Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,167: Grand Admiral Thrawn (Rebels, The Vintage Collection)

GRAND ADMIRAL THRAWN Live Version of Cartoon Look
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. E7763 No. F7346
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #296
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: Working holster
Retail: $16.99
Availability: April 2024
Appearances: Star Wars Rebels

Bio: Thrawn, was a Chiss male officer of the Chiss Ascendancy and Grand Admiral in the Imperial Navy during the age of the Galactic Empire. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

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: For a character that was de-canonized and later re-canonized, life has been good for Grand Admiral Thrawn. Since his 1991 debut in Heir to the Empire, he's popped up in comics, PC games, several more novels, and of course, toys. His first action figure was one of the last under the original Kenner name way back in 1998, and we've since got a few more. While this new The Vintage Collection release professes to be from Rebels, the Hasbro cartoon Grand Admiral Thrawn [FOTD #2,342] from 2017 is probably the one you'll want first. His hairline is going back a bit more, his face is elongated and even more alien, and the colors really pop above his very eerily pressed uniform. This new figure shares parts with other movie Imperial Officers, which is kind of annoying, but can you blame Hasbro here? It's the same uniform, a lot of collectors aren't going to open him, and it's a uniform. Shared parts are part of the territory for this kind of figure, and since reusing parts is Hasbro's MO these days it makes sense.

The elephant in the room is that this figure is getting another revision already - a tweaked version with a live action Ahsoka-specific head and some wider pants is on deck, with a slightly different blaster. Will you need both? Probably not - the Ahsoka one doesn't have the slightly-shabby uniform or the added paunch, though. They're similar enough that I would recommend you just buy one unless you have some specific diorama needs, and as Rebels isn't getting any official Imperial dioramas he may be superfluous.

His gold epaulets are a little wider in live-action, and a tiny bit more pronounced in the cartoon - so for any potential inaccuracies, this figure can be labeled "artistic interpretation." The uniform adapts a standard officer's uniform with the added shoulder ornamentation, you get the holster like you saw in the cartoon, and he's a little more wrinkly. If you said "Oh it's from the novel" I'd believe you, because the head is too human and too plain to look like the cartoon design. The brows are a little different there, as is the hair. But, again, in the name of making the CG real? It's good enough. He looks more or less like you expect, although he's not perfect at replicating the character's body language.

While his articulation is good, it's not perfect. He can put his hands behind his back, but not quite like we saw in the TV shows. The elbows stick out a bit. The legs have ball-jointed hips and rocker ankles, which is great for any figure - but he can't quite get his legs right next to each other, also he struggles to stand as finding the sweet spot pose is challenging. He can sit, though, with the jacket flap flipping up a bit. Because he neither looks exactly like the cartoon or the live action, his off-model body language makes him feel more like a figure of an excellent cosplayer.

This figure is indicative of what the line is today - pretty good. There are new parts, there are reused parts, and you're being charged the collector premium pricing for something that has signs of cost-cutting. But he's on a cardback that fans demand, and comes from a popular TV show, and is (weirdly) probably one of the oldest-known characters in Vintage these days. If you go to the store you might see Ahsoka (2008) or Mando (2019), you probably won't see Luke or Vader or Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan, but I've seen Thrawn from way back in 1991 hanging around a bunch. (And now, he's sold through.) I don't know if I'd consider him to be secondary or tertiary at this point due to his rising star in the cartoons and on streaming, but also, a lot of people don't watch those shows. Older collectors and a certain kind of super fan will love this guy, but you might also be perfectly content with any of your many Thrawn figures. If Hasbro had any sort of Imperial playset or ship, I'd say he's a must-buy. But if you're happy with your old Thrawns - or prefer the Lars Mikkelsen look - I think you can give this otherwise perfectly acceptable figure a pass.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,167: August 29, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,166: CH-33P (Cheep, The Vintage Collection)

CH-33P (Cheep)
The Vintage Collection Amazon Exclusive 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. G0266
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #323
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Dome pops up, removable dish, pop-out arm
Retail: $69.99
Availability: May 2024
Appearances: Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Bio: A droid assigned to Clone Captain Rex's vessel, CH-33P came to the aid of Rex and Ahsoka Tano when Order 66 was issued. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Chopper, but not! The CH-33P figure was exclusive to Amazon, and has some shared DNA. The figure opts to use C1-10P's body, which is not accurate to the model for Cheep on the show. The cardback photo is smoother, with fewer open panels or replaced bits. If you didn't notice, that's OK - someone seems to have employed the Photoshop Burn tool to darken that part of the photo on the cardback, obfuscating it so you'll pay more attention to the new head sculpt.

