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
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