Tuesday, December 16, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,302: Snaggletooth (Cantina Adventure Set - The Vintage Collection)

SNAGGLETOOTH
Kenner Flavor

The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Cantina Adventure Set Pack-In
Item No.:
No. G1301
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #379
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $64.99-$74.99
Availability: September 2025
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Nicknamed "Snaggletooth" at the Mos Eisley Cantina, bounty hunter Zutton's exceptional skills caught the attention of Jabba the Hutt, who put his services on retainer. (Taken from 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:
I consider this figure and his set to be underpriced. How often does that happen? Not very. Along with Walrus Man, Hasbro made some interesting choices on Snaggletooth. And by that I mean "look man, there's a budget for these things." Obviously we all know the figure on the cardback photo doesn't match the figure, and that it's missing a distinctive belt buckle, but sometimes the point is to get out a nicely priced redeco in a good exclusive gift set. This does a nice job of that, and I'd say the door is open for Hasbro to redo this guy if they want. I'd buy a super-articulated Kenner sculpt should they ever decide to make one.

If anyone says "oh they're not fans!" I disagree. The first thing I noticed were his boots. If you have an original blue Snaggletooth, you know the paint tends to rub off the boots. The deco artist knew this too, and decided to mold the boots in silver plastic instead. Clever! I see some swirls so I am the slightest bit worried about future gold plastic syndrome. It's unlikely, but you know me. I'm a worrier. The shins are painted blue, and they nicely match the legs.

We've had red versions of this figure a few times, which makes this one a nice change of pace. It still has gloved hands, and the eeys are meant to mimic the old Kenner head. The skin is lighter and gray, with fairly nicely painted hair and a silver knot on his belt. It's not really a belt buckle, but again, what are you expecting with a repaint? The body itself is light on paint, mostly molded in blue or gray. Hasbro probably saved a few pennies by eschewing any wipes or any paint on the shirt under the tunic. It looks better for it, but you really need to get into the idea of "like it for what it is" and not "it's not the other thing you may have preferred." I like weird things, and I need more guys for my Cantina, so I'm digging this figure.

He can stand nicely, and there's enough pliability in his "skirt" that he can kind of, sort of, sit. The blaster fits in the back of his robe wrap, making this a generally decent redeco of a perfectly nice sculpt. It is also Hasbro's/Kenner's first carded blue Snaggletooth. Previous version were bagged or in a box.

It's worth noting we got a surprisingly nice take on Blue Snag during the Original Trilogy Collection about 20 years ago, and while it lacks this level of detail it's certainly very nicely articulated and has the correct belt buckle. It can sit, it's very much OK - but they're all a little different. As such, you may as well look them all up and let your budget be your guide.

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

--Adam Pawlus



Day 3,302: December 16, 2025

Thursday, December 11, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,301: R4-TR3 (Droid Factory)

R4-TR3 Holiday Edition
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.:
???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: Star topper
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $14.99
Availability: October 2024
Appearances: n/a 

Bio: All different types of droids populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors. This droid is right at home on the forest moon of Endor. Join R4-TR3 on their 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 eBay now!  

Commentary: I admit my enthusiasm for holiday droids is waning a bit - they're very good, but also are increasingly exhausting. They're more a collectible unto themselves, and when it comes to making a toy of a theme park attraction or an unrelated holiday it should probably be special. Or cheap. Lucky for me, I got R4-TR3 for $11.38 (no joke) last year thanks to a sale and a coupon that got a bunch of holiday droids down to a more reasonable per-figure price. Nothing against the holidays, but I have over 20 Christmas droids and I don't decorate for Christmas. Which I guess is a big mark in this guy's favor. I got a fully-decorated Playmobil tree [16bit.com FOTD #2,368] in a set I got super duper cheap on clearance, which sometimes make an appearance. I bought it for the easy chair in the set. But I digress.

This droid is neat as a collectible or piece of holiday festiveness, and it's a little too garish to fit in with your Endor diorama. It's not bad, nor did the designer do a bad job - I just want my figures to go with all my movie figures, and this guy is close. The green body with brown feet? Perfect. The dark green panels and mid-century dome markings look fantastic. Even the red eye works for me. The differing colors on the feet are a little odd, and I don't love the gold dot lights or red box outlines. They're great ideas to make this guy look like a decorated tree, with everything lining up well and lots of little tidbits like red, gold, and silver vents as well as a blue projector to really make it look like something in a home somewhere. The gold star on top really drives the point home - all five of them.

