Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,077: Cad Bane (The Book of Boba Fett, The Vintage Collection)

CAD BANE live action version
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Deluxe Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F7311 No. FF7314
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #283
Includes: 2 basters, hat
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $16.99
Availability: June 2023
Appearances: The Book of Boba Fett

Bio: Renowned bounty hunter Cad Bane was known for his impressive arsenal of weapons and allies. His work with the Pyke Syndicate on Tatooine led him face-to-face with Boba Fett. (Stolen from Hasbro 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!

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Commentary: It's been a rocky month for news and commentary about Disney+ live-action shows, as a sudden rush to declare the Emperor having no clothes left fans going "yeah, we know." The Book of Boba Fett appealed to some and left others cold with a parade of interesting introductions and some backstory. But you weren't exactly left knowing who the antagonist was, or what Boba Fett is really after beyond "I wanna be a boss". And then Cad Bane shows up out of nowhere, when you could probably just as easily have thrown in a new guy, but hey, we got a shootout in our quasi-western crime space show for no good reason really.

The character's live-action appearance gives us "the same, but different" aesthetic popular these days. I guess the idea is that nobody really changes their style much after reaching adulthood. The character's duster is a bit more robust, but he has the same hat and gauntlets. His boot rockets are now gone, replaced by ammo belts. He looks like he did in The Clone Wars with red eyes and blue skin, adding a visible grimace instead of teh flat frown we used to get. It's a sensible change, and his arms have a pretty good range of movement. You can pose his hands like he's going to draw his blasters, but the shoulders are a little stiff. It's a pity - but at least the hips, knees, and ankles are pretty easy to move around. I found this figure stayed standing very nicely on my desk and didn't fall over despite being on a frequently bumped-upon workspace. That means Hasbro did a real nice job balancing him, and you can display him with a number of scenarios - he wouldn't look out of place in the cantina or Jabba's Palace.

While his appearance in The Book of Boba Fett required explaining to anyone not intimately familiar with the cartoons, his appearance as an action figure needs no explaining. Popular cartoon character, alien, bounty hunter, it's an easy sale. Is it worth $17? No. Most of these guys aren't - there's not enough here that goes above and beyond what we used to get for $10 beyond the mouth deco and removable hat. But I can't argue that it looks nice, and that Hasbro did a pretty good job making sure the hips move cleanly and that he stays standing. And his holsters work. And he can hold his blasters. If you like the character design, even if you're not a post-20th-century fan, he'd go well in any dioramas you may have featuring aliens.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,077: October 31, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,076: Krrsantan (The Black Series)

KRRSANTAN Not a Very Big Wookiee
The Black Series The Book of Boba Fett Deluxe Figure
Item No.: No. F6857
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #04
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $33.99
Availability: October 2023
Appearances: The Book of Boba Fett

Bio: A former gladiator turned deadly bounty hunter, Krrsantan is a towering black-furred Wookiee who made a name for himself in the criminal underworld with his intimidating presence and raw strength. (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

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Commentary: Deluxe figures are something I've increasingly found myself disliking. The figures are generally pretty good, but when you see Krrsantan you might ask why he's $9 more than a basic figure. There don't seem to be extra parts - the hip construction actually seems simplified, and fewer pieces may have been used overall. The deco hits may be slightly higher, but in many respects Chewbacca seems to be a similar figure with more parts and pieces - I could be wrong. I just assume there's a popularity tax at work here now, as Retro Krrsantan is standard price but Vintage and Black Series each got slapped with big upcharges. At least Vintage included a mountain of accessories, this one just has a single blaster and non-removable armor elements.

The figure does a good job of getting the job done - you won't be disappointed by him in-hand. He's hefty, there are painted grays, there's what I believe to be a Wookiee scalp hanging off his belt, and the armor is great. The blaster is big and he can hold it with both hands, and unlike some figures he has massive feet and stands without falling over. You can even plug his blaster in the back of his bandolier - this feels like a figure that Hasbro spent some extra time with. (Given how long it took him to come out, it's appreciated that it doesn't seem rushed.)

