Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,185: C1-MNST4 (Droid Factory)

C1-MNST4 Halloween Edition
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: Radar dish, jointed arms
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $14.99
Availability: September 2024
Appearances: n/a   

Bio: All different types of droids populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid is different and has their own unique personalitty and colors. This droid has been constructed using part of other droids for optimum performance on Coruscant. Join C1-MNST4 on his adventures throughout the galaxy. May the Force be with you... and your Droids! (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now! 

Commentary: The whole holiday droid - indeed, the "fun" repaint - is something I've kind of soured on. It doesn't mean I don't like C1-MNST4 - this is a good execution (redeco, quirky, there's a story, and it kind of fits in to the narrative) but it's still getting further and further away from why I'm here in the first place since it doesn't really belong in the stories I like. It's like Transformers Collabs. Are they neat? Sure. But does Rathalos Prime fit on my shelves with Optimus Prime or Soundwave as nicely as Scrounge, Dinoking, and Nautica? Not really. As there's little need for scene filler anymore (there are so few playsets and so many figures, and so, so many droids) a figure like this exists as a souvenir for Disney fanatics, Halloween fiends, completists, or those who have a big monster collection. I may fit in some variation of that, so I see this guy and go "Yeah, that works for me." The Disney Halloween segment has been relatively restrained and $15 a year isn't like the $125 a year Hasbro has asked for its Christmas collections. (Sorry baby, you know I love you.)

I like a weird figure, and this is a weird figure. Most parts are molded in color - the Chopper body has some purple on the cloaca, there's one painted wire on a leg, and the head has painted hair and painted eyes. And staples. It gives the figure an almost bootleg look, and it really stands out from previous clear frosty figures or heavily painted droids. Normally we're given loads of painted panels, battle-damage or other highlights on the legs. And here? Nothing. It almost doesn't look like it belongs, so much as it looks like a test shot. The basic schtick is that it's Frankenstein's Monster, and in that realm it works. We've had skeletons, ghosts, vampires, and now a bunch of dead body parts bolted together.

Functionally, it's very good. Hasbro has arguably surpassed it with a tilting dome and other niceties, but it's still a solid design with a removable radar dish and tiny arms with little teeny joints. The claw arm opens on the chest, the feet move, and there's a non-retracting wheel despite what the packaging says. You can remove it, but you can't shove it any more up him. He does not consent, nor do the laws of physics.

I would be remiss if I did not inform any vinyl collectors out there that Monsta!!, the 1995 5-inch record from the underrated Man... or Astro-Man?-adjacent band Supernova, is easily had for a couple of bucks. (I've had my copy for years, you should get one.)

Back when we used to get one Christmas figure every couple of years, or an occasional silver figure, my attitude was "eh, just get it." Now that we're getting Mickey droids and chase blind box droids of robots I can't even recognize, I don't even have the chance to say "yes" or "no" to being a completist - it's just out of reach. Figures like this are in reach, with affordable secondary market prices. I love the concept, I like the execution, but if I were trying to keep it down to a sensible number of Halloween figures I'd probably emphasize getting some of the other ones first. The designers did what they were supposed to do here, but it's hard to top "glowing green ghost," "glowing skeleton," or "pumpkin bot." We got a Zombie this year, and I hope the gill man gets his due soon. Or a mummy.

Happy Halloween, everybody!

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Shop Disney.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,185: October 31, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,184: Jedi Master Sol (The Vintage Collection)

JEDI MASTER SOL Debut! And probably only release
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. E7763 No. F9791
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #329
Includes: Hilt, lightsaber, cloak
Action Feature: Hilt connects to belt, removable robe
Retail: $16.99
Availability: September 2024
Appearances: The Acolyte

Bio: Set at the end of theHigh Republic, a former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they confront turn out to be far more sinister and personal than anticipated. (Taken from the figure's cardback. Yes, it's the same bio they gave Osha.)

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: Given current standards and expectations, Jedi Master Sol meets the requirements for The Vintage Collection. Is this good? Well, it's not bad, but the figure is very similar to what we were getting 15 years ago with some minor enhancements. The ball-jointed hips with a thigh swivel, rocker ankles, and separately molded wigs with photo-real deco weren't things we had in 2009. In the package, the figure looks a lot like the earlier cloth robe figures from 2006. It's fine. Much of this figure is predictable, with one surprise in his accessories. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, as collectors seem to want a certain level of articulation and deco, and Hasbro mostly delivered the goods relative to other figures. I feel like we got more bang for our buck with Osha, but we're also at a point where I am very hard to impress when shown yet another Jedi action figure.

