Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,901: Luke Skywalker

LUKE SKYWALKER Death Star Escape
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 97568 No. 30150 
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #VC39
Includes: Blaster, comlink, grappling hook
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $8.99
Availability: January 2011
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio:  Celebrate the legendary Star Wars saga that changed the universe forever! This collection brings to life the incredible story of good versus evil that captured our imagination and took us to a galaxy far, far away. Iconic Star Wars heroes and villains are captured with incredible detail and premium features to commemorate each epic tale in the Star Wars saga. May the Fore be with you!  (Taken from the figure's packaging.  There is no bio.)

Image: Adam's former kitchen.

Commentary: The center of Star Wars is either Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader, depending on who you ask.  I think more of the old-school fans would argue it's Luke because prequels, eh.   This version is a mishmash of new and existing parts, being part of the Vintage Collection's only real "repaint" wave.  Of course, that's something of a misnomer as it's a retooled figure with some cool new accessories.

Luke is made of a new belt and cloth tunic piece, with the legs from the 2004 Vintage figure and arms from the 2007 30th Anniversary Collection release.  The head has been used elsewhere, arguably decorated better in the Resurgence of the Jedi Battle Pack.  He can sit fairly well and with 14 points of articulation, has no real problems having a function as a plaything.  You want to cram him in a vehicle or playset?  Not a problem!   Need a figure to swing across the Death Star chasm?  This one works!

The coloring of the costume is fantastic, but the skin color looks a little pale.  The sculpt is decent, but the best-overall Luke figure is still probably the 2008 Resurgence of the Jedi Battle Pack one.  (Which also has a pretty swell R2-D2 in there.)

Collector's Notes:  This wave, depending on where you lived or shopped, may have been pretty common.  Luke is still around in my neighborhood at a grocery store as of when I write this, but you can probably get one online if you want to at a decent price.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,901: September 26, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,900: Super Battle Droid

SUPER BATTLE DROID Battle on Mygeeto
30th Anniversary Collection Battle Packs
Item No.: Asst. 87503 No.     87815
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 4 other figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99-$24.99
Availability: Summer 2008
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith, maybe, sorta, not really

Bio: As a stronghold of the InterGalactic Banking Clan, the crystalline world of Mygeeto is caught in the maelstrom of the Clone Wars. It is where much of the Separatist movement’s wealth is kept, and so it is targeted by the Republic: gain control of Mygeeto, and the Separatists lose crucial funding. Ki-Adi-Mundi is stationed on the icy planet with the mission of wresting it from the Separatists. Together with Clone Commander Bacara, Ki-Adi-Mundi and the Galactic Marines battle the droid army in fierce urban fighting, pushing forward against a grim onslaught of super battle droids and enormous tri-droids.   (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo hole.

Commentary: Sometimes Hasbro will crank out repaints that come from a place I don't quite know.  The Cylon-like Super Battle Droid hit the stores in 2008 as one of the last Battle Packs in its assortment.   It has no weapons, but the deco is really nice.  The dark, almost black glossy figure has covered in some nifty silver detailing.  Check out the patterns on the chest and on the joints, as they make certain parts of the figure pop nicely.   The gun on the hand is also decorated, which certainly helps give it a little life.  The key feature on this figure is that the eyes are painted red, which really sets it apart from other releases.  While not quite super articulated, this mostly-articulated figure is based on one of the better molds for this character and is totally worth getting if you aren't married to the idea that all figures you buy from these movies are actually from the movies.

Collector's Notes:  I saw this set at Toys R Us a few times, and online, but they're gone now.  The prices aren't terrible for the set, and because of the different droids I'd suggest getting it.  Each of the five figures are different enough to be interesting, but this one is particularly cool.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,900: September 25, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,899: C-3PO

C-3PO  Arena Battle
The Legacy Collection Target Exclusive Geonosis Arena Packs 2010
Item No.: Asst. 97645 No.  97652  
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: 6 of 6
Includes: R2-D2 figure
Action Feature: Swappable Battle Droid head, blaster, backpack, R2-D2 figure
Retail: $12.99
Availability: October 2010
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: The Jedi Knights rush to Geonosis to rescue Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Padme from execution. The Jedi brandish their lightsabers against the Geonosian warriors and the massive army of battle droids, super battle droids, and droidekas. All hope seems lost that any Jedi will survive this battle, then Yoda arrives with an army of clone troopers. Although many Jedi are lost that day, others survive this climactic battle that ushers in the Clone Wars.  (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's former kitchen.

