Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,024: ARC Commander Havoc (The Vintage Collection)

ARC COMMANDER HAVOC (ARCtastic)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Deluxe Walmart Exclusive Action Figure
Item No.: No. F8058
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 2 rifles, 2 pistols, helmet, pauldron
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $16.97
Availability: April 2023
Appearances: The Clone Wars
Bio: Clone trooper Havoc proved himself as a soldier and was rewarded with a promotion to ARC trooper. He served in Rancor Battalion with Commander Colt and oversaw clone cadets' training on the world Kamino. (Taken from marketing copy. There is 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: There's a clone trooper named Havoc and there's also ARC Trooper Havoc - and I believe they're supposed to be separate people. According to the main shot on Wookieepedia, regular Clone Havoc has an unhelmeted head that looks exactly like the one on this ARC Trooper Havoc figure - it's possible the designers mashed it up and didn't do their homework. This sort of thing happens a bunch in toy lines, where a good unofficial Wiki resource gets taken as gospel despite the fact a color could be wrong in a toy photo or an error just happened. I will leave that to someone who has the time to deep-dive this stuff, because as far as I know there may not be the absolute greatest of consistency when it comes to this sort of thing.

So assuming ARC Havoc has regular Clone Havoc's unmasked head, and they're the same, it's a good figure. This same body has now been used for multiple ARC Troopers, and truth be told troopers in general are getting kind of dull given that Star Wars used to be loaded with interesting aliens, robots, and cyborgs. I'd actually be pretty happy if they cut Clones down to 1 or 2 per year. The important thing, though, is that he's pretty good. The same body was used for Echo, Fives, and Jesse, and the color scheme is so close you might be asking yourself "Don't I already have this figure?" In many respects, you basically do - it's white armor with blue and gray upgrades, again. There were cartoon figures that looked like this too.

The figure still uses the old legs, which are hard to pose at the hips thanks to the kama blocking access to them. Other than that, articulation is good with rocker ankles, bend and swivel wrists, elbows with a fairly decent cut to bend, and so on and so forth. The figure will most likely spend all his time standing around, so the fact that this is a repaint of a mold that's a little old probably won't impact most fans - especially carded ones. The helmet fits like a glove, and has an articulated rangefinder too.

Hasbro continues to use the armored bib - which is a little floppy, and connected to the pauldrons - rather than tool a new torso. The wrist lights aren't painted, but other than that he does a good job looking like the character's costume as he appeared in "ARC Troopers." The blue stripes and squares are all there, and while you don't get any weathering you do get some subtle shin yellow boxes. The glossy black visor looks good, the silver details on the helmet all look fantastic, and Hasbro did a pretty good job here. But for a $17 repaint exclusive, it's a little painful - Hasbro long made back their tooling investment, and repaints used to mean lower cost exclusive trooper sets, 2-packs or other similar offerings. I can't honestly say this is a good price, but given the other ones are no longer on the market it may be your best price if you just want a blue ARC Trooper.

They probably couldn't have done a better job given the repaint mandate. If you've already got a bunch of these I'd say it's for completists only, and while it's a nice figure it's not like modern collectors have vehicles for him in any stores, nor are there figures for him to fight. It doesn't feel like part of something so much as an afterthought - but at least it's sensible, and the right mold was used.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Walmart. The bubble was popping off the card before I opened the bubble mailer. As far as I know it hasn't shipped to actual stores.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,024: April 27, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,023: Biker Scout (The Retro Collection)

BIKER SCOUT (Vietnam Variant, Kenner Style)
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F6866 No. F7279
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $11.99
Availability: February 2023
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection features design and detailing inspired by the original 1970s Star Wars figures. (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!

Commentary: The original Biker Scout had multiple variations, some of which were identified by each country of origin. Some came from Taiwan, some came from Mexico, and a bunch came from Hong Kong. Each has minor differences, like wrinkles around the groin, or chest indentations, or helmet changes. What makes me a little happy is that this one (and indeed, all of these) all seem like a minor variant, continuing Kenner's long line of weirdness. It's a reissue... but it's also an alternate universe variant that fell out of a wormhole. It's the same, but it's not - and at least from where I sit, that's really interesting. It will stop being interesting if Hasbro pumped out 90 Kenner figures a year with a dozen variants each, but if they want to make six figures with minor changes I'm pretty excited to experience them.