At first glance, this figure could stand in your prequel shelves and blend in. The figure's sculpted garments are very similar, as are his soft goods robes. Given the lead time and what I assume was a figure made from costume fitting photos, Hasbro did a pretty nice job - but I live in the future, where there's a cardback photo right next to the figure. I also got to see the entire series. I could tell the belt buckle looked a little off right away, as the Jedi Order symbol is absent on the figure. The more saffron parts of his Jedi robes lack the trim from the show - the lighter color border is one of very few things that set the costumes apart from what we saw in 1999-2005. In some lighting conditions it really stands out, like the cardback photography. Other than that, Hasbro did a pretty good job - the boots look like his boots, the armor on his arms looks cool (and I never really got a clear look at it on the show), and the separately molded wig, like the show, looks like a separately molded wig. Given its size and I assume budget, Hasbro did a pretty good job here - I woul love to have seen a little extra paint given to the soles of his boots or his robes, but when you have a figure mostly covered in his cloth accessory, it seems unrealistic that fans will notice, or even see, much of the extra detail. I doubt the belt buckle would be super visible at this scale, so it's not a huge loss, and the neat designs on his gloves are hidden thanks to his sleeves. What really matters is that the costume accurately captures the vibe of the show, but I suppose future figures will be made without the trim and belt buckle to be consistent. (Just kidding, we all know they're never going to make another Jedi from this show!)

The Jedi robes are mostly very good, and this is where Hasbro made an interesting choice. For years, getting cloth robes with a hood that can go over the figure's head and not look silly have been rare. Usually it goes too high, and can't rest on the figure's noodle - so you fold it down, and that's that. Hasbro elected to just sew the robes down here. At first I was annoyed I couldn't put it up, and then it hit me - why do I care? This looks better, most of these figures will never be opened anyway, left on a shelf untouched until my collection is moved after I die. The more I think about it, the more I see this as a big improvement and something I kind of wish Hasbro did back in the prequel days. Of course, those figures were from an era where Anakin raising his hood meant he was going to go be evil for a little bit, so it makes sense that you wouldn't sew it down. But sewing it down at this scale actually works very well in terms of function, so I think this was actually a secretly brilliant move on Hasbro's part.

Hasbro has had some challenges getting the robes and lightsabers for its Jedi just right over the years, and we've frequently said some level of "Well... this is it, is it good enough?" Back when figures were $5 or $7 it seemed a lot easier to say "yes, of course, it's a five dollar figure and I'm happy with it." At $17 it is a little harder to overlook things like the purple on the metal jut under the blade, or the ribbed grip, or the black pommel of the prop. These are things we'd never notice on the show, and would only notice if given a reference photo - and for better or worse, those are on the internet for me to compare. If we lived in a world without such things I would give Hasbro an A for the accessory, and I assume they may be working from early reference when they made this figure. In his hands or on his belt, you're probably not going to notice a slightly-off detail, especially at this size. The accessory easily hangs from his belt, but the hands on my sample don't have the tightest grip - so be careful with this one lest he drop it.

Since the costume is ultimately very similar to a riff on Qui-Gon Jinn, I assume your enjoyment of this figure will directly correspond to your love of The Acolyte, or a Jedi collecting focus, or maybe if you really dig Squid Game. While I found Osha to be surprisingly great with added bandoliers, deco, and accessories, Sol has the articulation of a current figure with the accessory tally (and appearance) of a $10 figure from 2010 - visually, he's a lot like that era's Anakin and Obi-Wan figures. I do not believe (short of alternate belts or robes or a flashback wig) there's much Hasbro could do at this particular budget to make this a more exciting figure, particularly if the details of the story were under wraps during toy development. I'd recommend this figure if you liked the show as the joints are pretty smooth and the saturated, slightly more golden robes are visually distinctive. But if you're on a budget, Mae and Osha have better costumes for their figures.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,184: October 29, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,183: The Mandalorian (Arvala-7, The Vintage Collection)

THE MANDALORIAN (Arvala-7) & Blurrg
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. G0302
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Cape, pistol, Amban phase-pulse rifle, Blurrg
Action Feature: Holster holds pistol, bandolier holds rifle
Retail: $39.99
Availability: September 2024
Appearances: The Mandalorian

Bio: With help of the Ugnaught vapor farmer Kuiil, The Mandalorian learns how to tame and ride a blurrg on the desert planet Arvala-7.. (Taken from The Mandalorian figure's cardback inside this set's box.)

