Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,376: R4-M9 (The Retro Collection)

R4-M9 Kenner Debut
The Retro Collection Target Exclusive 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. G2554
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Leg
Action Feature: Dome clicks when turned, third leg is removable
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 eBay now!

Warning: I tested this figure in my 1983 Y-Wing Fighter astromech socket, and it is tight enough that you really have to pull to get it out. I recommend not putting it in a 1983 Return of the Jedi Y-Wing Fighter toy.

Commentary: When we saw the previews, we all knew R4-M9 was going to be good. As a figure, it's pretty much precisely what we all wanted - the original Kenner R2-D2 look and feel, but with a new dome and matching sticker. And we got it! But here's the thing - the monkey's paw got us. Hasbro made this figure just a little bit wider than the original R2-D2 so, like Chopper, it doesn't fit in the old Kenner astromech socket in the Y-Wing Fighter. It fits great in the Y-Wing Scout Bomber, the TVC X-Wing, and various The Clone Wars Jedi Starfighter sockets, as well as the TVC Y-Wing Fighter. But it is preposterously tight in the old Kenner toy, so don't do it.

Functionally, it's like every Kennery R2-D2 you've got. It's a round body with two legs, and a dome on top that clicks. This one doesn't have a screw under the dome, so you won't be taking it apart. Hasbro moved the foot peg holes closer to the back of the foot, as opposed to your original R2-D2 being near the middle. Functionally, it feels just like R2-D2 and R5-D4, just a little bit stiffer. It might just be that it's a new figure needing to be broken in, but Chopper wasn't quite this stiff. The actual body mold is similar, but not identical, to Retro R2-D2. Or, maybe one of the two were just assembled backward for me. I don't know.

The deco is very good, with a black disc eye and that weird puke green running from the painted dome, to the label, to the legs. It all matches nicely, and looks pretty great. Weirdly, it looks almost too good - like a 1985-ish dome was plopped on a 1978 body. It doesn't feel too out of place, to be honest, and the details on the dome are much more exaggerated and deeper than I would have expected. I don't dislike it - it makes it feel like something out of time, and it is. They even put a nifty "+"-shaped panel on top of the dome. It's pretty great, and R4-M9 feels like something that could have been from the era of EV-9D9.

 

Arguably the most interesting extra in the figure is a third leg. Kenner and Hasbro have riffed on these before, and you can even 3D print a real nice one for your old Kenner figures. This new one fits perfectly in Retro R2-D2 and R4-M9, with just enough friction to stay in there unless you want to pull it out. Hasbro deserves massive credit for this, as getting this sort of form fit just right is difficult and doesn't tend to happen. The third leg even fit in my old R2-D2 (Sensorscope), but it was a little bit looser. And that's OK - it's nearly 45 years old, and I don't expect it to be perfect with something made for collectors in 2026. For display purposes, it does fit. I expect a lot of collectors to seek out extra R4-M9s unless Hasbro decides to reissue R2-D2 next year with the third leg, and we all hope that they do.

I would love to give you a snarky comment here but I don't have one. Other than the chance it could go in a Y-Wing's hole and get stick - it was a million-to-one shot, doc - I really don't think there's anything Hasbro could have done better here. "Is it what you would have done, Adam?" No, and I'm glad you asked - but I think what Hasbro did is better. I would have made the entire dome smooth without the indentations or raised areas, except for a big Kenner 1978 R2-D2 circle eye that would be intentionally off-model. Hasbro's lumpy approach is way more interesting. Figures like this are more art than literal interpretation of what we see with our eyes, so I always feel they're more open to discussion and critique. Maybe it's a childhood bias, but I'd recommend you pay $65 for CZ-3 and R4-M9. "But that's a lot of money!" Yeah, but these are awesome, and I'm good for it.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,376: September 1, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,373: CZ-3 (The Retro Collection)

CZ-3 Kenner Debut
The Retro Collection Target Exclusive 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. G2554
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
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 eBay now!