It's worth noting the right leg doesn't match the show either - it's not rounded off, it's just a flat one like Chopper's. They also left off The Clone Wars dirty brushing deco, so it's a lot cleaner - but most of the other colors are where they should be. The red light under the yellow eye is present, some blue can be seen in the other two eyes. There's a yellow box on the body, dark gray on the feet, and it's generally pretty close to what you saw once you get past the fact that only the dome and the left leg are more or less correctly sculpted. In a repaint wave, this would be thrilling - foran exclusive figure, it feels like they snuck one past the licensing goalie.

One of the advantages of reusing Chopper's body is that you can pop the dome up a bit and have it wobble a bit if you like - it's not necessarily how it went on the show, but it's a nice feature. The arm is also fastened in there and can rotate, so you won't lose it. The radar dish, on the other hand, pops right out - so be careful to not lose it.

Now that we're being charged about $17.50 per figure in this set, much of which are mostly old parts, it stings a bit that our first (and likely only) CH-33P figure has an off-model leg and body. The back of the body looks fantastic, and they didn't cheap out on painting the silver panels or blue lights. They got deco more or less exactly where it should be, but it would have been nice to see a little more budget spent on getting the figure's body right. Most fans won't notice - or care - and in a kid line I would probably shrug off this kind of thing. It just would have been nice to have some snap-on facade or some element to cover those open panels and make him look a tiny bit more like the cardback, especially given how few droids (and new droids, at that) Hasbro produces in this scale anymore. Still, the set is as good as we're likely to get and if it's on sale, I'd recommend it. It's just a little harder to take with a smile when there are shortcuts on higher-dollar collector figures.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Amazon.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,166: August 27, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,165: Boba Fett (Epic Hero Series)

BOBA FETT New Kids Line
Epic Hero Series Deluxe Figure
Item No.: Asst. F9949 No. G0140
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, fire gauntlet, rocket, rocket-firing backpack
Action Feature: Rocket actually fires spring-loaded projectile
Retail: $12.99
Availability: July 2024
Appearances: The Book of Boba Fett
Bio: With his customized Mandalorian armor and silent demeanor, Boba Fett was one of the most feared hunters in the Star Wars galaxy. (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!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: While not essential, Boba Fett is one of those things I would cite as a must-have for toy dorks. As a toy - not a "collectible," but toy - armored Boba Fett figures have been in more or less perpetually short supply for as long as I've been around. Sure, maybe you can find a vehicle or multipack with one, and yes, deluxe The Black Series figures got dumped at Ross, but it is rare that you're going to find normal figures on pegs. In the 1980s, I was young but don't remember seeing him much. In the 1990s, it was rare to see POTF2 Boba Fett, and most later new versions tended to sell pretty quickly because most adult fans happily shelled out $5-$7 for him. I've seen this new one in stores a couple of times, and he seems to be selling pretty quickly - I really do believe there's a big market for a wide swath of not-$17 figures, especially as the last The Book of Boba Fett figure was a $25 deluxe release. He's really good! But even a mostly-excellent figure, at $25, is a hard sell compared to something that's $13. It's a toy, it's durable, it's not super-articulated, and it feels like it came from a timeline where the shift to higher-end, more-expensive collector's items never happened. I'd like to go there and get some cheaper mini-rigs or awesome $30 mid-size vehicles.

I should note, the fire gauntlet is recycled from Paz Vizsla [FOTD #3,123] but otherwise, this figure seems completely new. The blaster is unique, and the jetpack (and projectile) are as well. It's exceptionally rare that we get a figure with an action feature these days, given neither The Retro Collection nor The Vintage Collection employ things with springs very often. This figure does a pretty good job of giving fans the legend they want, with a clean sculpt of a popular character. They appease Disney, by doing the "current version," which may not be the hit as classic - we don't know, they haven't tried it in a while - but it's recognizable and cool. They also nod to the stuff of toy myth by including a ridiculous, massive oversized backpack and did the unthinkable by somehow making it so he can stand unassisted while wearing it. That alone is worth all the points in my book - so few figures can stand well when geared up, it's amazing to me that this one can do it and can shoot off a rocket, too. Yes, it's silly, but it looks perfectly decent for a toy.