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: Expectations can be a problem when you're dealing with collectors. Since we got a few price increases - a The Vintage Collection figure today is four whole dollars higher than when this character made his debut - we expect improvements. The Mandalorian (Arvala-7) is another proud entry in the "Just Different Enough to Make You Mad" hall of fame, in that the toy's functionality was improved, but his deco was not. It's also somewhat essential, given that the one-silver-shoulder look was only very briefly on the series and as such, armor completists will likely pick it up. It's very similar to the 2020 The Mandalorian [FOTD #2,680], which was actually quite exciting at the time. It's funny to look back at the review and see my complaints of "Hasbro doesn't make a lot of new 3 3/4-inch figures" and here we are, 4 1/2 years later, and Hasbro still doesn't make a lot of new 3 3/4-inch figures. This one is a pack-in pilot, though, so I guess we're allowed to look at it with cost-cutting. And boy howdy did Hasbro cut some costs here.

The good: Hasbro took a colorful costume and brought it back, with improved hip joints for greater mobility. To get this guy to sit on the Blurrg, you need hips that can go sideways - which the original can do, but the 2024 figure can do better. There is a functionally good - but annoying - hip joint that Hasbro had been using in the back half of the 201Xes, which got upgraded to a much smoother ball-and-socket joint a couple of years ago - and this new Mando has it! That's good, because you don't have to do as much careful positioning of the legs to get him on the Blurrg figure. You still need to move around the knees and all, but in the end you can make it look like he's sitting back there and it's not a big hassle. The figure's overall functionality is similar to the 2020 figure, as he can holster his weapons and be posed nicely. A new cloth cape also looks very good, and was a great upgrade for a "driver" figure like this. When it comes to using an old mold with just enough tweaks to make it work for this specific purpose, Hasbro did a good job. No notes. It would be foolish to do an all-new figure since the original was nice.

I don't like the deco, though. (I know, I know, it's always something with me, I'm sorry.) The 2020 figure's coloring is a bit more saturated, with bluer blues, tanner tans, and browner browns. Accurate or not, it just looks snappy. The new one is more muted, but also loses a lot of the character - the rusty dirt on the helmet is gone. Hasbro left out all of the silver "damage" on the chest, left shoulder, and left thigh as well as the damaged bits they forgot to paint the first time. If this were a single-carded figure, at $16.99 I would rate it a disappointing downgrade from the original. However, it's not - you get this carded figure packed in with a Blurrg figure and he's really hefty and pretty good. The entire package is arguably worth the asking price, especially if you love the show, adore creatures, and need every last Mando variant. His Beskar left pauldron is what makes this particular The Vintage Collection figure unique. I hesitate to call it a "must-buy" for that reason alone, because it's such a minor tweak, but I admit I've been wanting it since it was a good character moment. Confidential to Hasbro: since you guys reuse and reissue figures with minor (and annoying) changes anyway, if/when you put this guy out again for a 10th anniversary or something, please give him the silver battle-damage. Please and thank you.

Toy budgets are a tight thing - you can't get everything, and those pennies go somewhere. With this specific toy I think Hasbro got it wrong - the money used to make carded packaging (and extra cardboard to protect said cardboard packaging) was a waste, especially on a closed-box figure. Hasbro should have pocketed the money, spent a couple of cents per figure on the silver paint, and carded this guy as a separate release down the road because it really is an excellent sculpt with lots of places that could benefit from the added decoration. I may be too picky here, but after four years I want either a cheaper figure or a better figure, and this is arguably neither. The improved legs makes it a sideways move, as neither is completely superior, but I would favor the 2020 figure as something I just have standing on a display. This 2024 Mando is, of course, better as a beast rider and I'm sure it is frustrating to hear me say "and who cares, I wanted the Blurrg so I was going to buy it anyway." It's just when you have a format that's priced as a premium product, I know it can't be perfect but it would be nice to see it be just slightly better than the previous release.

That's where expectations come in. If Hasbro made this in a "kid line," or Retro, all bets are off - 5 joints and a trapdoor Blurrg? Sure, that's fine, it's a kid toy at a lower price so a toymaker can take some shortcuts and I'll say "it's fine, because it's a toy, and priced like a toy." Thi is $40. And because I am a fanatic, I think this set is arguably worth the $40 just for the creature - but I would really to get back to a product that doesn't make me have to make charts and graphs to determine if what I got was worth the money. When I buy an $8 Epic Hero Series figure, I'm immediately charmed. With The Vintage Collection (especially with remakes) I have to go back to the well, compare them, take notes, and really ask if what I have is the same, or better, or if it's missing anything. With the new cape and hips, it's better. With the desaturated color and lack of battle damage, it's worse. All together, it's about as good and as a figure riding a creature most fans will never notice - and again, that's why I wish they dropped the carded packaging inside the box entirely. That packaging positions it as a fancy collectible, and if they just tossed it in with a tissue paper wrap I think my reaction would be "hey, clearly they had to take some liberties to make the budget given how awesome the blurrg is" rather than "I find this $16.99 carded figure in my $40 beast to be lacking." And again, I also could just be a monster with unrealistic expectations since I am still recommending you buy this at full price with a smile. Collectors make no sense - I know, I'm one of them - but gosh, wouldn't it be great to have a helmet that's at least as good as the cheaper one you bought a few years ago?

