Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,441: Poe Dameron (Resistance Pilot, The Last Jedi Line Look)

POE DAMERON (Resistance Pilot) with Force Link
The Last Jedi Basic Figure Orange Assortment
Item No.: Asst. C1503  No. C1507
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Helmet, blaster
Action Feature: Force Link sounds
Retail: $8.99
Availability: September 2017
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio: Poe Dameron was a human male pilot who served as a commander in the New Republic and, later, the Resistance during its conflict with the First Order.  (Stolen from Wookieepedia.  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!

Commentary:  We got a lot of Poe Dameron figures for The Force Awakens, and this new one is also just different enough to make you mad.   For the last movie we got a carded pilot with an opaque visor, an Armor Up figure, a jacket figure with a non-removable helmet, an X-Wing pack-in with removable helmet (which is a lot like this one), a The Black Series exclusive version, another Armor Up version as a Toys R Us exclusive, a 2-pack Resistance Officer outfit version... I could go on.   This new figure is squarely in the middle of them all.   The best version is The Black Series version, which has some good scruff, extra helmet deco, and top-notch articulation.

This figure is the basic 5-joint body, but has swivel wrists as well as enhanced textures from the last movie.  That's it, really.  The helmet lacks some of the stripes of The Black Series version and is a darker black, the blaster is nice and fits in the holster, and there's a sound chip.  Oh - and all the folds on the suit seem to be the same as The Force Awakens, too.   The figure is pretty redundant, which is my big complaint about The Last Jedi as a whole.   I understand you need to make a new Poe figure, but the best one is a pack-in with the Ski Speeder.  This one is just like 4 other orange pilot suit versions on the market, and aside from the Force Link it's really not any better or different.     It's the first individually carded pilot Poe with a removable helmet, but I don't necessarily see that as a virtue since very similar figures are packed in with the 2015 Poe's X-Wing and 2017 Poe's Boosted X-Wing.  There's no scruff on the face, but the eyes are painted nicely.  His likeness is OK, the skin is a little pale but mercifully not translucent.   The buttons on his chest are pretty clean, however the various buckles on the straps of his flight suit are unpainted.

While a Poe Dameron figure is essential in any collection, which one you get may be open to interpretation.  As he's not significantly different from the previous versions, he's for Force Link fans or completists only.  Otherwise, you've probably got this figure or one close enough to it to make you happy.   If you have no Poe figures, it's perfectly nice - he can stand, he can sit, the helmet fits, the holster stows the blaster, and Hasbro in no way made a mistake or screwed it up.  It's just horribly boring.  Hasbro talks a lot about how they need to pick figures carefully, as to not waste a slot, but this is a new tool with new copyrights, the Force Link mark on the boot, and some barely perceptible changes.  Given the relatively small line and significant levels of "Don't I already see another figure just like that?" Hasbro really let us down  by spending a slot on this particular Poe instead of a different costume, or a new alien, or some other hero or villain.   It's not a failure of engineering or licensing, but it's certainly a letdown by either Hasbro management or the powers that be at Disney that approve (or dictate) the characters in this line.  Had Hasbro given us a figure with ungloved hands (as shown in the photo on the packaging) I could at least say they made one minor change and that's visually interesting, if not particularly significant.   As your parents have undoubtedly said to you - I'm not mad.  I'm just disappointed.

Force Link Notes: "I'm Poe, Poe Dameron." "I can fly anything." "Let's light it up." "We're gonna do this."  "Take my lead." It's clearly a soundalike.  Also a smattering of blaster sounds.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,441: December 27, 2017

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,440: Rey (The Black Series 6-Inch, Premium Exclusive)

