics, trading cards, Dixie Cups, or other things people may actually learn all the names eventually! His arms seem to be recycled from a Nikto, and given his relative obscurity and the fact that it looks very close - if not exact - I have no complaints. Maybe I'm a hypocrite, but I look at it like this: if you're updating an old action figure, the new one needs to be perfect. If you're making a background guy on a budget, getting the broad strokes right - colors and such - that's absolutely good enough in my book. Hasbro gave this guy the ball-jointed hips and thigh cut (oooh) and bend-and-swivel wrists (ahhh) as well as excellent chest deco. There's some weathering on those leather panels, plus a painted belt loop. He has plenty of pouches - presumably correct ones, I have no idea - and an amazing hat. Maybe it's not perfect, but given it's a human head with some scarves and antlers, it's perfect for my needs.

This figure is surplus to requirements. If they just gave us a new head and hands on an old body, I'm sure most of us would go "yeah, good enough." But sometimes Hasbro reminds us that they love us, and they love these 40+year-old-movies as much as or more than we do, and this is one of those utterly absurd cases. You can pop the helmet off - that's amazing. But underneath, they separately molded some random guy's hair, and it looks like some random guy from the 1980s. According to Wookieepedia, his name is Larry Holt, and if you look around on Google you'll see pictures of him and damn if he doesn't look just like the figure. It's amazing - for a guy who you weren't meant to see, this level of detail reminds you of why you still collect these things. Sure, new "classic" figures are super scarce but when Hasbro knocks one of them out of the park it's hard to not be incredibly impressed.

Given unlimited budgets and time, I'm sure Hasbro could have made a 100% new sculpt... but I don't think it would've done much here to make a figure that in any way gets the job done any better. He stands, he aims, he looks like some random pasty guy in the desert with a hat who killed a moose thing. It takes some work to get his ankles just right, but you can do it, and it's amazing that he exists. I would be willing to bet you money we'll never see a toy of this guy again... maybe a reissue some day. You'll be sorry you missed this one, or at least, I would be. Figures like these are why I'm glad The Vintage Collection still exists, but the slow-drip release of "new old guy I don't have can be hard to deal with when you get four versions of the same Disney+ guy in as many years. So yes - get this one. And if Hasbro ever makes a Kenner-style one, get it too. I'd buy two of them. Thanks Hasbro, for reminding me what a twerp I am for not enjoying the great stuff you already made and I pre-ordered and didn't immediately crack open. Figures like this are what this is all about.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,223: March 13, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,207: Jabba the Hutt (Throne Room, The Vintage Collection)

JABBA THE HUTT (Jabba the Hutt Action Playset Pack-In Figure)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Pack-In Figure
Item No.: No. F9397
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Carded 8D8, carded Salacious Crumb, throne, bag of rugs, glassware, and other accessories
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $89.99
Availability: August 2024
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Jabba the Hutt was one of the galaxy’s most powerful gangsters, with far-reaching influence in both politics and the criminal underworld. (Taken from the Hasbro Pulse 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: This is at least the third time that this Jabba the Hutt mold has been released, first at Toys R Us in a big boxed set with a Rancor and some other figures for $129.99ish, and then Jabba the Hutt [FOTD #2,751] returned as a pack-in redeco for the Sail Barge. In 2024 Hasbro double dipped by making this add-on for the Boba Fett's Palace playset, but really, double double dipped as many of the parts and pieces were already in that playset, and Hasbro really overcharged for this particular item.

The set gets you another of the throne - which you probably don't need, with a carded 8D8 and Salacious Crumb which you probably do need, and a smattering of accessories that you may or may not need. If you don't have any Jabba toys or playsets, this is a pretty tidy little package - but $90 for a $17 droid, a $10 (being generous) Salacious Crumb, what is basically a hollow vinyl Jabba body with arms and a head, and some accessories is excessive. The last similar item to this was a Walmart exclusive in 2010 for $30, given inflation $45 would be pretty good and $60 given the extra packaging would probably have been fair. But that's not why you're here.

You want to know if this Jabba is painted any better than the Barge version - and it's a lateral move. First of all, Hasbro retooled its bottom. There were copyright marks in 2019, all of which are covered by a raised square block. It's an odd choice, and an expense - tooling changes aren't free, you know. The figure is otherwise sculpted the same - lots of great wrinkles and folds, those weird little suction cups, and oh so many lumps, warts, scars, and even his tattoo. He's sized nicely, and the joints are all decently done here. It's pretty much the same sculpt used for the 6-inch figure from a decade ago.

