SABINE WREN (Kenner Style)
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F6874 No. F7305
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Helmet, lightsaber, 2 blasters
Action Feature: Removable helmet
Retail: $11.99
Availability: October 2023
Appearances: Star Wars: Ahsoka
Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection features design and detailing inspired by the original 1970s Star Wars figures and features 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 Entertainment Earth now!
Click here to buy it at Amazon now! Click here to buy it at eBay now!
Commentary: While
Vintage gave us a mark-up,
Retro Sabine Wren is at normal price. During the one week I saw these at Target stores I never saw her, and as I write this she commands a premium on Amazon at $28. I assume "deluxe" Vintage probably comes from a calculus of "this is the most popular figure, we may as well charge more for it if it goes for a premium on Amazon anyway." Hasbro channeled their old Kenner skills to give us something not entirely unlike a 1980s figure. Her rubbery helmet and colorful blasters feel old, as does the green 1983-style lightsaber. This means she has more gear than she can carry, which has never happened for a Kenner figure new or old in the
Star Wars line - they always capped them at two handheld accessories. (Honestly I'm surprised they didn't just make two figures - helmet with blasters, unhelmeted head with lightsaber, or something like that.)
Retro Sabine does not have all the paint applications of the Vintage counterpart, but she's still very good given she's 58% cheaper. The tampos on the shoulders are absent, the boot deco is missing, some of her chest stripes aren't there and some of the gauntlet deco is missing, and her back armor lacks the color stripes. The helmet is missing the white/light gray stripes, too - but aside from that? She really nails it. The purple hair seems more accurate than the Vintage version, there's a painted silver lightsaber on her belt (shades of Bespin Luke, who had the wrong color), and unless I'm mistaken she's more colorful than any real Kenner vintage-era figure. I'm counting about 3 colors of paint per limb, seven colors of paint on her chest, 3-5 deco hits per leg... that's impressive. With the extra accessories, it shows Hasbro
can put more money in these figures and still make money. That's great! Hopefully we can see some more figures with this level of love and care in the deco before the line ends.
Hasbro has struggled to really capture Kenner's sculpting techniques, but they nail elements of it. The aforementioned lightsaber hilt is a lift from a 1980 Bespin Fatigues Luke Skywalker, and the smaller, "pinhead" with removable helmet was pretty common as a trade-off with the likes of Skiff Lando, Leia Boushh, and Stormtrooper Luke. The pose is nothing special - I think that's just the sculptor's lack of familiarity with the original figures' asymmetry (see Greedo, Walrus Man, Han Solo, etc.) as a bent elbow or some pose other than "at attention" was fairly common back in the day. Even a little slouch gives a figure some personality. Due to her gear and general demeanor, the pose we got is pretty appropriate for the character. I would have liked sharper details (like a real Kenner figure - they're not rounded off and soft like Hasbro's Retro remakes, go buy and squint at a Hoth Rebel Soldier) but it's not like my eyesight is perfect anymore. She turned out very well and the sculptor got the important parts right.
Her helmet is very similar in sculpt to that of
Bo-Katan Kryze [FOTD #2,939], but when you look at the sides you can tell it's not identical. This is new - and rubbery, and removable. It's a tight fit over her small head, and it also is a very tight fit if you put it on the
Vintage figure. It feels a lot like the old Boushh helmet. I wish they did a similar removable helmet for Boba Fett, but hey, maybe they can just do a
The Book of Boba Fett version with one. I can dream.
Her articulation is on point, with 5 joints just like the originals. Everything swivels nicely, but the one thing I don't like is her weird thigh gap. More than other figures, you can see daylight where the thighs are under the torso. I assume this is a result of a talented - but new - sculptor not quite making the most of where the rotation can go, but also, I couldn't do it so maybe I'm just ignorant. When I look at figures made by actual old-school sculptors, even new "retro" ones from other manufacturers, we don't see this problem. Granted, it might not be a problem to you - I didn't notice it until I was writing this review and looked at the stock photos again. In person, I just have her standing around or sitting in ships, and she's fine.
Looking at retro product from Super7 - heck, and Hasbro - I don't know how they delivered it for this price. Four accessories in four different colors of plastic would be unheard-of back then, and it's pretty unusual now. I assume this cost a bundle, but maybe they stole Morgan Elsbeth's budget. I was hoping to find an extra of this figure at retail, but I don't think that's going to happen. She's great, unless you hate the face sculpt - which doesn't look a ton like the character - I'd recommend it. Heck, even if you don't like it, you can leave on the helmet. You've got options, and this is probably the best figure that isn't Chopper in the entire wave. What's funny - or sad - is that I'm more excited to have this figure to go in the HasLab
The Ghost ship when it comes out later. As long as there are Kenner-style figures to match a HasLab 3 3/4-inch vehicle or playset project, I'll always buy both. If you love Kenner figures, and can deal with her not having every last correct detail, she's more than worth the retail asking price.
Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.
--Adam Pawlus
Day 3,105: February 6, 2024
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