Figure of the Day: Day 863: Chewbacca

CHEWBACCA Battle of Endor
30th Anniversary Collection Target Exclusive Battle Pack
Item No.: Asst. 87565 No. 87567
Number: n/a
Includes: Spear, hood
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $49.99
Availability: November 2007
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelves.

Bio: Chewbacca (or "Chewie", as he was known by his friends) was a legendary Wookiee from Kashyyyk and co-pilot of Han Solo's ship, the Millennium Falcon. He was the son of Attichitcuk, the husband of Mallatobuck, and the father of Lumpawaroo. Chewbacca carried with him the name of an ancient Wookiee hero, the great Bacca, first of the great chieftains of Kashyyyk, and the creator of a sword that denoted leadership among the Wookiees. This name placed Chewbacca in a noble lineage, which was further supported by his role in the Battle of Kashyyyk during the Clone Wars and during the Galactic Civil War. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Commentary: Hasbro knows fans love Chewbacca, which is why there's generally one in circulation these days. This particular version is pretty unique in that he's colored strangely-- his fur is much lighter, and almost a little orange. Other releases are significantly more brown and generally the same color-- which means this figure could almost act as a unique character in your dioramas. Based on the 2002 Cloud City Chewbacca, which was reissued in late 2006, painted with snow deco in 2004, and no doubt making another appearance in the future, it's a pretty decent figure. With 10 points of articulation, he's fairly poseable. There aren't any ball joints outside his shoulders, but he still works fairly well as a toy. His joints rarely pop apart, and his growling facial expression certainly looks good. The only problem with his head is that the fur sculpting looks closer to the 1978 Kenner figure than the mask as seen in Return of the Jedi, which may or may not irk fans. As someone who has a kajillion Chewies, I like this figure precisely because he isn't very accurate. The different look means I basically have a new Wookiee warrior for my armies, which is actually a little bit more exciting than yet another samey Chewbacca. I'm sure fans who have only one Chewbacca won't care for the inaccuracy, but I've got more Chewbaccas than I do digits. As such, bring on the craziness!

Collector's Notes: To date, the figure has been released only as a Target exclusive in 2007. If you want him with snow deco or more movie-friendly paint, there are plenty of other options. The boxed set itself is really quite stunning as a gift set, as a collectible, and as an example of Hasbro's work in creating excellent packaging. You should get one, but mostly for the Ewoks or the other items in the set.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 863: October 3, 2008