Oh, and the vintage Biker Scout isn't my childhood one, but one that came in a collection someone was ditching about 20 years ago. That's time for you.  And laziness, this was within reach.  He's probably going to get a visit to the H202 chamber if I get time to do one this summer.

As with many of the 1983 Biker Scouts, this trooper has some unique helmet landmarks. For starters, it's barely narrower. Much like a princess with a pea under a mattress, to my eyes it just looked narrower. And it is by about a millimeter. His visor is a little rounder on the top too, and it also has a zit. Over his right eye on at least two of my 2023 Biker Scouts is a tiny raised dot - as far as I know, that's unique to the reissue.

The blaster looks incredibly similar to the original and shares many landmarks, but they're differently placed. At a glance, it seems like the factory did a good job - until you compare it with an original, at which point the differently shaped elements start to pop. It's still good, though! He holds it well, and you can put it in a 1983 Kenner figure's hand on a display and anyone walking by will probably think it's genuine middle-aged plastic.

The figure's legs are sculpted a little more closely together, and generally Hasbro nailed it. What weirded me out were the paint masks - it just looks odd to see some of the deco decisions. The legs are molded in white plastic, with painted black elements... and the knee pads are painted in another layer of paint over that, rather than just leaving them blank. Why? I assume costs. I don't know. It looks weird. Similarly, the new toy has painted shoulder and elbow armor over what I am 99% sure is black plastic. (I'd just as soon not shave it down to be 100% certain.) It's worth noting that the legs splay out when they swing forward, just like the original, so they can better sit on a Speeder Bike. That's appreciated.

I hope Hasbro made a bunch of these, because a lot of fans will probably be happy to get a mountain of not-yellowed ones for $12 or so a pop. It's a good, classic design that Kenner got pretty much as good as you could hope in 1983. If you never had a Kenner original, this is a fine substitute for the price. It also is a good enough sculpt that I think it could hang around an Endor diorama with your fancy new The Vintage Collection figures in the background, and you wouldn't complain too much. While the helmet does look just off enough to grab your attention, I'd recommend getting it anyway.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,023: April 25, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,022: Wicket (The Black Series)

WICKET 6-inch debut
The Black Series Return of the Jedi 40th Anniversary Packaging
Item No.: Asst. F6853 No. F7050
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Hood, bow, arrow, spear, club, torch
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.99
Availability: March 2023
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Commemorate the 40th Anniversary of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi with figures from The Black Series, featuring classic design and packaging! (Taken from the packaging. There isn't anything specific to the character.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: The question of value comes up more and more these days. Personally, I get about as much joy from a good $5-$10 toy as I do a $25 toy, mostly because added cost doesn't necessarily mean more fun. For Ewoks, there's a good argument to be made that the 6-inch ones shouldn't cost more than a 3 3/4-inch figure - after all, Wicket has fewer parts in his figure, less articulation, and less paint than a lot of The Vintage Collection figures despite being the "larger scale" figure. This isn't to say he's no good - you can tell Hasbro made sure that they gave you a lot of weapons in the 3-inch figure's largely empty bubble packaging - but if you're comparing apples to apples, you're being overcharged. But if we cared about value, we'd be collecting Final Faction. The question I have is "is this Return of the Jedi alien worth getting excited about?" and the answer is, more or less, yes. This is a good figure.

If you can get beyond the size for the price - and let's be honest, that's a tall order - Hasbro did a good job. He has more useful and interesting accessories than almost any Star Wars action figure in years, making him a de facto accessory pack for your Endor dioramas. The figure includes the spear, a bow-and-arrow where you can place the arrow in the bow and it won't fall out, and a little club, and a little torch. Sadly you don't get his little bola weapon that he knocks himself in the head with, nor do you get the cartoon-style hood we saw in The Vintage Collection. He has no problems actually holding any of the accessories thanks to some surprisingly crafty articulation, and he can hold the spear to poke at a Leia figure (sold separately) if you're so inclined. That's neat. The legs have a good range of motion, you get rocker ankles, and the hood hides the shoulder and waist joints pretty well. The engineers saw a challenge and stepped up to the plate to deliver a pretty good figure for a short guy.