Confidential to Hasbro (again): I'd buy this armor configuration in Epic Hero Series tomorrow for $8. I'd buy it for $20-$25 if you threw in a kid-friendly Blurrg. Like I said, I know I'm a nut.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,183: October 24, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,182: Blurrg (The Vintage Collection)

BLURRG & The Mandalorian
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. G0302
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Reins, saddle, carded Mando figure
Action Feature: Reins and saddle are removable
Retail: $39.99
Availability: September 2024
Appearances: The Mandalorian

Bio: With help of the Ugnaught vapor farmer Kuiil, The Mandalorian learns how to tame and ride a blurrg on the desert planet Arvala-7.. (Taken from The Mandalorian figure's cardback inside this set's box.)

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: It is a weird era to collect Star Wars - if you're a lifer, you probably had a chance to buy most of the things you wanted years ago, and if you're new, you've missed so much good stuff I assume it's frustrating. I'm certainly at a point where it seems there's vanishingly few "I always wanted that" toys, but this is one of them. A Blurrg has been something I've wanted since Ewoks: The Battle for Endor, but has always been out of reach because those Ewok movies got no love. We got Kaink and Teek from the Star Tours boxed set, but not much else - so the fact a Blurrg made it in The Clone Wars got me nagging Hasbro (to no effect), and again when they appeared in The Mandalorian (again, to no effect) and now here we are five years after The Mandalorian Season 1 and Triple Force Friday - we finally got the key creature from the first season of the show. It's a pity Hasbro couldn't (or didn't want to) put this out in the toy line when it was new, but I'm very happy to have it now. Depending on how you look at it, it's not a bad deal - $40 gets you a $17 carded Mando upgrade (cloth cape, new hips) and a satisfyingly hefty lizard that isn't too far off from the kind of value you get with Mattel's Jurassic World dinosaurs, an underrated kid/collector line that should probably be the new North Star for all action figure lines.

That is an unnecessarily long introduction. You're probably only reading this to find out if I do or don't like this. This is one of my favorite Hasbro items in The Vintage Collection from the past 5 years. To do something cool that a) isn't a new version of something I have, and b) isn't over $200 is rare. This is great.

Toys like this - this specific toy - is why I collect Star Wars after a few decades. What I want as a collector is something I grew up with, be it from a new thing or an old thing, I'm not picky - I want something that says "We see you, and here is something you might enjoy" which was pretty much the entire line up to about 2019. New vehicles and creatures are in short supply, it used to be pretty common to get a mount for your troopers - it's weirdly rare in Hasbro lines, despite the massive success if dinosaur toys a few pegs down. The Blurrg is good - the creature has a nice sculpt, with some assembly required. (You have to pop in an arm and a leg.) Articulation is good, better than needed - this could be a 4-jointed creature, and it would get the job done. Instead it's a solid, hefty lizard fish horse with bend-and-swivel shoulders, ball-jointed hips, jointed knees, a tail that moves, and an opening jaw. There's no reason for it to be this good, and for $40, we've certainly gotten less for our money with some products.

 

But wait, it gets better! The teeth are separately molded and pointy. The mouth interior is fully painted, shiny, and with a bumpy tongue. The eyes are painted with several colors of paint, plus peachy bags under the eyes. He's even got a lightly sprayed belly, and rocker ankles. I would say this means that if you subtract Mando from the package, you're paying about $23 for a hefty creature that is a few joints shy of making The Black Series figures look bad. This is one of Hasbro's better creature figures, and to think, I'd have been over the moon if we got something Kenner classic or Epic Hero Series quality.