The figure itself may not be a hyper-articulated photo-realistic object for collectors to fret over while leaving in a sealed, closed box, but that's OK. You can see it in the nice plastic bubble packaging, and see the armor has sculpted scrapes but is generally clean - no battle damage. There's a visible Mythosaur skull on his shoulder, the gauntlets are red, the boots are black, and he has the pants and other elements from his revised The Book of Boba Fett costume. With the smaller helmet and simpler deco, he looks a lot more like a toy. For those of us who have been here since the 1990s, this is the sort of thing you would've seen in 1995 and said "oh, perfect!" He stands, he sits, he holds his gear, and there's a little flex in his "skirt" so he can sit in the vehicles you probably don't have and as far as I know, aren't being made as of yet.

The Epic Hero Series lines for Star Wars and Marvel are both good starts - the problem is, most fans want a pretty big roster of characters and right now we're getting the cream of the Disney-era crop, plus Darth Vader. Six months and about 12 figures in, with one vehicle, it's not a terrible first-year line-up. I'd love to see Han or a Millennium Falcon or a Princess Leia - or the droids, or so on and so forth - but this particular take on Boba Fett makes for a good toy that I hope adult fans will see as a worthwhile impulse buy. It's not bad. It's not going to knock your socks off, but it's satisfying and feels like a nice, durable toy that should hopefully serve kids well. You may not need this figure, but I certainly need more action figures that are toys first. This is a toy, first and foremost, and with that point of view you're probably going to like it a lot.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,165: August 22, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,164: Luke Skywalker (Jedi Academy, The Retro Collection)

LUKE SKYWALKER (Jedi Academy)
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F6874 No. F9758
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, Cloak
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $11.99
Availability: December 2023
Appearances: Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett

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: These figures came out months ago and I've never seen one of them hanging on a peg in stores - which is kind of a shame, as this is a nice wave. This Luke Skywalker (Jedi Academy) is exactly the kind of thing that we may have seen in 1987 had the original line kept going. Actually we'd probably have wound up with this, but you get the idea - this 2023 figure is a 1983 figure updated with a black cloak and no blaster. So you are getting less than you did with either the 1983 or 2023 reissue, but you do get a black cloak. An Etsy seller might charge you about that and you'd get no figure, so the "is it worth it?" question is pretty up in the air. If you have an existing version of the figure, there's nothing unique about the figure itself. The green lightsaber is also nothing new. But the cloak? That's new.

Since the base figure is basically identical to Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight, The Retro Collection) [FOTD #3,020] you may just want to read up about that. I assume this is one of the cheapest figures in the entire line, as his black body has only one painted hand, and his flesh-molded head has some painted hair and eyes. There's not a lot to it, and the head is a little different from the original while retaining the general vibe of a figure from that era. Purists will be mad, people who ever owned the 1983 release will go "Wow, I finally got one!" I also would not be shocked if people got this specific Jedi Academy version with the black cloak and also assumed it was the one they had when they were a kid. Non-toy people have terrible memories. The figure's joints are nice and tight, although the sculpt is a little bit soft - that' the way these are now. His skin tone is also a bit tanner than the original, with eyes that are closer together. I assume these came from a pretty good 3D scan of an original figure, as opposed to a sculptor who could probably have just as easily come up with a good (but not perfect) facsimile.

So why did Hasbro issue this figure a second time in under a year? He sells - and serves a purpose. This wave included a Grogu (another repack) with a new version of the 1980s Dagobah Training backpack - that's supposed to go with this Luke figure so you can take Grogu around for a jog in the bog. In theory this figure would have (or still might) make it to stores, and it's safe bet a black cloak variant Jedi Luke figure would sell pretty well. Carded collectors will likely buy the variant because it's different, retro completists will want the variant black cloak accessory, and fans on a budget will see this and go "Don't I already own this?" Since the cloak fits somewhat oddly you may not feel it worth the asking price, but I find it a neat curiosity and I'd buy pretty much any retro/vintage variant for about ten bucks these days. If Hasbro put out a remastered Han Solo with blue pants tomorrow for ten bucks, they would get my ten bucks. (But only if they also made the hand better grip the blaster.)