But is it Star Wars? That's the question. I'm sure everybody is saying "Well, yeah" and they aren't wrong. I would be a lot happier with this droid if it kept the star, the green, the brown, and the silver, but lost some of the other colors. And I assume a ton of people who bought it love it for those other colors.

If you missed it last year, you can still get it on eBay for about $25-$30 shipped in the USA. If that sounds outrageous, keep in mind that early adopters for this year's R2-H25 paid $14.99 plus tax and shipping - about $27.21. After the increase it's over $30. Is it worth paying $30 to ship a droid to your house? I'm starting to lean toward "no." I'm not asking Disney to cut the price, but maybe put the Halloween and Christmas droids together as a bundle or on the same day - Disney can reduce labor and materials costs, and we can pay to ship one box instead of two. Win win.

I took more than a year to crack mine open. I like it, but I don't love it. I'm coming more from a place of fatigue and excess more than actual dislike. Over the past 15 or so years, I've bought hundreds of Disney droids based on this mold ranging from $7-$30 shipped. I've missed and/or skipped a couple, especially some bundled with big expensive vehicles that I didn't necessarily have a crack at. With shipping charges, you're probably going to get at least 3-4 holiday droids per year at $25-$30 a whack, and that starts to add up. Is it worth $120 a year for something you'll look at, chuckle, and chuck in a drawer? Probably not. But people who don't have 3,000 figures will probably love this as a nice bit of holiday fun rather than another symbol of decades of plastic debauchery.

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

--Adam Pawlus



Day 3,301: December 11, 2025

Monday, December 8, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,300: Obi-Wan Kenobi (Blue Tech Speeder Bike / Epic World of Action)

OBI-WAN KENOBI
BARC Speeder

Epic World of Action Power the Force Speeder Bikes
Item No.:
Asst. G0363 No. G0778
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blue lightsaber, rocket, blue launcher, tech deco bike
Action Feature: Bike rolls on wheels, rocket launcher, spring-out wings
Retail: $19.99
Availability: August 2025
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: Legendary Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi battled on the back of a speeder bike, a vehicle capable of high-speed travel that requires skill and fast reflexes. (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:
Scarce. I haven't seen it in stores. Amazon resellers are asking a lot for Obi-Wan Kenobi with his BARC Speeder, which makes some degree of sense as the only non-repaint in the second wave of the Epic World of Action carded vehicles. The figure itself seems to be a mishmash of parts from other releases, while the bike seems to be unique and loaded with enough play features to make you angry it isn't easy to get.

Obi-Wan seems to share Target's exclusive Obi-Wan Kenobi head, torso, and skirt. The boots are unique (but similar to Rex), and his arms may well be the same as Rex. They certainly seem as if they come from the same digital sculpt, but I can't tell if they're from the same molds. Obi-Wan Kenobi's shoulder armor also matches that of single-carded Anakin Skywalker, fitting Kenobi slightly better.

 But how's the figure? Great. He stands well, with 15 points of articulation. (I count points of articulation here as places where two pieces join and can move, so the knee can move at two places but the hip can only move at one.) While the figure doesn't have ankles or wrists like his The Vintage Collection counterpart, it's worth comparing what you get as both are technically the same price now. Hasbro's 3 3/4-inch collector figures have some cloth bits and more joints, but what the kid figure lacks in superfluous bits he makes up for with vehicle. $20 for a super articulated figure, or $20 for a vehicle with a pretty nicely articulated figure? Unfortunately, fans over 40 will rarely support anything fun, so they'll miss out on a really good Ewan McGregor sculpt with a decent head of hair and beard on it. They may overlook the Jedi symbol stamped on the shoulder. They will certainly miss out on the padded black pants under the skirt piece, but if they have Armored Kenobi at home they may have no need of another at this point. I feel for the hypothetical target audience as this item has not appeared in American big box or toy stores, nor is it likely to unless they order through better toy distributors. (And it's $60 on Amazon!)