REY (Jedi Training, with display base)
The Black Series 6-Inch Toys R Us Exclusive
Item No.:    No. C3196
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Metal lightsaber hilt, staff, lightsaber, display base, die-cast metal blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $34.99
Availability: November 2017
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio: At long last, Rey has found Luke Skywalker, the last Jedi Master in the galaxy.  Hoping to find a hero of legends, she must unlearn what she has learned as Skywalker challenges her expectations. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  What drove Hasbro to make these plussed-up versions of The Black Series is beyond me, but there was a lot of talk about this buzzing around Hasbro - and Rey is less of a deal than Luke was.  She costs more, and it's possible you've bought the base figure 2-3 times already.  She was sold individually in September, in a 2-pack with Luke at Comic-Con, and now a battle-damage variant of that figure is shipping in boxes.   Toys R Us also charges more - is Rey worth a $5 premium if you've already bought this basic figure before?  No.  But if you haven't?  ...maybe.

Articulation is the same as the basic release, but there's more paint - this was the first 6-inch Rey with the scar on her arm, for example.  The face is a bit more flushed and determined, with more cloth bits on her costume giving her a more detailed look.   It's a little ragged in spots, as Hasbro doesn't always get cloth quite right, but it's looks decent.   The added grit on her arm wraps looks great, and the head isn't half bad either.   The figure itself is arguably better - but it costs almost twice as much, and it's hard to really say that it's worth the added cost on the merits of deco alone.

The value add comes in the accessories.  A big, two-part Crait display stand is nifty, but is it nifty enough?  You get a decent chunk of plastic, and that's a huge plus. I'd have liked it even more if it integrated accessory storage as Rey has more gear than she can carry.   The red and grey look really cool, giving the environment a distinctive look we don't normally see.  It's almost like the planet is bleeding.  (Heck, maybe it is, I haven't seen the guide books yet.)   They fit together if you're so inclined, but you can display them separately.  Does this sound familiar?

Her gear is pretty good - a bonus metal lightsaber hilt joins a metal blaster, with a normal staff and a normal lightsaber.  The blaster fits in her holster just fine, and she can hold the lightsaber with no real problems.  The detail isn't exactly superb, but neither was the painted detail on the Transformers metal faces over the past year.  I guess die-cast construction really is a lost art - it has a nice feel, but it's not necessarily  better than the plastic equivalent.  You might appreciate the added weight, but it's not like these parts necessarily offer anything the normal figure didn't have - it's not like you're going to notice anything visually different about either piece.  It just feels different when you pose it, and odds are you won't spend a lot of time posing it.   The figure and base make this a worthwhile purchase if you're a completist, but I doubt you're going to feel like you got your money's worth out of this one.   Kylo Ren's deluxe figure is coming, Snoke's is out in force, and I am sitting here hoping that Hasbro only does plussed-up new characters in the future as these are just not all that interesting.  In a line that's already kind of a bore, I'm dying for something new, exciting, and different - not new accessories.

It's still arguably a better piece at a better price than the Centerpiece offerings.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Toys R Us.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,440: December 25, 2017

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,439: General Leia Organa (The Last Jedi Line Look)

GENERAL LEIA ORGANA with Force Link
The Last Jedi Basic Figure Orange Assortment
Item No.: Asst. C1503  No. C3527
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Cloak, blaster
Action Feature: Force Link sounds
Retail: $8.99
Availability: November 2017
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio: Leia Organa (born Leia Amidala Skywalker) was a Force-sensitive human female who served as princess of Alderaan, a member of the Imperial Senate, a general in the Alliance to Restore the Republic and New Republic, and the founding general of the Resistance.  (Stolen from Wookieepedia.  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!

Commentary:  This is a pretty good General Leia Organa figure.  I'm a little miffed that we didn't get her vested outfit from the last sequel, but sometimes it's for the best when Hasbro drags its feet.  The Bantha of 1998 was pretty good - I don't know if I'd have liked a 1979 model as much.  This version of Leia has a pretty amazing outfit, so clearly we're at a time where Hasbro wants to do Carrie Fisher right.  Unlike 1995, I think everybody will see this one and go "Oh, this is good, I want one."