While I love the functionality, it doesn't hurt that this is a great figure at which to look. The little black eyes are shiny, he has a little gap in his teeth, the hood has stitches, and the texture of the fur is pretty good too. The fingers and toes are painted separately, and there is a dusting of light fur under the hood. I would've liked to see some more light fur on the face, but it's still a good figure and probably one of Hasbro's best takes on Wicket as a toy. I still have a soft spot for the 1984 original, but the original couldn't grip a spear with two arms without breaking them first. This one can. He's cute, but can still wave around an arsenal and it doesn't look silly. I don't know if Hasbro could pull that off at the 3 3/4-inch scale, but here at the 6-inch scale they made magic work. Which, considering how many 6-inch tall figures can't be posed this well, certainly might make you grumpy. At least Wicket turned out great! Maybe some day they'll start throwing us a bone with some more aliens from the film like Yak Face or Amanaman at this size.

It would've been ideal if Hasbro could have a "short guy assortment" at a lower price for the likes of Yoda, Grogu, R2-D2, Salacious Crumb and their ilk. It doesn't mean that this isn't a good figure - it's just that Hasbro sells other, cheaper, taller figures with more parts for less money. We're just being charged a tax because it's in the 6-inch assortment packaging. Such is life. If you're like me and you were crazy for Ewoks as a kid, you want this, and you may already have this. I can't imagine Hasbro will revisit Ewoks given how few we've had in the last decade, although a repack in a new box is pretty much guaranteed to happen eventually. If you don't get the "vintage" packaging version, and you love Return of the Jedi, be sure to pick up some flavor of Wicket. I think I can safely say this may well be the best Wicket figure Hasbro will ever give us, unless by some miracle they start to deliver cartoon-style Ewoks with appropriate sculpting and deco. And that's pretty unlikely. Movie fans, if you just want a cool Wicket and don't mind the price, do yourself a favor and pick up this one.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,022: April 20, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,021: Chewbacca (& AT-ST, The Vintage Collection)

CHEWBACCA & AT-ST
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Shared Exclusive Vehicle Pack-In
Item No.: No. F8056
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Bowcaster, AT-ST
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $89.99
Availability: March 2023
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Highly articulated with a fully poseable head, arms, and legs, this Star Wars Chewbacca collector figure can be displayed in action figure and vehicle collections. (Taken from marketing copy. There is 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: You probably don't need this Chewbacca. For those of you who have been here for a long time, this is indeed the 2004 Chewbacca [FOTD #526] from the Original Trilogy Collection line of "Vintage" deluxe figures. It was a good mold at the time, but it's also a whopping 19 years old and Hasbro hasn't done anything to improve it beyond, occasionally, changing the head. There have been numerous opportunities to buy this mold, and the last one I saw on eBay from the 2004 release (which came in a clamshell on a Return of the Jedi cardback) was about $30 - not a bad price for a toy that old. This toy uses that original head, which has the hair parted to the sides and the open mouth. It's a nice sculpt, but also we've seen Hasbro do some genuinely wonderful things in recent years. As a pack-in to a $90 vehicle - that was not-too-recently $60, and not-too-recently-before-that $30, you are not going to feel like you got a deal here.

Chewie is the same mold, but with better paint. Will you be able to appreciate it? Probably not - the subtle colors on the fur look better, and they blend much more nicely than before. But in a dark room, or on a shelf, I doubt you'll notice the difference. The eyes, lips, teeth, and tongue are all painted quite well with fine detail that's sure to impress, and the claws on his hands and feet are also painted. There's a black wipe on his bag, and the silver on his bandolier looks good as always. I'm still disappointed in it - not because it's not good (it is), but because they basically got it right the first time, and the time after that, and the time after that. It would certainly be nice to have a new mold of some sort to go with this.

The bowcaster is now in black, and requires assembly as always. The little bit in the front is, as always, loose and could benefit from being remolded or glued together at the factory. It was annoying in 2004, and 19 years later it's almost a little insulting that they didn't put in the money to make it the tiniest bit better. He can hold it, but the hands from that era weren't always good at gripping things and it's kind of a hassle.