Obi-Wan sits well on his bike. There are bulky skirt pieces, but they bend out of the way with handlebars and pedals that are better at holding him in place. I had no problems getting him massaged on the bike, with one minor quibble. The bike has an awesome action feature with two pop-out blades to clip bad guys, but his legs can get in the way if Kenobi is not seated just-so. Hasbro is really improving play features for kids, but I would certainly prefer a kid to not have to plan to make sure the clearance is perfect before taking the wheeled speeder in battle. It would be great if it just fit easily the first time. Having said that it's more fun than the other bikes in the assortment.

 If the bike looks familiar, Hasbro did a number of wheeled BARC Speeders in The Clone Wars. Some had sidecars, but none had the circuit patterns on the front and the integrated rocket launcher is unique. With rolling wheels and two button-activated features, it's a real toy that's fun to play around with. It's more Kenner than most Kenner toys, and a reminder what catering to older fans may have cost us in terms of memorable, fun, and durable toys. The deco is pretty clean, with blue paint over an off-white bike.

 I like this bike the most. The Kenobi figure is very good, and as a package I bet it would have made for a great birthday present to a certain kind of fan. Having said that, it's also a bizarre entry given he's from a show that has been on and off the air/streaming since 2008 and ended completely in 2020. The entire Epic collection is a strange grab bag of out-of-time choices, all of which seem to be a few years late to succeed in the market. (In their shoes, I'd probably have focused on whatever was streaming instead of what was hot 2-20 years ago.) But Hasbro did a great job - the amount of care and action packed in this set shows they really do want to excel at making toys for kids when they're given a chance. I would recommend picking this one up while you can (check our sponsored link below or keep an eye on closeout shops.) I wouldn't say it's worth $60... but if it were $25 I would say it is still a pretty good product for the asking price and certainly a better toy adjusted for inflation compared to what we were getting in the 1990s. Nice work Hasbro, I hope you can keep the roughly 3 3/4-inch kid format going for a long time.

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

--Adam Pawlus



Day 3,300: December 9, 2025

Thursday, December 4, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,299 Chewbacca (2025 - The Vintage Collection)

CHEWBACCA
Just Begin Again

The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.:
Asst. E7763 No. G0923
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #381
Includes: Bowcaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $16.99
Availability: September 2025
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Chewbacca is a legendary Wookiee warrior with a big heart known for his short temper, accuracy with a bowcater, and unwavering loyalty to his friends. (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:
There are few characters as important to old-school Star Wars as Chewbacca. We got one 3 3/4-inch figure of him in the original trilogy, but Kenner and Hasbro would go on to find numerous ways to do (and redo) him in the 1990s and beyond... up until about 2004. At that point we got a really good new body and nearly every collector-level (and some kid-level) original trilogy-specific action figures would be this guy, possibly with a different head and altered fur deco. Yes, this is the Original Trilogy Collection "Vintage" body yet again but Hasbro has given it more changes than ever. And would you believe less deco?

If you have no Chewbaccas, get this one. If you need another one for the Cantina or a vehicle, this might be your best bet. If he's just going to stand around and look cool, I don't think this one adds anything - this is a figure you buy to sit around.

It's not obvious to look at it, but it has some pretty serious changes above the neck and below the waist. First up, the head seem to be from a similar digital ancestor to a head we saw used in The Black Series and also the infamous 2005 Early Bird Kit, but it's not the same. The mouth interior is painted, and some of the scruff around the neck is different - but some looks almost the same. There are enough changes from the figures I had within reach that I'm fairly confident that it's a good new sculpt, with decent fangs and deco that gets the job done nicely. The eyes have a little shine to them, and he's growling - as most Chewbacca figures do. The head matches the body sculpting style fairly closely, but it does seem like it might not be from the exact same era.

The torso and arms seem to be the same sculpts, down to the hair hanging off his hands. That's the one thing I wish we could see changed, because it seems like it's still designed for a specific pose. taking some of the shaggy elements off might make him look a bit more modern, and I would really love to see some improved arm articulation so we can replicate that "let the Wookiee win" Dejarik champion pose from the original film. Hasbro made a figure with pre-bent elbows back in 2000 that can do that pose... and not much else. Hasbro's other figures have incredible bending power in their joints, so when Theseus updates this ship next time I hope they can do some work on the arms. They're not bad - they can hold a bowcaster (also from 2004). His body still has the multiple segments, and you can pivot and rotate them to your liking.

