Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,229: IG-12 with Grogu and Anzellan (The Vintage Collection Deluxe)

IG-12 with Grogu and Anzellan
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. G0670
Number: #286
Includes: Blaster, chest panel, 3 character figures total
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.99
Availability: February 2025
Appearances: The Mandalorian

Bio: Clever Anzellan droidsmiths have refurbished IG-11’s salvaged parts into a pilotable frame for Grogu, who can operate the droid body like a vehicle. Stripped to base motor functions, the droid has been renamed IG-12. (Taken from the figure's set's cardback.)

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: Is this one figure or three? I'm having a hard time with that one given that The Vintage Collection IG-12, Grogu & Anzellan has two extra-tiny figures which both serve as a missing part of the IG-12 mech. "What is a figure?" gets brought up a lot, and I should probably count this one as three - but you might not enjoy that. So let's say it's one, and we'll just make them all brief. It's a neat set.

The meat of the toy is IG-12, a surgically enhanced release of 2021 IG-11 [FOTD #2,871] with a new torso. He was $13.99, this one is $24.99 and you get one fewer blaster. It's pretty good - the figure's head lacks two cream-color deco hits, one below the eyes and another just above the neck joint. It lacks some of the shine around the waist, but that makes sense because Hasbro gave us a removable baby gate part that would probably snap or decay if made from a hard, shiny plastic or vac-metalized. Everything else is pretty good with the light tan bits on the legs and arms, the red on the shoulders, and the same good design we got with IG-11. The problem on my sample where that the elbow joints were frozen, and needed a lot of encouragement with boiling water and some time in the freezer to move freely. The ball-jointed elbows are a smidgen loose, and while I can't engineer a better design I can say that I wanted something a bit stronger. If you got IG-11, it's a lot like IG-12.

The hands are wonderfully creepy with multiple clawed fingers splayed out, but unfortunately aren't very good at gripping the blaster rifle. This isn't the end of the world, as neither Grogu nor the Anzellan spent most of their time blasting fools. The new torso demands more examination, in part because Hasbro didn't point out how it worked on the packaging. The chest pegs in on the waist, so you can remove it to place in the Anzellan or Grogu as a pilot. Both can more or less reach the joysticks, and Grogu is a very tight fit. You will need to count on the flexibility of his ears to be crammed in there and be plugged in place securely in very specialized sockets. The Anzellan is a little looser. For what Hasbro aspired to do, I think they did a pretty good job repurposing existing parts - but the many tiny joints are very challenging to fully actuate thanks to paint and very specific tolerances. If you find it on clearance (and you probably will) buy two, just in case one snaps or is difficult.

I should also point out that the figure has an interior. Inside the chest panel you can see some pistons, levers, and what may be a screen. The body cavity has a sculpted upholstered pilot's seat, and it's even painted in spots. Hasbro could have left it unpainted and, with a pilot inside, you'd never notice. Someone over there clearly recognized that if they're going to charge us $25 they better put some extra detail in there. Sure, I would've put it on the robot head, but for all I know you'd be screaming at me for making the wrong choice. There's a lot going on here with sculpted cables and jointed ankles and a head with four swiveling layers, so I assume this figure is probably scraping the ceiling of what could be done at the price point given its complexity.

Piloting the EVA-11 are two familiar faces. The Anzellan is new to this scale, and is quite a remarkable tiny figure. It is difficult to appreciate that a 3/5-inch figure costs a lot of money to make when it has moving parts or painted elements. Paint, paint masks, and assembly cost similar amounts for a small piece as a large piece, so it doesn't matter if you could cram this guy in your nose, plug the other side, and shoot it out - it still costs Hasbro a fair amount of money to make it. If you can squint, you'll see tiny eyes, a little mustache, a shirt, goggles, a scarf, painted skin, and more. Size matters not - the factory in China is going to bill you for four or five colors on a tiny figure with jointed arms as if it were a more complex toy. If Hasbro made it as an unpainted slug figure, the price would be absurd. While it might be a hair higher than is necessary, I don't think they're ripping fans off here - this sort of thing is actually expensive to make, especially if you see how generally great and clean the paint applications are. You know I love to complain, and I don't think Hasbro shorted us on this little guy.