I would probably steer you to the Epic Hero Series Luke Skywalker before this one if you're a completist with ten bucks in your pocket, only because you most likely have a figure similar to this one. If you simply must have this figure, it's pretty good. He holds the saber well, and the cloak is fine. Could be better, could be worse. It feels a lot like something I played with as a kid, so I'm predisposed to like it even if it's lacking the pistol from the last release. (Hasbro should have left the blaster in there, authenticity be damned.) I think this is a great gift for the kids of the 1980s, and a perfectly acceptable - but not perfect - update of the old figure. This is the retro Luke you want attacking the non-existing retro Dark Troopers. If you see it for a fair price, just buy it. Or the whole case since it's eight new figures and they're all pretty interesting. At this point I assume this figure will remain exclusively online or eventually dumped at Ross or Five Below, because big box stores just don't seem to be stocking any of these. They're missing out.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,164: August 20, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,163: Kai Brightstar (Jedi Pilot, Young Jedi Adventures)

KAI BRIGHTSTAR Jedi Pilot / Starfighter Pack-in
Young Jedi Adventures Vehicle Pilot
Item No.: Asst. F7981 No. F8014
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Jedi Vector Jr., Lightsaber
Action Feature: Wings pop open of ship
Retail: $24.99
Availability: August 2023
Appearances: Young Jedi Adventures   

Bio: Kai Brightstar was a human male Jedi youngling sent to the forest planet Tenoo for training during the High Republic Era. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

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: I was all set to skip this line until my friend Seth sent me a picture of Kai Brightstar (Jedi Pilot) - or rather, his vehicle, with Clawtron sitting in it. That may not be a huge rec for the figure, but the figure is actually pretty good. Complete with a giant head with cool, non-removable green helmet, the figure is basically a 4-inch Imaginext-style release. The legs are connected and swing forward together. Each wrist swivels. The neck has a ball joint. Each shoulder rotates and has lateral movement outward. For a kid figure, it's remarkable - and I wish Hasbro would've adopted the same basic articulation for some of the current kid figures for the movie and streaming series line. (Admittedly, with "normal" proportions.)

These are toys for little kids - so they're durable, colorful, and look like they can hold up to rough play. He has no problems standing, sitting, or fitting in his ship. There's a roomy seat in there, so it can hold a wider figure. It's also worth noting this figure shares tooling with other Kai Brightstar releases, of which there are a few - and they're all pretty good. I admire the clean paint on the face, the simple paint on the helmet, and the gold on his robes. It's striking, it's unlike other figures from Hasbro, but that's both good and bad. An entirely new generation could enjoy these figures without the baggage of our entire toy hobby lives! But that also means a lot of collectors with said baggage have no interest in trying something new, myself included, be it because "it's a baby toy" or "it's a new continuity" or "it's not compatible with the stuff I already bought." Or at least, that's the perception.

Because I have way too many toys I likely won't backfill the collection, but the vehicle is a pretty good toy. It's mostly white plastic with some green and clear smokey glass, with a big green button you can push and the wings sweep out. The cannons look a little bit like a Snowspeeder, and it can seat one 3 3/4-inch scale figure. If you want to use these with your other figures, you can! There are no stickers, and it's probably the simplest ship you're likely to see. It also makes me a little sad that Hasbro isn't making more simple toys like this for other shows, or at least, not yet. They did a good job with it, and given that it includes a figure it's a pretty good deal. On clearance, it's a steal - for $10 or less I recommend it highly.

There is absolutely no reason to start a new collection,  but I had a lot of fun with this.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Walmart. It was on clearance for a shockingly low $6.19.
--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,163: August 15, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,162: 3PO Protocol Droid (Gold, Droid Factory)

PROTOCOL DROID Gold with Yellow Optics
Star Tours Droid Factory Customizable Figure
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney?
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Removable limbs
Retail: $12.95
Availability: April 2017
Appearances: n/a 

Bio: The 3PO-series protocol droid, also known as the 3PO-series protocol unit, was a model of protocol droid produced by Cybot Galactica sometime prior to the Invasion of Naboo. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.   