The deco is a sideways move - it's very different from the last release! His eyes have more subtle lines in them this time, and are probably overall better - but not necessarily as good as the odd, glassy ones in the 1983 toy. It's different. The mouth paint isn't the greatest, but it and the darkened nostril interiors get the job done and add some shading to a figure that seems decorated to be displayed in dim rooms only. I say this because the eyeliner and the chin contouring - the oddest of odd choices - don't look bad in a very dark room. Under the harsh lights of a photo studio, or realistic photo gallery conditions, it looks like someone wiped some sort of sauce under three of his chins. The previous releases didn't try to enhance his chins, which really does have me wondering if the common fan theory about how most toys aren't made for collectors so much as they are for a specific kind of high-end toy photographer may be true. Overall, I prefer the lack of chin deco we had on the other toys.

The body itself is different - not better, not worse, just different. They didn't use the same paint masks, so the peachy parts of his skin are a bit more solid and even as opposed to the increased encroaching green plastic and black wipe on the other toy. This 2024 Jabba's tattoo on his right arm also benefits from the added paint, giving it a bit more of a presence in a dark room.

For a figure with a jointed head and arms - and that's it - he could stand to be a bit cheaper. We got $20 Jabbas fairly recently, too, but that throne has metal doorknockers in the Myo ornaments as well as cloth throws. None of this adds up to $90, but I'm guessing Hasbro wants to think that it does. At a lower price this would be a mighty impressive package, but if you have versions of these toys at home already you may not also need to get this one. They were opened up for sale at other venues from Hasbro Pulse late last year, so I assume they didn't quite cut it to pre-orders as I thought was implied when it went up for sale in 2023 and took about a year to get it out. The box is very nice, too, but sets like this - even with the new 8D8 and Salacious Crumb - feel more like Hasbro is leaning way too hard on a very scattered "in case you missed it" approach to its toy line. I would feel a lot better about him if we got a few new Jabba goons in the toy line at the same time, but the only ones on the market were reissues of 5-10 year old figures like Yak Face being dumped at Ross for a mere $3.99.

But if you have $90, and you like Jabba, and you want the best eyes this mold has ever had and you can get past the saucy chins, this is definitely the best overall deco this mold has had so far. Just don't try to remember that Hasbro sold a very good carded Jabba the Hutt with the rail and pipe for $10 in 2004.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,207: January 16, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,206: 8D8 (The Vintage Collection)

8D8 (Jabba the Hutt Action Playset Pack-In Figure)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Pack-In Figure
Item No.: No. F9397
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #325
Includes: Carded 8D8, carded Salacious Crumb, a Jabba, throne, bag of rugs, glassware, and other accessories
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $89.99
Availability: August 2024
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Jabba the Hutt was one of the galaxy’s most powerful gangsters, with far-reaching influence in both politics and the criminal underworld. (Taken from the Hasbro Pulse 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: With 20th century levels of articulation, you're going to be mad. But with 21st century sculpting and deco with a thin build, Hasbro did a really nice job. This update of 8D8 was long-needed. We got one in 1984, and one in 1997, and now, in 2024, we have the definitive version... and it's kind of an odd one. I think that for the right price, there's no such thing as a bad toy - and at $90 (with Jabba, a throne rereun, and Salacious Crumb) this set is a nice display piece and a bad value. 8D8 has jointed ankles, a jointed waist, a ball-jointed neck, jointed shoulders, and jointed hips. For The Vintage Collection in 2024, that's not really acceptable - we got some limited joints in the pre-2010 era, but a droid with visible joints that don't work really stings. 8 points of articulation, which sort of drags down the gee-wiz factor of the entire set. But if Hasbro sold this guy on cards in stores for $17, he'd probably be hanging there until the next decade. Selling him as an online-exclusive item in a gift set was the right move. (But probably not at $90.)

The 1984 figure had 5 joints and was a chunky little guy with no accessories - and he seemed fine for the time. In 1997 Kenner made a very good update and even included a torture rack with the era-appropriate light-up eye ports. The sculpt and deco were better than 1984, but the deco is even better with the 2024 model incorporating silver claws, weathering, and more droid highlights. If you leave it on the card you'll never realize you got shorted on articulation, and Hasbro did a very nice job with the chest and eyes, with a figure that looks better than the one that was warming pegs on Rite-Aid drugs from 1997-2009. Heck, if 8D8 didn't appear on The Book of Boba Fett, odds are he'd be under $5 forever. Fiction matters, people!

I think Hasbro's sculptor did a bang-up job here - the model looks great with a gaunt face, haunted eyes, and an even-more-skeletal appearance. It's not as tall, and it seems like a fantastic collectible for carded figures. As a toy, it leaves me wanting. The prototype photos had open claw hands - the final silver hands can't open. The waist joint and ankles are nice, but I expected lateral arm movement or elbows this time. I assume it was an impossibility due to the utterly tiny arms, and the lack of any sort of torture rack or accessory in the box with Jabba just makes this figure seem like an inferior follow-up 27 years after the last one. It's a very nicely painted figure, and a very nice sculpt, but the expectations of The Vintage Collection (and its pricing) results in an action figure that fails to meet what I would say are the lowest expectations. If we're going to get Kenner-level articulation, we need Kenner-level pricing. (This is why I'm currently so bullish on 1980s Retro Kenner figures - you get less articulation, but more importantly, you pay for less articulation.)