The saddle and reins are of a good quality with a little paint, certainly good enough for my needs. I really like this one - the little Mission Fleet one was good too, but this is bigger and also better. Given Hasbro's proclivity to reuse molds, I wonder if we'll get one with Cham Syndulla or a a Sanyassan... or maybe Kuiil. Given the upgrades to Mando, which as of this writing I haven't yet opened, I'm assuming you should just get this one. I'm a big believer in supporting what you like, and if Hasbro could pump out little ships or ridable creatures for $20-$25 (sans figure) I think that would be well worth everybody's time. Figures alone just aren't fun - with toys like this, it makes the entire enterprise worthwhile. And if Hasbro wants to squeeze another $20 out of me, and they want to make a "Retro" Kenner one with a trapdoor in the back for Mando's legs, I promise I will buy at least two.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,182: October 22, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,181: Osha Aniseya (The Vintage Collection)

OSHA ANISEYA Debut! And probably only release
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. E7763 No. F9789
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #327
Includes: Backpack, blaster, holster, droid buddy Pip
Action Feature: Backpack and holster are removable
Retail: $16.99
Availability: September 2024
Appearances: The Acolyte

Bio: Set at the end of theHigh Republic, a former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they confront turn out to be far more sinister and personal than anticipated. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

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 better and for better than that, Osha Aniseya is a figure I could've reviewed without opening her. She's pretty much perfect. I assume that this is going to be a figure that, in the years to come, fans get angry that she was packed one per case, that they missed her, and that future fans will probably really like The Acolyte. Mostly because it got cut short. But today? She's at Walmart, and not selling - maybe she'll go to clearance, and you should buy her if you like a nice figure. She can hold all of her gear, her joints are all smooth, and the sculpting is excellent. What's not to like? I'm being semi-facetious, because while this is one of Hasbro's very best figures, it comes from a show that long-term collectors by and large did not bother to watch. The design was all over the map, with characters like Osha looking like she could be in the Rebellion, but she was flanked by prequel-esque Jedi designs that are not exactly something I find exciting. High Republic Jedi are usually shown with jewelry or armor bits, something to set them apart - but it's Osha's day, and she is not a violation of your collection's quality control.

If Hasbro can make more figures of this quality, the $16.99 price point isn't something I'd complain about as much. R2-D2, I'll complain, because that was a build-a-droid mold from 2008. Osha is all-new, with a separately molded vest, a backpack with straps that work - no peg/hole here - an optional blaster holster, plus a pouch for Pip her droid assistant, that sits on her hip. The detail is good, with steel-toed boots (you can see the steel) as well as painted straps on her droid pouch. Her belt buckle is painted, there's a patch on her vest, the eyes and face are all printed nicely, and the separately-molded wig has good detail too. I don't care what you feel about the show, the Hasbro and Lucasfilm/Disney people who sculpted this did an excellent job.

Articulation is on par with the current best figures, as she's relatively easy to pose and the joints are soft enough to allow for subtle movement changes, letting the figure look like she's thinking, walking, or working. If you were given this figure before the show came out, you'd say "I love this, this is amazing." (I feel you can convince fans to like a movie or show if you give them the toys first. We're literally invested in it.) But as a wise man once said, what's better than a perfect toy? A perfect toy with one tiny flaw we can pick at all night - and that's her wrists. The high swivels are great, the hips aren't restricted, the rocker ankles are good, the elbows are great, but the wrists? Swivel-only. Bend-and-swivel would be preferred, so she can work, or shoot, or maybe grab a lightsaber one day. But alas, she cannot, and that annoys me. (Given most collectors never open their toys, does it even matter? No, but I play with these things so it matters to me.)

Her accessories are good too. The holster and backpack are molded in color, with a gold bottle painted on the side of the backpack. The blaster is a single color, and looks great. Pip is what impresses the most - the plastic pal who's fun to be with has more paint than some entire figures, with an orange body with black stripes. And silver eyes. And other black details. It's tiny, and a great amount of attention was given to something that will sit in her hand, or in a holster. I can't complain. This is really good for its size, and of course raises expectations for future toys.

If your relationship with Star Wars toys allows you to let Osha hang out in a Cantina or Jabba's Palace as some cool spacer, you should get her. I personally found the show's pacing to be dreadful, but as future fans can binge it, they may find it snappy and fun. I really like the way she turned out, and I can't fault her overall quality. She's better than a lot of other figures, with nifty pants and great leg joints that let her look like she's doing more than standing, praying she doesn't topple forward. Hasbro: nice job. It is unfortunate the reception of the show will not drive a lot of fans to buy what may be some of your very best work. And now we wait to see if Yord Fandar and The Stranger were far enough in development that we get them next year.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,181: October 17, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,180: X-Wing Pilot (Miralan, The Vintage Collection)

X-WING PILOT (Mirialan Female)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Shared Exclusive Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. F9395
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 4 Pilot figures with 3 Rebel Blasters like the Troopers and 3 Rebel Blasters like Luke's Pilot blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $54.99
Availability: September 2024
Appearances: ???   