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: It's not C-3PO, he doesn't have a red arm or a silver leg. This Gold Protocol Droid will, for most kids who built one, be their C-3PO toy. It's more or less how he looks in The Last Jedi and later The Rise of Skywalker, neither of which were released when this figure came out - but we didn't notice when we were kids, and it's possible the fact that he's all gold wouldn't bother them, either. Proper C-3PO figures from Kenner didn't have a silver leg until 1997, and generally speaking I didn't hear many complaints.

It's just like the other 3PO Protocol Droid builds - same molds, sort of like the Hasbro figure, and you could put together whatever parts you wanted. I kind of wish they would bring them back, only with no new parts, because I don't think I can manage tracking down more theme park exclusives that rely on chance when I live in another state. Like C-3PO, this figure has gold plating and yellow optics. The same basic design was used for See-Threepio [FOTD #2,387] when Disney made a 2-pack with added orange dirt and a silver leg. For those who need all the variants, there's another one you forgot to buy. It's a nice figure too, but the dirt is odd. This unnamed gold droid might do the job better, depending on what job you are looking to do.

You can remove the head, arms, and legs, and the figure has a decent range of motion. Swivel wrists, bend-and-swivel ankles, bend-and-swivel knees and elbows, and even a waist that can pivot a bit. It's not amazing, but it's good enough. C-3PO was always a little stiff thanks to the costume, so a figure that can match his body language is arguably better than one with too many joints. It only falls short in that it can't sit well thanks to the hips being restricted from swinging forward fully, and obviously we know C-3PO can sit. We've seen Return of the Jedi. But I digress - for a generic gold droid to fill your displays, this is a nice figure. For $13, I'd say it was good if maybe a smidgen expensive, and at secondary market prices you might not want to pick him up. Unless you're out of other things to buy, which you may be depending on how much you are enjoying Disney+ content product these days.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney Hollywood Studios. Thanks Shannon!

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,162: August 13, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,161: Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios (The Vintage Collection)

GARAZEB "ZEB" ORRELIOS Vintage Debut, Sort Of
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Deluxe
Item No.: No. F9257
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: Expanded bo-rifle, compressed bo-rifle, 2 energy effects
Retail: $24.99
Availability: July 2024
Appearances: Star Wars: Rebels

Bio: Garazeb Orrelios, commonly known as Zeb, was a male Lasat rebel who manned the starship, the Ghost. Prior to joining the Spectres rebel cell, Orrelios was a Captain of the Lasan Honor Guard and was trained to fight with a bo-rifle. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

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: I kind of groused at a $25 deluxe Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios coming, but it's good so now I un-grouse. I think the 6-inch "realistic" Zeb is actually a little bit better, with superior brighter colors and a face with more personality, but this is also pretty good. The one in the HasLab The Ghost should have a better face, but a different costume - so you'll probably want both. Hasbro has been doing this sort of thing with most of its deluxe boxed figures, so not only are you getting charged more - you're getting charged more twice. This hasn't yet happened with Jango Fett but I assume it's coming. So should you get this one?

I think so - this is a figure I'd strongly recommend to non-fans of Rebels who are fans of 1980s-style toys. He looks like a toy that may have existed from the late 1970s or early 1980s, and he's engineered well. He's loaded with articulation and his legs swing forward fully. There's no "well it barely sits," he actually sits very nicely. The arm joints are all good, the hands are huge, and the belt covers the waist joint. He can even mount either of his staffs on his back, but it's a little tricky to get things in just-so. It works, though.

While I would have liked a snarkier head or lighter purple fur on his face and legs, it's certainly good enough for me to say "give this one a look." Everything goes together pretty well, even if the character seems far more serious than he was on the series. The eyes are a little less lively than other figures, and the creature on his left shoulder armor is more subdued than I would like too - it's usually lighter and much more visible. But it's there, and it's not an eyesore. I assume it was a stylistic choice, but I should note it does appear significantly brighter on the figure's box. The yellorange looks great, though, and this is one of the most colorful figures we've had in a while. I really love it when we get something that has a color scheme that isn't "1970s earthtones living room" or "Z Gallarie Coke Den ca. 1988."

