Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,173: Admiral Ackbar (The Retro Collection)

ADMIRAL ACKBAR He's Back!
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Hasbro Pulse/Shop Disney 6-Pack
Item No.: No. F6988
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Staff, plus Mon Mothma, Yak Face, Emperor's Royal Guard, Gamorrean Guard, and Wicket the Ewok
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $72.99
Availability: November 2023
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Star Wars Retro Collection includes Star Wars action figures from the 40-plus-year legacy of the Star Wars Galaxy, including movies and live-action series. (Stolen from the marketing copy. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Hasbro hasn't made a lot of Return of the Jedi Kenner figures yet, but most of them were ones I had as a kid - like Admiral Ackbar. This was the kind of figure that sparked my imagination as a kid - it was a weird lobster guy, with a strange head and webbed hands. He had a ribbed staff and had no problems holding it either. I have no idea where it came from - I don't think we've ever seen it in concept art or as a prop in a photo somewhere, but it's classic Kenner and as much a part of my experience with Star Wars as a lightsaber if not more so. All the jokes I could make about this will make someone angry... so moving on.

The remake is about as good as all the others. Details are softer, paint isn't quite right, the eyes are a smidgen more a-googily-doogily. One black dot is a little higher than the other, but being on opposing sides of his head makes it less likely that I would notice on my sample - and presumably all samples vary. His wrinkly or vaguely armored skin just isn't as crisp as the original, which is possibly the result of a scan not being cleaned up quite right. Having seen the level of sharpness of home-scanned toys, though, I'm not sure I believe that. Maybe the tool master just didn't put in the hours to make something perfect - it's still good, and it looks like what the molds may be after decades of use (or bad storage.). The yellow pants stripes are here, the skin is brighter than the movie skin, and the bib/vest seems a smidgen darker than my original Kenner figures - but the colors vary. For someone who has never owned an original, this is probably pretty good. Anyone who took this figure on adventures as a child will know it's not the same, though.

He's long sold out, but you can get one for a pretty fair/paltry $15 on eBay as I write this. It's long sold out at Shop Disney or Hasbro Pulse, and I've heard whispers that the run size wasn't exactly vast. If you have the money I would recommend you get the 1983 release - but if you're buying the 6-pack for Mon Mothma and Yak Face anyway, this is a heck of a nice design that is distinctly different from the original to anyone who can read the figure for clues, or is old. I am fond of the whole set - I opened Ackbar months ago but the Royal Guard is still carded - and they're the next best thing to a carded original. I wish they were slightly better, or that the eyes were aligned, but on a shelf or on a card, it's pretty good for roughly twelve bucks.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,173: September 19, 2024