Commentary: When I first saw CZ-3 I said to myself "Hey, that's pretty good." It is rare that Hasbro makes a figure in Retro that hasn't received a previous Kenner/Hasbro release, but here's one. Disney made a CZ Series Communications Droid (White, Droid Factory) [FOTD #2,381] nearly ten years ago, but all Hasbro has made was 2007's CZ-4 - itself a very nice figure. The white, filthy business droid from Mos Eisley never got a Hasbro or Kenner figure until now. Maybe the other guys were good enough, and maybe not - I don't know you, so you'll have to tell me. I had the Disney guy standing in.

So, how is it?  Great. Wedge felt like a fudged modern sculpt. Captain Antilles was very good, but felt very digital. CZ-3 feels like someone might have caught a glimpse of the previous made-for-Disney droid, since their CZ bin bots have open right hands and gripping left hands - same as this guy. The fronts of the figures are quite similar, but their backs, arms, and head shapes are a little different. The 2026 Kenner figure has almost a pin head, pointier in the back. Speaking of the back, the design is quite different from both Hasbro and Disney CZ molds. The Kenner Retro guy has fewer details, and is honestly quite unimaginative. Kenner usually concocted something neat for the back, but at least I can say the design is pretty original. CZ-3's legs look like those of Kenner C-3PO but feature a lot of changes. For starters, the ribbing behind the knees are smoothed out, like the Disney figure. The raised lines over C-3PO's shins are smoothed out on CZ, and CZ has a single line running up the front of the thigh as opposed to the doubles on C-3PO. (And as we all know, triples is best.) The backs of the legs have changed up designs, and the feet are different too. I think a lot of fans would have been happy with a reuse of C-3PO legs, but Hasbro went and made something that felt the same but looks different. Good for them, I really like that decision.

The deco is different from previous figures as well as the costume from the movie. It's giving me a sense of a designer that probably worked from some reference, and some memory. It's good at capturing the vibes of the design, while getting it a little wrong. That's how Kenner did it, although not on purpose. The grey outline around the chest is pure nonsense, and the unpainted limbs seem very much like a Kenner move. (Heck, it's still a modern Mattel move.) The pointy coverings of the lower arms around the elbow are smoothed out, and the long nose somehow feels even longer - I like it. Hasbro also declined to paint the eyes, instead just sculpting in a dot and letting light do its thing. This was common in 3 3/4-inch Mego figures of the 1970s, go take a look at Mork from Ork or The Motion Picture Spock if you have them handy. I'll wait.

A departure from most Kenner-style droids who aren't Zuckuss or HK-87, this protocol-adjacent droid has one hand that can hold an accessory. I handed him Retro Wedge's blaster, and I was surprised to find out CZ-3's hand has a better grip than Wedge. Or Han. I have no reason for this guy to hold anything, ever, but I guess it's good to know Hasbro can make a good Kenner droid hand if they want. Nicely done.

I have nothing snarky to say here and little to criticize. I will buy another boxed set (or two, or three) for more of this guy. If it hits clearance, I will buy a few. All the joints move well and it feels pretty good. It's not hard ABS (I think) plastic like C-3PO, the Death Star Droid, or FX-7, but the PVC (again, I think) feels just fine. I wish he had a hint more of a slouch to his posture, but Hasbro really delivered the goods here. It's fun putting him in ships and playsets, and it looks cool. I like it, and I'll likely buy another one or two (sets.)

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target. 

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,373: August 20, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,370: Captain Antilles (The Retro Collection)

CAPTAIN 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-17 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: The more I go through these figures, I can't help but wonder if the sculpts would be more interesting (read: Kenner authentic) if you assigned them to a sculptor that is mostly working from memory. Accuracy is not necessarily the name of the game for these guys, and Captain Antilles has a figure that's pretty accurate and feels pretty retro. I was expecting a tweaked 2025 Rebel Fleet Trooper [FOTD #3,260] and I'm glad to say Hasbro gave us a new, improved, and refined design. I should note that has more or less the same blue Rebel blaster, which is fine by me.