The sculpting is good, with an expressive face. One of the benefits of a larger figure is you can work in a little more personality, and sometimes you see it and sometimes you don't. I don't quite think they captured his expression, but it's close - a big hairy mask can only emote so much, and what I'm remembering as facial activity is probably the work of performer Carey Jones bringing him his expressive body language. Thankfully Hasbro gave him a good, but not exceptional, range of movement with elbows that can bend 90 degrees without looking goofy. You have hands with knuckle dusters, and both of Santo's legs swing forward without a fight. Hasbro did a nice job here ensuring it does what it needs to do - at work I jokingly refer to this as all of us needing to do the bare minimum, as a praiseworthy thing. He stands, he sits, the joints work like they should - we have so many figures that don't do that, so a hairy, chonky figure that can move is actually a win. For $34, you need it to be better than below average, and he is.

I am more than a little upset that "premium pricing" is increasingly the norm, especially if the figure doesn't seem to bring anything extra to the table. A slightly taller figure doesn't warrant a $9 upcharge, but if they tricked him out with the gear from the little versions? I couldn't argue with the pricing. An alternate head, some sort of extra part would make it easy for me to say "yeah it costs more but look at all the stuff!" As it is, I can say it's a very well-executed figure that will meet or exceed your basic 6-inch figure expectations with a great face, good deco, excellent hair sculpting, and generally fantastic engineering. And if it's on sale, you're a fool to pass him up - and for full price, I doubt you'll be disappointed unless you wanted something taller.  (I was expecting something taller.) You'll feel you overpaid a bit, but you will be happy with your purchase.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,076: October 26, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,075: R7-FNG

R7-FNG Droid Cosplay
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Comes apart, glows in the dark
Retail: $14.99
Availability: August 2022
Appearances: n/a
Bio: All different types of astromech droid populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors. This droid is optimized to function in the dark and desolate environment of Exogol and its underlying threat. Join R7-FNG on their adventures throughout the galaxy! May the Force be with you... and your droids! (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!   

Commentary: I got R7-FNG last year and, like many toys due to the abundance being released, he just sat. He's a nice droid! The vampire-themed fellow isn't too expensive, and has a quasi-waistcoat design as well as faux fangs, the semi-widow's-peak, and a glow-in-the-dark painted dome. The story about it being from Exogol is a funny stretch, but so is the design. I can't imagine Palpatine cultists painting little mouths with fangs on their droids, but it does seem like something I might consider doing. So I'm for it.

Molded in purple with a teal dome painted glow, it's an appealing design with little foot boots. I like the fact that they capture the feel of Dracula without going after any specific incarnation. You can pick out spooky elements of numerous incarnations of the character, some of which I've seen on LEGO figures or Playmobil or in the movies - what matters is he reads as the undead. Or I guess maybe Domo-kun, with the mouth. The painted detail is pretty good - it's not as ornate as what Hasbro does with its Christmas The Black Series line, but that means the Disney droids have a slightly better chance of blending in with your dioramas. I could see this guy as being an off-camera Droids extra, for example.

I really wish they opted to cast the dome in glow plastic instead of teal with glow paint. As you know, because you're all good smart people, glow paint is always weaker than glow plastic. Depending on who you asks, glow plastic may or may not cost more - I'm not sure who to believe, or if the factories are fleecing some people and not others, or what. It's a weird business - but a little glow is better than no glow. The black cap looks vaguely liked slicked-back hair, which is also pretty nice. It's the kind of robot that would make Simon Belmont nervous.

For a $15 seasonal and discontinued droid, he's about $20-$25 as of my writing this. That's actually a pretty fair price - consider tax, shipping, and someone having to drive to the post office. I'd say get one if you have a vampire toy collection, or like distinctively weird purple droids with glowing domes. That should be all of you. You can also skip this one due to it not being in any of the movies or TV shows, if you like, but $15 on a wacky seasonal figure once or twice a year isn't a lot of money for me to spend. It's not like $200 for a batch of 6-inch guys within a 45 day window. Sometimes less is more - and I appreciate Disney keeping it light and easier with droids these days.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney with a help from a friend. Thanks Shannon!