It feels good, though. The ball-jointed neck of the droid is very expressive, the arms swivel nicely, and the hips kind of jolt into place with a satisfying lock every few degrees. It's not a click... it's like a click, but with a thud. It feels very stable, and the ankles seem to be stiff enough to not topple over. The engineering is very good for what we've got, but with no on-pack accessory it's a carded figure that offers fans very little for their credits.

On the cheap, or if money is no object, this is the very best 8D8 figure money can buy. It's just not very robust. As (arguably) $17 of a $90 set, you're probably going to feel kind of lousy when you finally open it and it's just not all that robust. There's nothing wrong with the figure itself, but "value" counts for a lot and there's not a lot of "value" in the Throne Room combined with this set. If Hasbro ever does a "cheap" assortment for The Vintage Collection with figures like 8D8, R2-D2, or anybody under 3-inches tall or with under 10 joints, I would be singing this figure's praises to the point where you would be annoyed. If we ever get another EV-9D9 - the last one was in 1997 - I anticipate it will either be constructed similarly to 8D8 or part of The Retro Collection.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,206: January 14, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,177: Emperor's Royal Guard (The Retro Collection)

EMPEROR'S ROYAL GUARD He's Back!
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, Wicket the Ewok, 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: I'm kind of a fiend for Retro figures because they're kind of scarce and I feel like they're an endangered species. I open some immediately, and there are some I still have carded and unopened so I can enjoy a little treat later - this Emperor's Royal Guard is one that is, as of my writing this sentence, still mint on card and has been for just under a year. As a kid, the original figure was not a favorite like an Ewok or Luke or any given alien. The helmet was fine, the stick was fine, the robes hid any detail on the figure - he was basically a sheet ghost with a helmet head. I'm not sure why it didn't click, I like ghost toys a lot, but I definitely didn't make the connection as a kid. This was just some dork in a tablecloth who stood around and didn't get to do anything cool, so getting one as a gift was not necessarily as exciting as a Biker Scout or the pig guards. Now let me go get and open the figure.

Figures like this - and 4-LOM (the bug guy in the robe, as Kenner named him) - are good candidates for The Retro Collection because they largely get to bypass the line's shortcomings. For some reason, Hasbro's factories sculpt the details in a softer way. With only the helmet and one arm exposed, the softer sculpting isn't something you're even going to notice - all that matters is that the colors are pretty much on the money and that the helmet is shiny, with a painted black visor. The pike is much taller than the actual movie, but it's close to the Kenner original - if lighter - with pretty good sculpted details. At first blush I'd say they did an excellent job with the staff, and I had to go get my original 1983 figure I've had since it came out to even realize that it might be as close as a Retro accessory might get to the original Kenner sculpt, and without a side-by-side comparison of the original article I might have a hard time telling them apart. Hasbro's getting better at this.

The figure's helmet is a little less glossy for 2023, but the paint is a smidgen better. I really wish Hasbro put the Emperor's Royal Guard as a non-exclusive figure so fans could get as many as they wanted, and put The Emperor proper in the gift set (or skipped him completely) because nobody could afford to army build this guy at $73 per boxed set... but gosh, what a boxed set. Thee figures weren't perfect copies of the originals, but they're pretty good - this guy arguably has better robes because they're not as fuzzy, but that could just be my memory. I feel like my 1983 Kenner guard always had a little fluff to him, and the new one doesn't, and the cut seems better but that could be the seven years he spent as a toy and in a carry case before being placed in a specially-crafted Kenner display case I have to this day. (Thanks for selling me one, Jim Drye of Mesa, AZ, I hope you're still out there.) But I digress.

I think this is a pretty good figure. I think Hasbro overcharged us a bit for it, but I also heard rumblings of the edition size and it makes sense that it wasn't an $8-$10 figure. The whole set will probably leave you hemming and hawing about the price, but given it had freaking Yak Face in it in addition to Mon Mothma, it's a risky collection of oddballs. I wouldn't say this is a perfect rerelease, but it's so close and generally as good as the original (at least, for the parts that stick out of the robes) that I can't complain too much. Hasbro did a nice job, and I admit I am a little sad thinking that this could very well be the last Kenner-style Return of the Jedi action figure I ever rip off a cardback. I hope that's not the case - it would be very nice to get just a few more between now and when Star Wars figures finally become unprofitable. I've still got Ahsoka in her poncho and Grogu with his backpack to crack open, and the pre-ordered sets... and I hope there are more to come.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,177: October 3, 2024