If a figure makes me smile, it's a good one - and this one did. I noticed some dramatic improvements in how the details were cut, with deeper folds and exaggerated pockets and fabric layers giving it a level of detail that gets closer to the original Kenner figures. I particularly like the boots and pants, and it's worth noting the face - being painted, not molded - does a good job of highlighting the smile lines around the mouth. If the light hits him just right, you'll see tiny bags under his eyes and a weary expression that works well with the faux-Kenner eyes. The personality won me over here, with details like that added shell layer seemingly being added to the CAD file... unlike last time. I assume someone out there is expecting me to be angry about the lack of chin strap. Since the Death Squad Commander didn't have one, I don't much miss that particular detail. Colors are good, and textures more or less match what I would expect from someone who clearly referenced the movie.

He might be a little too good in spots. The five blue dots are painted, a detail Kenner just plain fudged Hoth Luke and the Rebel Commander. I assume Kenner would have sculpted the dots, or ignored them and made up a new badge, but not painted them. I also assume fans would complain if they didn't paint them, so really, nobody is going to be happy here. The position of the coat cuts on the legs more or less line up with the Rebel Commander. I find the pose to be a little uninspired - usually Kenner sneaks in an interesting arm or subtle ankle bend - but I think it passed the "vibes" test. The legs have a hint of a bend at the knee, and the folds in the pants look real good. Pick him up, stick him in that Tantive IV mini-rig you 3D printed, and he delivers the goods. They painted the black stripes on his pants, as we saw on most Han Solo figures from the old days, which makes for a pretty decent deco experience.

Articulation is standard, but well-engineered. The head on my sample moves with just the right amount of resistance, the arms move with no problems, and the legs? Oh ho ho, the legs! He has a squared-off butt, but when he sits everything lines up right. This is a hard detail for some retro figures to get right, so I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. He'll go great in that Kenner Blockade Runner that you don't have because there isn't one.

Nitpicks? Sure. I would have preferred sculpted rank dots, and it would be nice if the sculptor used his hands and a blade rather than/in addition to the computer. The outfit's pockets and creases are a little too perfect. A pal of mine (who I would love to get on the horn again) told me that you can "cheat" the process by taking a blade to the finished digital sculpt to add some imperfections and asymmetry, so that's my unsolicited annoying thing to suggest to Hasbro for next time. Just muck it up a little bit, make a "mistake" or four and the eye will probably buy that somebody sculpted this out of some putty before sending it to the factory. I can't tell if Hasbro did this with his helmet - it's a little "off" in a way that feels very realistic. I like the helmet and this figure a lot more than last year's Rebel Fleet Trooper.

The helmet seems to be a separate mold from the head, and the face is painted. That's probably more work than Kenner would have done, but the results are pretty good. I'd rather have both molded in color, but that's not what Kenner would have done either. By having the mold in plastic, it's likely to show less wear and tear over time thanks to the helmet likely causing a buffer from the nose getting dinged up during play. (But who am I kidding? No child is ever going to play with this figure.)

Captain Antilles and Yavin Leia were the two figures I was preparing to dislike... but I like this one. (I haven't opened Leia as of my writing this.) I admit that, as a kid, I never once thought about wanting this character because Vader can't hold him up and he doesn't do anything other than die. As an adult, I'm glad to have him walking around with my troopers. I appreciate Hasbro expanding the 1977 movie's Kenner cast by a dozen new characters and/or costumes over the past eight years. If you subtract the 35-figure overlap from the Kenner and Retro eras, this line is around 189 different figures. That's a lot of figures.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target. I am seeing more of this set in Target stores than any of their previous Retro exclusives, and that's just in the first week of availability. I'd recommend buying at least one at regular price to show 'em we still care.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,370: August 11, 2026