The face sculpt is good, and so are the materials used - this is sometimes a challenge as Hasbro winds up using plastic with a translucent quality that does their hard work no favors.  This is not one of those figures - the face is bright and solid.  The face is, to put a point on it, older - there are signs of a real adult who has seen stuff here.   There's eyeliner, decent lipstick, good eyebrows, and great eyes.  She has silver earrings, and for Leia, a fairly conservative brown hairstyle.   Human likenesses are hard to get right, so the stars aligned here and I hope everybody likes how this turned out as much as I do.  Maybe Hasbro will do even better some day, but at this size, for this price, this is just wonderful.

Space Mom has a blaster that fits in her hands perfectly, but the hands themselves are my one point of criticism - at least on mine, the flesh paint is too thin.  You can see hints of the black plastic under them, which is something we've very rarely seen in mass-produced toys in recent years.   The clothing is pretty plain in terms of paint, but not sculpting.  Her softer, outer gown has an amazing texture on it that's really impressive up close.  I doubt we'd have seen anything like it in the 2000s or earlier.  The dress underneath isn't quite as ornate, but it has a good series of folds and drapes nicely.  The luster on the legs looks a little different than the torso, but it's still good - especially with the outer robes on.  Given Hasbro's reduction on part count on these figures, the similar lack of paint - her shoes are unpainted, and so is all of her body other than her neck - I assume this is a figure that's helping to save them some money.   And it's still good.

I like this figure, and I think Hasbro did a nice job.  The legs swing forward nicely, and I assume she'll  never be given a vehicle in which to sit - so this is kind of imperfect.  It's sort of like that original mail-in Anakin Skywalker where you can probably get her in some vehicles, but not in others - I'm particularly glad the outer layer of the gown comes off so you can make that call for yourself.   If you see this figure, you're going to buy it.  Just be glad knowing that you'll be happy with it once you find it.   Take care to look at the eyes and hands - everything else will be fine.

Force Link Notes: "Together we can defeat the First Order." "May the Force be with you." "All troops open fire." "Send them in."  "I will do everything I can to help." It's clearly a soundalike.  Also a smattering of blaster sounds.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,439: December 20, 2017

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,438: Luke Skywalker (The Black Series 6-Inch, Premium Exclusive)

LUKE SKYWALKER (Jedi Master, with display base)
The Black Series 6-Inch Target Exclusive
Item No.:    No. C3196
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Metal bionic fist, display base, cloth cloak
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $29.99
Availability: December 2017
Appearances: The Force Awakens

Bio: After tragedy destroyed his attempt to rebuild the Jedi Knights, Luke Skywalker vanished from the galaxy.  Now, the resistance needs his help to thwart the efforts of the evil First Order.  (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  Earlier this year Hasbro almost broke me with their exclusives for The Black Series - and now I'm wondering if I should've quit.   Luke Skywalker is one of several figures getting a plussed up release this holiday season along with Rey, Snoke, and Kylo Ren.  Similar figures are available more cheaply - significantly so in some cases - but each of these new exclusive releases sports a display base, some die-cast metal parts, and enhanced deco.  I don't think you'll be at all surprised when I say that I hope the concept tanks and we just get one release - either the pricey one, or the cheap one.  I don't care which, either.

I will invoke "Just different enough to make you mad" here, partially because this is the third release of this figure.   The first was in a 2-pack at San Diego Comic-Con, and that figure was sold individually in September.  I don't think this new release was ever actually officially announced - which is sort of what makes it maddening.   Had fans known to wait, they probably would because this new version is better, but it may not be better enough.  I like the new materials for the cloth cloak, and the new inner robes as cloth look pretty great.  I like the outer robes too, but the strange sandwich of plastic and cloth may look strange to your eyes.   Since the entire body looks a little different, that's a significant change.  The new version has a better range of motion, but as of now we don't know if this Luke will ever need to sit in a playset or vehicle.  My guess is no.

