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 3,205: Hera Syndulla (The Ghost, The Vintage Collection)

HERA SYNDULLA (The Ghost Pack-In Figure)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Pack-In Figure
Item No.: No. G0040
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: HAS 003
Includes: The Ghost ship, meiloorun fruit, blaster, Kalikori, 3 additional figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $499.99
Availability: December 2024
Appearances: Star Wars: Rebels

Bio: During the time of the Empire, the Ghost served as a mobile base for General Hera Syndulla's small band of rebels working to aid the people of Lothal and other planets in need. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Well, you can't get this Hera Syndulla because this live-action version of the cartoon version of the character was packed with a HasLab The Ghost which arrived late December 2024. She, and most of the figures in this set, share some tooling with other figures - I would've been fine with straight repacks (or early releases) to not irritate figure completists who don't want to spend $500 ($600 after tax and shipping) to get a complete set. As of my writing this, it looks like eBay sellers are getting $100-$125 for her, which is more or less normal for The Vintage Collection rarities upon release now. For the fans who bought these sets to part out and flip, I assume they're mostly very happy. Even the ship (sans figures) goes for a pretty penny, but will it last? If history is any indication with Razor Crest, probably not, no.

Hera surprised me by being mostly new with few shared parts. I would've assumed they would have kept the legs, or parts of the body, but no - the only parts that carry over with the Disney+ release are the head and the hands. This means that Mary Elizabeth Winstead's face is painted green and appears on this figure, with a gray (rather than brown) flight cap. I think brown looks better, but this is very good, and the sculpt was already excellent. The eyebrows on my sample seem a little weak, but it's a good "real life" translation of the cartoon character plus or minus the fact that her lekku generally are a little wider apart.

The costume is effectively the cartoon suit from the final episodes of the show - the gray around her collar is a big change, and the shoulder armor is absent. It's pretty close to the outfit she had throughout the series, though, but has the little rank badge on her shoulder, the medal on her left shoulder strap, and the gray straps on her orange flight pants. She even has the silver on her boots, and a working blaster holster! Hasbro nailed the costume's translation to this particular look with no real shortcuts. For fans of Mary Elizabeth Winstead asking "Is it caked?" the answer is "no," the proportions of this figure's body are more aligned with the cartoon. I wouldn't have minded if they made her headphones bigger and gave her different goggles too, but such is the mystery of whatever budgets Hasbro deals with.

As the pilot she can fit in her ships - The Ghost has multiple seats and beds for her to use, and the articulation allows her to make good use of them all. The Phantom is scaled-down to roughly mini-rig (with fancy paint) size, with only one very small seat and a scaled-down Chopper. The ship itself does not impress up-close, and it severely limits which figures can fit inside the cockpit, which sort of ruins its "toy" value. But - Hera can squeeze in there, barely. The Retro Collection Hera will not fit, though, and I think Hasbro would have been better off fudging the ship up a bit or even selling it separately in a better toy size. I'm sure I'll sound whiny saying this, but I paid $500 for this thing, and The Ghost ship is about 2/3 empty bulk, The Phantom is almost comically downsized - which I didn't noticed at SDCC 2023 when I saw it in person - and the figures are more than 50% recycled parts. I expected a little more. Knowing that the Cantina is looking to be a little light (I don't need 100 glasses), I don't know how excited I will be to bang the drum for the next The Vintage Collection crowdfund.

As far as accessories go, it isn't above/beyond most normal figures. You get a meiloorun fruit (you got one with Zeb already), a blaster (same as Ahsoka Hera), and a Kalikori - a bit of Twi'lek family history/folk art/artifact action that, were it left out, you may not miss it. It's a nice extra, though, and I appreciate every last thing Hasbro can put in a set like this to add some semblance of value to a toy, even if that amount is maybe fifty cents. Was it worth buying this set for this figure - indeed, any or all of the figures? Heck no, unless you need a complete set. I assume Hera fans will want them all, and with good cause - this is a nice figure! Fans would appreciate it if Hasbro did a "white box" or photo cardback release later, maybe minus the accessories. At the right price, this is a well-crafted figure that delivers the promise of a real-life version of a cartoon character as a higher-end collectible action figure.