Bio: Mirialans were a near-human species native to the planet Mirial. They had skin tones ranging from green to yellow or pink to purple. Most had traditional geometric tattoos on their faces which symbolized personal achievements. (Taken from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I am of two minds of these trooper sets. I love getting Stormtroopers or generic guys. The X-Wing Pilots and unmasked figures are a little squirrelly. Hasbro's copy places these figures in Ahsoka, and their helmet designs look similar to ones on the show - but I don't recognize this Mirialan from the show. Given the hubbub about SKU count and the capacity to make new products, it's a little weird to see effort going into a set that's X-Wing Luke's body with four new heads. It's certainly interesting, but not as interesting as getting actual characters from one of the shows, or comics, no matter how obscure. Back in the 1990s and 2000s I was a lot more interested in "let's make up new stuff" because a few thousand figures in, I'm starting to be concerned we'll never get the original Power of the Force Imperial Dignitary Sim Aloo and I'm about 335 days away from assuming a mass release of Vlix is being saved for when my body is in the ground. As a kid I loved the idea of figures with no story and going on fun new adventures. As an adult, I still do - but these are less toys than collectibles, despite the packaging.

All four figures are basically the same, and the savings were passed along to us. The Mirialan is a green-headed lady person on Luke's body with a ponytail. They did a very nice job sculpting the face, which is expressive and has great eyebrows. And eyes. The tattoos are no slouch. Really, they poured a lot of love in the design and it shows. They even painted her lips, which is the kind of thing we didn't get on toys when we were kids, or much at all until more recently. Her hair is a separately molded piece, and it looks amazing. If you got this 20 or 30 years ago, your mind would be blown, although you would probably still be surprised it's on a Luke body.

The Luke body was OK for its time, but today it's not great. I'm a big fan of functionality, and this body had some rotten hips. Old Kenner figures and new "kid" Hasbro figures usually have hips that only swing forward - these are what you want when you have a vehicle pilot. This particular body has a joint that is similar to the shoulder joint, with the peg going up into the abdomen rather than the side. This means you have to do a ton of fidgeting to get her to sit in anything, it's not fast and it's certainly not fun. This kind of articulation is good for dioramas and playsets, but Hasbro doesn't make either for X-Wing pilots and certainly not for post-Return of the Jedi Rebel pilots. For a figure that will just stand around, they're great - but these white boxed figures beg to be opened and enjoyed, there's just not a heck of a lot of good places for them to live other than on your shelf with your thousands of other figures.

Her flight suit does look good, given how much of it is molded in color I assume it's also slightly cheaper to manufacture. Sculpted details are crisp, and painted elements - like the glossy boots and gloves - look excellent.

The figure's deco is as good as can be expected, with an otherwise good sculpt and a nicely painted helmet clearly inspired by the paint on the props on Ahsoka. It fits perfectly, and isn't too snug or too loose - Hasbro should, again, be proud of the engineering of what was done here. She has a good head on her shoulders. If Hasbro had a pilot bar or some similar locale, she'd be right at home. Maybe she'll hang out in the Cantina next year. I feel like a bit of an ingrate for poo-pooing the choice - they did a good job - but as aliens go, "human but green" is about as boring as they come. Unless they're reusing this tooling later for another human figure in one our species' many fine colors, in which case, kudos for planning ahead.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,180: October 15, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,179: Bo-Katan Kryze (Walmart Exclusive 2-Pack, Epic Hero Series)

BO-KATAN KRYZE | Moff Gideon - Duel for the Darksaber
Epic Hero Series Deluxe Walmart Exclusive Figure 2-Pack
Item No.: No. F9376
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Fire gauntlet, Cape, 2 jetpacks, Darksaber
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.84
Availability: August 2024
Appearances: The Mandalorian   

Bio: A gifted warrior, Bo-Katan Kryze is a legendary Mandalorian. (Taken from the packaging)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Walmart now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I don't think there's a collector out there who was super excited to see Bo-Katan Kryze get a figure with a new shoulder pad in The Vintage Collection, mostly for reasons previously established in the cultural vernacular. She's cool, but this minor change on a $17 figure just sort of makes collectors angry. But on a cheaper figure? I'm not exactly made of stone here - I love old Kenner figures, and this particular line is a lot like Kenner's toys from the 20th century. You may begrudge a mere 5 points of articulation, but the figure is sturdy and charming. (Also, there are two versions of her - the single card has a blaster, the 2-pack swaps it for a jet pack and yes, we'll review that version too.)