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,075: October 24, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,074: Oola (Custom)

OOLA (Custom)
Fan-Produced Custom Figure
Item No.: No. n/a
Manufacturer: n/a
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $39.54
Availability: ca. March 2022
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: A great figure to add to your vintage display. The figures are moulded colour plastic. These are custom collectables for adults and not toys for children. (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'd say these exist in a gray area, but I assume most people see this Kenner-style Oola and are either immediately delighted that there's a figure for their 1983 Jabba the Hutt action playset collar, or are disgusted that they are being tempted to buy a bootleg custom of good quality. It's not quite perfectly accurate, but it does seem enough like an old Kenner figure that I doubt you would care. The goal of a good Kenner-style figure is to get the essence of the character's look with some wiggle-room for accuracy. This one also has some wiggle-room for Kenner-ness, which you may or may not like.

Overall, the figure does a decent job replicating what a reasonable person thinks Kenner or Palitoy may have cranked out in 1986. You get no accessories, 5 joints, and a limited amount of paint. She has whites on her eyes - an unusual feature - with fully-painted black mesh for her costume which leaves much more to the imagination. I was surprised they painted her toenails, as that wasn't something we really saw back in the Kenner days. Painted sandals, sure, but for some reason they kept the straps painted in the wrong color but gave the soles no paint. Go figure! You could argue it's a pretty Kenner choice too - the more wrong it is, the more right it is. Usually. Honestly, it bugs me a bit but not enough to not recommend this figure to the other aging Kenner kids out there. The sculptors and factory did a nice job giving us a figure that a) Lucasfilm and Disney would likely never ever make, and b) ensuring it feels like it was designed to play with the old stuff. That's hard to do well.

The head is where it's a little off. The facial features aren't quite right, the forehead seems a little on the big side, and the headdress flat-out is wrong. The conical protrusions/horns/ears aren't quite pointy enough, the straps on the side of her head to cover up the lekku head piece is now a helmet. The ornament over her forehead was smoothed out and doesn't really look like official figures or the movie costume... and maybe that's the point. It's like the original, but is changed enough that you could argue Kenner would also have missed those details, or for legal reasons, it's probably about 20% in the wrong direction. Maybe more, I'm bad at math.

If you need a perfectly perfect Oola figure, you're never going to get a new one from Hasbro - but this is a good one for Kenner fans of old. Kenner made a great one for 1998 too, and another excellent one was made by Hasbro in 2010 that's probably peak Oola. Right now, the POTF2 one is your cheapest bet but this is pretty good too - each one serves a unique function, and it is really weird to pick up an action figure like this Kenner-style Oola and say "Wow, they can't make them like this anymore." It makes sense given the nature of the character and the new parent company, but I don't know that I heard anybody complain either. Well, at least (so far) the fan-made stuff is being allowed to continue so it's not like they're taking any money out of the official sources' mouths, so go ahead and get this one if you're OK paying four times a fair asking price.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,074: October 19, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,073: Boba Fett (Comic Art Edition, The Vintage Collection)

BOBA FETT (Comic Art Edition - Marvel )
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Target Exclusive Action Figure
Item No.: No. F8070
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #277
Includes: Pistol, rifle
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $22.99 $20.99
Availability: September 2023
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: Celebrate the Star Wars publishing legacy with this 3.75-inch action figure featuring the color palette from the character’s appearance in the 1970s Star Wars comics!. (Taken from marketing copy. There is 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: Overcharge me twice, shame on me. This Marvel 1980-inspired Boba Fett (Vintage Comic Art) figure is something I wanted - and asked for over the years! We got a pretty good Boba Fett based on Marvel comics back in 2008 [FOTD #1,236] in a 2-pack, with a full-size comic, for a mere $11.87 back when a standard figure was about $6.99. I would say it was a good deal on a good set. This new one took a $12.99 figure and jacked it up to $22.99, an utterly absurd price for a redeco and as of my writing this a month before it goes live, it's sitting around a bit. As it should. It's a great idea, an a good execution, on a gorgeous cardback, but this is a particularly painful example of an exclusive mark-up. The deco, articulation, or accessories are in no way overly superior to a basic figure. Even if a basic figure is $16.99 now, where is that extra $4-$6 coming from?