The Bandolier seems to be the same as previous releases, but with less deco. The AT-ST release had a lot more grit and dirt on it, this one is squeaky-clean. 2025 Chewbacca's ammo pouches and snaps seem to have more appropriately placed paint, though, so I'd give the new guy the edge there.

The lower torso and legs seem to be entirely new, with smaller feet and thigh swivels plus lateral hip movement. It's not hard to get him to sit in the big Millennium Falcon from 2008, but you can't have his legs bent very much due to the size of the figure (and cockpit.) The bag hangs over the side, with decent deco on the legs. It feels to have a minor mismatch around the shins, though, and it's worth noting his fingernails and toenails are unpainted this time. AT-ST Chewbacca had some black paint there. Will you notice, would you miss it if I didn't point it out? Probably not. It doesn't ruin the figure, but you can see a couple of very small corners cut here.

I'm especially pleased Hasbro dropped the fur highlights, as that always looked a little gross to me. This figure is about 50% new, with new deco and some new-for-Chewbacca articulation, and another 50% is 21 years old. There may be other examples of keeping tooling working on a "new" figure that long, but I'm hard-pressed to name it for something that isn't meant as a reissue or nostalgia-specific item. I guess this might qualify, but I'd like to think it's also a good time to try an all-new sculpt and see how it turns out. Functionally this is a very nice figure with an improved range of motion and an excellent head giving him additional personality. Having said that, if Hasbro never made it? I'd probably never have missed the improvements, and just made do with what I had at home. I was very surprised to see smaller feet and a seemingly new head mold, but a little disappointed that the bowcaster still kind of rattles around with its two-piece design. I wouldn't mind seeing a new take on that, too. If you miss it, I assume a rerelease or remold is inevitable.

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

--Adam Pawlus



Day 3,299: December 4, 2025

Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,298: R2-H25 (Droid Factory)

R2-H25 Holiday Edition
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.:
???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: Candy Cane hat
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $14.99 $17.99
Availability: October 2025
Appearances: n/a 

Bio: All different types of droids populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors. This droid aided the resistance along with BB-H20 on the salty world of Crait... Join R2-H25 on their 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: Despite not loving the premise, I jumped on R2-H25 back in October and I'm glad I did. A number of companies had a round of tariff price increases in October and apparently Disney was one of them - the droid went from $14.99 when I ordered it to $17.99 at some point before November 2, when I started filling out this review. If you like candy canes or The White Stripes, this white plastic figure with red panels (and a few metallic red panels) is likely just the thing for you. It's sort of silly, but it still looks like something you might see in the background in a movie or on the cartoons. There's nothing un-Star Wars-y about red panels on a white droid, we've actually had quite a few over the years like R4-E1 and R5-D4.

The mold is not anything new - heck, you can tell, because it's showing signs of wear. On my sample, the dome is a little bit looser and spins more freely than other droids. The third leg, still removable, is bent to the side a bit. Maybe it's a fluke, but this sometimes happens after a tool has years and years (and years) of use and reuse, with probably over 100 droids based on these parts. The right and left legs share a mold, and are the wire-free versions we've seen on most of Disney's figures. The paint is generally good, with each piece generously slathered in red - largely very evenly and cleanly. What surprised me was the box surrounding the eye, the stuff under the dome, and the holo projector have a slight metallic tint to it. It's not obvious, it probably cost more, but it's a nice bonus detail they put in there. I miss the silver on the vents because it gives it more of a realistic hardware vibe, but this still looks good perfectly fine for the nature of the festivities.

Unique to this figure is a hat. It looks like a snow drift with a striped candy cane on it. The sculpt is nice, the detail is fine, and it fits over the various painted (and one unpainted) dome panels. It has a lot going for it and it's just a heck of a lot of painted boxes that the factory had to do, I hope automation is handling most of it because this looks challenging even with a paint mask. All the panels are not perfectly filled on my sample, but I would say it's good enough that I'm not complaining for a mass-market $15 toy. At $18 I'd be cranky.

A commonly asked question is when will fans say "that's too expensive" and we might be getting there. For a theme park souvenir, $20 is no big deal - but do I need another droid repaint when it's also $10 shipping? Not really. I'd be more open to things if they could all ship in one transaction, but the reality of these things costing $30 a pop - or more with tax - makes them seem like something I might skip a few more of. I missed a couple due to non-availability and I might just let them go at this point. If you can get this guy at a fair price, it's a perfectly nice figure. Mine was $27.21 to get it to my door. That's cheaper than a trip to California, or parking at Downtown Disney, but it's also half the price of most new video games for the 100-and-whateverth droid repaint. I might suggest Disney start dropping 2 at a time, or doing 2-packs, to offset delivery sticker shock.

