BEN (OBI-WAN) KENOBI (Kenner Style)
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Shop Disney / Hasbro Pulse Exclusive Set
Item No.: Asst. F7649 No. F7649
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, cape, Jawa, R2-D2, C-3PO, Death Squad Commander, Obi-Wan Kenobi
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $69.99
Availability: May 2023
Appearances: Star Wars
Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection features design and detailing inspired by the original 1970s Star Wars figures and eatures original figure design and detailing! Continue your collection from a galaxy far, far away. (Stolen from the marketing copy. Packaging has no bio.)
Image: Adam's photo lab.
Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!Click here to buy it at eBay now!
Commentary: It took a long time, but Hasbro finally finished re-making the original 12-back
Star Wars figures this year!
Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi finishes my look through the class of 1978, and he looks a little different than I remember. The original figure had a telescoping lightsaber, a vinyl cape, and either white or gray hair. This one has white hair, and the face feels a smidgen wider.
A lot of details changed, and I think this is one of the lesser figures in the set. You can tell the hair detail seems off with much softer details in the face and robes. The holes in his belt are missing from the 2023 release, but I have to say I rather prefer the hand being a tiny bit less claw-like this time around. The cape - and the figure - are a little browner than the more orange original, which makes the light blue lightsaber pop nicely. Since the cape tends to hug the figure, they just needed to do a good job on the arms and head - and they get a passing grade. If you're getting the set anyway, you get your money's worth with this figure.
If I had to boil the figure down to two words, it would be "generation loss." Much like some other
Retro figures, it looks like a copy of a copy. The paint applications are good, the eyes are nice, the pose is decent, but anyone that played with an original as a kid will look at this and feel something is a little bit off. I assumed we would have sculptors who would laser-scan a perfect recreation of the original, or artisans who work at the factory to make sure it's as close to the same (sans copyright marks) as possible. It isn't. But if you don't get too close or squint, I think it's going to do the trick for most fans of these old-style figures. If you just leave them on the card on the wall, or in a box, does it matter? If you're older and your eyesight softened a bit, will you even notice? It's probably good enough if you just want to visit your childhood one more time before you exit the toy aisles for the rest of adulthood and the increasingly wobbly prospects of the toy business. The toy biz hasn't abandoned the end of Generation X just yet but it's probably coming - so get these while you can!
Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse.
--Adam Pawlus
Day 3,058: August 24, 2023
1 comment:
The two holes in Obi Wan's belt are still there like the vintage version, but very dull and harder to see. Likely this figure was molded after a scan of a vintage figure.
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