Rounding out the set is Grogu. He's shorter than other Vintage Grogu figures, no doubt because I don't think there would be a way to fit it in the tiny torso of a robot figure. He has joints at the neck and shoulders, which is what he needs to fit in and pilot his mobility walker. Hasbro did not skimp on paint here either. Not only are the eyes and hands painted green, but so are the feet. His collar and sleeve cuffs are also painted, as are the pink interiors of his ear. Hasbro could probably have left those last few bits unpainted and, when piloting IG-12, you'd never know. Given that this is a deluxe figure it seems they're acutely aware we have to feel like we're spending $25 on something really good, and while I would be curious what a $20 version would look like, at least I can't poo-poo what we got here. The little guy fits in the chest like a glove, but you might want to use a toothpick to put his ears in place. The figure's sculpt is all new, and he looks excellent. In terms of scale he's a smidgen smaller than I would expect, just barely taller than the Anzellan droidsmith.

While some deluxe figures don't feel like they're much better than a similar release from just a few years earlier, IG-12 is on the happier side of worth it. Things like extra heads with extra fine paint masks cost money, and Hasbro basically delivered a $17 figure with two extra heads here. A long time ago I was told a head is about 1/3 of a cost of many figures - I haven't a clue if it was/still is true, but let's say it is - making this a decent deal for what you get on the cardback. It stings that a deluxe version of a formerly $14 figure is now $25, but I can't imagine a world where tiny Grogu or tiny Anzellan figures would be under $4 in a blind bag or through some other format. You're not going to feel like you got an amazing deal, but it's a fair value for three characters in a single package.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,229: April 3, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,228: Darth Vader (Epic World of Action)

DARTH VADER 2025 Kids Line
Epic World of Action "Power the Force" Basic Figure
Item No.: Asst. F9405 No. G0100 (same 2024 SKU, new 2025 figure)
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: February 2025
Appearances: Obi-Wan Kenobi
Bio: Seduced by the Dark Side of the Force, Sith Lord Darth Vader led the Empire's eradication of the Jedi order. (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!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Death, taxes, and new Darth Vader figures are the only inevitabilities of life. It's going to happen. The question: how? The 2024 Epic Hero Series line is now the 2025 Epic World of Action line - a much improved product for the same price, or cheaper. To the average consumer, 2024 Darth Vader [FOTD #3,218] looks identical to 2025 Darth Vader. Both seem to be derived from the same basic sculpt with enhanced articulation - so this is a new tool, a new slot. It's a pretty good figure, too.

The armor is based on Obi-Wan Kenobi, featuring the gloves with the lines across the hands and shoulder armor with robes underneath. Comparing the old and new "Epic" Vaders side by side, the wrinkles and creases are all in pretty much the same places. The only giveaway that it's new is a "Power the Force" burst on the package - that's Disney's 2025 marketing umbrella - and a new energy-crackling lightsaber. 2025 Vader looks mostly the same, but now you can pose him a little bit better and adjust his center of gravity.

 But what about that lightsaber? It uses the same chunky hilt and adds an energy-cracklin' blade that would make Kylo Ren blush. There's a lightsaber inside there, but it's covered in massive energy surges that make it stand apart from every version of the character we've seen so far. Hasbro's Unleashed Vader figures didn't even have a real "swoosh." Kids might dig it. For collectors who have it all, weird departures like this remind you that this doesn't have to be boring. It's surprisingly to see an "extreme" accessory in rather conservative packaging, too.

You don't have to buy this figure just to get the lightsaber. A Mech is coming with the same Vader mold, painted with red Force energy, and he'll include the same cracklesaber. (Heck, maybe just wait for that one.) I think kids will dig this version and people who poo-pooed the 5-jointed figure might appreciate bend-and-swivel joints at the shoulders, elbows, knees, and hips, with a ball-jointed neck. Counting generously - any 2 pieces of plastic that join to make a moving part as a joint - this Vader has 15 points of articulation. For eight bucks, that's really good. And just as I wrote that, the right shoulder snapped off in the joint. Well. (I bought a case with two Vaders, so time to open the other one. Time elapses, nothing broke and all the joints are good.)