I find a lot of super-articulated figures to be annoying because you have to fight them. I don't want to spend a lot of time balancing it, or getting the joints coaxed into a position that allows them to not fall over. This one simply works, and he's easy to play with or pose without flopping over because the joint starts to slowly pose back to how it was in the box. Hasbro did a good job here, and if all figures were this good they could probably convince me that a $19.99 price on basics could be a good move. (This, of course, assumes better gear and fewer repaints/resculpts.) If you're going to make it good, I can't argue that the higher price seems to have resulted in a product with higher quality - but an alternate head would have made this a much easier recommendation. This is the perfect figure to hang out with your Fisher-Price Adventure People, so if that means anything to you, go ahead and order one of these at any of the many sponsored links on this page.

This is not the first 3 3/4-inch Zeb - one was made for the cartoon Rebels line that got rereleased in The Force Awakens trade dress as a set with Chopper. I'm also very keen on those figures, but this one has more sculpted fur detail, tons more articulation, and given secondary market prices may be the better overall buy in today's market. But if you're happy with Zeb Classic, I'd still recommend giving this figure a look because he really is a good example of Hasbro putting in the extra work to make fans happy (or happy-adjacent) to fork over a few more bucks.

Collector's Notes: There's a variant! The head deco has two versions - mine is supposedly the fixed release, and matches the packagings. The lines on the head are wider and not tapered at the ends on some figures. I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,161: August 8, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,160: The Mandalorian and Grogu (N-1 Starfighter Pack-Ins, Epic Hero Series)

THE MANDALORIAN | GROGU New Kids Line
Epic Hero Series The Mandalorian's N-1 Starfighter
Item No.: No. F9950
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 2 figures, 1 vehicle, cape, 2 projectiles
Action Feature: Launching projectiles, rotating engines
Retail: $34.99
Availability: July 2024
Appearances: The Book of Boba Fett, The Mandalorian Season 3   

Bio: The Mandalorian is a formidable bounty hunter in an increasingly dangerous galaxy. Grogu has chosen to follow the path of his protector, the Mandalorian, and continues to share adventures at his side. (Taken from the single figure packaging. Box 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: Since this vehicle comes with two old figures and one new accessory, I'm lumping it all together - if you're an accessory completist, you'll need to buy all versions of these. The Mandalorian is almost identical to his single card release [FOTD #3,118] except the single card has a Darksaber and blaster, whereas the vehicle version trades them for a jetpack. Grogu includes none of the accessories from his single carded release, effectively rendering him as an accessory. You can read those reviews for details, because Mando's got 5 joints, Grogu's got 3, and they're pretty good. The new jet pack is huge, and Mando can't wear it while in his vehicle - it's also incredibly oversized. I would have loved to see any minor change to either figure that might make me say "hey it's different!" beyond the accessories, but alas, it was not to be. They're both very nice figures and for what you get in the box, arguably a very good deal.

When Hasbro introduced Mission Fleet, I was agitated because I didn't want a new scale. If those were 3 3/4-inch vehicles I'd have gleefully bought them all, because I had no interest in a scale where Hasbro would lose interest within a few years. And they did. Now we have Epic Hero Series, and the N-1 Starfighter is its first vehicle. Yes, first vehicle. It's not as big as The Vintage Collection ship, but it's about $100 cheaper and the same size figures can fit inside. Just chew on that for a bit. It doesn't have the high level of paint detail, or the display stand, or removable engine parts, or on-board accessory storage either... but it's $100 cheaper. As collectors I really do feel we've lost our minds when it comes to accepting and demanding figures have a level of quality that demands that much of a price increase, but that's what we do. So instead, Hasbro made one for kids and wouldn't you know it, it's sturdy and a lot of fun. The details are not exact, as the spires coming off the back are a lighter gray, and nothing seems particularly metallic like that previous release. But that's OK, you get plenty of exposed mechanical bits and the size is such that you can cram The Vintage Collection or The Retro Collection figures inside without much fuss.

Functionally, it's about as good as a 1990s Kenner ship design with two firing rockets, seating for Mando and his son, and some nifty opening "boost mode" engines. The rockets fire nicely, and being bright green you can find them in the carpet. This toy reminds me a bit of Kenner's 1997 redesign of Darth Vader's TIE Fighter - which I believe was the first all-new Original Trilogy-specific vehicle we had at that point in the line. (There were other new vehicles for Shadows of the Empire, everything else was derived from 1970s and 1980s toys.)