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

--Adam Pawlus



Day 3,298: December 2, 2025

Thursday, November 27, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,297: Walrus Man (Cantina Adventure Set - The Vintage Collection)

WALRUS MAN Kenner Flavor
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Cantina Adventure Set Pack-In
Item No.:
No. G1301
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #377
Includes: Blaster, alternate flipper fists
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $64.99 $74.99

Availability: September 2025
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: A burly Aqualish thug, Ponda Baba was one of the alien barflies escaping the heat of Tatooine's twin suns when Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi visited the Mos Eisley Cantina. (Taken from packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now! 

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: This Walrus Man is not what I would have expected, but I think that it might actually be better overall. As a repaint of an existing mold it's weird, but Hasbro has been surprisingly conservative about non-trooper wacky repaints. This is actually fun. Also, he's got weird flipper hands if you're into that.

As a kid I saw the original Kenner Walrus Man in the toy catalogs and thought it was the coolest thing ever. Wet suit. Swim fins. Bright colors. How could you go wrong? You couldn't, it was great. By 1997 Kenner disagreed, and decided to give us the first Ponda Baba - a much more accurate update with the jacket and screen-accurate colors and boots. Whimsy doesn't tend to click with adult fans, or so I thought. Hasbro decided to do this amazing little set with four super-articulated movie-accurate figures in 1979 colors. Silly? Kinda. But I'd have paid $50 for just the cardboard diorama part, $65 for four figures and a diorama is about as good as this sort of thing gets. The original The Vintage Collection Ponda Baba from 2011 included a bonus alternate arm and a glass - but otherwise was the same mold.

The character stands easily and probably won't be doing much sitting. The legs have enough movement to sit - but he won't be sitting. The old-school swivel hips are present, as are swivel wrists and a twisty waist. The ankles are pre-rocker, well-integrated and surprisingly study. I have no problems getting this guy to stand, and the coat doesn't get in the way of him being able to sit. That's the working blaster holster's job.

Deco is a series of unique choices, far more so than the other figures. The movie mold had a shirt with a jacket, so Hasbro opted to go in another direction. The Kenner figure had blue arms and an orange torso. This figure has a beige shirt, an orange jacket, and blue stripes on the sleeves. Why? I have no idea. It reminds me of some of the Star Tours uniforms from the 1980s, and it doesn't match the original 1979 Walrus Man. But it's weird, and weird is the spirit of those old figures. I'm not complaining, especially since Hasbro released Retro Walrus Man [FOTD #3,253] just a few months ago. That means three forms of Walrus Man are in circulation this year.

If I were in Hasbro's shoes I would have gone with a different color of shirt (orange or blue), and probably made a stink about making the sleeves completely blue. But it's not my department. This figure reminds me of Glyos (in all the best ways) in that the new colors do a great job highlighting the detailed sculpt. You can see the hairy textures around the mouth, subtle strands of fabric in the shirt, and subtle creasing in the pants. The old releases looked great, but for whatever reason these colors highlight just how much work Hasbro and/or Lucasfilm put in to the designs before being converted to plastic man. They even painted the belt buckle and little silver bits too, making this a better-than-expected cheap redeco. They even Kenner-ized the eyes, with some light yellow/green behind the black dot. It's charmingly weird.

I have no doubt some fans are cranky Hasbro didn't do an all-new mold with thigh swivels and rocker ankles, but I still feel this mold is good enough and I don't think that - other than that shirt - there's much they could have done to make it look a heck of a lot better. Hasbro got the gag, priced it right, and made something that is a pretty good item to put out in a year where you make an all-new Cantina with absolutely zero brand new alien figures. This one is old, and it's new. It's interesting. It's not for everybody. I bought two. If it's still available, I'd recommend it.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse. Like a lot of items, the price increased throughout the fall going up about $10. Thanks, economy.