Vehicle Commentary: The entire package is probably not really worth the asking price, but you can see where the money went. The packaging (note below) is overkill, and the ship itself is decorated with loads of painted buttons, switches, screens, and panels inside the ship that older fans will most likely never really see nor appreciate. It's too fancy, yet also downsized, which probably is going to leave some fans with a sour taste in their mouths. Hasbro did a Galactic Heroes version of The Ghost for about $40. I feel as if it might be worth it for fans to consider lobbying Hasbro for more "toy" items because perhaps a $100 The Ghost would've scratched the itch, especially if size compromises are unavoidable. The Barge and the Razor Crest felt like the best possible expressions of those vehicles we could get with no wasted space... and the figures were pretty redundant. This set has figures that are different enough that you'll want them, but the vehicle comes up a little short in many places and overdelivers in others.

After three huge HasLab ships and a number of hefty The Vintage Collection releases, space is now becoming a concern. Hopefully Hasbro's next pick has a smaller footprint. A big tall Death Star that's basically a DETOLF but a playset could be fun. Or The Black Series AT-ST. Or just a really big box of unlikely The Retro Collection figures. What would you pay for a legit Vlix or two packed with the entirety of 1985 (and unproduced 1986) Droids cartoon figures? I can't do another ship that's going to require the purchase of new furniture to enjoy it, though.

Packaging Notes: This may be the most overpacked figure of all time. Hera comes on a standard, unpunched cardback. It's packaged in a big brown box with 4 other figures that measures 31x11.5-inches - which for 4 6x9-inch figures is kinda bonkers. The Retro Collection multipacks just stack them tightly. The Vintage Collection Amazon/Pulse sets sort of stack them with the bubbles visible. That box is packaged with 3 other boxes with ship parts in a graphical The Vintage Collection box, which has corner protectors and is in a brown cardboard box, which has additional corner protectors in a bigger, third cardboard box. And you know what? Despite the two outer boxes being perfect, my inner graphical box has dents on it - so it's a lot of extra cost taken on by Hasbro and the consumer that may not have done us any good. At least the carded figures seem to be perfect, but gosh it's a wasteful use of space.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,205: January 9, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,204: Mother Aniseya (The Retro Collection)

MOTHER ANISEYA Figure Debut
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. G0386
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Another 5 figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $59.99
Availability: October 2024
Appearances: The Acolyte

Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection is 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: As of my writing this, this is the only Mother Aniseya figure we've seen. Will there be another? I don't know - but I doubt it. Hasbro did a good job sculpting a figure that looks like a Kenner design, but Disney did a better job making a costume and make-up job that was designed for higher-definition televisions. If you watched the show, you'll have noticed incredibly ornate fabric patterns, incredible hair, and jewels galore. This level of detail is fundamentally incompatible with old Kenner designs, which is part of what makes it interesting - someone has to be an editor, and very carefully decide what the budget can carry. At $60, this 6-figure set was relatively cheap and given Ms. Aniseya lacks any accessories, you can see that Hasbro decided to put the budget into her hair pieces and paint.

Given the nature of the show, it makes sense. It's rare to hear me say this, but I think this figure would've been best in Vintage - she's the only "flashback" figure in the set, so she's kind of the odd one out as it is. Having said that, it's an interesting choice in that there aren't a lot of other figures like her. Most humans in the Kenner style have been white dudes, and almost all hair is short. Her design is not unlike Bib Fortuna, with long hair in the front and back featuring a hint of flexibility so it doesn't snap. Like Bib and the Emperor, her "gown" legs are split in the middle with no wavy fabric patterns underneath. Her purple gown is incredibly striking, but it lacks the intricate pattens from the show. The angled grid on her blue elements are closer to how Hasbro handled them on the Hoth figures of the 1980s, not quite raising the grid like on the show. But everything is more or less where it should be, with various jewels and ornamentation in the hair. It's clear Hasbro was working from good reference materials, giving us a figure that looks like something we could have had in the early 1980s.