So what does this one have to offer to completists? Not much - The Vintage Collection Bo-Katan [FOTD #2,893] is one of Hasbro's finest figures. And I mean ever - even four years later the amazing tiny pea-sized head has an excellent likeness, great hair, good deco, and articulation that raises the bar so high, everything that came before is questionable. So Hasbro didn't try to one-up it - instead they decided to make a figure that's sturdy, stands without assistance, and generally looks cool. You get no unmasked head and no battle-damage, the Nite Owls symbol is gone. It's basically on par with the effortlessly charming The Retro Collection Bo-Katan [FOTD #2,939], with different accessories and superior paint.

Her Epic Hero Collection sculpting is better, and a smidgen bigger. She only has one weapon - a big Darksaber - plus a painted rocket pack. There are places on her armor to plug in accessories like the flame throwers with Gideon/Paz/Boba, and who knows what else will come down the road. I had no problems getting her to stand, sit, or hold her gear. If you owned real toys made for kids in your life in addition to toy-flavored collectibles, you'll appreciate that everything fits and works. The sculpted details are good, but this also highlights the lack of paint on some of them. Her holsters, knee pads, hand armor, belt buckle, and straps on her neck are unpainted - the Retro figure had those decorated, and also, cost another couple of bucks. This figure has silver chest armor, as opposed to Retro being unpainted. You can see the push and pull with the budget on a figure like this, which is more for a mass-market kid audience. For that purpose I think it's pretty good, but I do wonder if the economies of scale could result in an alternate universe with a one-size-fits-all line that's closer to a Spin Master figure - that is, elbows, knees, and a low price - rather than splitting the market into multiple SKUs which will no doubt sell fewer units each.

Despite the deco shortcomings, she does look pretty neat and like a lost 1990s toy. She won't be the cup of tea for most collectors, and I know this because they send me mean emails. Each figure line has different aspects of it that work, and a sturdy, durable figure that looks pretty good but isn't meant to be a tiny replica for a difficult to please person in their 40s-60s is what the toy market is all about. I'd love to see more stuff in this style, mostly because I don't have to worry about them falling over or costing me a ton of money if they aren't great. Minus that one armored Darth Maul, that's going to be the figure whipping boy for "this isn't worth the money" until I die. Collector's Notes: I got mine from Walmart. As Walmart exclusive toys for kids tend to be made in pretty big numbers, and in this case is shipping to even the smaller Walmarts (but not grocery stores), you'll probably have no problems finding this set.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,179: October 10, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,178: C4-R4C (Droid Factory)

C4-R4C Better Red than Repack-ed
Star Tours Droid Factory Ahsoka Set
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: 3 more droids
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $49.99
Availability: January 2024
Appearances: Ahsoka

Bio: All different types of droids populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors. These four are featured in Star Wars: Ahsoka. May the Force be with you.... and your Droids! (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

 Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: This one isn't bad. I'm not sure why one droid in this set has the toe cables and C4-R4C does not, but the dark reddish droid is pretty good overall even though it seems to be a generational holdover from 2008. While it would be nice to have a new mold with slightly more accurate proportions, that's not happening. As such, your goal here is to determine if this Disney figure is good enough to warrant buying, mostly because it's a nothing droid. Since we're in a world without any decent Ahsoka playsets and virtually no background characters and few bad guys, there's not much for this droid to do if you buy it. Sure, you can find the dome in the background of an episode, but when you get right down to it this release is for completists. If you simply must have all the droids, or like the color, this is a figure for you.

If you've been buying build-a-droid figures, you know what this is - a removable dome, removable legs, and that's about it. It looks fine, and is molded in a dark red with some silver and white panels. What makes it stand out from other Disney droids is a very healthy slathering of dirty weathering printed on the shell. The rust and subtle weathering looks pretty good, but it's not as amazing as some other releases - it's still very obviously a new factory-fresh figure with some extra paint, but at least we're getting a little more than we used to. Given how much money Disney is saving on the molds for these sets - which frequently have 1 new figure or 0 new figures - surely they can and sometimes do give us more paint than would be necessary for this figure to be considered "good enough." Sure, you've got rolling wheels and removable limbs, but anyone who has been in this for the long haul will likely put it on a shelf and never look at it again. And that's assuming they ever open the box. It would be great to live in a world with more figures, playsets, and vehicles so this guy serves a greater purpose than "collectible," "keepsake," "souvenir," but it seems the toy world is increasingly content to not ask what purpose the toy serves beyond a thing you buy. It's a very decent thing, surely, with really nice dark silver panels on the back absolutely slathered in damage that arguably makes this figure more interesting from behind. If you get it, be sure to see that baby has back.