--Adam Pawlus



Day 3,297: November 27, 2025

Tuesday, November 25, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,296: The Mandalorian (Blue Tech Speeder Bike / Epic World of Action)

THE MANDALORIAN Biker
Epic World of Action Power the Force Speeder Bikes
Item No.:
Asst. G0363 No. G0372
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blue Darksaber, rocket, blue launcher, tech decobike
Action Feature: Bike rolls on wheels, removable launcher, launching rocket
Retail: $19.99
Availability:  August 2025
Appearances: The Mandalorian

Bio: The Mandalorian traversed Tatooine on a speeder bike, a vehicle capable of high-speed travel that requires skill and fast reflexes. (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:
Sharing a SKU with the first version, this is a variant deco and package refresh. The Mandalorian (Speeder Bike) is part of the yellow-carded kiddo vehicles which were largely passed over by big box stores. This version is the Epic World of Action Power the Force version. For those just joining us: Disney pushed Power the Force (no "of") as a focus for product and marketing Star Wars in 2025, which was meant to emphasize tech and power. Very little of this is actually visible to the end consumer, and this may be one of very few places the slogan appears on actual product. Hasbro took its plain The Mandalorian Speeder Bike [FOTD #3,212] from earlier this year and made it "powered" with some blue. The figure itself is largely identical, save for a Darksaber. Both the figure and the Darksaber were packaged together as The Mandalorian [FOTD #3,238] earlier this year - and that one has a blaster. There's a lot of figural overlap with some accessory overlap, so depending on your goals you might not actually want or need to buy all these toys to own all the unique parts.

What makes this set unique? The vehicle. Mando still has excellent detail and articulation with a good range of movement for the asking price. The shoulders, elbows, knees, hips, and neck all have a great range of movement with a bladed energy weapon that easily fits in his hand. The silver painted armor looks bright and the various belts and bandoliers look good, but get a little in the way of the hip joints. He can sit on the bike, but he tends to hover a bit when his hands are on the handlebars and feet are on the pedals. On his own, though? Great figure. If I were Hasbro I'd have slapped some energy crackles or blue light on the armor to make him stand out.

But the bike! I saw this at New York Toy Fair 2025 and thought both "that's kind of goofy" and also "I must have it, nobody is going to buy this" and I think I was right. I suspect Ollie's or Ross will have it, right now you can buy it online (click our sponsor links, or don't) and it's a nice chunk of plastic for $20. The bike sculpt has a great wrapped-up seat, there are rolling wheels, and htere's a charming clear blue rocket launcher with a big red rocket. It stands out, it looks neat, and if you hate it? It's removable. You can place it on any of a number of sockets on the bike if you like, but not on the peg behind the seat. I assume it serves a purpose, but what? I couldn't tell you. The deco on the bike is similar to the first release, but you'll notice blue circuit patterns on the nose and on the sides in the back. I really couldn't make them out until I opened the package. In low light they're hard to see, and subtle - and if you hate it, likely easily removed. I think it's interesting as a toy gimmick, something that probably exists mostly to please someone in marketing that the customer nor the designer would have asked for. It makes little sense on the product in and of itself, but that's what makes knowing it's a tie-in to a marketing initiative interesting. We have a reason for it, but is it a good reason? I'm inclined to say "they're trying too hard." I would've loved just general energy blasts indicating a power surge, because blue circuitry isn't something I connect with the product or the show. It's a refresh, but given Target only carried the Speeder Bike (and not Mando's bike) I can't imagine it made a lick of difference anywhere in the United States toy market.

It's Thanksgiving week, and maybe you're shopping for somebody. I think a kid might get a kick out of it because Mando is a good figure, and the blue Darksaber looks neat, and I really like the blue rocket launcher. It's weird. It's likely not to be something you're going to see again in a future product. It feels like a toy in the way that Kenner's 1990s Batman toys had odd thematic accessories and matching suits, and those were a big hit. I wouldn't say no to an even weirder version of this, but this middle-ground item might not push everybody's buttons. I really like that blue launcher, which is a silly reason to spend $20, but this is day #3,296. All of this has gotten pretty silly a long time ago.