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 3,267: Luke Skywalker (Yavin, The Retro Collection)

LUKE SKYWALKER (Yavin)
The Retro Collection Target Exclusive 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. G1082
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Defender sporting blaser pistol
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $59.99
Availability: April May 2025
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection features design and detailing inspired by the original 1970s Star Wars figures and features original figure design and detailing! Continue your collection from a galaxy far, far away. (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: The Retro Collection Rebel Fleet Trooper and Luke Skywalker (Yavin) were kind of oddballs in 1997 for The Power of the Force (POTF2), and they are here too. For 2025, the Kenner-style figures both have similar poses from what I assume are the same sculptor. On a shelf of 100 different figures, the RFT and Luke's colors and gear look like they belong. But when you get in close, these guys have a different flavor. I'm being nitpicky here - it's basically a good figure, and I have gotten into long, drawn-out arguments with people over some other retro-style action figures over the years. Everybody interprets the Kenner "style" differently, and we don't always agree with what we see before us. You won't be sorry if you get one, but it might take some getting used to if you have a very specific idea of how these figures have looked historically.

In an odd coincidence, I'd say the same about Kenner's 1997 figures of the same characters - Luke's really bad hair and super-wide stance come to mind, and the Rebel Fleet Trooper was one of the tallest figures in the range, towering over Chewbacca and Darth Vader. Here they just seem made by a different sculptor, probably using different tools or techniques. If you look at what other retro toymakers are doing, you can start to see what seems to be someone who relies more on digital tools cloning things and flipping a part around to save time (psst, we notice.) If you change the bend in an elbow or maybe add a slight shift to which foot Luke's weight is on, with new wrinkles in the clothes, maybe we won't notice. In this case, it seems a rough arm and leg were copied, flipped, and pasted with additional detailing added later. It doesn't feel right - it's close, but the personality of this style of figure came from asymmetry, being a little off, being (for lack of a better word) hand-made. When someone makes a thing out of clay (or maybe wood for droids), little imperfections give it an interesting personality - look at Hammerhead, or Han's bent elbow. This particular design choice with Yavin Luke doesn't save Hasbro proper any money, but it might have saved the sculptor (possibly a freelance sculptor) some time. I wish they spent more time on it, because it's unlikely we'll ever see a version 2.0 of any Retro figures.

This isn't to say it's bad - it's just a series of design choices. Luke's jacket in 1997 had ribbed sleeves all the way down. Later figures stopped just below the elbow, which is accurate. Hasbro decided to go with "accurate" for the Retro figure - which makes sense, but I think it was the wrong choice. "Wrong" is always right for that era, as there weren't good resources or style guides - as we saw in 1997. The rest of the jacket is molded in yellow, with some sculpted wrinkles and pockets but no painted trim. This is good. The wrinkles are generally good, but the jacket feels a little short and it seems like it could have been longer, perhaps just barely hanging over his hips. It needed to be fudged a bit more. The belt buckle is silver, I assume Kenner might have left it unpainted or white but we'll never know. The black shirt is perfect. No notes.

His pants are pretty good, but like the Rebel Trooper a) the pose is weird, and b) the butt is weirder. Most Kenner and Retro figures have a little more definition down there, and this one is lacking. It's a weird round cylinder. It's a bit more defined than the Rebel Trooper, but Dr. Evazan actually got a real seam for his pants. I'm not asking for anything fancy, just maybe a bit more of a hint of a sculpted fly, or some wrinkles in the seat. The leg pose is odd as the legs seem to be going in, rather than out. If the hips were the same, but the feet were maybe a fraction of an inch apart (with ankles tilted accordingly and maybe some more wrinkles in the boots) it'd be perfect. Again, I'd point to Bespin Han. Luke's non-working holster is also good, and is unpainted - just like Bespin Han. It doesn't look like much, but the design is OK. I'd like a little more definition, but I'm nitpicking. The yellow stripes on the pants seem perfect for the era.