It's not the accessories, nice as they are. You get a light gray blaster pistol as well as a purple rifle. No paint on either - they look fine. The cloth cape looks good too, and it's also uncolored. His jetpack is molded in a very light baby blue and has minimal white paint applications on it. It's a typical Boba Fett compliment, far fewer accessories than the average 100% new The Vintage Collection figure these days.

The figure itself ain't bad. The torso is green with a tampo, otherwise unadorned. The has some paint on the gloves, the gauntlets, the shoes, and a couple of small bits - but overall, seems to have less paint than an average normal retail Boba Fett. The helmet has a bit more going on, but I don't know if it's more work given we've traded all those yellow marks, silver battle-damage bits, and other elements for some comic-style flat shading. The back of the helmet has no paint.

The choice of mold is also unfortunate - they went with a Return of the Jedi body, which uses a different belt than what's illustrated in the comic book. They did a nice job painting him to match the colors, though. I would rather they have waited for a new The Empire Strikes Back Boba Fett, because this model uses the older, cruddier hip joints too. The arms are fine, and the coloring is gorgeous.

I ordered it online, so not only did they overcharge me by two bucks compared to retail stores, but somehow the bubble got severely smashed despite being packed in a nice big box with packing material. This one left a bad taste in my mouth, somehow, despite being exactly what I wanted to own. Maybe it would've been better as a Retro figure (at $15 or under) or a 6-inch figure (at $27.50 or under), but at $23 I feel like I should have waited for a sale. Five years ago, I think anyone in this hobby or business would see Boba Fett as a thing that would be guaranteed to sell out immediately and rise on the secondary market - and now Hasbro seems to be charging the secondary market prices from the get go. I assume this must be working for the bottom line, but it's off-putting as a fan passing the age most collectors move on to concerns of regular real life. I'd love to see toys priced and treated as toys again, but I think we're probably going to continue to see premium prices from here on out. If money is no object, it's a beautiful figure. Just scan it before you take it to the register - Target's in-aisle scanners have frequently been a couple of bucks off from what the registers say this year, on this and other toy lines, so take care as you make your purchases and check the receipts.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target. I was charged $22.99 for my pre-order from December 2022, but in-stock orders seem to be $20.99. Maybe you should wait for exclusives now.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,073: October 17, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,072: Grogu (and Luke Skywalker, The Black Series)

GROGU & Luke Skywalker
The Black Series The Book of Boba Fett Deluxe Figure
Item No.: No. F8345
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #07
Includes: Yoda hilt, Yoda lightsaber, Luke lightsaber, backpack, frog, wrapped gift, box, clear stands, bolt stand, rock formation, training remote
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $44.99
Availability: July 2023
Appearances: The Book of Boba Fett

Bio: To help him hone his skills and understand the ways of the Force, Grogu trains with a new Jedi Master: Luke Skywalker . (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

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Commentary: It is rare that you hear about a toy in a store because you can hear some guy complaining to his girlfriend about the price. This Luke Skywalker and Grogu pack - a slam-dunk from a product development perspective - rubbed a lot of fans the wrong way at $45, as it's basically a $25 figure with a $10 smaller figure with a $10 upcharge. Is it cool? Yeah. If Hasbro didn't make it, would you probably complain? Eventually, yes. Given that you get a rocky base, a training remote, a few lightsabers, a chest, a little chainmail packet, and some other goodies, it's a lot of stuff in a box - but "a lot" does not equate to "visibly worth the asking price." Little accessories are awesome, but fans don't clock those as a true value-add after the numerous price increases in recent years.

Hasbro has sold fans many Grogu figures in The Black Series, most of which were "accessories" in deluxe action figure sets with obligatory mark-ups. Like many, this one has moving arms and a moving neck - it also looks pretty much like everything else you've seen despite having a new pose. He can plug in to a clear plastic effect part so he looks like he's jumping to dodge training remote blasts, and it looks great. Hasbro did a nice job here, but I would say that adult fan collectors probably have all the Grogu they need right now. It might be interesting if we saw some unique, expressive, non-articulated figures as cheaper accessories, because there isn't a whole heck of a lot that's different about this figure. It's by no means bad - it's just that you had multiple chances to get something nearly identical.

