Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,892: Kuiil (The Vintage Collection)

KUIIL One of the Best
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. E7763 No. F4466
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #227
Includes: Backpack, blaster
Action Feature: n/
Retail: $13.99
Availability: December 2021
Appearances: The Mandalorian

Bio: A vapor farmer on Arvala-7, Kuiil came to seek peace in an out of the way world, which is now being trespassed upon by criminals and mercenaries. (Taken from marketing copy. There is 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: When you get a figure this good, it reminds you why you collect The Vintage Collection in the first place. The Mythrol used good versions of the old, weird bend-and-swivel hip joints so he could sit well and look awesome at the same time. But Kuiil uses a ball-and-socket joint, much like you saw with Stikfas, Xevoz, and even classic Beast Wars toys. You get a lot of range of motion with fewer parts and less manual labor for assembly. If done right, everybody wins! Other than a lack of accessories, everybody wins with the Ugnaught. I have spoken.

Hasbro has, to put it simply, struggled to get the colors right on Kuiil - this one is correct. The 6-inch The Black Series figure is too bright, so it needs a repaint - and the 6-inch Credit Collection figure isn't exactly better. The Kenner-style The Retro Collection figure is both the wrong size and the wrong color, but that's OK. Is this hypocrisy? No, because Kenner got aliens so off-model in 1979 that we're very approving of such choices in that style. (Confidential to Disney/Lucasfilm: please make all pre-release design characters in Kenner style first, that way I will not complain if they're off-model. Thank you.) This guy has his scarf, a removable backpack, and a blaster. Heck, he's even got a separately molded (but non-removable) helmet that really adds to the look of the figure i a way paint can never replicate. You're paying $14 for one figure... but it's a very good figure, with excellent sculpted texture, wonderfully painted eyes and facial hair, and a surprisingly ornate paint job on his hat. Because it's an Ugnaught it may be destined to pegwarm, but I recommend you just buy it. It's good. You'll pick it up and futz with it and go "oh, they did a good job with this one."

The sculpt of the figure perfectly captures the animatronic mask and outfit, so there's no reason to dwell on it. I can't imagine they'll do better in my lifetime. Articulation is also good, with a head turning over the scarf, elbows that can bend a little more than 90 degrees, and those marvelous hip joints seemingly designed to sit on a Blurrg should Hasbro ever make one for this scale. (He sort of fits on the Mission Fleet one, which is too small.) The skirt part of his vest was designed with enough clearance so the new hip joints can swing forward without a fight, and the knees have a good range of motion too. I'm counting about 26 meaningful points of articulation here, thanks to surprise joints like a knee that both bends and swivels below the knee. This is a figure that seems like it was engineered by someone who played with recent releases and said "These are good but I can do better." And to you, sir and/or ma'am, you were correct. This is great.

Kuiil can stand, hold his blaster, and look amazing doing it. He's so good that I would probably stop collecting The Black Series if Hasbro would give us some kind of promise to do those characters in the 3 3/4-inch format. (It's a pretty short list of absent faces at this point.) It just goes to show Hasbro is still capable of greatness at this scale, and I sincerely hope everyone reads this sees how good this figure is, and buys it, to show Hasbro that there is still money in this format rather than ceding it to the 6-inch line. Not that the 6-inch line doesn't have a few rockstars, but I really like this one a lot more.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,892: January 20, 2022

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,816: Kuiil (The Retro Collection)

KUIIL Kenner Style
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F0937 No. F2022
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Black blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: April 2021
Appearances: The Mandalorian

Bio: Kuiil was an Ugnaught male who had worked a lifetime to be free of servitude. He came to the out-of-the-way planet of Arvala-7 seeking peace, and worked as a vapor farmer who offered valuable skills to those who could meet his price. (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: Whoever designed this Kuiil seems to be a fan of the 1979 Kenner Cantina aliens. The figure is both good and bad, right and wrong, true and false. At first glance he's pretty much on the money, but the more you look the more weird liberties you see. This means they completely got the spirit of Kenner right, warts and all, and applied some artistic interpretation along the way. Sized to match the original Kenner Ugnaught from about four decades ago, the figure is actually more piglike than the mask used on The Mandalorian series.