The AT-ST itself is one you may have bought several times by now, and has an incredible paint job. Easily, the best yet with better mud splats, cuts, scuffs, and other signs of wear and tear. Hasbro also left out some parts - the alternate rocket-firing chin cannons were not included this time, so you're paying the highest price ever for a less-than-complete take on this vehicle. The legs aren't as saggy or wobbly as some of the previous releases either, but I am not sure any of the poses I'm getting out of this guy are completely stable. Had Hasbro tossed in a plastic stand at this price, I'd still complain but at least you could get more out of it as a display piece (and at this point, I don't think you can say that this is a very sturdy toy mold.) The legs have numerous points of articulation and on paper, things like the stickered interior and the opening eye flaps are still neat. But also, this mold debuted about a decade and a half ago and even the improved paint job isn't enough to warrant paying three times the original asking price.

When it comes to Chewie, you very likely have a figure made from this mold that's just as good - well, pretty close to as good - as this one. The AT-ST itself has its best paint job yet, with better joints than the saggy Kmart Scout Walker release, but I am concerned it might flop over. Given its asking price (and the state of the toy economy at large) I'd probably suggest waiting for a sale or a clearance dump of some sort down the road if you already have this mold. If you don't already have a fleet of AT-STs based on this design, or the Chewbacca figure, this set is likely the cheapest super-articulated AT-ST you can buy on the secondary market and in that sense, it's a an acceptable deal.

Given the complexity of the toy and ever-increasing prices, Hasbro (if you're reading) I'd love to see a "kid's AT-ST" in a 3 3/4-inch line. The smaller-but-still-big AT-DP in Star Wars Rebels provided a big, sturdy, and comparably menacing toy for $20. If Hasbro reduced articulation a tiny bit I bet they could deliver something kids might afford (and potentially play with - who can say) for $30-$40 without too much of a fuss.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,021: April 18, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,020: Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight, The Retro Collection)

LUKE SKYWALKER (Jedi Knight, Kenner Style)
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F6866 No. F7274
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Cloak, lightsaber, blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $11.99
Availability: February 2023
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection features design and detailing inspired by the original 1970s Star Wars figures. (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!

Commentary: Arguably the apex of the hero figure in the 1980s Kenner line, Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight) was a figure I always considered essential. Figures with multiple accessories were unusual back then, and throwing in a Jedi cloak too? It was amazing, an amazing and generous bonus in an era of relatively cheap action figures with reused accessories galore. He was also probably pretty cheap to make - like the 1983 original, this figure is molded in black with one painted flesh hand. The head in 2023 was molded in the skin color (as some of the originals were) with painted hair, eyes, and eyebrows. While those extra parts no doubt cost some money, it would not surprise me if the savings on the paint helped to make this one not break the bank.

The reissue of the figure is rather good, in the sense that does a good job of bringing you something to what you may remember or what you've seen in photos. My 1983 Luke was a painted-face variant (with a dinged nose), so seeing this one as a painted hair version was a nice change of pace. The eyes are a little close and the eyebrows are a bit small, making it obvious at a glance that this is not a legit 1983-1985 original. It also has the side effect of making his face look a little squished and almost a little cross-eyed. I bet a revised paint mask could improve it greatly. The sculpt has most of the major milestones where you expect them, and unlike most of the other retro figures doesn't seem to have lost as much sculpted detail. The details are a little bit softer than an original - be sure to compare the torso robe folds - but at least they're mostly all there. The pants of a 1983 original have some sculpted texture which this one lacks - his pants are totally smooth.

The buttons on the lightsaber seem to have been moved down the hilt a bit, but you get the same basic shape and the landmarks are, again, present. The green is nice and vibrant. Similarly, the blaster color is a little lighter with details that look like a copy of a copy - they're present, mostly. The tip or the scope is gone, for example, and other bits look close but not quite right. Without an original to compare it against, you'd probably assume it was a pretty good replica. Heck, it is - but none of these things are perfect. Also the cloak is fine, a little paler and with a different cut - but it hangs well and evokes the original nicely.