Assuming the "snap" was a fluke, this is a really good figure. The articulation is just right, he stands up well, and his articulation allows him to have a bit more personalty. I'd buy this figure for a kid. I'd love to see what other riffs they can do on Vader for kid toys, especially as in 47 years we usually just get "guy in black suit with red stick" (or sometimes, no stick.) Clearly, Hasbro is holding out on us, and has lots of neat ideas. I hope the kids like this one, because making a familiar villain look dangerous again is tough to pull off. While not as articulated as The Vintage Collection, he's really good - and half price - which is going to be good enough for a lot of customers.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,228: April 1, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,227: R2-BNE (Bunny, Holiday Droid Factory)

R2-BNE Hoppy Easter
Star Wars Droid Factory 2025 Spring Droid
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: Bunny ear hat
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: February 2025
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. This droid can e found in the idyllic plains of Naboo. Join R2-BNE on their adventures throughout the galaxy. 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: Disney's special droids now greatly outnumber Hasbro's output, so if you want a seasonal souvenir you're probably going to be buying a bunch from the house of mouse. The latest offering is R2-BNE, which sold out online in under a week. Clearly, people like rabbit hats. The droid itself is the same mold we've been getting, with a new hat. The web bio says "Artoo's signature colors take on pastel hues and he wears an adorable pair of bunny ears, making him a stellar find in every Easter basket and the cutest way to celebrate the start of spring." The cardback bio indicates they are a separate character. Which will you choose? Probably neither, as it sold out, and you may not have another crack at this one.

This is a pretty good one. Rather than going with green, Disney opted to take a white droid and add both blue and pink to the figure. And it really works. Not necessarily evoking Easter specifically, these colors look a lot like some of the Easter Bunny characters I've seen some other manufacturers over the years. Specifically, the Hallmark/Crayola bunnies from about thirty years ago. (Retro ornament enthusiasts may remember Hallmark's various Easter Ornaments and other collectibles from that era, but I digress.) I don't anticipate a big edition size for this one as seasonal stuff tends to have a pretty short shelf life. Go to the parks if you missed it online, it sold out quickly. Heck, buy two. There will be someone who wants one.

Since it's the first Easter droid, the good news is there's nothing else like it in the toy line. Hasbro hasn't done a lot of pastels, Disney has largely stayed away from pinks and baby blues. The coloring is a little paler than the renders on the cardback, but I assume to most fans it'll look like baby color R2-D2. The figure is mostly a case of what you see being what you get, with one exception - under the dome is a really striking metallic blue color. I was expecting the "guts" underneath to be unpainted or gray, so this was a real surprise. There are also a lot of little details I would have not expected, like pink highlights around the eye and "ankles." I see no indication that anybody pocketed pennies out of the paint budget to make this one.

If you're a droid fanatic, or if this particular color suits you, you're going to want this one. I don't anticipate a ton of Easter figures in the coming years, but who knows? I would've expected a few Valentine's droids by now, and haven't yet seen one. The generous helping of pink mixed with blue really looks great, and I've got a lot of friends who I think will be excited to see this one - or they would be, had it not sold out so quickly.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney as they were offering free shipping. Shipping is presently around $10. Parking at Downtown Disney is also about $10, so short of a clearance find or dumping on eBay I don't expect it to get much better than this. I ordered it February 17, received it February 20, and it was sold out on February 20. If it restocks, better hop on it.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,227: March 27, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,226: General Grievous (The Retro Collection)

GENERAL GRIEVOUS Kennerized
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. G0371
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 4 lightsabers, another 5 figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $59.99
Availability: November 2024
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

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: This The Retro Collection General Grievous is great modern figure, based on a character that maybe just can't work as a Kenner figure. Thin limbs might snap, maybe the eyes wouldn't look right with less color in them. There's no right or wrong way to spin the tale of the Kenner-era Grievous. 2024 Hasbro opted to base Kenneral Grievous off of General Grievous (Four Lightsaber Attack) [FOTD #424] from 2005. Kenner of old rarely included button-activated features on its old action figures, but it wasn't shy about breaking out of the standard five jointed format for its droids. Hasbro also opted to try something new.