I have heard a number of fans lament that a lot of products seem to exist not for fans nor collectors, but rather Internet toy photographers. This would probably serve as evidence for this. You can pose Luke with the little package of armor, or showing Grogu the lightsaber, or pulling out the little box, or any of a number of scenes - but they're not fun, and the parts are easily lost without a storage mechanism included in the set. It would be great to see more emphasis on storage, be it in the figure or tucked in an accessory's alcove, mostly so the fan is not tasked with finding small baggies or boxes to store all the extra accessories they will never look at once this figure goes on a display shelf.

This set is a great package for a new fan. It's a spectacular entry-level product that shows off what this line can do and probably will convince a few fans to try collecting this line since you get a lot of cool stuff in a box without a lot of chasing things around. At $35 (the rate on Amazon as I write this) I'd go as far as to say it's an excellent set for the price - but at regular retail it's hard to really make a case that it's worth the asking price.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,072: October 12, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,071: R7-TN0

R7-TN0 Droid Cosplay
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $14.99 $10.98
Availability: May 2022
Appearances: n/a

Bio: All different types of astromech droid populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors. This droid is optimized to function in the idyllic and lush world of Kiros among the local artisans. Join R7-TN0 on their adventures throughout the galaxy! May the Force be with you... and your droids! (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!   

Commentary: I got R7-TN0 last year and it's one of sadly very many figures not opened for a very long time. I ripped it open about a month ago and checked eBay to see what it's going for... and apparently it's $80 now. What the heck, man? That's pretty pricey for a weird concept. Disney seemingly said "let's make droids colored to match popular characters," which is what we've seen for Christmas and Halloween for years. It doesn't seem like the concept had a lot of traction at Disney, and Hasbro did a couple of similar character-themed droids that matched their style, if not their actual appearance. Also there's a swell Stan Solo B0-B4 [FOTD #2,958] that looks like a Kenner Boba Fett. It's actually kind of a brilliant idea - R2-D2, to match characters? You can make a new droid, while kids can see a figure and go "I want the Ahsoka robot!" Everybody wins here.

This particular droid mimics the Rebels-era Ahsoka pretty nicely. The dome and shoulders mimic her skin, with some white stripes on the legs that sort of nod to her head markings and white panel lines that recall her armored costume. There are white stripes on the feet which I assume have no significance, but maybe they're here to match her white lightsabers. The big central orange eye looks great, and the gray dome topper vaguely recalls the former Jedi's head, with a surprising amount of painted panels around the orange dome. This one looks more complicated in terms of paint when compared to other figures, and while I am not pleased with the rising costs on old molds based on old molds that have been repainted dozens of times I can't deny they did nice work here.

I like this one enough where I could see Hasbro or Disney doing an entire line of astromech repaints to match other popular characters - it's a little silly, but so is this entire hobby. I paid a lot for a Boba R2-D2. I'd probably throw down more than a few bucks for an R2 unit in Sy Snootles or Chewbacca colors, too. If you can find this one for a reasonable price, I'd recommend it as it looks like something you'd see on-screen while also being a blatant nod to a main character. It's a superbly clever idea and I think the designer should get a pat on the back... and assignment to do a lot more of them.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney with a help from a friend.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,071: October 10, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,070: Garindan (Custom)

GARINDAN (Manufactured Custom)
Fan-Produced Custom Figure
Item No.: No. n/a
Manufacturer: n/a
Number: n/a
Includes: Black reproduction of Cloud Car Pilot communicator
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $39.00
Availability: ca. March 2022
Appearances: Star Wars

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: When some of the fan-made unlicensed figures were called "customs" I wasn't sure if that seemed like a fair shake - until I got Garindan. At first glance it's the Kenner-style Long Snoot snitch of your dreams. You get a vinyl cape like Kenner might have done in 1979, on a skinnier build, with a Cloud Car Pilot communicator cast in black. Pretty cool, right?