His accessories are pretty good. The medal is just a little too big for him, but it doesn't fall off. Coincidentally it fits Han just fine, so I wouldn't be surprised if it was made to use with a new Han down the road. (Confidential to Hasbro: you can just rerelease Small Head Han with a medal and a retooled right hand to better grip the blaster, we'll buy it again.) Luke has two hands ready to grip accessories - which is not how Kenner did things with very few exceptions like Ewoks, Bespin and Jedi Knight Luke figures - but here we are. Either hand can grip Leia's pistol (included) just fine. I like that they just reused the old blaster and didn't make a new one. Kenner would've done the same thing. Luke's foot pegs work well with the stands I had around my desk.

I complained a lot, but that's taking this figure out of every possible context. In 2025, he's weird. In 1982, he'd fit right in with everything else because Kenner was still developing the style. If you put this Luke (Yavin) next to a Chewbacca and a Han Solo, they look like they belong together. Even Luke's head sculpt - a surprise that it was new - looks fine. The eye on mine is a smidgen off, but it's OK. It's not the 1978 lemon head, but it's a nice noggin. The hair is very good and matches the scene nicely, and I'd be lying if I said this didn't look like an old Kenner head. You can argue all day if it's good for Luke or not, but it completely captures the spirit of the original toy era if not the literal identical melon.

This isn't my favorite figure, but it's fine. I'll get used to the jacket, but the pose of the legs and arms seems weird. Legs close together, arms apart? That just doesn't feel right. But the colors are good, the style is right, and the personality seems generally pretty close to a good early draft of the figure. I would like to see more detail in the jacket's wrinkles and the texture of his garments, but it is what it is. It's not perfect, but if it were perfect it wouldn't be Retro.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,267: August 14, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,263: Han Solo (Imperial Stormtrooper Outfit, The Retro Collection)

HAN SOLO (Imperial Stormtrooper Outfit)
The Retro Collection Target Exclusive 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. G1082
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: DLT-19 heavy blaster rifle, helmet, E-11 blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $59.99
Availability: April May 2025
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection features design and detailing inspired by the original 1970s Star Wars figures and features original figure design and detailing! Continue your collection from a galaxy far, far away. (Stolen from the marketing copy. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: The Retro Collection isn't for everybody. If you were a kid from 1977-1995, there's a good chance you owned some of the Kenner toys meant for children that we've all decided are serious adult things for some reason. Maybe you got them for your birthday, or at a garage sale, or at a comic shop, because these were the only toys around for quite some time. While other series have done it more accurately, that's not what Hasbro is selling here. Since 1995, some fans have been hoping to have that original line renewed and continued. It's not about wanting a collectible, or a tiny replica. It's about being sold the hope of getting to be a kid again, for a very short period of time. A Hot Toys figure, while amazing, is incapable of making middle-aged people feel that way. The slow-drip releases are kind of like being a kid again, in that you can't run to a store and spend all your money on Kenner figures. If you would like to buy 20 or 50 new figures, all you can get are 6. Maybe. They're probably out of stock.

This Han Solo (Imperial Stormtrooper Outfit) is its first official release in Kenner style. I (and others) had customs in the 1980s and 1990s. The Smith Lord Creations/Stan Solo sellers also had one in 2019-2022 [FOTD #2,960]... but it was a lot more expensive. I assume this official release was Hasbro trying to show them up. The quality is better at a lower price, and it has a bonus accessory. This isn't to say what the fan-produced figures delivered wasn't good or impressive. Hasbro's paint is better, with more gear, at a fraction of the price. Stan/Smith have sharper sculpts, but I would be lying if I said Hasbro's product weren't superior because his helmet fits nicer and, at least on my samples, Hasbro's paint is better.