In terms of deco, it's very similar to the 2005 figure - bony armor, silver highlights, and mutli-color eyes. The eyes are a bit too advanced for any 1980s figure - honestly, it's pretty advanced for a 1990s figure. I would've been fine with a single-fill color, because the very fine red border around a yellow eye with a slice of black in the middle looks excellent for modern standards. Figures with two eye colors were very unusual back then - The Emperor comes to mind, cartoon C-3PO, some variants of Lando, Max Rebo - but not too much more. As to the color choices, it matches the movie - so as a fan, you might ask if Kenner would have gone with "movie colors" or the sneak preview figure colors, based on a cartoon or other preproduction source. Like I said, there's no wrong way to do it, but I think this one seems a little too good as coloring goes. I'm also one of very few people who would love to see a repaint of this figure in incorrect colors.

The arm engineering is this toy's shining feature, and shows some real creativity. With EV-9D9's mouth, C-3PO's removable limbs, and FX-7's many bending arms, Kenner wasn't shy about integrating all-new features on droid toys. General Grievous' arms all swing out - but not forward. He has seven jointed parts, which more or less would qualify as super articulated back in the 1980s. It's a choice that makes for a more fun figure, but also restricts his ability to fit inside most toy vehicles. (Note: you can cram him in the Grievous Starfighter if you slide him in without the control console. It's weird, but it fits.) This is something we've seen on a few collector figure lines that would sometimes get fixed down the road (especially 2007 G.I. Joe) but the oversight always stings a bit. Most old action figures were designed with vehicles in mind - Kenner wanted to get another $20 out of kids. This is an understandable, but unfortunate, choice that probably would happen in the old days. It's also possible they would sell another Grievous figure. I wish it had SilverHawks-style "squeeze the legs and arms pop out" action, but it's probably too advanced for the toy story that this figure aims to tell.

It's also fun to imagine this figure's hypothetical development cycle. We all know the movie, and Hasbro clearly made this figure after seeing it. But would Kenner have had the luxury? Would they even have known about the split arms? Yoda (1980) seemed to be made from the wrong playbook, so it's kind of fun to think of a version of this figure where they had to make up or imagine details.

While the Clone Trooper was almost too stiff, Grievous is a little too loose. His pose and posture all seem to show years of toy expertise and thought about how to make a good figure, whereas most old Kenner toys were a little simpler and in many cases, stiffer. C-3PO's pose was pretty close to how he moved on-screen, but not exactly. Grievous feels like they nailed it. There's a lot of detail with very skinny hands and fingers (probably impossible by 1980s standards) and a lot of fine detail that seems unrealistic for an old toy. The legs are sculpted more robustly, so he won't fall over - and I love that. The feet are also unusual in that the claws are instead massively wide talon-like toes, which is an interesting way to solve the problem. Walrus Man had swim fins, so seeing Hasbro imagine Kenner taking a weird swing at the feet makes total sense.

I can't imagine they could do the sculpt in a way that would work better, nor would hard plastic limbs likely survive being handled by a child. Thin, rubbery limbs were scarce in the Kenner days - I have to say Hasbro did the best they could with this one. The four retro lightsabers look great, and his hands are sculpted amazingly well to hold them without dropping any. It's a nice quality of life improvement, and I'm glad Hasbro is making Kenner figures with improved grips.

This one just doesn't have a Kenner feel or, other than the lightsabers, a real Kenner look. If I were toy tyrant, I'd probably ask Hasbro to make a version in the wrong Clone Wars cartoon colors and simplify the eye deco - but I'm not, and I'd say this is about as good as you can get. He's a popular character, but it's possible weaseling out of doing him in favor of Dooku or Obi-Wan Kenobi would result in no Kenner fanatics arguing how a cyborg's fingers and toes should look. It's a perfectly nice modern action figure for a great price.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,226: March 25, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,225: Tessek (The Vintage Collection)