The head has been updated and it's a mixed bag.  The plastic for the face seems a smidgen more ghostly, but it incorporates Hasbro's new printing process seen on Marvel Legends as well as this line.  That's why the figure has exaggerated red around his face.  I don't think it's an improvement, but Hasbro has been pretty excited about the process.  Hopefully they're just getting the kinks out, because it gives the figure an unintended "Dark Side" look.  The same is true with the Punisher from the Netflix wave of Marvel Legends.

Aside from the rocky display stand, the main new piece is a metal fist.  You can pop it in his hand, and it's pretty cool.   It also isn't the right color and it's super glossy, but it shows someone is thinking of ways to make the figures a little more compelling with a "DX" version.   Given the figure costs 50% more than the regular release I would argue the upgrade isn't good enough, and early reactions to this new version have been negatively received by fans that have taken time to reach out to me.  I don't think it's awful - but it could be better, cheaper, or sold in a way where we were informed up front what was coming so we could make a smarter purchase.  I feel like we're in an era where Hasbro is making some high-quality stuff, but those who buy with hindsight a year or two down the road will undoubtedly have a better curated collection at potentially lower prices.   (There's no way this guy isn't going to clearance.)

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,538: December 18, 2017

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,437: BB-9E (Droid Factory Line Look)

BB-9E Disney's, Bigger than Hasbro's
Droid Factory The Last Jedi Boxed Set
Item No.:   No. 23185
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: 3 more droid figures
Action Feature: Breaks down into 4 separate pieces
Retail: $29.99
Availability: September 2017
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio: All different types of Astromech droids populate the Star Wars galaxy.  Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors.   These four BB units are featured in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.   May the Force be with you... and your Droids!  (Taken from the figure's packaging.)
Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  As of now I've not seen the movie and have mostly ignored spoilers. BB-9E is a mystery to me - it's black, it's probably a First Order droid,  It has a head seemingly more inspired by the shape of R5-D4's head, with a more angled look and a red eye. It's black and silver, so it looks a bit more like Darth Vader - it must be evil!  Probably.  Maybe it's just cute.  Maybe he'll join up with the Resistance until BB-8 shoves him out of a space ship - which is what happened on Rebels with Chopper.

Functionally the toy is the same as the other Disney droids - he stands larger than Hasbro's models, and can pop apart at the equator to reveal a weighted ball inside that allows him to stay upright.  The head can be popped off and you can mix and match the droid hemispheres if you like.   It's basically a cute Star Wars Weeble - he wobbles, but won't fall down.   You're probably seeing the movie right now so you've got a better idea if this figure is interesting or authentic than I do as I write the review.

I can say it's neat, I like the look, and it's functionally a sound plaything.  I'd say it's a good figure for the price, as is the entire set, if you want a bunch of little round robots.  The entire The Last Jedi line feels a little anemic so far, but so did Kenner's 1980-1982 offerings for The Empire Strikes Back - it was fairly true to the movie in that sense, too.  I guess by now, I'll know if Hasbro's line was good or not - I also get the feeling Hasbro is also just finding this out.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disneyland via my pal Zac.  Thank you Zac!

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,437: December 15, 2017

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,436: BB-4 (Droid Factory Line Look)

BB-4 New!
Droid Factory The Last Jedi Boxed Set
Item No.:   No. 23185
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: 3 more droid figures
Action Feature: Breaks down into 4 separate pieces
Retail: $29.99
Availability: September 2017
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio: All different types of Astromech droids populate the Star Wars galaxy.  Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors.   These four BB units are featured in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.   May the Force be with you... and your Droids!  (Taken from the figure's packaging.)
Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  So far all I know about BB-4 is that I thought it was a good figure, but it turns out it could be a lot better.  Disney made a neat looking toy robot with all the fixings - you can pop him apart at the equator.  There's a weighted ball inside.  The colors and angles remind me a bit of an old Kenner Speederbike.  It's distinctive, new and charming.  It also doesn't look like the stills making the rounds online.