You could stick this figure in a vintage playset, and it would fit nicely. His head is a snout - a smaller one than the Ugnaught, but more porcine than we saw on TV. The figure has a bit of an underbite, rather than an overbite, with different jowls and facial hair. Like the vintage Ugnaught, the neck can turn nicely and the arms and legs swivel without much fuss - but the head is in this weird valley between "close enough" and "not quite right." In many respects, it feels like the design came through a game of telephone, using incomplete reference photos. In other words, it's pretty much exactly what I would have hoped to get.

The outfit closely matches the show in design, but not in color - again, a great nod to the old Kenner figures. Hammerhead and Walrus Man were close enough in a pre-home-video world, and so is Kuiil - he's got some browns and greens on him, but not quite like this. The figure is much more saturated, and the mustard color doesn't quite mesh with what we saw in the streaming show. Similarly, each of the original Cantina aliens had numerous errors compared to their on-screen counterparts. I assume the inspiration for this entire line could be 1979-1980, given the proclivity toward vinyl capes, T-crotches, and the occasional "broken" hand that is incapable of actually holding any accessory by design. Kuiil's right can grip the blaster nicely, but the left was not designed to do so - much like the original Kenner Ugnaught... and Darth Vader's left hand, Princess Leia's left hand, Walrus Man's left hand, and so on and so forth. It's also possible this figure came from a weird style guide - Hasbro's The Black Series figure is more saturated than what my eyes saw on my screens, although the colors do seem to be broken out in a more precise pattern.

Also true to the old Kenner Cantina quartet/quintet, there are numerous missing (or simplified) elements on his person. The costume on screen is loaded with things like straps on his sleeves, with what appear to be buckles, and numerous layers of fabric they just plain left off. The costume has taller boots than the action figure too, with a fancy belt buckle and loads of additional detail. It's completely possible that this is Kuiil's laundry day outfit too.

I often liken much of this business to a joke - and sometimes, people don't get it. In this case it seems the designers completely understood their mandate, enhancing animal features on a figure while messing with the colors and departing slightly from what was seen on screen to give us a design that's more true-to-Kenner's best efforts of 1978 and 1979. It's not going to scratch the itch of The Vintage Collection fans, nor should it - this is a unique, weird designer art piece. It's great. If you see it for ten bucks and you're a fan of this kind of action figure, you should buy one. Most of Hasbro's competitors charge $18 or more (Super7 ReAction Figures) and indie efforts like Healey Made's Raiders are north of $25. $10 is a steal, given that these are made to appeal to fans of a toy line where much of its early days were sculpted before many of us were even born. I hope Hasbro continues to pump out many more of these.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,816: May 20, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,778: Kuiil (The Black Series 6-Inch)

KUIIL I Have Spoken
The Black Series 2020 Line Look Orange The Mandalorian Packaging
Item No.: Asst. E8908 No. F1306
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #07 - Star Wars: The Mandalorian
Includes: Blaster, helmet with goggles
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: January 2021
Appearances: The Mandalorian

Bio: A vapor farmer on Arvala-8, Kuiil came to seek peace in an out-of-the-way world, which is now being trespassed upon by criminals and mercenaries. He has worked a lifetime to be free of servitude, and offers valuable skills for those willing to meet his price. (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: Season one of The Mandalorian is an amazing parade of awesome weirdness. The ugnaughts were famously poor sellers in the 1990s, lingering on some drug store and Kmart pegs for nearly a decade, but Kuiil gave the species a voice and a catchphrase - and that's valuable. I never would have expected to see the little porcine people as a figure in The Black Series unless we got into a playset/diorama phase - but if you give one of them a name, that's a whole different thing.