If I was handed this figure with never having seen the show, I'd say "wow, this is cool!" She looks like she could fit in anywhere in Star Wars, and given her witchy tribe, young kids, or younger antagonistic Jedi will never be made in this format, that's handy. It's weird to have a figure like this that won't necessarily belong anywhere, and she's off-model enough that you could believe she could be hanging out with C-3PO or Mon Mothma or the Emperor. That shows that, at their core, the Disney designers more or less nailed the costume. Unfortunately they did such a good job making the face distinctive that she looks very little like her TV counterpart beyond the most superficial elements, like "has eyes." The figure downplays the distinctive make-up, with no chin or forehead ornamentation. The eyes are more defined on the show, but that's not the kind of thing Kenner would try to replicate. It would be great to have those silver markers there given how they stand out, but alas, it was not meant to be. Hasbro did a great job capturing the spirit of the costume and Kenner aesthetics here, which is more or less what I want out of this line. It doesn't have to be perfect - and goodness knows, it isn't - but at least it's different than the rest of this collection.

Given the figure's price, and how unique she is, I'd recommend picking her up even if you don't like the show. The three Aniseya family members seem to be the best in the collection, with distinctive costumes and unique hair - and if they show up at Ross I'm buying another set. Aspiring customizers will probably come up with great ways to improve her head paint, and if they do, I hope they share links with me. Also if you line up all your Kenner or Retro figures, this would probably be the first in the timeline.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,204: January 7, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,203: C1 (Penguin, Holiday Droid Factory)

C1 Penguin Droid
Star Wars Droid Factory 2024 Advent Calendar
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: R2 Gingerbread Droid, BB-8 Snowman, Chopper Penguin, Gonk Gift, D-O Holiday, B2EMO present, R1 Holiday Bell, wreath, Santa hat, drink tray, scarf, tiny top hat
Action Feature: Articulated arms, removable wreath, opening claw arm, removable third leg
Retail: $79.99
Availability: August 2024
Appearances: n/a   

Bio: All different types of astromech droid populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors. Open up the Sandcrawler to reveal and build 7 new droids to celebrate along with them for 25 days this season. May the Force be with you... and your droids! (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: This R1 (Penguin Droid riffs on the Chopper C1-10P body with the vibes of a rockhopper penguin wearing a scarf. It kind of works, it kind of doesn't, but what matters is that it's distinctive and not particularly holiday-ey. Nothing about it particularly reeks of Christmas, but there are penguin-inspired elements like the splashes of paint around the eyes, the central eye being painted kind of like a beak, and of course the yellow feet. It's not too overt, and the off-kilter scarf splash of red paint certainly evokes the idea of a winter garment without being overtly Earthy.

You've seen this mold many times before but there are some key changes, like the radar dish. Specifically, there is no radar dish on his dome. You do get a green wreath with red berries and a gold bow, and it has indentations to sit on his arms. You'll need to pry off the dome or the arms to get it seated, though. Aside from that, the plastic parts are pretty much the same as several other Disney C1 droids - and that's perfectly fine.

With removable limbs and the usual series of joints, there's a lot to like here and not too many surprises. The bright white and golden yellow colors really pop against the black chassis, and at first glance it seems like it might be out of place in the dark, dusty, and otherwise corroded galaxy from which our toys hail. I wouldn't recommend getting the set solely for this figure, but it's a good figure in a pretty great set. If you're all-in for droid figures, Disney put some good variety into this box and you'd be well-served to pick it up on sale. At full price, it's not bad - but if you've got hundreds of droids and few to no playsets, your need for them may be pretty insignificant by now. I like it enough to say I'd love to also see orca, quail, or other creature-inspired droid recolors. With the pop-out arm and distinctive look, I'm not going to get rid of it or anything.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney as they were offering both a discount code as well as free shipping. At under $70 delivered, it's pretty worthwhile. Try SHIPMAGIC or DISNEY25 codes to see if they still work.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,203: January 2, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,202: KE4-N4 (The Vintage Collection)