The head seems a bit more streamlined in the movie, with a darker brown, much more dirt and grit, plus a big Resistance logo on it.  The antenna doesn't look quite right, and while the dirt change is very forgivable, the missing Resistance symbol combined with the wrong color chassis makes me think a do-over is likely - maybe from Hasbro, maybe Disney.  I hope there's no running change.

If you want a cool roly-poly robot to keep with your sequel trilogy toys, it's a lovely robot - but like the Kenner Cantina aliens of old, it's off enough to be kind of frustrating.  This kind of thing is delightful if we get corrected figures later, but that's less frequent these days and it's likely to be an ongoing problem as everybody makes toys from unfinished movies.  I can pretend it's another droid entirely, and that's fine, but if Disney can't make a better toy from its own movie and its own source material, it makes it easier to cut Hasbro some slack on their wares.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disneyland via my pal Zac.  Thank you Zac!

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,436: December 13, 2017

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,435: Luke Skywalker (Jedi Exile, The Last Jedi Line Look)

LUKE SKYWALKER Jedi Exile with Force Link
The Last Jedi Basic Figure Orange Assortment
Item No.: Asst. C1503  No. C3525
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Cloak, hood, staff
Action Feature: Force Link sounds
Retail: $8.99
Availability: November 2017
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio: Luke Skywalker was a Force-sensitive human male Jedi Master who was instrumental in defeating the Galactic Empire and the Sith during the Galactic Civil War. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.  Packaging has no bio.) (Stolen from Wookieepedia.  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!

Commentary:  Long-time readers of my ramblings know I feel weird about seeing my heroes age.  We used to get "happily ever after," so Luke Skywalker returned from the great narrative beyond as a Jedi Exile - and as of right now I don't know what that really means.  We know he left, we assume he feels a little disgraced, and this return means the guy who we looked up to and saved the galaxy, destroying a government, couldn't carve out a place for his future, his family, and his followers.  Something awful happened, and this was in part brought on by Disney buying Lucasfilm.   It's bittersweet to get to spend more time with Luke Skywalker, especially since this means he might die, or be a jerk, or in some way differ from 34 years of comics,  novels, and imagination.

At least the figure is good.   Why Luke needs to change outfits so quickly on his island retreat remains to be seen.

The head looks good with a clean sculpt and a separate piece that makes up his hair. The eyes and beard are sharp, and you can pop out the head from the hood if you like.  His coat is a vest, so if you remove it you have jacket sleeves for the arms on his tunic.   Both wrists are articulated, making this a 7POA figure.  One hand has a glove rather than an exposed robot fist, which also raises questions as to why he wasn't wearing it at the end of the last film.  Vanity?  Was the glove in the wash, yet his white robes were somehow pristine?  The hood's texture and color doesn't match the jacket/robe, so that's strange - and I like how the boots look like a darker version of his Tatooine duds.  I absolutely love the cloth texture on his torso.    I also love that his legs can mostly swing forward cleanly - it's not perfect, but it's good.

I don't yet know if the hood/robe mismatch is from the movie or not, but if it is Hasbro probably did a good job.  If not, well, it's just weird and confusing.   I like the figure more than I don't, because it's sort of like a Yoda-ish Luke whereas the last one was basically Obi-Wan Lukenobi.   His new staff/cane is intriguing, and we'll see if it is more than meets the eye.  Or just a stick.

Force Link Notes: "How did you find me?" "What do you know about the Force?" "Reach out with your feelings." "You shouldn't be here." It's clearly a soundalike.  Also a smattering of swordy or clangy sounds.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,435: December 11, 2017

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,434: Emperor Palpatine (The Last Jedi Line Look)

EMPEROR PALPATINE with Force Link
The Last Jedi Target Exclusive Three-Pack
Item No.:   No. C3197
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Cane, alternate lightning hands, Emperor's Royal Guard with Force Pike, Luke with slightsaber
Action Feature: Force Link sounds
Retail: $8.99
Availability: November 2017
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Luke Skywalker was a Force-sensitive human male Jedi Master who was instrumental in defeating the Galactic Empire and the Sith during the Galactic Civil War. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.  Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  I didn't think I wanted a new Emperor Palpatine but Hasbro did a superb job here.   I would almost say it's too good - I've still got Galen Erso on my desk, and looking at the new Emperor versus Galen from just a few months ago there's no competition.   Galen looks awful.   Palpatine is crisp throughout, with really wonderful textures on his robes and one of the best faces of any original trilogy figure.  Ever.  It's great.