TESSEK Squid Head Take Three
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. F6986
Number: #286
Includes: Blaster, cape, 3 more carded figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $72.99
Availability: October 2023
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Protected by Skiff Guards, Jabba the Hutt's sail barge bustled with court members, henchmen, and dregs of the galaxy who attempted to curry favor with the grotesque crime lord. (Taken from the figure's set's box.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: One of the reasons I dragged my feet opening this set is it was two obscure new humans (exciting), one repack of a figure I already bought twice, and this new Tessek. Now I loves me some aliens - but I was also really happy with the ones I had. The 1983 Squid Head may not be the right colors, but he's a delightfully chunky alien who could hold his blaster, and look cool doing it. In 2001, Hasbro did another take on him - this time all-plastic - adding a working holster and fixing the colors. I would argue the 2001 Power of the Jedi Tessek may be the best overall... but if what you need is articulation, this 2023 release is the winner.

Despite being a recognizable alien, this character (and his species) has precious few figures. What's interesting is he's not an all-new release. The arms? Bib Fortuna. The legs? Cal Kestis. The hands, cape, torso, and head all seem to be new. I'm torn between praising Hasbro's cleverness, and being a little annoyed that the arms seem too skinny. When paying premium prices for fancy collector figures I want it to be all-new, but truth be told, it's not bad. The joints all move well, everything fits together nicely, and the head and hand sculpts are all excellent. The colors are a little too saturated, and the cape hangs kind of funny - but it needs to, in order to look like the movie.

Reusing elements has some positive side effects. Cal Kestis' legs can swing forward without hinderance. The cloth cape and skirt don't get in the way, and his girdle looks absolutely great. The arms move nicely, and the fingers - while odd - can hold his blaster without much fuss. The tongue and teeth look great, and the eyes look good too. It's weird that the cardback photo doesn't quite match the movie or figure, but hey, he's got eyes. I think they're a little dark, though.

This is a good figure that gets the job done. But if I were on a budget, I could skip it and be happy with the previous two - not because the figure is bad, but because it's overkill. For an alien who stands and does nothing, I don't need knees, or ankles, or wrists. A figure with five or six joints more than fills the need for a figure to hang out in a room with other aliens. The 2023 release has a sharp sculpt, great soft goods, and excellent coloring - so if you're buying one, this is probably the one to get - but don't feel bad if you've only got your originals. Kenner and Hasbro always do a good job with this guy, down to what I assume are some back-of-neck gonads.

If Hasbro is still making figures in 8 years, I'd suggest they re-reissue this guy in "Kenner colors." That is, a silver belt, paler robes, desaturated skin, and so on. I think fans would appreciate "Squid Head." This figure has been selling for $25-$60 by himself, so maybe there's no real reason for Hasbro to make fans wait. Of course, you could also just get a Power of the Jedi Tessek for about ten bucks (cheap) or the 1983 Squid Head for a mere $30 and up. None of them have ankle tilts, though.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,225: March 20, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,224: Jecki Lon (The Retro Collection)

JEDI PADAWAN JECKI LON Figure Debut
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. G0386
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, cloth robes, 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: On the Jedi half of The Acolyte The Retro Collection 6-pack, Jedi Padawan Jecki Lon is a perfectly good figure in her own right. She has the same cream-colored sleeves, tan pants, and brown boots, and gold vest area as the other Jedi, which makes her and her Jedi pals a little less interesting in the area of costuming. That's not Hasbro's fault, but it is a good reminder that uniforms are pretty boring. Hasbro has given us 18 Retro figures in 2024, and eight are a riff on this same robe costume. To put that in perspective, the entire original Kenner line had a total of eight movie Ewoks, and only three figures had this sort of quasi-Jedi costume. Variety is good, especially in multi-packs. It doesn't mean a figure is bad, but it does make it a little less fun than a pack of mixed creatures and droids and Sith and such.

Of the three Jedi, this one may be the most interesting in that the Padawan is one of very few short figures. She's an alien, and her skin color is a light lavender - we don't see that very much. I like the yellow details around her eyes - "Kenner" left extra deco out on the backs of her hands - and the dots and textures around her eyes are missing too. I can't really say "this is what Kenner would have done" because precious few figures had any sort of stripes around their eyes. I like that they painted her horns (which is what Kenner did with the Tusken Raiders), but I'm surprised the wig is a separately molded element. Mine seems to be a touch uneven, but I've only seen the one sample so far... and mine has uneven eyes.