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

--Adam Pawlus



Day 3,296: November 25, 2025

Thursday, November 20, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,295: Gonk (Gift Snowflake, Advent Calendar 2024)

GONK Gift
Star Wars Droid Factory 2024 Advent Calendar
Item No.:
???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: R2 Gingerbread Droid, BB-8 Snowman, Chopper Penguin, Gonk Gift, D-O Holiday, B2EMO present, R1 Holiday Bell, wreath, Santa hat, drink tray, scarf, tiny top hat
Action Feature: Hat, open hatch to reveal mechanical guts inside
Retail: $79.99
Availability: August 2024
Appearances: n/a

Bio: All different types of astromech droid populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors. Open up the Sandcrawler to reveal and build 7 new droids to celebrate along with them for 25 days this season. 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 eBay now!

Commentary:
This Gonk (Gift) is not poison, despite what your High School German classes may have told you. Wlel, maybe it was - the $80 set is going for about $40 on eBay now, which means it likely underperformed. As of my writing this there's no 2025 Advent Calendar, and based on last year's designs I'd say that might be a good thing. They weren't bad - heck, some are great! But I feel like it's getting harder and harder to make something stand out as original. Thankfully, this Power Droid is plenty weird.


Making use of the ever-popular Santa Claus Hat, the existing droid mold gets cast in white plastic with a blue snowflake wrapping paper pattern. It's very good for what it is - a holiday souvenir. We don't tend to see a lot of figures with printed-all-over patterns, let alone ones with painted red ribbon motifs. The deco is sharp, and a couple of bolts - plus the face - also get some paint. There aren't special eye details or anything, which is unfortunate - I would have loved a little more face here. The 2022 gift Gonk was similarly underpainted in that region, but the 2024 model spends its paint budget. It looks distinctive. Depending on your vision, you might be able to squint at let this guy roam around your dioramas hatless and he'll fit right in.

In terms of action features, there's not much here. This formerly gray droid with his festive hat's legs swing forward and the legs swing back, but where's he bobbin at? Probably Hoth. The dome is removable revealing molded gray detailing inside, but there's not a lot of paint or special detail in there. This is normal for the mold, and Disney has been continuing to get dividends from its droid tooling investments. As they should. But I don't think they've ever done a carded Power Droid for their parks or proprietary stores.

I like this guy a bunch - he's hung out on my desk since getting him last year, partially as a reminder to review him now and partially because it just looks neat. Given that the whole big cardboard Sandcrawler is reasonably inexpensive due to lack of consumer interest, I'd recommend the set to droid fanatics and those who need holiday droid things. I also wouldn't mind seeing Disney let their designers go wild and do "designer droids" in whatever colors they deem worthwhile, because that sort of thing sure works for Be@rbricks and Glyos.

Collector's Notes: I got mine with some coupons from DisneyStore.com last year. They're out, but it can be had on other marketplaces, as can the 2022 version.

--Adam Pawlus



Day 3,295: November 20, 2025

Tuesday, November 18, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,294: Hammerhead (Cantina Adventure Set - The Vintage Collection)

HAMMERHEAD
Kenner Flavor

The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Cantina Adventure Set Pack-In
Item No.:
No. G1301
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #376
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $64.99-$74.99
Availability: September 2025
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: An exile from Ithor, Momaw Nadon was in the Mos Eisley Cantina when Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi arrived in search of a pilot. (Taken from packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary:
This Hammerhead is a little basic compared to Momaw Nadon [FOTD #3,244] a few months ago. Depending on your tastes it's a must-buy, or something you shrug about. Obviously I had to have it, because it's such a daffy idea to take one of the increasingly (probably) screen-accurate super-articulated figures and decorate it to look like an off-model 1979 beloved children's toy. Did you know these action figures were originally just things kids played with before adult collectors decided "no they aren't?" It's science fun!

The figure has no new tooling, and lacks the staff, tumbler, double rifle, and alternate hand from the deluxe version. It does have a Stormtrooper blaster - a fun nod to 1979 - along with the skirt, belt, and kerchief from the 2025 brown model. The darker brown skin lacks the wipes of the deluxe model, making it look a little more toy-like. The head has painted side-eye, but now it looks more pensive than shifty. It gives the mold a lot of personality, and I think it was a great choice to keep it. The pivot waist joint is great for adjusting his body language, and he has all the thigh swivels and tilting ankles to make him right at home in any space bar playsets you may own.