KE4-N4 (E-Wing Fighter Pack-In Figure)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Pack-In Figure
Item No.: No. F9395
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: A whole E-Wing Fighter
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $99.99
Availability: November 2024
Appearances: Star Wars: Ahsoka

Bio: Astromech droid KE4-N4 served alongside New Republic E-wing pilot Lieutenant Callahan on Lothal. (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: The KE4-N4 is the kind of thing that makes me happy. The little guy basically was nothing more than a cameo in a TV show, but it was memorable. It's a weird place we're in with entertainment, when the story isn't a complete thing what we remember is a cameo for applause - but if it's obscure, it's more of a subtle head-nod to a certain person. Since I am that person, I'll accept your pandering, Lucasfilm. I think it's great Hasbro made this figure. I think it's a weird decision to bundle him with the E-Wing (rather than the human pilot) because this droid could probably sell more units to customizers - but hopefully Hasbro will repaint him in R2-D2 colors for an exclusive for some handsome devil's online retail shop.

I like this figure, and I feel kind of like a dork for saying "it's not necessary." The ship on the TV show only showed a dome, and I don't know if there is a full prop or if Hasbro just made up a body. The body itself is a reuse of the build-a-droid mold that has been around since 2008, so you no doubt have several figures with this exact body. It differs from most of the droids Disney sells in a few ways, the most obvious of which are the visible wires on his feet. The body itself has a jointed dome, removable third leg, and rotating legs on the sides. It's nothing particularly new - it's also probably a cheap add-on (depending on the factory whims) for a $100 vehicle.

I would have bought the ship with or without the figure. I prefer figures sold separately so I can get extras, and the ship itself is pretty good - it doesn't feel like a $100 toy, and the deco is fine. It's big enough that you won't complain, but you're going to need very skinny humanoids to pilot it. (I started with the first figure on my desk, a Retro Clone Trooper, and it didn't fit - but the TVC X-Wing Luke body used for those Rebel Pilots 4-pack fits.) The droid fits in the droid socket, but you have to pop off a panel to fit him in there. There's even a little indentation so you don't have to remove his third leg - Hasbro did a good job here in terms of droid compatibility.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,202: December 31, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,201: Jango Fett (The Retro Collection)

JANGO FETT Kennerized
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. G0371
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #341
Includes: 2 blasters, another 5 figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $59.99
Availability: November 2024
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection is 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 big fan of The Retro Collection, warts and all. Nobody's going back to 1984 to pump out more figures, but at least they're trying. Jango Fett is part of a six pack that's half Attack of the Clones and half Revenge of the Sith, with some sensible choices and some that are just going to make you mad that each prequel didn't get its own six pack. Jango Fett is probably tops of the list of characters to make in any format, and he's joined by two sensible choices - Padme Amidala and Mace Windu. (If it were up to me I'd throw in Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Count Dooku.) What's particularly interesting about Jango is that Hasbro made a 5-jointed version of him roughly a decade ago, and they're somewhat similar. I also assume the number of people who are grown-up Kenner kids who are looking at these figures and going "well, actually" while opening them up and playing with them is a vanishingly small group, and people might not even take these guys out of the 6-pack box they got in the mail. Their loss! It's a good figure.

Hasbro once again opted to make a Jango that mixes his costumes. The dent-free helmet of Kamino is here with the second silver and blue jetpack we saw on Geonosis. It's not true to the movie figures we got in the 2000s (but matches the The Vintage Collection deluxe figure) and I feel like Hasbro has a blank check to make those kinds of decisions with The Retro Collection. If they want to make a figure based on incorrect concept art colors, or with the wrong blaster? They should be encouraged to do so. (For Vintage and Black Series, accuracy matters. As a kid, Bib Fortuna had a weird twisty cane and nobody complained.)