The figure is as functional as any other good Kenner release. The arms swing, the head swivels, and the legs move forward. She stands, and thanks to a little bit of "give" in the fingers, either hand can hold her green lightsaber. The robes are sculpted about as well as any figure in the line (this means, a little soft on detail compared to a real Kenner toy) and I think any person who sees her on a card or on a shelf who is in their 40s or 50s will probably think she looks great. To have any real issues with sculpt or paint, you're going to need to have great eyes, or get in real close, or have really bright lights.

Looking at the paint, the colors are nice. The blue behind her belt was exaggerated slightly and pops nicely. I'd say the body is roughly as good as anything Kenner would have done, with the head showing evidence of that advanced future manufacturing witchcraft. I'm hoping to see another up-close, because overall, I think the separately molded wig is the best move Kenner didn't and should have made back in the 1980s. I hate seeing worn hair or nose dings on painted faces, and this gets around that problem. It's clever.

My favorite design choice was the padawan braid. While Hasbro has sculpted the braid on a shoulder before, Jecki's wig is a bit longer than Obi-Wan Kenobi's - as such, it looks a little more "connected" in most poses. It's not perfect, but it tends to work very well in most poses and was the right way to go.

Jecki has two accessories. One is a pretty good robe that wraps around the figure, preventing you from seeing Hasbro's hard work in the packaging. It's easy to put on or off, and the color seems right. Her green lightsaber is a reuse of the 1980s-style non-telescoping Luke lightsaber, which has been included with no fewer than a dozen other figures. If you've ever dreamed of official lightsabers in many colors, oh has your ship come in.

For what she is? She's fine. I find Jedi costumes to be dull - and in this set, repetitive - but I like Kenner stuff so I'm going to pick these up while skipping the 6-inch ones. (I'd rather have these, they stand and sit with less of a fight.) I don't think any old-school Kenner fanatic will prefer The Acolyte to any of the original 3 movies or the D+ streaming lines given their generally good mix of armored dudes, droids, and even a few aliens, because it's hard to one-up an Ewok or Yak Face or Zuckuss. They're great. But she's pretty good, and with the neat colors she'd be just at home on a shelf with characters from the Droids cartoon. I'd recommend getting this one if you're a fan of the format. I know, she's not a bounty hunter or a rubber-mask alien, but I'd say I find her more satisfying than the average collector-level figure. She gets the job done.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,224: March 18, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,223: Taym Dren-Garen (The Vintage Collection)

TAYM DREN-GAREN First, probably only figure
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. F6986
Number: #287
Includes: Blaster, hat, 3 more carded figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $72.99
Availability: October 2023
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Protected by Skiff Guards, Jabba the Hutt's sail barge bustled with court members, henchmen, and dregs of the galaxy who attempted to curry favor with the grotesque crime lord. (Taken from the figure's set's box.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: It's easy to take good things for granted - I got this awesome Taym Dren-Garen figure in 2024 and didn't get around to cracking him open until last month. There's so much inbound stuff that it can be easy to lose focus when Hasbro actually delivers something not merely good, but seemingly impossible to imagine actually existing. We've gotten precious few all-new characters (with recycled bits) in the past few years for Return of the Jedi, so getting Obscure Human Extra from a movie 40 years late is something of a miracle. Is it perfect? Well, it's close enough. I'm still salty about the Bespin Guard not being quite right, but this guy? Hasbro was 100% right to reuse molds as needed.

