Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,041: Grogu (The Rescue Set, The Vintage Collection)

GROGU (The Rescue Set)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure PulseCon Set
Item No.: No. F5551
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #245
Includes: Cuffs, plus Grogu, Mando, and Moff Gideon
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $74.99
Availability: December 2022
Appearances: The Mandalorian

Bio: The Mandalorian leads a crew on a rescue mission to Moff Gideon’s ship where a garrison of dark troopers – the advanced droids that captured Grogu – are waiting. (Stolen from Hasbro Pulse. 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!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: In the last couple of years, most items were made in numbers that were too big - but we don't know what that really means. Were runs bigger than usual? Are fans turned off? (Is it a mix?) Items like Grogu (The Rescue Set) are being sold on eBay somewhat cheaply, and what was most likely developed to be an awkward SDCC-type exclusive just sort of resulted in a semi-shrug given no one character in this set was truly exclusive. Grogu is a new mold, sure - but does it matter if you already have one, two, or several from other items you've bought?

This version of the figure has a jointed head and is specifically based on his appearances in The Mandalorian season two. He has slightly stretchy removable handcuffs which slip off his tiny hands pretty easily. (Just don't lose them.) He looks pretty good, because much of his person is molded in color. The brown robes, tan sleeves, and seemingly even the hands are all molded in their respective colors. Only the head has any paint, with pink inner ears and black eyes. It's a pretty impressive tiny figure, standing at a mere 3/5 of an inch, more or less.

Grogu's sculpting is good, especially for the size. The robes are wrinkled like he's crouching and extending his arms out. The head has subtle wrinkles and texture, but I'm too old to really see this well. While a lot of you are Grogu-ed out, the Hasbro team did do a nice job on this figure accessory. The one thing I don't love is that the head pops off easily... they also left off sculpting the feet under the robes. But it's not like you're going to notice.

This set (and what they charge for it) is a little absurd, but it seems to be that way with Hasbro's collector toys across the board right now. They're good, but a little too complex (and priced accordingly) if you ask me. I wouldn't recommend this set just for Grogu, or for $75, but people are selling just the little guy for $10 on eBay sometimes. It might be worth a look at that price, and given the price increases $75 for two $17 figures and a $30 Dark Trooper isn't terrible unless you recognize that 10-15 years ago, this would have probably been a $25-$30 Battle Pack. The important thing is that it looks like Hasbro did their best here, but nothing really makes paying 6-inch figure prices for your 3 3/4-inch figures easy to swallow.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,041: June 27, 2023