I would not recommend this gift set on the strength of this figure alone, but he probably has the best deco in the box. If you're a droid fanatic, you already bought it and were likely impressed by the colors. If you don't need another dozen droid repaints, you probably see this as a massive waste of development dollars. I think I would be more enthusiastic if Ahsoka had greater toy support, as "main characters, some retool troopers, and token droid repaints" make it hard to get jazzed up over a show that was a little slower and if asked to give real plot points, this figure had nothing to do with the story and the story was pretty limited in the first place. Since two of the four figures in this set are genuinely unique, its ability to capture your dollars will probably come from the strength of this droid and RD-3 [FOTD #3,168], neither of which I found to be incredible. It's different enough to be distinctive, but even I can't keep names straight for toys with no meaningful presence on-screen or in the guide books that don't yet exist, but should!

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney Store.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,178: October 8, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,177: Emperor's Royal Guard (The Retro Collection)

EMPEROR'S ROYAL GUARD 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, Wicket the Ewok, Gamorrean Guard, and Admiral Ackbar
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: I'm kind of a fiend for Retro figures because they're kind of scarce and I feel like they're an endangered species. I open some immediately, and there are some I still have carded and unopened so I can enjoy a little treat later - this Emperor's Royal Guard is one that is, as of my writing this sentence, still mint on card and has been for just under a year. As a kid, the original figure was not a favorite like an Ewok or Luke or any given alien. The helmet was fine, the stick was fine, the robes hid any detail on the figure - he was basically a sheet ghost with a helmet head. I'm not sure why it didn't click, I like ghost toys a lot, but I definitely didn't make the connection as a kid. This was just some dork in a tablecloth who stood around and didn't get to do anything cool, so getting one as a gift was not necessarily as exciting as a Biker Scout or the pig guards. Now let me go get and open the figure.

Figures like this - and 4-LOM (the bug guy in the robe, as Kenner named him) - are good candidates for The Retro Collection because they largely get to bypass the line's shortcomings. For some reason, Hasbro's factories sculpt the details in a softer way. With only the helmet and one arm exposed, the softer sculpting isn't something you're even going to notice - all that matters is that the colors are pretty much on the money and that the helmet is shiny, with a painted black visor. The pike is much taller than the actual movie, but it's close to the Kenner original - if lighter - with pretty good sculpted details. At first blush I'd say they did an excellent job with the staff, and I had to go get my original 1983 figure I've had since it came out to even realize that it might be as close as a Retro accessory might get to the original Kenner sculpt, and without a side-by-side comparison of the original article I might have a hard time telling them apart. Hasbro's getting better at this.

The figure's helmet is a little less glossy for 2023, but the paint is a smidgen better. I really wish Hasbro put the Emperor's Royal Guard as a non-exclusive figure so fans could get as many as they wanted, and put The Emperor proper in the gift set (or skipped him completely) because nobody could afford to army build this guy at $73 per boxed set... but gosh, what a boxed set. Thee figures weren't perfect copies of the originals, but they're pretty good - this guy arguably has better robes because they're not as fuzzy, but that could just be my memory. I feel like my 1983 Kenner guard always had a little fluff to him, and the new one doesn't, and the cut seems better but that could be the seven years he spent as a toy and in a carry case before being placed in a specially-crafted Kenner display case I have to this day. (Thanks for selling me one, Jim Drye of Mesa, AZ, I hope you're still out there.) But I digress.

I think this is a pretty good figure. I think Hasbro overcharged us a bit for it, but I also heard rumblings of the edition size and it makes sense that it wasn't an $8-$10 figure. The whole set will probably leave you hemming and hawing about the price, but given it had freaking Yak Face in it in addition to Mon Mothma, it's a risky collection of oddballs. I wouldn't say this is a perfect rerelease, but it's so close and generally as good as the original (at least, for the parts that stick out of the robes) that I can't complain too much. Hasbro did a nice job, and I admit I am a little sad thinking that this could very well be the last Kenner-style Return of the Jedi action figure I ever rip off a cardback. I hope that's not the case - it would be very nice to get just a few more between now and when Star Wars figures finally become unprofitable. I've still got Ahsoka in her poncho and Grogu with his backpack to crack open, and the pre-ordered sets... and I hope there are more to come.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,177: October 3, 2024