The upper legs and hands seem shared with Velken Tezeri, a character I did not know by name. For some reason I saw a trading card for Taym and the moose antler hat is easy to remember, and also Vest Bare Arms Guy, but this really shows you the power of merchandising. If you put out books, comics, trading cards, Dixie Cups, or other things people may actually learn all the names eventually! His arms seem to be recycled from a Nikto, and given his relative obscurity and the fact that it looks very close - if not exact - I have no complaints. Maybe I'm a hypocrite, but I look at it like this: if you're updating an old action figure, the new one needs to be perfect. If you're making a background guy on a budget, getting the broad strokes right - colors and such - that's absolutely good enough in my book. Hasbro gave this guy the ball-jointed hips and thigh cut (oooh) and bend-and-swivel wrists (ahhh) as well as excellent chest deco. There's some weathering on those leather panels, plus a painted belt loop. He has plenty of pouches - presumably correct ones, I have no idea - and an amazing hat. Maybe it's not perfect, but given it's a human head with some scarves and antlers, it's perfect for my needs.

This figure is surplus to requirements. If they just gave us a new head and hands on an old body, I'm sure most of us would go "yeah, good enough." But sometimes Hasbro reminds us that they love us, and they love these 40+year-old-movies as much as or more than we do, and this is one of those utterly absurd cases. You can pop the helmet off - that's amazing. But underneath, they separately molded some random guy's hair, and it looks like some random guy from the 1980s. According to Wookieepedia, his name is Larry Holt, and if you look around on Google you'll see pictures of him and damn if he doesn't look just like the figure. It's amazing - for a guy who you weren't meant to see, this level of detail reminds you of why you still collect these things. Sure, new "classic" figures are super scarce but when Hasbro knocks one of them out of the park it's hard to not be incredibly impressed.

Given unlimited budgets and time, I'm sure Hasbro could have made a 100% new sculpt... but I don't think it would've done much here to make a figure that in any way gets the job done any better. He stands, he aims, he looks like some random pasty guy in the desert with a hat who killed a moose thing. It takes some work to get his ankles just right, but you can do it, and it's amazing that he exists. I would be willing to bet you money we'll never see a toy of this guy again... maybe a reissue some day. You'll be sorry you missed this one, or at least, I would be. Figures like these are why I'm glad The Vintage Collection still exists, but the slow-drip release of "new old guy I don't have can be hard to deal with when you get four versions of the same Disney+ guy in as many years. So yes - get this one. And if Hasbro ever makes a Kenner-style one, get it too. I'd buy two of them. Thanks Hasbro, for reminding me what a twerp I am for not enjoying the great stuff you already made and I pre-ordered and didn't immediately crack open. Figures like this are what this is all about.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,223: March 13, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,222: Anakin Skywalker (The Retro Collection)

ANAKIN SKYWALKER Kennerized
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. G0371
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, another 5 figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $59.99
Availability: November 2024
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

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: A few days before I opened The Retro Collection Anakin Skywalker, I pulled out some older figures. As luck would have it, the 2023 Yak Face reissue just happened to be on my desk at the time, and it's really weird to see them side by side. Obviously Yak Face represents the end of the movie line in the 1980s, a larger-than-usual figure that was famously hard to get and was The Figure You Didn't Have for most fans in the 1980s. (Until it was confirmed Vlix wasn't a myth, which vexes some of us decades later.) He's got amazingly good detail on his head and hands, with wrinkles in his outfits and sculpted fur. Even the reissue looks great. Anakin looks smooth, simple, and gets some details spot-on while others seem a bit off. I'd say he's good, but maybe the slightest bit undercooked.

I'm nitpicking. I'm generally agreeable to whatever Hasbro wants to do here (especially at $10/figure), but I've had enough conversations with fans to see their points of view, too - Kenner figures had surprisingly deeply sculpted and sharp detail. It was simple detail - but it was intricate. This figure's details are mostly softer, as can be seen in his facial scar, but the straps on the backs of his boots are actually quite good. It almost feels like a clash of styles, but hey - it's still a "Kenner" Anakin Skywalker, and no matter if I love it or hate it, I'm going to enjoy playing with it.

The figure gets the job done. If you put this unpackaged figure in front of someone with a familiarity with toys, that person would clock him as a Kenner-flavored Anakin. I don't know if they would guess that it was an official figure. A lot seems ridiculously right. His boots look somewhat digitally sculpted and are maybe a bit too perfect, but the depth on those rings on the backs of his legs look good and they seem sharper than the detail on the rest of the figure. The wrinkles on the pants and sleeves look good, and the hair seems pretty close to what I imagine Kenner would deliver - and even if it's not, you've seen their Han Solo heads. Accuracy is optional. The colors seem pretty good - a few of Hasbro's "Dark Side" Anakin figures seemed paler, like this one - and they even made the decision to include his scar, which I'm not sure if I would have if given this assignment - it was a good move on their part to try it.