Given what it costs to buy repro accessories, this is a pretty good value. It may not stand up to the amount of articulation you get in a Hasbro Spider-Man Epic Hero Series figure, but it's the kind of thing that (in a perfect world) I'd love to see Hasbro keep in circulation semi-regularly - surely they could crank out whatever a decent-sized run of Luke, a Stormtrooper, and Darth Vader may be every year or two. I assume the audience may not be unlimited, but these things aren't just any action figure. This line was the toy line for a lot of kids, and keeping them in rotation could make a lot of people really happy. I appreciate that there are a lot of little differences so you can't pass it off as an original, as this new figure is the "Made in Vietnam" to go with the Hong Kong or Taiwan variations you may already own. It expands the franchise for old-school fans, while giving people who aren't 45 years old a crack at this figure at a fair price. It's different. It's interesting. If you think you might be interested in it, I recommend you order one or go out to buy one right now.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth. I should also note that despite there being an assortment listed on the package, Hasbro only produced these in solid-packed character cases for the US market. (If there were assortments overseas, I am unaware of them.) This is also the first time in decades that Hasbro has made a single-carded Kenner-style Luke Skywalker and it hasn't been a store exclusive or game pack-in. Given that The Mandalorian and Obi-Wan Kenobi figures sat around a bit, I'm incredibly curious to see if fans gobble-up these bargain-priced Return of the Jedi figures. Even if I didn't collect this stuff, I'd be buying this one.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,020: April 13, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,019: Fifth Brother (Inquisitor, The Black Series)

FIFTH BROTHER (Inquisitor)
The Black Series 2020 Line Look Obi-Wan Kenobi Packaging
Item No.: Asst. E8908 No. F4363
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #04 - Obi-Wan Kenobi
Includes: Lightsaber with removable blades
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.99
Availability: July 2022
Appearances: Obi-Wan Kenobi

Bio: Obi-Wan Kenobi is set years after the dramatic events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith where Kenobi faced the corruption of his friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker turned Sith Lord Darth Vader. (Taken from the packaging. What a waste of space.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: An incredibly nicely-designed costume and well-engineered action figure Fifth Brother (Inquisitor) sat in a box for a few months before I got to him. As of my writing this, he's pretty cheap on Amazon at $19 - an indication of a pattern Hasbro and Disney haven't cracked. Namely, the lesser figures tend to sell better before people see the movie or TV show, although you can understand why they want to make us wait sometimes. Rey and Grogu needed you to meet them first. A lot of the 2022 figures were increasingly ho-hum, even if they're pretty good, with the Fifth Brother (Sister Mother Sister, why did you put that peg in the lightsaber grip?) delivering a very good figure with annoying accessory interaction. If you've seen the horrible giant metal pylons they put on benches so people can't lay on them, Hasbro put one on the lightsaber grip. How annoying.

To paraphrase Frasier: "What is the one thing better than an exquisite action figure? An exquisite action figure with one tiny flaw we can pick at all night." That's the Fifth Brother. Hasbro delivered a well-engineered figure with well-hidden articulation, putting that usually obnoxious torso joint right in the armor so it's not an eyesore. The elbows and knees move nicely. The wrists move well, as does the double-neck joint. The ankles rock nicely, and the feet are big so he stands easily and in my futzing, doesn't tip over easily. The Imperial cogs are sculpted on his sleeves too, and there are tons of little painted lights on his hat and chest armor. Which brings us to the tiny flaw: the hips don't have the best clearances. You can swing them forward, but not all the way. Had Hasbro shaved a tiny bit off the lower waist or maybe recessed a bit of the upper leg, he could sit like a normal action figure. Instead, he's probably going to just be standing. Given Hasbro rarely makes vehicles for these figures, I assume they don't care and also the vast majority of you won't either.

The big flaw is the lightsaber hilt. You do get a peg on it to plug it in his back - and that's good thinking! But it's poor execution. The peg is a giant eyesore and Hasbro could have maybe put a small hook on the back of the figure to hold the lightsaber, or included a second hilt for decoration instead of a giant, ugly silver peg that makes it hard for him to actually hold said lightsaber. It does plug well in the hole in his back. So if you're not going to ever use the blades and just store his Tron Identity Disc back there, you're fine, this figure is nearly perfect.

I liked this costume a lot. They cast the fellow well and he looks superb in a costume that fell out of a 1970s concept painting, with lovely banded shoulders and Darth Vader-ish details galore. But, like most things, no one scale has all the Inquisitors as of yet. The Black Series will likely end up with the most of them at the current rate, but will anyone care to collect them all if it takes a few years? The Sun has set on this series already, and while I think this is an excellent action figure unto itself, and if this were an unlicensed design that had nothing to do with Star Wars I'd probably say "Oh this is cool, you should get it." It's very Star Wars, and also available in Kenner-style, where I think he's arguably a lot more fun. But you should get him in either scale you like, because a cool weapon, a nice costume, and a swell hat are generally good reasons to buy any well-engineered action figure.

