Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,066: Princess Leia Organa (Slave Outfit, Custom)

PRINCESS LEIA ORGANA (Slave Outfit, Custom)
Fan-Produced Custom Figure
Item No.: No. n/a
Manufacturer: n/a
Number: n/a
Includes: Reproduction Nikto/Barada/Yak Face staff
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $39.00
Availability: ca. April 2022
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Stan Solo Creations custom reproduction action figure. This figure is professionally made in the vintage style. It is scaled to work with the 3-3/4” vintage figures. This figure is injection molded plastic. This is a new loose figure. (Stolen from the Stan Solo Creations web site. There is no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I wanted to burn through my licensed Retro figures before going back to the fan-produced unlicensed product well.  It's a weird avenue, and I have to confess I am not hip to the various controversies going on in the community. Truth is I don't watch it super-closely these days. This figure was called Princess Leia Organa (Slave Outfit) on her fan-made carded release - I keep repeating that, because this is not a licensed action figure. Frankly I'm kind of shocked these are still being churned out and the House of Mouse or the Domicile that Mr. Potato Head Built hasn't brought down the ban-hammer on these - they're pretty great and there's really no reason Hasbro shouldn't be making these exact products. Of course, it's three years later and the market need for Retro Yoda is still woefully unfilled, so what do I know?

It's as good as it gets. Also I found this to be a weirdly satisfying purchase - it's weird to say this after writing over 3,000 reviews here, but there's a big difference between "I bought this to try to complete a set" and "oh, this is actually something I've always wanted, it's great, and I appreciate it." For me, this is the latter, and it's unfortunate that my purchase did not put money into the pockets of the licensors. Well, that's what happens when you make people wait four decades. Eventually they'll just buy something else.

Back in the day, there were very few figures I felt were genuinely "missing" in the Kenner line as a kid - I wasn't able to get The Power of the Force guys as a younger child, but when all was said and done it struck me that we never got a Tarkin, a Wedge, a Slave Leia, the Cantina Band, or a Sandtrooper. (Hint hint, whoever picks future retro figures.) This was a figure that was demanded by a Jabba the Hutt playset's collar, and a Skiff, leaving fans without a really good Leia to play with in those scenarios. Granted, it's a little icky to explain to people why she's wearing what she's wearing, what the implications may be, and all of that. But whatever, it was a cool movie. The figure seems to be a mostly if not completely new sculpt without any obvious "we reused this to make her" parts like on Garindan or some of the others. She has the five points of articulation you expect with cloth elements that I would say place her as being designed with a 1985-or-later design philosophy. The sculpting is simple, the skin is smooth, and everything seems more or less an appropriate color. She even has very subtle lipstick plus nicely Kenner-ish eyes, so they did a good job making something that looks like it would fit in with your old toys.

The only things I didn't like about her - other than price - is that the torso plastic is a little thin, so light can shine through it, and they painted her to not have any underpants. Aside from that, she feels and looks like an almost legit mass-marketed action figure. Her ponytail is a little flexible too, which seems unlike what Kenner would have done back in the 1980s - but I don't know that there's another way to pull it off. The closest analog may be Bib Fortuna's tails, which only have a little give to them.

They're still cranking these guys out (and occasional new ones) but I've slowed my purchases because a) expensive and b) Hasbro seems to be doing a few more these days, like Mon Mothma. I hope they keep going - but if they don't, it's fascinating to see what fans can crank out and the relative quality for an unlicensed toy-like product. I wouldn't recommend her to everybody - but if you don't buy the new Hasbro stuff and just want to fill a hole in your lowecase-v vintage collection, this is a must-buy. If you like the retro format, skip a couple of The Black Series figures and buy this instead.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from one of Stan Solo's US resellers.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,066: September 21, 2023