Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,484: Supreme Leader Snoke (The Vintage Collection)

SUPREME LEADER SNOKE Now with Cloth
The Vintage Collection Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. E0370  No. E1640
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #121
Includes: Robe, belt
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: April 2018
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio: Snoke was a Force-sensitive humanoid alien who ruled the First Order as Supreme Leader approximately thirty years after the Battle of Endor.  (Stolen 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!

Commentary:  I was really surprised to see The Last Jedi wrapped up Supreme Leader Snoke's storyline.  (Look, if you didn't see the movie at this point I'm going to say you aren't a real fan.)   We barely got to see him in the movies, but he does have an important distinction - unless I missed something, this is the very first Hasbro action figure to sport The Last Jedi branding.  (They've been iffy about putting titles on many of the newer toys.)

Hasbro did a pretty good job here, my only real desire was for a figure that could sit and they came close. We got a guy with lumpy underthings under a gold robe and wacky curled toe shoes, possibly furthering the Hef analogy.  It's one of Hasbro's best executions of soft goods on any size, with snug sleeves and a decent, flowing gold robe.   The plastic belt - weirdly molded in red and painted gold, why? - dangles between his legs getting in the way of sitting on a throne a bit.  You can still move it a bit so he can sit, and with the great bend-and-swivel hands plus swivel elbows you're going to be able to get a figure that sits and emotes nicely.  He's a little light in facial detail, a pity given the price and lack of accessories.  I like the sculpting, but a little paint in the eyes or the scar would have gone a long way.  He's creepy and loosely recalls some of Karloff's monster make-up like a missing chunk of his face, making for a very good, very tall, and very creepy humanoid.  He stands roughly eye to eye with Chewbacca, for crying out loud - he's huge.

Given the simplicity of the design, the sculptors and seamsters did a great job here.  Everything is where it should be and the colors are about right.   I just wish the head had some more deco - and maybe the collar on the robe could be a material that blends with the cloth more closely.  It's not a huge deal, but it's visibly different.  Overall it's great, and is the only new figure in the first batch of six The Vintage Collection figures.  All of the rest have been sold at Walmart as The Black Series figures, for as little as $4.   This one hasn't - get this one.  If you haven't got the others, go get them too.


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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,484: May 23, 2018

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,410: Snoke (The Last Jedi Line Look)

SNOKE with BB-8 2-In-1 Mega Playset
The Last Jedi BB-8 2-In-1 Mega Playset
Item No.: No. C1253
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Pike, Force Link, playset, bridges, 2 figures
Action Feature: Force Link sounds
Retail: $199.99
Availability: September 2017
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio: Kylo Ren, a human male, was a Force warrior and a former Jedi trainee under his uncle, Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, before Ren destroyed Skywalker's attempt to restore the Jedi Order and became an apprentice of Supreme Leader Snoke of the First Order. (Stolen 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!

Commentary:  The funny thing about The Last Jedi is that it also seems to be drawing from The Force Awakens in spots, as that line was (and is still) filled with holes.  There are some major characters like Snoke we never got until now, also Luke Skywalker, also droids, also aliens, also... I could go on, but why?  The important thing is we now have our very first 3 3/4-inch Snoke figure and that dude is tall.

When it comes to figures like this, you have to ask if it's going to be better with cloth robes.  I'd argue that it wouldn't - the hard gold plastic looks better, flows better, and shockingly sits in his throne just fine.  After years of iffy Padme figures and dubious Jedi, I'm almost shocked that he just plain fits on his throne in the playset.  The unusually tall humanoid has a caved-in face, missing some teeth or jaw parts not unlike one Boris Karloff.  He's scarred, bald, and grotesque - an uglier Emperor in Hef's shiny pajamas.   With gold slippers.  And a big ol' ring, which is so prominent I have to assume it's a story beat of some sort.  The texture of the robes is so striking, with a gold that reflects strangely in a way that it feels realistic.

The figure does a good job of capturing the character, telling us more than we knew before - he's a giant old, decaying man in shiny clothes.   Is he rich?  Is he a magazine publisher?   What the heck does he want?   He's got a ring and a robe, what else could an intergalactic warlord ask for?   Seeing how stable and nicely sculpted this figure is, it's almost a shame you have to buy a playset to get him.  But, admittedly, it's a pretty nice playset.  If you have the chance to get one, get one.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,410: September 20, 2017