Despite his fingers seeming short, they can grip the lightsaber just fine. For long-haul fans, the thought of getting an official release of this lightsaber mold in blue - a legendarily scarce 1983 variant from Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker - for ten bucks seemed impossible, but here we are. Since Hasbro doesn't like doing telescoping lightsabers, I'd say the accessory choice was a sensible one.

Some fans might be put off by the glove - it's missing the metal clips, and it's brown instead of black. I have no problem with "wrong colors," given I own a Walrus Man figure. The lack of sculpted glove detail I'm on the fence about - if Hasbro made this figure based on preproduction drawings and it was "right" based on the concept for the design ca. 2003? It's perfect. If they forgot to put them on there, they whiffed it. I don't know the story, and when you do figures like this it's more about "art" than "authenticity." It's vibes, it's feeling - and I don't think anyone is looking that closely at the glove.

The leather part of his robes feels a little too smooth, a little too shiny, and a little too perfect. There are some folds in most costume photos, and this looks like, well, plastic. Comparing him to figures as far back as 1978, nearly every figure had some folds, wrinkles, or other signs of movement in their plastic "fabric" elements. This may, too, be a design choice on the part of the sculptor - but it also does feel a smidgen undersculpted. It's not bad, the figure has a great belt, but those dark leather bits are plain to a fault. Hasbro's Revenge of the Sith and The Vintage Collection figures had much more "movement," and so did the 1984 mail-in Anakin Skywalker robes. I don't hate it, but I expected a bit more there. His pose is more in line with the "stiffer" figures from early on, with a posture that feels like he's going to have back problems later tonight. It's just a little too perfect.

The arms are fascinating - they seem a little short because of a subtle bend in each elbow, which once again makes me think the sculptor used Bespin Luke as a template. Also interesting, the flesh hand is kind of odd. This isn't a knock - Kenner had some weird left hands, with flesh paint that sometimes went over the wrist a bit onto the sleeve and looked like a glove. Mine seems to have a bit of this, which I appreciate mostly for a sense of Kenner authenticity. (Was it the factory's intent? Probably not.) It seems a little thick and a little fake, but I'd say the same about most Lobot action figures I've seen. (And brother, I've seen a lot of Lobot figures.) If I'm right and the figure's posture and arms were based on Bespin Luke, I'd like to encourage Hasbro to stop using him as a template.

I like the head sculpt - hair is hard to get right, especially Hayden Christensen's. Hasbro opted to Kenner-ize his hair by making it a bit tamer (like Luke's figures) but keeping it a bit longer and a hint of waviness in the back. I think they got it. His face is basically good, but one of the eyes on mine has some weirdness in the paint, and since I can't just buy Anakin I'm not sure if I can get it replaced. If this set goes on sale, I'll buy a second one. If looks like the eyes are good on most figures - but could be better on mine. The designer's intent was in the right place, as is Anakin's scar. It might be too shallow, too subtle here - I feel Kenner would have made it a bit deeper just to ensure it shows up. If Hasbro left it off, I might not necessarily miss it.

Given Hasbro only made three Revenge of the Sith figures for this collection, I think they made some good choices - but also, none of them are amazing. Anakin looks close. Grievous has a great feature, but has a paint job that feels very modern, and those split arms feel like they could never be done by 1980s Kenner. The Clone could be better. But I can believe that this Anakin went through some revisions and someone, somewhere, really wanted to make him look and feel like something Kenner could have put out around the time of The Empire Strikes Back. I wouldn't throw it back. For the price, I'm happy with it. I also would love to needle Hasbro to consider making Obi-Wan Kenobi (ROTS) in this style someday. (Perhaps in 2025, for Revenge of the Sith's 20th anniversary, maybe after they get to Vlix for Droids' 40th. Neither of these things will happen, of course.)

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,222: March 11, 2025