The figure has robes that connect to his hood.  Arms are separate jointed pieces, as are the neck and hips.   Thanks to the robes he won't be doing much sitting, but the belt, boots, and everything look really slick.   The face looks a lot more like the make-up, and I have to wonder if they had a superfan or improved reference for this one.     If you're a fan that just wants the best-looking Emperor for a display, this is it.

The hands are posed in interesting ways - the lightning hands are weird and a tiny bit ugly as the fingers merge with the lightning.  The paint isn't super clean, so it looks like his fingers are melting into the lightning - and maybe htey are.  It's weird.  If you don't look too close, it's a pretty awesome effect.   The normal hands are similarly good - one hand is designed for his cane, while the other is beckoning or taunting.   Both allow for a decent amount of gesturing, which is helpful when a figure can't do much other than stand and move his arms thanks to costume limitations.   Everything is old and gnarled and perfect.

This is the Emperor you want.  This is evidence Hasbro still has a booming creative force inside that can make awesome things for us when they so choose - it's uncommon, but it's real, it's here.  It's great.  While I expect the set may hang around a bit, support something awesome and go buy it for yourself or a collector buddy at (or near) regular price.  Send Hasbro a clear message that when it comes to exclusives, all-new sculpts of original trilogy figures are most welcome.

Force Link Notes: "Wipe them out, all of them."  "In time you will call me Master."  "You will bring him before me." Sith lightning sounds.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target.  It was on sale for 25% off.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,434: December 8, 2017

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,433: Luke Skywalker (The Last Jedi Line Look)

LUKE SKYWALKER with Force Link
The Last Jedi Target Exclusive Three-Pack
Item No.:   No. C3197
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, Emperor's Royal Guard with Force Pike, Emperor with Lightning and Cane
Action Feature: Force Link sounds
Retail: $8.99
Availability: November 2017
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Luke Skywalker was a Force-sensitive human male Jedi Master who was instrumental in defeating the Galactic Empire and the Sith during the Galactic Civil War. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.  Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  Much like the Royal Guard, this Luke Skywalker was assumed to be a repack or reissue when we first caught a glimpse of it.  It's new!  The figure now has 7 points of articulation thanks to wrists, and the figure can indeed stand on its own.  You're going to have to find the sweet spot, because he's bent in a pseudo-dramatic pose. If you want a Luke to torch his pop, or to throw his lightsaber away because he thinks he's better than you, this is the one.

Luke is pale with hair that looks closer to an action figure in color than his actual hair.  It mostly works.   The outfit is crisp and detailed, with minimal paint.  Mine has a tiny ding on the belt buckle I didn't notice until after I had opened it, and you can see tons of seams on his very tight pants.  There is glossy paint on his boots, belt, and pouch - and I generally never noticed the pouch before.   Hasbro did a good job making sure the figure doesn't need a lot of paint, but mercifully his lightsaber has some decoration to bring it to life.   The likeness is pretty good, he has that cleft chin and does a good  job generally looking more like Mark Hamill than most of the other releases.  I'd say the hair is a tad bushy, but that's mostly just fine.

This is a decent Luke figure, but the price may scare you away - $25 means each figure is $8.33, a bit more than an average single figure. Given the lack of accessories for Luke, it would have been nice to have something a little extra in here to make it worthwhile.  It's still a good figure and I'm happy to see Hasbro crank out a few more original trilogy figures as there have been precious few since the Disney takeover.

