Figure of the Day: Day 163: Chewbacca (Millennium Falcon Mechanic)

CHEWBACCA Millennium Falcon Mechanic
Power of the Jedi Collection 1
Item No.: Asst. 84445 No. 84577
Number: n/a
Includes: Torch, goggles, Force File
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Early 2001
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: Loyal even at a great personal risk, strong as a gladiator, and as technically savvy as the brightest Academy graduate, the two meters plus Chewbacca is a true hero of the rebellion. Chewbacca is copilot aboard the Millennium Falcon, where his skill as a mechanic proves invaluable to the safety of the ship and its crew. (Taken from the figure's Force File.)

Image: The toy shelves of Adam Pawlus.

Commentary: When this version of Chewbacca came out, fans weren't complaining about yet another core character figure. They were elated, because this was the start of Hasbro trying to scale the figures properly. Chewbacca towered above Princess Leia, and the Bespin Han Solo released around the same time was appropriately in the middle somewhere. This figure is quite tall, and is painted nicely. It's a real departure from the POTF2 range and is, well, more "modern" in that it initiated a new era of more accurate sculpts for many of these characters for the first time. The figure has the standard six points of articulation plus a swivel around the elbow to better "fix" things. The paint is good, the expression is good, and the accessories are unique to this figure. While this particular sculpt of Chewbacca has been reused, you won't find the torch and goggles anywhere else. This alone warrants the purchase as you aren't going to find another mechanic Chewbacca figure in the entire line.

Collector's Notes: This figure was repackaged to death during the Original Trilogy Collection line, but with different (or no) accessories. He was packed with the Millennium Falcon for Sam's Club, with the C-3PO Carry Case for Wal-Mart, and all by his lonesome, to name a few. This figure is very easy to come by, and is pretty cheap if you want him. But as I said, the accessories are unique to the Power of the Jedi release and that's why this is one of the better versions of the figure.

Day 163: October 16, 2006