The bulk of his costume feels like they put a typical modern design through a Kenner fun factory, with the various belts, holders, pads, vambraces, and so forth, toning down the musculature a bit and giving him a slightly more dynamic pose. What I found really odd were his holsters. Jango typically wears them with the leather straps over his thigh armor - this figure seems like they sculpted it digitally and accidentally pushed the straps behind the armor. It makes it look like his non-functional holsters are just kind of floating - you might not notice, but I did, and it's kind of weird. I almost feel like we got a figure that was near the final stage of development by accident - other than those holster straps, I think the decisions Hasbro made were really good. There aren't as many nifty details as on 1979 Boba - take a look at his quilted shoulders or the wrinkles on his arms and legs - but the armor seems right and the pose feels pretty good. His right gauntlet has recessed squares that seem deeper than the costume - those were shallower rectangles. The change is, well, "wrong" but who cares? It's Kenner, baby, getting a few details wrong is what makes them fun.

 Jango's helmet looks a lot like Boba Fett (Morak_ [FOTD #2,935], which is more or less what you want. It's a departure from the 1979 figure, but I think it fits in with the "story" Hasbro seems to be telling with these figures. Clearly Hasbro's interpretation of the future of Kenner would be that this is the new standard helmet, and I think it was probably the best choice. The sculpted details are all pretty much identical except for the dent in Boba's helmet, if you compare the backs they both have the same vent designs.

His backpack is really interesting and threw me for a bit of a loop. When I first saw it, I thought it was the original backpack with some modifications and the wrong coloring - but it's got to be the JT-12 with an elongated rocket. Sadly Hasbro dropped the vestigial retooled L/J-slot that we got on Boba Fett (Morak), but the proportions seem pretty close to what you'd have to get out of Kenner. I feel this was more of a "get it?" gag than how Kenner would have done it, but I'm probably overthinking things here. The little jets are melded with the figure's back - just like Boba - but this time they gave him some extra paint to set them apart. It's not quite right - but that's what makes it interesting.

The paint is the one place this figure really gives me pause, mostly because it's so good. Figures like Snaggletooth had duller silver paint back in the day, and this paint - while not vac-metal or a mirrored finish - is incredibly shiny. The quality of the materials is excellent, but - and I'm probably one of few fans to think this way - Hasbro should be allowed (no, encouraged) to cut corners. The original Kenner toys were dirt cheap back in the day, and it would be unusual for the company to cover the figure in so much paint, and so nicely too. The brown paint looks fine, the blue on the helmet looks good, and they did well.

Jango's twin blasters are, perhaps, a little too good - they look just like any typical modern WESTAR-34 blasters. I think most fans are going to love these, and they are the kind of thing I assume most Star Wars fanatics expect. Having said that, if they gave us gray Kea Moll/Squid Head blasters instead? I bet those would be just as easily accepted and would also be something Kenner Actual would have done.

Is he - and the set - worth it? Look, $10 per figure for six newly sculpted figures that vaguely resemble what I had as a child will always be worth it to me. Don't tell Hasbro, but I'd probably pay $15 for a new Retro figure as long as they were genuinely new without complaining. This is one of the better ones, and I will buy another if the set ever goes on sale.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,201: December 26, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,200: R2 (Gingerbread, Holiday Droid Factory)

R2 Gingerbread Droid
Star Wars Droid Factory 2024 Advent Calendar
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: R2 Gingerbread Droid, BB-8 Snowman, Chopper Penguin, Gonk Present, D-O Holiday, B2EMO present, R1 Holiday Bell, wreath, Santa hat, drink tray, scarf, tiny top hat
Action Feature: Glasses are removable, rotating dispenser arm, tray harness looks cool, removable third leg
Retail: $79.99
Availability: August 2024
Appearances: n/a
Bio: All different types of astromech droid populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors. Open up the Sandcrawler to reveal and build 7 new droids to celebrate along with them for 25 days this season. May the Force be with you... and your droids! (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: This R2 (Gingerbread Droid is arguably the reason you will want to buy this set - it's too good to pack in a giant $80 blind box. I hope they consider releasing it individually in the future, mostly because it's so good, I bet there will be a big market for it. And if not R2, maybe R3 or R5 - there's a lot of paint here and the general premise is just so good, I can't knock it - even if it is primarily a holiday thing.