The Luke Skywalker (Imperial Stormtrooper Outfit) was my second-to-last movie figure for my collection back in 1990. I hope they reissue it - but it was a little dumpy. For a 1985 release, it was fine, and the Han Trooper takes cues from that era. The black stripe around Luke's wrist is missing - it's missing on Han too. Luke's helmet is missing a some black marks next to the eyes of a standard Stormtrooper - Hasbro left them off Han's helmet too. Both Han and Luke have pin heads, which was part of how they got removable helmets to work back then. At a glance, both trooper disguise figures are similar in design decisions. The limbs all swing freely and sensibly, making this one feel like a legit toy. Han is oddly taller and wider than a standard Stormtrooper, and with the helmet on looks almost as big as Chewbacca. With the helmet off, he feels about the right size.

Han Trooper's stance is a little wider than standard Stormtroopers, but not as wide as Luke. His right arm is bent - it's cute to think that it's a signature Han figure thing for the first movie's Kenner figures. Both of his hands were tooled to better hold blasters. And I mean that - some figures can technically hold them, but both are extremely good here. I had no problem getting either hand to grip anything, and I hope Hasbro continues to improve old figures too and make them actually hold their stuff. It's important.

For a Retro figure to be truly interesting, it must be good in crappy ways and crappy in good ways. A lot of old Kenner figures had likenesses that were not even close. It doesn't look like Harrison Ford, but neither did the other massively-necked, weird-haired figures. For this figure you can see traces of the Han Solo hairstyle, downsized, diminished, and plastered to his tiny head. The sculpt is sharper than other retro figures, and it improves on the Luke Trooper by adding a working swivel neck. That makes this the only Kenner-style Stormtrooper that isn't a Sandtrooper with a swivel neck.  (And honestly, Sandy don't swivel too good.)

Another interesting choice is the helmet. While it has the same deco as Luke's from 40 years ago, it also is made from a different material. The rubbery helmet is more in line with Boushh from 1983. It's squishy, it grips the head just enough, and it looks pretty natural on the body. It feels more or less like a real, old Kenner helmet from the 1980s.

I like this figure a lot. Maybe I'm biased because it feels like they did what I would want to do. Neck joint? Two blasters with gripping hands to match? Perfection. The sculpt is good and kind of weird, but it also feels right. The bent elbow was such a nice touch. I have no doubt fans will bemoan how the sculpting isn't as sharp as real old Kenner figures, but after seven years I am not expecting that. It's better. It's good. This figure in this costume was one of the most-missed figures in the old days, so Hasbro went back and corrected history. The next three movie guys on my wish list would be Wedge Antilles, Jabba's Prisoner Leia, and Dagobah Training Luke Skywalker. After Vlix.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target.

Author Notes: I started writing about toys on the internet 30 years ago tomorrow - and my first newsletters had to do with the then-new Kenner figure line from 1995 and the first weird rumor. Kellogg's Froot Loops had a Han Solo Stormtrooper mail-in figure, so that was my first big story - I wanted everybody to know it wasn't a hoax. And here we are today. From 1995 to roughly 2000, I wrote Adam's Star Wars Newsletter alongside stints at Go Figure! Magazine, Star Wars Galaxy Collector Magazine, Auction Universe, AOL's Star Wars Fan Club HoloCroN, features for Entertainment Earth's early catalogs, and other stuff. I also worked on Fandom Menace, Rebelscum, YakFace.com, ToyFare Magazine, and other outlets before landing at the world's leading supplier of Yahtzee score cards full-time by day and at Galactic Hunter by night. Thank you for reading. Thank you for telling a friend if you think they may care. Also if you're feeling generous, please kick in a dollar to our Patreon so I can pay for things like site hosting and domain renewals for 16bit.com and Galactic Hunter. And if you don't want to? Don't! I still love you all for reading. And if you have any Fisher-Price Adventure People needing a new home, call me. Thank you indulging for 30 years!

--Adam Pawlus

Oh, and here he is next to the Stan Solo/Smith Lord version.  I think Hasbro did it better.

