TUSKEN WARRIOR 12-back redux
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F6874 No. F8566
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Gaffi Stick, Robe
Action Feature: Removable cloak
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!
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Commentary: I was excited when I heard they were doing
The Book of Boba Fett Kenner figures. I was not entirely thrilled when I heard one of them was the
Tusken Warrior, if only because I was sitting here hoping for Peli Motto, Cobb Vanth, or the revised Boba Fett. But looking at the wave, I can see where they're coming from. The
Ahsoka wave threw a jacket on Ahsoka and gave us six all-new molds, while
The Book of Boba Fett delivered four new molds and four "but she's got a new hat!" figures. Of those four retreads, this is the best. It's effectively a remastered version of one of the original 12 Kenner action figures!
If old-school Kenner kids still ran Star Wars, I would assume this is a fan's pet project. I don't know if there's a story behind it because Hasbro really doesn't talk about design or anything when it comes to their lower price points - so I just have to imagine someone saw there was a Vinyl Cape Jawa and a Cloth Cape Jawa and said "hey, why didn't they go back and redo the other vinyl cape figures?" In 2022 we got a new Vader with a cloth cape, and in late 2023 we got this cloth robed Tusken. This is the one I wish they made when I was a kid so we could really play with it, or have them steal vehicles. (And ride that Bantha we never got!) The gaffi stick is pretty much the same as an original. The figure itself i a dark brown color with a slightly tweaked paint job on the head. His gloves are now light tan, while the belt pouches are partially painted this time. As repaints go, it's nice to see something different on a troop builder that's arguably a big improvement.
What really got me was the robe. I have a lot of old figures, including a junker Tusken that made its way to my desk - I've been touching up his metal silver parts and off-and-on looking for a replacement cape. I didn't want a vinyl one, I was hoping to get something, well, like this - I wasn't expecting the shoulder part, but it's distinctive. I wish it didn't block the breathing gear on the neck, but aside from that the color, texture, and range of motion is excellent. You can raise his arms with no problems, it hangs well, and it's frankly better than most of the soft goods robes or cloaks we've seen on "modern" figures. Were this a variant from the old days, I'd have tracked one down because it really is distinctive, like the Blue Snaggletooth or Vinyl Jawa. I'm not saying it's perfect - the softer head details don't look as good as a Kenner original - but it's as good and interesting as we're going to get without Hasbro shelling out for improved tooling. If you have to reuse old tooling to save money, this is how you do it - one recreation of something old, and one new spin on a classic.
There is no reason to get back to army-building at my age, but if I saw these in stores (especially on sale) I'd throw down a few bucks for more. I'd love to see Hasbro do another riff on this figure and package it with a Retro Bantha (I've got fifty bucks, Hasbro. Or more!) Rethinking the vinyl cape is something I never expected to see, and I would love to see Hasbro consider doing the same with other figures like Obi-Wan Kenobi or Lando Calrissian some day. Will it happen? No. But it's funny to see that Hasbro could probably put out versions 1.5 or 2.0 of retro figures and make a compelling case for me to give them more money.
Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth. The first (and only) sighting I've had outside an online toy store or a brick and mortar store that wasn't supplied by EE Distribution was a Ross in September 2024, nine months after release.
--Adam Pawlus
Day 3,170: September 10, 2024
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