Force Link Notes: Luke says a bunch of lines from the movie.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target.  It was on sale for 25% off.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,433: December 6, 2017

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,432: Emperor's Royal Guard (The Last Jedi Line Look)

EMPEROR'S ROYAL GUARD with Force Link
The Last Jedi Target Exclusive Three-Pack
Item No.:   No. C3197
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Force Pike, Luke with Lightsaber, Emperor with Lightning and Cane
Action Feature: Force Link sounds
Retail: $8.99
Availability: November 2017
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: The Emperor's Royal Guard, also referred to as the Imperial Royal Guard or Imperial Guard, was an elite order of protectors assigned to Emperor Palpatine of the Galactic Empire. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.  Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  It wasn't obvious when announced, but this Emperor's Royal Guard is a new figure - and possibly the best version so far, as my needs are concerned.  Sure, we had a super-articulated version with cloth robes - but this one has nice plastic robes and stands easily.  With 5 points of articulation, everybody's favorite red bowling pin has returned with an armored body under the robes.   If you pop off the head, you can even see it.   His right hand is posed the way you want - he can hold the Force Pike pool cue perfectly, and the accessory has never looked  better.   Well, it had some black paint before, but this is nice and clean.

The legs can swing forward, as can the arms thanks to cuts in the robes.  It clearly took the best design cues from previous versions of the figure, without weird tassels hanging off the sides.  The robes wrap around the figure nicely, and the various sculpted folds are pretty much exactly as I would want them.     The texture is decent, with a clothlike visual look on the robes and a glossy, shiny red helmet.  It's lovely.

The only thing I don't like about this figure is the fact you have to get it in an exclusive 3-pack.  I'd cheerily buy a few more of these on individual cards, as this is the army builder you'd want if you're trying to put together a modern set of vintage 1980s toys.   You know, that set of 92-96 that Hasbro will never actually finish.   Ah well.   Go ahead and get this guard, you're going to like it.

Force Link Notes: It sounds pretty much the same as the Praetorian guards - just some whooshing noises.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target.  It was on sale for 25% off.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,432: December 4, 2017

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,431: Jyn Erso (The Last Jedi Line Look)

JYN ERSO with Force Link
The Last Jedi Basic Figure Orange Assortment
Item No.: Asst. C1503  No. C3523
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, scarf
Action Feature: Force Link sounds
Retail: $8.99
Availability: November 2017
Appearances: The Last Jedi

Bio: Jyn Erso was a human female soldier and former criminal who became a pivotal member of the Alliance to Restore the Republic when she led Rogue One in stealing the Death Star plans during the Battle of Scarif. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.  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!

Commentary:  This is the least essential figure in the new movie's line.  Jyn Erso returns - much like new versions of Kylo Ren and Rey during Rogue One - because the home video is out, kids are still seeing it, and fans may want the movie's lead character roughly 11 months after the film's release.   These lines are planned 18 months before release sometimes, so that means Hasbro assumed the marketplace needed a new Jyn Erso figure - and as such, they gave you one very similar to the last version with minor batch changes and added Force Link elements.  (There's a chip inside her, and a blue marker on the sole of her retooled boot.)

The figure is basically the same colors, but a bit lighter.  The face is a but more muted, with lighter skin and lighter features.  The green and brown of her costume aren't as dark, and the copyright information was moved from the boots to the back of the scarf.  (I applaud this move.)   The original blaster was more silver, this new one is more grey.  The first one had better detailing and was more opaque, so both her face and blaster suffer a tiny bit from translucent plastic sucking the detail out.  It's by no means bad - it's just that if you have a previous release I doubt you will also need this one.  For completists and Force Link fans only... unless you missed the previous release (three times over), in which case get it with my blessing.

Force Link Notes: "Rebellions are built on hope."  "Escort is headed your way."     "Okay, on my lead."  Blaster sounds.  "We can stop them."  Possibly more - it was a little unresponsive.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,431: December 1, 2017