While the ship is more advanced than anything made by Kenner in the 1980s, it does work well with The Retro Collection figures. That Grogu is bigger than The Vintage Collection one but a tiny bit smaller than Epic Hero Series, so he has a little extra room. The same is true about Mando - you can get his Retro figure in the pilot's seat even with his jet pack molded to the back. If it were a true 1970s vehicle parts would probably come off. Fans of Retro, give this a look because five years in I doubt Hasbro is ever going to make vehicles for that segment.

Actual play features, on a nicely sized toy, at a price that would be expensive 20 years ago but dirt cheap by modern standards. If you value the figures at $10-$15, and consider the ship adjusted for inflation, this might be one of the best vehicle values we've ever had. There are no stickers, there's very little paint, but it looks right and it does stuff. I wish it came out to time with the show, but with any luck Hasbro can get a few years out of selling this one with new series and a movie. That might be hoping for too much. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this package for the figures alone, but if you missed the figures I would strongly recommend it for the ship with the figures. The last time we got a new "kid" vehicle was 2018 for Solo: A Star Wars Story, and I think Hasbro should really consider making more ships at this price point because they're affordable and, in most cases, arguably as satisfying as the deluxe models for the average fan. It may not look like a tiny prop replica, but also, it's not priced like a tiny prop replica.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,160: August 6, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,159: HK-89 Assassin Droid (The Retro Collection)

HK-87 ASSASSIN DROID (Kenner Style)
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F6874 No. F7304
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Blaster
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: I've been spreading out opening some of these figures for months - there are a lot of figures released every year, and opening two new figures a week to review is surprisingly weighty. But not uninteresting! This HK-87 Assassin Droid came out last year and I think I've seen it in stores - just Target - maybe twice The 5-jointed figure had other droids with similar color schemes, or cloaks, on the TV shows but this is the one they opted to do for Kenner fanatics. Most of them on the show had capes or sashes or other accoutrements, but the retro one gets a blaster, with red limbs, and a helmet that looks like an old Ralph McQuarrie sketch. That's why it feels legit.

The verdict on the Ahsoka series seemed to be a bit of a shrug - it's got some neat stuff in it, and it ultimately feels like a prologue to another, better story or event. It was mostly made from a grab bag of toys from other parts of the franchise dating back decades, and this was one of the more recent concepts having originally appeared in the second season of The Mandalorian in a slightly different configuration. It feels like a good mix of original trilogy and prequel, with a familiar helmet, a not-too-alien color scheme, and a blaster that seems to have nicely survived the transition to the best concept 1982 didn't have to offer.

My figure had slightly warped limbs, but he still stands without much of a fuss. I kind of wish I had a few more of it, but that's just not going to help me keep my hobby under control - I got one, and one is pretty good. It is to old Kenner figures what Mini-Rigs were to the vehicles. It seems like it fits in with the kind of thing you might have wanted to get for your birthday as a child, and it holds a blaster better than most real Kenner figures. The sculpted detail recalls elements from other droids, with legs not entirely unlike C-3PO. The pose isn't particularly exciting, but it's competent, it stands, it just isn't dynamic. Most fans likely won't have an issue with it, and I certainly feel that it's good enough. I would have liked a cape, at least, as that could add a little more personality to a figure that's just standing around.

These figures are a very specialized product. It's not a perfect Kenner figure, as the sculpting is a little soft and the pose carries the whiff of digital-era sculpting. It's not as hand-made and "real" as the old guys, but it's as close as we're going to get. If you want this droid in this format, this is literally your only choice. We may never get another wave of figures from this show again - so I'm rounding it up to "good enough" because it's charming for the price. If Hasbro were making dozens of repaints at a higher price I'd rescind this, but I appreciate products like this for the fans who are aging out of the hobby. I like to feel like a kid again, and this charmer does the job.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth. Also, I first started writing about Star Wars toys on the internet on August 1, 1995. Happy 29 years to me! If you have enjoyed my stuff, please kick $1 in on my Patreon.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,159: August 1, 2024