The R2 mold has been repainted and sold so many times I don't need to tell you about it. You've seen the drinking variants too - the harness is packed with glasses, this time filled with milk to go with the cookie droid. A dispenser sits on his hat hole, it's a little loose but it swivels nicely. The details are crisp on his harness, and I wonder how it will hold up in the long run. Today, at least, it looks excellent.

The droid itself hits all the major notes. The brown plastic looks like gingerbread, with a tremendous amount of white paint providing fully painted panel lines and full panels in "icing." Some "candy" panels are also painted, with red, green, and even black elements. Everything looks pretty sharp, and the level of white paint is thick enough where it doesn't seem like the brown plastic is in any danger of breaking through.

I don't know if it will work in a non-holiday scenario, but it's such a charming design that I don't think it matters. It's a neat idea, it proves there are some opportunities left in the concept. You may not see this set as worth $80 - if it weren't for the stackable coupons, I'd have skipped this set this year. The concepts are mostly good, but the piles of holiday droids are stacking up - with nowhere to go.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney as they were offering both a discount code as well as free shipping. At under $70 delivered, it's pretty worthwhile. Try SHIPMAGIC or DISNEY25 codes to see if they still work.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,200: December 24, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,199: R1 (Holiday Droid Factory)

R1 Holiday Bell
Star Wars Droid Factory 2024 Advent Calendar
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: R2 Gingerbread Droid, BB-8 Snowman, Chopper Penguin, Gonk Present, D-O Holiday, B2EMO present, R1 Holiday Bell, wreath, Santa hat, drink tray, scarf, tiny top hat
Action Feature: Sits on clear stand, dome and "foot" end removable
Retail: $79.99
Availability: August 2024
Appearances: n/a   

Bio: All different types of astromech droid populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors. Open up the Sandcrawler to reveal and build 7 new droids to celebrate along with them for 25 days this season. May the Force be with you... and your droids! (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Many of the figures in this box make sense - some, so much sense I'm surprised they weren't sold individually on cardbacks! This R-1 mashes up a couple of concepts, giving you a figure on a clear display stand. It's a redeco of The Mandalorian R1 [FOTD #2,912] from a few years ago, and it's pretty clever. Weird, sure. The barber shop candy can body with a knob at the end and a bell on the top makes for a lot of easy jokes, but I'll leave those to you at home.

The figure requires some assembly. It's worth noting the dome pops off, as does the bottom tip, were you so inclined to trade them with other releases. The figure is fairly light on deco, and the holiday colors seem like they might not be too out of place in a vintage cartoon, or in the background of a scene where they're some kind of safety droid. The vaguely golden bell more or less works, the pole on which it sits works too, but I can't say that the bottom element is working for me in all white. Maybe it would look better in gold - it does have a series of subtle gold dots painted facing the stand, and it's not terribly easy to see them without picking it up and examining them up close. The greeblies mostly fade in to the design with minimal deco, but they're there, and I'm sure a customizer could add some weathering and make things really pop nicely.

If sold outside the context of a Star Wars Christmas collection I don't know that this toy would work. If sold individually, it might be confusing given how it departs from the 1977 R1 design and shape. It's a clever reuse of the mold. A Festivus pole might be a better fit if they decide to do a third colorway of the mold, but that's not what we got. Maybe this candy bell would look good as another addition to a diorama of the droid customs line at the starport on Annoo. I don't really have a place for it, but I'm sure I'll find one.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney as they were offering both a discount code as well as free shipping. At under $70 delivered, it's pretty worthwhile. Try SHIPMAGIC or DISNEY25 codes to see if they still work.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,199: December 19, 2024