Day 3,263: July 31, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,260: Rebel Fleet Trooper (The Retro Collection)

REBEL FLEET TROOPER Kenner Debut
The Retro Collection Target Exclusive 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. G1082
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: DH-17 blaster pistol
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $59.99
Availability: April May 2025
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection features design and detailing inspired by the original 1970s Star Wars figures and features original figure design and detailing! Continue your collection from a galaxy far, far away. (Stolen from the marketing copy. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I'm a fanboy for The Retro Collection, but the Rebel Fleet Trooper is my least favorite. It's not awful - just undercooked. It's a trooper that has had some weird issues with almost every official release. Kenner made one in 1997 that was taller than Darth Vader. A few years later Hasbro made one with a unique twisty joint for the knees that kind of, sort of, let him kneel. Pretty much every figure before Vintage was just, in some way, different. This one continues the tradition.

The color picks are right-on. The face is pretty much perfect. The hands are a smidgen too small so the blaster may rotate itself a bit. It's not a great grip, but Kenner's figures didn't always have the best grip either. The arms are posed bowed out in a way that feels unnatural and maybe just a bit short. The legs seem a little too straight. The vest feels like it was sculpted digitally, and this might be a first draft. It's not awful - but compare it to Han Solo or Dr. Evazan and it just seems very (I know, I know) plastic. It's oddly lifeless when compared to other figures of even the old eras of toys. The colors and proportions are good, the face paint is great, and I don't mind the unusual helmet shape - weird is good, after all! I just don't buy it as a real Kenner figure. It's a little too smooth, and maybe a bit more care going into the blue arms pose or giving the knees a bit more of a flourish to make it seem lively would make all the difference. Perhaps a few more wrinkles near the crotch on the legs would help, or some bunched-up fabric at the end of the sleeves. His butt is almost comically flat with no definition whatsoever, it just looks like a curved but generally flat badonkadonk-sans-donk.

The helmet is much smaller than the prop, and is molded separately from the figure's head. That's different than the Death Squad Commander. I would have loved some hair peeking out the back of the helmet, like we got with the aforementioned Commander. It feels like someone turned in a work-in-progress and someone else said "perfect, let's run it." Another greeblie or two on the side would be nice, a little antenna vestige or some tiny bit on the side box. There's no chin strap, but as the Death Squad Commander didn't have one I am not going to hold it against anyone emulating that style. The movie helmet also has an extra shell on it that was left off of this design - but they did the same thing with the Death Squad Commander. The Empire's Star Destroyer Commander helmet from Kenner was very simple with the wrong silhouette, so I can only assume the design choice was an intentional nod to the 1970s. If you look at 1979 X-Wing Luke's helmet, it wasn't very detailed either and when I got one second-hand as a small child, I was not aware it was supposed to be Luke or a generic pilot. It could be better, it could be worse.

Functionally, the figure is OK. The hands are a tiny bit too small for the blaster - a common problem in this line - but he can hold it without dropping it. The head and arms turn nicely, but my sample's legs don't swing fully forward. You can get him in a vehicle, but it's a little weird the left leg doesn't want to swing all the way up. If I were a kid, I would assume the figure to be in some way broken - but I was a weird kid. I want those legs swinging forward all the way.

If this were the first "new" "Kenner" "figure" out in 2019 instead of Tarkin, I think fans would be cranky but a bit more forgiving. It's an interesting first attempt. Several years in, it's just not something that makes me go "wow!" Perhaps it's just the general softness of detail across Hasbro's Retro that hurt it, as there's no real texture on the Trooper clothing, very few interesting pleats or wrinkles, and the pleather vest just seems kind of lifeless. And the butt is just so, so flat. As a carded collectible, it gets the job done. As a standing figure on a shelf, it is real. It doesn't compare favorably to competitive Kenner-inspired toy lines from fans, Super7, or other manufacturers. Get this set anyway, but maybe don't bother to build an army of the Rebel Fleet Trooper.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,260: July 22, 2025