Commentary: When is C-3PO not C-3PO?  When it's based on the 4-LOM body!  This super-articulated figure is swimming in moving parts and fantastic paint detailing, plus it has a removable head which can be swapped out for a Battle Droid just like in the movies.  This version looks way better than the 2002 deluxe release (which was subsequently repackaged in 2006 and 2007), and I assume the reason Hasbro went with the 4-LOM body, aside from it being unused most years, was because the hands were ready to grip a blaster.  That's something most C-3POs cannot do.  This 2-pack is a lot of fun, so if the price is right go ahead and get it.  Both figures are improved over previous releases.

Collector's Notes:  This set dried up pretty quickly.  They were all over in late 2010, and then suddenly vanished in a pile of what seemed to be a new shipment (but not new production, if you checked the date stamps, and I did) of the 2009 arena packs.  The 2010 sets were pretty nice, but as they're harder to get you may have to shell out for them.  I can't help but wonder if more are out there to be had, or if figures like this one are due to be repackaged in light of the upcoming 3D rereleases.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,899: September 24, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,898: Passel Argente

PASSEL ARGENTE Separatist
Revenge of the Sith Collection 1
Item No.: Asst. 85173 No.  85690
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #III-61
Includes: Mustafar display stand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $5.24-$6.99
Availability: Late 2005
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: This humanoid senator once served the Galactic Republic. Argente later committed the forces of the Corporate Alliance to aid the Separatists in battle. He is instructed to go to Mustafar and await the arrival of Darth Sidious’ new apprentice, Darth Vader.  (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo hole.

Commentary: Why have one Passel Argente when you can have two?  The first release from 2003 wore green, and this redeco is orange.  As an added bonus, this figure has a small lightsaber slash in the chest which is a fun wound as wounds can go.  OK, so maybe it isn't so much fun but it is very orange.  He has limited articulation and was a part of a once-proud tradition: the obligatory year-end repaint wave.  (These are pretty much gone now.)  It has no special articulation to speak of, and he stands best with the support of the firey Mustafar display base.  The base itself is a PVC fixture which sort of bends out of shape funny.  As such, it may not be ideal.   It's a decent figure, but not one that was too impressive in 2005 and today starts to feel a little bit older.  It's still not bad.

Collector's Notes:  Not all "last wave" figures are rare and valuable.  This one came out at the very end of Revenge of the Sith's toy run and came out at one per case, in few cases.  Being unpopular can work wonders on keeping figures affordable, and this one still is pretty cheap.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,898: September 21, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,897: Red R5-Unit Astromech Droid

R5-SERIES ASTROMECH DROID White Dome with Red Panels
Star Tours Droid Factory Customizable Figure
Item No.: No. ???
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Head, 2 legs, torso, central third leg, optional hat
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $10-$12
Availability: 2012
Appearances: n/a

Bio: These figures do not have specific packaging or configurations.  As such, we will be treating each dome as a unique "figure" as that part is the most plentiful.   At this time there are 25 domes and while Hasbro sometimes seems to indicate they are not Hasbro product, they do have Hasbro copyright markings and as such we are classifying them under the Hasbro banner.

Image: Adam's photo hole.

Commentary: The Red R5-Series Astromech Droid is not R5-D4, but it's close.  It's so close where I think this will fall under "just different enough to make you mad," but I like this figure so much that I wouldn't ask for a Red Robot Refund.  (I LOVE YOU SERVOTRON!)  The dome itself is, of course, the main piece we're examining and it departs from R5-D4 and R5-D8 in a couple of meaningful ways.  R5-D5's double-stripe at the top of the dome is a single (like R5-D8.)  The head is clean and devoid of dirt, also like D8.  It lacks the antenna of other mass-released R5 units, and the big silver stripe where the dome meets the body is gone, and is replaced by a band in between the two bands on the "neck," if that makes sense to you.  If it doesn't, just nod and go along with me that this is just going to make you mad.

The body I went with was Red R2 with Red and White Legs.  This makes it very similar to R5-D4s released before, but there are numerous red boxes on the back of the figure and any blue from R5-D4 or R5-D8 is now gone.  It's a purely red robot.  Certain panels have been tweaked a bit and in all honesty, the vast majority of you will have no reason to pick up this figure unless you're crazy for astromech droids and need all of the parts... and I do.  It's also very similar to the original 1979 Kenner R5-D4, which, really, is the reason I like this figure the most.  Granted, it ain't a perfect Kenner update but it's nice and it's just different enough to be worthwhile, unless you're looking to cut corners in your robot stash.