Since the "regular" one seems not to be coming to mass market retail, you're going to have to order either flavor online. The other one feels like the most authentic take on the rubbery background monster, while this one gives it a fanciful overhaul that tugs at the hearts of men of a certain age. Given how many seats and stools are in the Cantina from HasLab, I'd recommend it even if you already have the other flavor. You could use some seat-fillers, and this is a great choice. He can also fit in as a The Bad Batch or The Clone Wars figure, as Kenner Hammerhead was occasionally on those shows. Granted that one lacked the kerchief - but you can pop the head off and remove it, if you like.

It's fun, it's retro, it's modern, it's super-articulated, and the price of the whole set is unusually fair. I think you should get it.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse, I assume it's an exclusive as ShopDisney hasn't listed it (yet?). It initially sold out immediately, and has come in and out of availability several times during its pre-order window.

--Adam Pawlus



Day 3,294: November 18, 2025

Thursday, November 13, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,293: Anakin Skywalker (Epic World of Action)

ANAKIN SKYWALKER 2025 Kids Line
Epic World of Action "Power the Force" Basic Figure
Item No.:
Asst. F9405 No. G1156
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: August 2025
Appearances: The Clone Wars... or Ahsoka 

Bio: Discovered as a young boy on Tatooine by Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker had the potential to become one of the most powerful Jedi ever. (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: I'm a fan of this format, but I'd say Epic World of Action Anakin Skywalker is almost good. The packaging gives up how this figure was meant to look with a render on the cardback that's actually quite impressive, with a great head sculpt that looks like a digitally smoothed Hayden Christensen with that sandy brown hair to match. The final figure has odder eyebrows, a chin that feels like someone had a slider on the Morph software to skew it a bit toward Sebastian Shaw, and neck armor that plain doesn't work. You can see the cardback render illustrates a thinner piece of armor that lets you see Anakin's neck. The final figure does not have this. I'm not one to rate figures, typically, but this is probably a C- just because ambition didn't pay off.

The body is more or less fine, and it looks like this figure was designed - like Obi-Wan - to pull double-duty as a Revenge of the Sith and a The Clone Wars figure. You can see where they tried to stretch the budget, because everything else seems pretty good. Hasbro did a nice job sculpting the costume with the Jedi gloves and straps and everything you might have wanted for a possible retool. The legs move well, even with the rubbery skirt piece. The arms have a good range of movement, and have the armor sculpted on. Sadly the chest doesn't - the torso is great, but not with the armor bib. That can't be a thick, floating piece you can swivel around here. It just doesn't look right. It comes very close, and I'm willing to bet we're maybe 1-2mm away from it actually working as designed. I could praise the figure's costume all day long, but one silly piece is enough to disrupt the look and feel of the figure. So far I haven't seen it in stores, so I can't really say it hurt sales. Something has to be available for you to not buy it.

Like a lot of Anakin heads, it's really not bad. It's just that the materials and paint aren't doing it any favors. In the right light you can see the chin and cheeks don't look terrible, but something about the material scatters the light in such a way where the skin doesn't look good. And the eyebrow paint masks aren't great. The eyes seem fine, but not quite as intense as the render on the packaging. It's annoyingly close to being really good, which just stings on a kid figure line like this one. The marketing and presentation seem to stack the deck against this surprisingly satisfying line, so when you have somebody like Anakin that doesn't quite match either the animated illustration nor the live-action-inspired render you might lose a customer. Emphasis on "might," because again, I haven't seen him on a peg anywhere.

The lightsaber is fine - you get a silver hilt and that blue energy crackle for the "Power the Force" sub-theme Disney enacted that fans are not at all aware was a thing this year. I love the concept here - doing a live-action Ahsoka Anakin that might also appeal to The Clone Wars kids was a great idea, but it looks like the factory fumbled this one near the end. With two The Vintage Collection figures based on this outfit, older collectors have no need of this particular figure - and it's not like kids will find it on pegs. Keep an eye on clearance stores for this one, because as an under-$5 clearance oddity I'd give it a strong "buy." The engineering is good, the Jedi symbol on the shoulder was nicely done, and I bet Hasbro could probably make a couple of minor deco changes and improve it to a B- or a B on a rerun or in a gift set. It's not the worst Skywalker we've ever got. That would be Target's exclusive Luke Skywalker (Battle at the Sarlacc Pit) [FOTD #1,508] from 2008. This Anakin is merely average, whereas that Luke was trash in 2008 and somehow even worse 17 years later. Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus



Day 3,293: November 13, 2025