This is a good - if small - figure at 5-inches tall. It doesn't make you wince like a $20 Yoda - or Maz Kanata - because at least it's taller than most of the 3 3/4-inch scale line, and it has more parts. As always the sculpting is top-notch with wonderful textures on the skin, hair, and fabrics... all of which are plastic. The vest and belt buckle look great. The pouches? Awesome. And are those cargo pockets? Kuiil - you, me. The same. The colors don't bleed and I don't see a lot of slop here. It's a great clean design, but the trademark "used universe" weathering of Star Wars is completely absent. This is a squeaky-clean rural farmer and greasy repairman. I would have liked to see some more weathering, and while his face sculpt is perfect that could probably have also used a little more paint around the eyes. The personality is in there, but it's a lot brighter than the show looked - the eyebrows don't feel as wily or bushy. Or white.

Articulation is acceptable - but not impressive. While Hasbro has done a bang-up job improving elbows and knees to have a greater range of motion and no visible pins on many figures, Kuiil's elbows barely bend. The knees are great though, and it seems the hips have a full range of motion that would be perfect for riding a Blurrg. (Have I mentioned I've been nagging Hasbro to make one of those on and off for years? You should too. They were good enough to fight Ewoks and Separatists.) Kuiil stands well, and oh yes - his hat is removable. His backpack is connected to his scarf, though. Kuiil's hands also have no problems holding his blaster once you pry the fingers open.

You will not be amazed by this figure - but it's good, and a sign that things have gotten to a point where Hasbro feels comfortable giving us some unusual characters that work nicely. I worry that the saturation of Mando figures is still too low that a figure like this could hang around - like how you wouldn't buy Killer Moth before buying a Batman - but perhaps it will show there's still demand for deep cuts (as well as casual selections) from shows like this as time goes on.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,778: February 16, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,404: Ugnaught II

UGNAUGHT 2009 Version #2
The Legacy Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87535 No. 87853
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #BD28
Includes: Console, storage case thing
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: September 2009
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: On Cloud City, Ugnaughts operate the carbon-freeze chambers that are typically used to freeze Tibanna gas but can also freeze living matter. Ugnaughts work in Bespin's Tibanna gas processing plants or as general laborers in the city. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's former apartment's AC unit.

Commentary: Short figures generally don't get a lot of articulation-- instead, they get more gear or a second figure. This Ugnaught just got more articulation. This time around, he has a new head and a new, for lack of a better phrase, "belt." The skirt part, that's new. He also sports a new deco and is colored differently, effectively making him a fairly different figure and a must-add to your collection. These Ugnaughts are fairly different from the 1998 releases, which were known in some collector circles as being some of the worst sellers in the POTF2 days. Thankfully this one did better and was a stronger release, but do you really need knee joints on these guys? Probably not, but it doesn't hurt any. The sculpt is good, the deco is good, really the only reason you wouldn't want to buy this figure is if you don't like Ugnaughts. Hasbro seems to always do a good job on these guys, and who can really settle for having only one or two? Get a bunch. They can populate the jumbo Carbon Freeze playset Hasbro will never make.

Collector's Notes: This figure was in pretty short supply, but sat in some spots. Interestingly, the packaging for this figure (and the previous version) show both figures on the illustration, but neither appeared on both styles of packaging. Weird.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,404: November 1, 2010

Figure of the Day: Day 1,040: Ugnaught (Legacy Version #1)

UGNAUGHT 2009 Version #1
The Legacy Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87535 No. 87853
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #43
Includes: Console, apron, storage case thing
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: April 2009
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: On Cloud City, the Ugnaughts operate the carbon-freeze chambers that are typically used to freeze Tibanna gas but can also freeze living matter. Ugnaughts work in Bespin's Tibanna gas processing plants or as general laborers in the city. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Commentary: This Ugnaught was initially expected to be a 2-pack, not a single figure. In 1998, Kenner put out 2 on a single card for $6, so naturally we all assumed this one would follow suit. It didn't. So what we have here are two separate figures with a lot of shared body parts. The first release sports an apron and is less pig-like (but is still pig-like) than the other one. Always wizards in this arena, Hasbro crammed in a ton of articulation-- 12 points, to be exact. The only thing this little Oompa Loompa can't do is move at the ankles. The amount of detail is pretty great, but the 1998 originals were pretty swell too, despite having pretty much no leg articulation. As we start getting to a point where Hasbro remakes less-than-stellar figures from days passed, figures like this one are a little harder to get excited about. While this is the best sculpted Ugnaught we've ever seen out of Hasbro, it's not significantly better than the much cheaper originals. While the costume represents a different Ugnaught from the previous releases, was anybody really clamoring for more of them? Without a good Freeze Chamber playset, these guys are basically diorama fodder or something for the Secret Apprentice's lightsaber to cut up. It's a decent enough item, but I'd be lying if I said I was particularly enamored with owning it.

