Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,239: Grand Admiral Thrawn (Live-Action, The Vintage Collection)

GRAND ADMIRAL THRAWN Live-Action Debut
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. E7763 No. F9797
Number: #337
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: Blaster fits in holster
Retail: $16.99
Availability: October 2024
Appearances: Ahsoka

Bio: Thrawn studies his enemies to gain tactical advantages often overlooked by his peers -- stopping at nothing to secure a victory for himself and those he serves. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

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Commentary: It's amazing when you get something that you think you want... and then you aren't sure. This live-action Grand Admiral Thrawn is almost the same as Hasbro's Rebels Grand Admiral Thrawn [FOTD #3,167] that came out a mere six months earlier. Both figures are incredibly similar, with minor changes to shades of paint, a new head sculpt, and a different blaster. While each serves a different purpose, I wouldn't say that the Rebels version looks like the cartoon so much as maybe a novel cover. This Ahsoka version does look a bit like a blue Lars Mikkelsen, which is what you want. But using the same body - while do doubt flattering - isn't quite what we saw on-screen.

The figure uses the same perfectly good Imperial Officer body we've seen for so many figures, including that last Thrawn. The ball-jointed hips have swivel thighs, the wrists bend and swivel, and this figure is about as good as you're going to get if your goal is to use minimal new tooling. He stands, he has a clean uniform - a key trait - although in the show, it was mostly clean. His white outfit has minimal signs of wear or dirt, but you can see the tiniest bit in the cardback photos. TV Thrawn also has a bit of a paunch, which the action figure does not.

The bulk of the rest of it - the color, the ornamentation, the badges and belts - it's all pretty much the same. I suppose it's fortunate for Hasbro that it was easy to reuse the parts, but as a fan? It's kind of a drag when you hear "limited slots" and "limited SKUs" and you get the same guy twice in six months. It's not a bad figure and I'd say it's precisely what I would have developed were I in a position to deliver a "new" figure from the show in short time. Fortunately for Hasbro, Disney kept the same basic costume and spending the money on an all-new mold would probably have been seen as poor budgeting. It's also worth noting his a smidgen richer in blue, perhaps more Smurfy.

I think the blaster is new - it's different than the last one. He can hold it, it fits in his holster, you have no reason to complain about this one. I'm glad they went through the effort - I don't know that most fans will notice, but it's a level of detail we didn't always get.

This is the best TV Thrawn you can buy - also the only one. I wouldn't be stunned to see a version 2.0 with Ahsoka season two, perhaps with a taller, rounder, dirtier torso. But that could take a while - today, the question is "Is this good enough to buy?" I'd say yes. I'd even say yes if you have the existing models, if only because it's an upgrade of an upgrade and it's the only one that looks like the guy on the show. If Hasbro never makes another one, get this one. It feels like a transitional piece, an update in the making, and as such? It's fine. But I believe "finer" has got to be just around the corner.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,239: May 8, 2025