Collector's Notes:  This item was a customizable release at Disney Hollywood Studios in Orlando, and you can configure them any way you wish.  Considering there's a super-swell green version, the red R5 unit is probably going to be one of the last ones you chase down.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,897: September 20, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,896: Anakin Skywalker

ANAKIN SKYWALKER  Backpack Fires Missile!
Discover the Force Movie Heroes Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 36563 No.  38565  
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #MH14
Includes: Stand, card, die, projectile, helmet, backpack
Action Feature: Firing rocket
Retail: $8.99
Availability: February 2012
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio:  Thought still just a boy, Anakin Skywalker is already a gifted mechanic.  He builds devices like a jet-powered backpack using bits and pieces thrown away by Watto, the junk dealer who owns the young slave.  Anakin uses his mechanical ability to construct his own Podracer and rebuild a discarded protocol droid named C-3PO.  (Taken from the figure's box.)

Image: Adam's photo hole.

Commentary: Fun fact: this Anakin Skywalker and the Vintage "Padawan" versions were the first new preteen figures of the character since roughly 2001.  Little boy Anakin got a repaint or two in things like the Jedi High Council, but Hasbro dropped The Phantom Menace like a bad habit in 2001 and aside from a few token figures a year, it went largely ignored.  Sure, there was the odd theme wave, but they were far and few between.  For the 3D rereleased of the movie nobody was clamoring to see in the first place since we all just bought the Blu-Rays, Hasbro made a new "toy" figure assortment which had great sculpts and fun accessories.  In Anakin's case, they also had iffy paint.   While there's a delightful layer of dirt and grime with a nice paint job on his face and helmet, take a look at his belt.  The area directly below the belt was left unpainted, and why I'll never know.  Maybe Hasbro said "Well if he's sitting down, the clothes would be folded over and dust wouldn't get in it."  But that kind of rationalization doesn't sit well with me, it looks funky and I can't really tell you that it doesn't.  Anakin sports six points of articulation and has a nice likeness to the actor whose appearance in this movie resulted in his early retirement from the cinmea.

The reason to buy it, aside from the decent figure, is the backpack.  I love it-- it's big and goofy, it looks like Hasbro asked its 1990s Batman team to craft a Pod Racer-esque weapon for the young boy.  The very notion that a small boy, even one with magical powers, just happened to build a jet-powered rocket pack of death out of junk he found laying around is so absurd you can't help but love it.  It may not have a strong movie connection, but it looks sufficiently Star Wars-y, is fun to play with, and is a kajillion times better than a spanner as an accessory.  It's fun, I approve.

My only real beef about this figure is that it was the only new "Tatooine" Anakin designed for 2012 and it doesn't fit in the Pod Racer.  None of the Anakin figures sold in 2012 fit in the Pod Racer.  The only one that really fits was packaged with the original release of the vehicle in 1999, which to me shows that one thing that hasn't changed over the years was Hasbro's ability to not play with these things before they come out.   Get Anakin because he's the best version of the character in his main movie outfit-- don't get him as a vehicle pilot.  Trust me.  I would very much like to see Hasbro make more figures like this-- good sculpt, limited articulation, insane accessories-- so if you're reading Hasbro, nicely done, and more, please.  If you only buy one Anakin figure, this is probably your best overall pick.   I know, I complain a lot, but it's still really good.

Collector's Notes:  This figure has been in semi-decent circulation since he debuted, I've seen more of him at drug stores than toy stores. eBayers sell him for as little as $4 but he's usually closer to $13.  Retail stores are about $9.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,896: September 19, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,895: Flitchee

FLITCHEE Ewok Pack
Discover the Force Toys R Us Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. A0790 No. A0791
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Packaged with Tippet, Nanta, Teebo, and Kneesaa figures
Action Feature: Swappable hoods, knife, Stormtrooper blaster
Retail: $39.99
Availability: August 2012
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: The Ewoks of Bright Tree Village join forces with the Rebels to battle Imperial troopers.  These diminutive natives of Endor are fierce fighters with an array of weapons to help defeat the troopers and immobilize Imperial walkers.  Armed with spears, clubs and weapons taken from overpowered troopers, the Ewoks do their part to free the galaxy.   (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo dump.

Commentary: With two hoods and a name previously assigned to an Ewok god, Flitchee is something of a mystery.  Even the packaging shows a different sculpt from the final figure, on the box the picture shows what seems to be a repaint of the 2009 Paploo, while the final product is a repainted Leektar head on a retooled Paploo/Leektar/Romba/etc. body, I think.  Given the arm positions and a lack of a sculpted belt, anyway, that's what it seems like to me.

He's pretty neat.  I'm almost disappointed they stuck him in a boxed set, because he has two sets of gear to use.  There's an all-new hood (pictured) sculpted especially for this set, but he's packaged wearing a redecorated Graak hood.  If that means anything to you.  So basically it looks like he's an old figure with an old head and a new sash, the weapons are rehashed from a Stormtrooper and Leektar.  It's new enough to be interesting, and it has enough gear that it's basically two Ewoks in one.  Given how I don't even know how "correct" it is since I'm not 100% sure which movie Ewok, if any, Hasbro was attempting to replicate, this guy seems to have found one that looks like the figure in Graak's hood.