...minus that awful lightsaber peg.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,019: April 11, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,018: Boba Fett (Tython/Boba Fett's Starship, The Vintage Collection)

BOBA FETT (Tython, Boba Fett's Starship)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Shared Exclusive Vehicle Pack-In
Item No.: No.
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Vehicle, blaster pistol, rifle, gaffi stick, cloth robes
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $199.99
Availability: March 2023
Appearances: The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett
Bio: A powerful pursuit craft made famous by Jango Fett in the days of the Republic, this ship was inherited by Boba Fett for his career as a bounty hunter. (Taken from marketing copy. There is 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: It is rare - but not unheard-of - for Hasbro to pack a new mold figure with a very expensive vehicle, and I have to admit this one is a little ridiculous. At $199.99, it's worth noting this vehicle sold for $149.99 in 2020, and (without the stand) for about $69.99 a few years before that. And also in Jango colors about 12 years ago, with multiple exclusive figures and a Jedi Starfighter, all for under $100. So the real question is "is it worth it to pay $200 for a Desert Nomad Boba Fett?" And I'd say "probably not unless you're a completist." Costs are going up but this is the kind of thing that will probably make you reconsider any completism you have left, but Boba Fett completists are legion so it's still going to sell a bunch of units.

The vehicle has been offered enough times before that I am feeling a little stupid for having bought it. I don't need a fourth release of it, and at $200 even the improved dirtier deco isn't worth the asking price. It's still the best version of this ship to date, but I feel if Hasbro wanted to charge us $200 they should just make an all-new, bigger one that can actually fit Boba Fett in the pilot's seat without a fight and charge us $250, or $300. I had a hard time getting him in the seat so I gave up - it shouldn't be that hard. Retool it, remove the clip, do something to make me not feel like I wasted $200 on a toy that's not a very good toy. Further - and I know this is an annoying comment - I think they would've been better served to throw one of the armored figures in the box. The Target-exclusive Morak version, but with scuffed-up paint, probably would've been more fun. But that's not the real real question - which I am now changing to is "Is this a good figure?"

It's fine. The figure itself is acceptable for a standard carded release, but for a pack-in with a $50 upcharge I expected more since they probably had the budget to do better. His face doesn't have the scabby skin, but it is eerie how good it looks. They also gave him too-defined eyebrows, when they should have been reduced to match his look on the show. But there are very subtle hints of scars on his face, and at the size of a peanut, I'm not going to say it's bad. The quality of work is good, I just wish they could've replicated his, uh, battle-damage.

He comes with a new gaffi stick, a new rifle, and a tiny pistol. And oh my God, be careful with the pistol. When I opened the box it fell out of the paper wrapping and was rolling around in the box loose - I found it by accident, I didn't even realize it wasn't in the holster when I was opening the box. It also falls out of the holster really easily. I hope Hasbro rereleases this figure on a card later, just so future fans won't have to fret too much about the blaster if they lose this one. But it looks good - all the gear is nice, and the cloak is one of Hasbro's best efforts. It hangs nicely, it looks good. I don't feel like arguing about the color being right nor not, but it certainly seems correct enough that I wouldn't fuss over it. I would've liked it to be a little more tattered, but since it hangs well, I'm just going to say "well done" and move on. Most of the times the hoods just looked awful and whoever is working on these now has certainly improved them over the years.

If Hasbro put this figure out by itself for under $20 you'd probably happily buy it. But they didn't - instead it continues what fans have dubbed the Boba Fett Tax which I don't really think you can argue isn't a thing (outside the kid lines, and Retro Collection, that is.) I think this figure does a good job of giving you that Desert Nomad figure that you want, but he's too wide to easily get in the driver's seat of his ship - and that's a sin as a pack-in figure - and I assume this vehicle is probably going to wind up on clearance somewhere, some day, just because it started at $200 for the fourth release of the mold. If money is no object, or if you missed the ship before, I'd recommend it for those reasons. But if you just want a version of this figure in this outfit, Amazon is selling him for $5 under retail as I write this, and he's bigger. But Hasbro knows 3 3/4-inch fans are picky about size, so you can either wait for a sale, wait for the "Kenner" one (which looks pretty darned great honestly), or pony up the cash to get this one right away just in case it doesn't it markdown later.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth. It's worth noting this is the first 3 3/4-inch scale release of the vehicle to be called "Boba Fett's Starship" rather than some variation on "Slave I" and this seems to make some people very upset. Personally I don't care what you call it, as long as it's a decent toy at a decent price. And this is most certainly not that. If Hasbro wants to put out a Vlix on a cardback that says "The Easter Bunny!" on it, I don't care, I'd still want the figure.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,018: April 6, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,017: Princess Leia Organa (Boushh, The Retro Collection)