Then I got it in my hands, and while it's a perfectly nice thing to display on your Creature Cantina, it's actually a hacked-up mass-produced 1990s Kenner Power of the Force Garindan - so it's actually a custom with a large production run. The head and slightly thicc limbs tipped me off, so it would not be wrong to say this is a customized version of existing toys. It does a great job of mixing up 20th century styles to give you something you'd probably recognize as Kenner-vintage-retro-chic, but the snoot would've needed more work to not be a dead giveaway. The outfit is pretty simple, and the cuts and wrinkles are all pretty good. Too good, really. Thanks to the poses of the shiny gloves, at first blush, it totally looks like a new old-school alien toy though.

I know a lot of fans say "these are better than anything Hasbro could do!" When it comes to Slave Leia and some of the R2 units, I'd agree with that. But not with Garindan. He's not bad, but at $40 you may just want an actual authentic 1997 Garindan figure instead. After all, that one's only worth a couple of bucks on eBay right now. There's no substitute for a weird skinny figure with a vinyl cape, I know, but just be aware that what you're getting isn't exactly the complete newly-sculpted retro package.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,070: October 5, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,069: Tusken Raider Warrior (Single Card Edition, The Vintage Collection)

TUSKEN WARRIOR single carded version
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Deluxe Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F7311 No. F6878
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #279
Includes: Gaffi stick
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $16.99
Availability: June 2023
Appearances: The Book of Boba Fett

Bio: A female[3] Tusken Raider warrior was a member of a tribe of Tusken Raiders on the planet Tatooine. When the prisoner Boba Fett attempted to escape the tribe's camp, the warrior defeated him in a duel, allowing the rest of her tribe to recapture their captive. After Fett killed a sand beast, he was accepted to the tribe. The warrior instructed Fett how to fight with a gaderffii stick. (Stolen from Wookieepedia. 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!

Click here to buy it at Walmart now!

Commentary: This Tusken Warrior figure manages to make you feel like a schmuck, even if you like it. Hasbro did a single-carded release, and then a store exclusive deluxe boxed one with a Massiff, and both are partially retooled Rey figures from 2016 with a few new parts. If we were still paying $10 or $12 for these things, I'd be fine with that - but at $17 you might want something a little bit better than Rey's bare biceps molded in black and barely hidden under some Tusken shoulder armor. You might recognize Rey's gloves and wrappings under the breathing apparatus. For a figure that took 18 months to make it to market after we saw the show, it's an effort that's half-baked and at best, acceptable. Hasbro did a nice job on the new parts, but for $17 it should be all new parts.

If you pop the figure's head off, you can easily take her apart for those Dark Rey customs you wanted to do - it looks like an easy head swap. Her head easily comes off and you can see the Rey elements much more easily - but the average fan might not notice. The carded collector will, since the figure stands right next to a full-body photo where you can look at it and go "wait, this doesn't seem right." The arms are, mercifully, good ones - the range of motion is good, and they can easily hold a gaffi stick.

I've got nothing bad to say about the new parts - the head sculpt is good, with separately molded "hair" wrappings draping down. The tabbard looks cool, with lots of painted detail. The (I think) new shoes and lower legs look great, and the shoulders are also excellent. They just needed to give her a new body. I'm sure someone at Hasbro may be rolling their eyes at this, but for a premium priced product it's at best a 7 out of 10. And we had the same problem with that Endor Raid Han, and the Bespin Guards, and others... if the budget isn't there to make more great figures, I'd settle for fewer figures period, and maybe we just have to wait a bit longer. Or maybe someone did the math and said "fans say they hate the show so much, let's do the best we can at a budget and call it a day." I don't know.

But I do know the figure looks decently, and I'm a sucker for Tusken toys. I loved when Toys R Us got that variant "red clan" boxed set with a Bantha, and I dig this too. Variety in the familiar faces is an exciting addition to any line, and I'd rather have an undercooked Tusken Warrior than no Tusken Warrior at all. Maybe we'll get the kid Tusken that Jimmy Kimmel's nephew played some day. I'm glad they're trying these things out, but as fans I certainly would like to see the level of quality go up (or the price go down) for new releases. Heck, I'm pretty miffed that reissues from 10 years ago are suddenly nearly twice as expensive.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,069: October 3, 2023