I really prefer the alternate hood and pouch as pictured.  It's a tight fit, but it fits like a glove.  The gun is a cute bonus, as a kid I frequently gave my Ewoks the guns of their fallen foes, especially after seeing the two Ewok movies on the teevee.   I'm torn between his two looks, but that's why I'll probably buy another of this set as soon as there's some sort of worthwhile discount at the Toys R Us.

Collector's Notes: The set started showing up about a month ago, and dang if it isn't fun.   You should be able to find it with a little work, and while the bang for the buck isn't there (2.5 Ewok 2-packs should be about $25 tops, and this is $40) I find the set interesting enough-- particularly with all the variant gear-- to warrant the price.  If I were buying this set on the secondary market in the future, and it's off TRU shelves, I'd have no problem dropping $50 on it.  It's worth it.  I pay $8 for Glyos figures, and I love those.  So I can pay $8 for an Ewok.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,895: September 18, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,894: Clone Trooper Lieutenant

CLONE TROOPER LIEUTENANT  The Blue One
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 37499 No.  39650  
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #VC109
Includes: Blaster pistol, blaster rifle, helmet
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: July 2012
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: Celebrate the legendary Star Wars saga that changed the universe forever! This collection brings to life the incredible story of good versus evil that captured our imagination and took us to a galaxy far, far away. Iconic Star Wars heroes and villains are captured with incredible detail and premium features to commemorate each epic tale in the Star Wars saga. May the Force be with you!  (Taken from the figure's packaging.  No specific character information.)

Image: Adam's photo dump.

Commentary: So first thing's first, my Clone Trooper Lieutenant has no eyebrows.  Looking around, it appears I got "lucky."  Harrumph.  Anyway.

The figure is a redeco of the 2011 Clone Trooper body, which looks fantastic but like many super-articulated figures, is sort of a nuisance to pose to get to stand properly.  The lack of display stands is sort of annoying, because you have a largely exquisitely decorated action figure with a few sweet spots, but getting it just right can be tricky.  The plain white figure is devoid of damage, and was given blue stripes which, frankly, give the figure a lot more blue than I would have expected.  I like it.  The shade of blue is different from previous releases, looking closer to what we saw in the 2003 Clone Wars cartoon, even if just by a bit.  The helmet sculpt and deco are great, and if your figure had eyebrows, you might not assume he is an ancient Egyptian whose cat just died.

If you haven't bought one of these before, the articulation is pretty impressive.  Ball-jointed hips are joined by bend-and-swivel wrists, giving the figure a very bendable 14 points of useful articulation.  When you add the slick deco, it seems Hasbro is going for colors which will look better on your shelf and make you mad you army-built between 2002 and 2010.  I can hear them laughing now.  "Suckers!"  Of course, it's borderline impossible to troop-build these days given the higher prices and lack of availability, so just get one and enjoy it.

Where the figure really shines is in its weapons.  Like the 2011 plain white figure, his weapons have paint operations in silver and bronze, which do a lot to add some visual heft to an otherwise bland gun.  After all, most of the guns have been unpainted since 1978, which was more or less normally the case except for lightsabers starting in 1995.  The overall figure, especially if you leave the helmet on, isn't half bad and is probably more than worth your while to buy if you can find it.  This is, of course, the trick.

Collector's Notes: Distribution is what it is, but I did see this one a couple of times over the last few days between Toys R Us and Kmart. The figure is sold in 3 different ways: a San Diego Comic-Con Exclusive boxed set, and two "vintage" packages for retail.  One is based on the classic Kenner packaging, and the other is a blue and black cardback based on a rejected Vintage artwork from the 1970s.  I prefer the standard black and silver, but it's certainly nice to see this new concept brought to life.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,894: September 17, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,893: Mauler Mithel

MAULER MITHEL Black Two, Yavin Pilot Pack
Discover the Force Toys R Us Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. A0790 No. A0792
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Packaged with red Jek Porkins, Tiree, Davish Krail, and R5-D8 figures
Action Feature: Removable helmet, blaster fits in holster
Retail: $39.99
Availability: August 2012
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: The Battle of Yavin is a decisive battle in the fight to free the galaxy.  The Rebels achieve an important victory when they destroy the Death Star.  The pilots of Red Squadron and Gold Squadron, supported by their trusty Astromech Droids, take on the menacing Imperial pilots in a ferocious space dogfight around the battle station.  (Taken from the set's box.)

Image: Adam's photo hole.