PRINCESS LEIA ORGANA (Boushh, Kenner Style)
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F6866 No. F7278
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Helmet, blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $11.99
Availability: February 2023
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection features design and detailing inspired by the original 1970s Star Wars figures. (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!

Commentary: If you're only going to remake six Return of the Jedi action figures, Princess Leia Organa (Boushh) is one of your best choices. And it's a pretty good reissue - if you look at the official photos, the original product photography had badly-painted helmets. They fixed her! While the sculpting is a little soft, at least the paint is mostly where it should be. An original Boushh Leia in good shape with all the parts isn't terribly cheap, so $12 for a reissue seems like a fine deal. But if you're happy with your original 1983 figure, you don't need this one, necessarily. Well, I do. I love these things and she was one of my favorite toys as a kid.

"Figure in disguise" is an utterly great and unappreciated idea. As an adult, you just buy as many figures as you want - but as a kid, this was getting more toy for your money. If you wanted a Princess Leia toy, you get her. If you want a cool bounty hunter to take on adventures, you get that too - and there's no head-swapping weirdness where you have to treat a literal severed head as an accessory. A rubbery helmet (but not as rubbery as the original!) slides right over her head. It's a good fit. The rifle also fits in her right hand, while the left hand is posed to look cool. It's for s how. The limbs all move well, and the head - while tight - turns.

The sculpting gives you the Hasbro generation loss that, to be honest, continues to be baffling - the original figure was sharper, with cleaner lines and a bandolier that had tighter details. You might not notice it with your old person eyes, but the softer details are kind of disappointing. The 1983 original was known for variations, and while I've handled dozens over the years she doesn't match the head sculpts I have handy. The hair looks a little different, the face shape is changed a bit, and I appreciate that it's different than what I've got. The helmet looks a lot like the original - not as sharp, but close - so it's a weird little imposter. Anyone who grew up with the original will immediately know this new Leia is different, but I don't think she's bad. If you can't recreate the head sculpt with the original eyes precisely, doing something a little different that still looks convincingly like an old figure isn't the worst option. It's not like she's cross-eyed or anything... but we'll get to Luke later.

I had no problems getting her in the old vehicles I had on my desk, and of course, she hung out in the Sail Barge for a bit. I assume she'll be good enough for younger Millennials who missed out on the originals, or their kids, or, I guess, their kids' kids. The design holds up really, well, especially in light of Kenner and Hasbro's subsequent redesigns. In 1996 they made her cape removable... and it fell off a lot. Later releases had thermal detonators (neat) and a ponytail too sometimes, but I can't really hate on the simplicity of the 1983 original. The cape was best represented by some fabric hanging off her leg which you can see more of on her back, and while a detonator molded in her hand would be cool it forces kids into a specific play pattern. Or at least, it would for me - if she's holding a bomb, she's got a specific agenda.

The original figure was a real joy, and the remake is possibly as good as Hasbro is going to want to do. How come they can't get the sculpt sharper? I have no idea. One thing that really weirded me out about this figure are her hands. It seems the factory painted her dark brown sleeves, and then painted the fingers, wish washes out even more detail. Most of the original figures seem to have unpainted figures - thick paint changes how the figure looks. Whoever did their paint masks could have done a better job, but none of these retro remakes are perfect replicas of Kenner's old action figures. But they're also the lowest-price non-squat figure Hasbro sells these days, and even though they're probably a dash overpriced given competitive products, it's not like anyone else is selling you remakes of toys from the 1980s for $12. I'd recommend her.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth. I should also note that despite there being an assortment listed on the package, Hasbro only produced these in solid-packed character cases for the US market. (If there were assortments overseas, I am unaware of them.)

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,017: April 4, 2023