EMBO Live-Action Debut
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch basic figure
Item No.: Asst. G2786 No. G2623
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #406
Includes: Hat, bowcaster, alternate hands two bowcaster chunks
Action Feature: Removable hat
Retail: $19.99
Availability: August 20206
Appearances: Star Wars: The Mandorian and Grogu
Bio: The bowcaster-wielding Embo is a lethal warrior and seasoned bounty hunter tracking prey since before the Clone Wars. (Taken from the cardback. And despite it being from a new movie in a movie year, that is a fabulous, useful bio that isn't the movie's log line so good job everyone.)
Image: Adam's photo lab.
Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!
Click here to buy it at Amazon now!
Commentary: I almost want to bet you money that
Embo was designed as a "deluxe" figure. And it's kind of a back-handed compliment. Hasbro overdid it here, which is good if money is no object and probably not great in terms of efficiency. Maybe the tools were set up that all the extra parts were easy to include at minimal extra cost, but and extra set of hands - with wrist hinges - on a basic
The Vintage Collection figures? A two-piece bowcaster? Soft goods? Extra I guess bowcaster pieces that you can use to club someone over the head with? There's a lot here. Comparing him to other deluxe figures, there's actually a bit more going on here - so I assume the "deluxe" ones may be sold in sold cases separately due to popularity. I do not understand why Baze Malbus got the distinction instead of Embo, though, there just seems to be more going on here (and the character was already expensive on eBay thanks to his
2010 cartoon figure [FOTD #1,390].
Lucasfilm seems very interested in keeping many of its characters in the same clothes for decades.
The Clone Wars Embo has the same wrap around his waist, the same gloves, the same bowcaster, the same hat, the same armor, even the same (presumably) Beskar-toed boots as his appearances decades earlier. We saw the same with Fennec Shand and some other characters. At least Boba Fett was given the dignity of an occasional change of clothes! Hasbro did a good job with both figures, translating the saturated, brightly-colored cartoon Embo to a wonderful figure and doing the same again this year with the realistic, desaturated version. I kind of prefer the previous version only because the eyes have darker rings, the skin is a lighter grey, and the cloth parts of the outfit have more painted details on them. They're both excellent, but clearly they're two versions of the same guy in the same costume.
Hasbro's
Vintage figures adds extra hands - I think this might be overkill. The defauly hands are too small to hold the bowcaster, but the alternate ones are more open with a separated trigger finger. They work much better with the bowcaster and with the bowcaster's bow part tonfa things. I'm really not sure why Hasbro would spend the money on an extra set of samey hands, which aren't functionally better than the trigger hands, particularly given that paint and assembly are required. It certainly adds to the premium feel of the $19.99 figure - which is
absolutely necessary unless Hasbro plans on giving the line a price cut. But if Hasbro left out the hands and clubs, I would not have missed them. The two-part bowcaster easily fits in the larger, open hands but do take note that the bow is connected by a couple of pegs and is easily knocked off. Take care to not lose it. The black plastic bowcaster is completely unpainted.
The figure has extra gear on his person, including a removable hat - famous for being a shield, a weapon, and a fashion choice. It's very much like the cartoon version, but it seems to actually have slightly less detail. The cartoon figure has deeper sculpted panels and brighter browns on top, making it a better match for that figure's style. This hat better matches this figure. It fits in his hands so he can be posed like he's going to "throw" it.
The detail on the figure itself is quite good, with decent textures befitting a CGI character in an era where digitally sculpted toys are less likely to have deep groves and exaggerated cuts that show off the detail. It's flatter, in duller colors, and not terribly dynamic. It is, however, true to the movie and looks as good as what we saw (well, I saw) on what is now officially the worst performer on the big screen. The body design is really something because it's thin and tall in ways that would be difficult for a human, so it gives him a distinct silhouette while also not seeming out of place with your other aliens. You could probably have him hang out in the cantina or Jabba's palace without seeming too far from belonging there.
Articulation is great. He has a separately molded scarf around his neck, and the head can move just fine in there. The hips have a great range of movement, as do the knees, ankles, wrists, and just about everything. There is not much about this figure that you wouldn't have found on another existing figure, but it comes together pretty nicely and it actually feels like this wave is where Hasbro spent the extra money we're paying them. No 3 3/4-inch figure feels like a steal at $20, but this one feels like one of the better ones at the price point. Give it a look if you can find it, new "movie" aliens are far and few between. My only real gripe about the figure is that it doesn't make a radical departure from the prequel-era costume, and I would like to think I'd change my clothes after a couple of decades. Admittedly, maybe I haven't.
Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth. Two cases of Vintage showed up at the exact same time, which seems like overkill in a light year - I wish they spread these out a bit more.
--Adam Pawlus
Day 3,383: September 24, 2026
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