Collector's Notes: There are multiple versions of this figure expected, two of which are out now. This exact figure includes U-3PO's left arm, in either silver or a quasi-champagne color. A running change is expected which will include an alternate sculpted figure with a different head, no apron, and possibly different accessories.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,040: June 9, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 66: Ugnaught

UGNAUGHTS with Tool Kit
Power of the Force Collection 2
Item No.: Asst. 69605 No. 69837
Number: n/a
Includes: 2 figures, tool kit, rubber apron, Freeze Frame action slide
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $5.99
Availability: Summer 1998
Appearances: Primarily The Empire Strikes Back; also appears in the Expanded Universe

Bio: Ugnaughts, the humanoid species found on Bespin's Cloud City, manned the controls of the freezing chambers where Han Solo was encased in carbonite. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' shelf.

Commentary: And to think, the other one was the cute one! The ugly Ugnaught returns here today for the second half of this two-pack, and this one doesn't have the fancy apron or the nicely painted face. He has four points of articulation, a carry case, and is molded in the fleshy plastic color for his face, so he looks a wee bit inferior to his package-mate. Not especially popular or likable, the main reason to buy these is to flesh out your Freeze Chamber dioramas or to "collect them all."

Collector's Notes: When I did part 1, I commented about some of these figures languishing in drug stores for a few years-- since the figures came out in 1998, that's some feat. Even more shocking was in May, I received several emails indicating that their local drug stores still had this figure available for sale at full price, $7.99. To put that in perspective, that's 8 years-- it's like finding carded vintage Return of the Jedi figures in 1990, or perhaps a more apt analogy would be stumbling on something like first series Playmates The Simpsons figures or the final waves of Jurassic Park: Chaos Effect. It's somewhat freakish.

Day 66: July 11, 2006

Figure of the Day: Day 34: Ugnaught

UGNAUGHTS with Tool Kit
Power of the Force Collection 2
Item No.: Asst. 69605 No. 69837
Number: n/a
Includes: 2 figures, tool kit, rubber apron, Freeze Frame action slide
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $5.99
Availability: Summer 1998
Appearances: Primarily The Empire Strikes Back; also appears in the Expanded Universe

Bio: Ugnaughts, the humanoid species found on Bespin's Cloud City, manned the controls of the freezing chambers where Han Solo was encased in carbonite. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' shelf.

Commentary: Boy howdy, is this an ugly figure. This Ugnaught one of two in the 2-pack, but for the sake of this article, we're splitting them up. Each has a unique sculpt, and this is the tusked, gloved, and square-shouldered one. With limited articulation at the neck, shoulders, and waist, it's not exactly super-articulated. (Although the fact you get 2 makes up for it.) The sculpt is very good, and unfortunately, Hasbro's willingness to put 2 figures in 1 package for under $10 have seriously waned. The individually painted tusks, the soulful eyes, and the dog-ugly face bring out a lot of character in a toy that's little more than a little person in a rubber mask. In and of itself, it's a pretty good figure. For dioramas or your Cloud City playsets, you'll want a lot of Ugnaughts, as they're very nicely done.

Collector's Notes: And if you want a lot of them, boy, are you in luck. As one of the many Collection 2 figures from 1998 which didn't sell too well, this guy was still seen in drugstores by yours truly through at least 2002, and I have few doubts there's a Walgreens somewhere that still has them at $8.99. Today, this set of figures can be had for a couple of bucks tops, so don't get ripped off-- be stingy.

Day 34: June 9, 2006