Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,329: Han Solo (1995 Classic Edition 4-Pack)

HAN SOLO Classic Edition 4-Pack
The Power of the Force Toys "R" Us Exclusive
Item No.: No. 69595
Manufacturer: Kenner
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster + 4 trading cards, 3 figures, and accessories
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99 (or $42.66 adjusted for inflation)
Availability: Fall 1995 (I think)
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: To commemorate the rich history of the Star Wars film series, Kenner presents this Classic Edition 4-Pack in a strictly limited release. Four of the most popular characters have been produced from molds cast directly from the original Kenner action figures dating to the late 1970's and early 1980's. This special edition comes as a new era for Star Wars toys is proudly unveiled. Look for the all-new line of Kenner action figures and vehicles that capture all the detail, authenticity, and excitement of the epic Star Wars tradition. (Taken from the figure's box.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I somehow never got around to looking at the infamous Classic Edition 4-Pack action figures. Rumor has it this "strictly limited edition" was somewhere around 200,000-250,000, which is mind-bendingly insane by modern standards. 200,000 was a big success for the 1990s when it came to collector lines, but that's also why so many 1990s figures are so cheap today. Not only were they bought by adults who took very good care of them, they were made in incredible quantities. If you want something to be valuable, kids need to destroy the bulk of a very large run. This ensures demand existed, and will exist again. But I digress. Han Solo was one of four figures in this set, which fans largely hated upon its release I liked it for what it was - but the original Kenner figures were still affordable sans packaging around the mid-1990s. Not "cheap." Affordable.

If you read the bio, you got a look at one of very few explainers out of Kenner in that era. These were cast from new molds, which were cast from the old toys. There are signs of generation loss, and the shrinkage that happens when you make a mold from an old toy. Modern The Retro Collection figures are 3D scanned and that's easier to scale. What's harder to do is make the right changes to the mold - 2019 Han Solo lacks a lot of the detail that came from copying an original figure with analog techniques in 1995. 1995 Han has sharper, deeper sculpted details than the later reissue, plus details that got completely wiped out with the 2019 edition. 1995 Han has stitching on the back of his vest, and some wrinkles in his white shirt that seem a little more dynamic. The legs are pretty much the same, but the shirt looks a lot more smoothed-out in 2019.

Part of the reason for this is the paint. The Retro Collection and a lot of other lines have significantly thicker layers of paint in the 21st century. It wasn't uncommon to get a toy like a Battle Beasts figure that was cast in black plastic and painted orange, with mint-in-package samples showing through the paint. 1995 Han has much more detail in his shirt and belt buckle, and sure enough, the white paint is paler and thinner. The hair color is much lighter, and the facial details look more like 1990s-style. It's hard to put into words, but the eyes being brown and the very specific details being shaped differently, it's just not the same as a 1978 original small-head Han. It's similar, sure, but nobody is going to mistake one for the other. Kenner also updated the copyright on the leg, so anyone who does mistake this for a real 1970s release deserves what they (don't) get.

Han 1995 comes with a "Kenner blue" blaster that honestly does not match the specific Kenner blue hue of old. It's grayer, less saturated, and of course smaller. It fits his hand perfectly, and he doesn't drop it over time like the 2019 figure and its rereleases. (Hasbro really needs to retool the hand and/or blaster if that ever comes back.) It's not the same as the original, but it's different and interesting. It's like another variant of the original Han, which I find more and more charming as time goes on.

But how does it play? Great. The 1995-style smaller foot peg holes work with modern stands quite nicely, and I am fond of how he and Chewie sit well in the 1995 Millennium Falcon. While smaller than the 1978-1985 releases (or 2019-2024 releases), it feels more like a real toy that came out of a real toy company. Hasbro's 2019-2024 versions have better eye paint, better coloration, and more accurate sizing, but feel like the "toy" vibes got lost as a copy of a copy. You have to be very careful to get Retro Han to hold a blaster. "Classic" Han requires no such negotiations.

If you're a The Retro Collection fanatic looking for a fix, I recommend picking this set up. eBay prices are quite fair (given inflation), and the unique Topps promo cards in the box are a nice bonus. The set has unique details and accessories that clearly define them as a separate thing, and the set hails from an era when anything Star Wars was exciting and for many fans, still a fresh experience. Kenner stopped making Star Wars in 1985, and they were long gone by 1989, so by 1995 people were hungry for anything Kenner (or Galoob, or JusToys, or In Character) put out. Minds were blown by new action figures back then, and fans were just as nitpicky online about sizes or not being as good as the originals as they are today. Don't let that dissuade you - this is an interesting set unto itself. If you want an original, buy an original, this is nifty as a set that had to walk a thin line between "don't infuriate fans with original figures" and "don't anger fans who want exact replicas." Today, I wish they made more sets like this - but I confess, at the time, I wished they focused on new guys and fans just spent $5-$20 to get the genuine article (loose) at comic shops. Han was a valiant effort, and this four-pack would be the last time Hasbro tried to appeal to the OG figure crowd until mail-in Rocket Boba Fett in 2010. Which would be the last time Hasbro appealed to that crowd until 2019.

Wow, that was long. We'll revisit the other guys in this set soon.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Toys R Us a hair under 31 years ago.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,329: March 19, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,291: Han Solo (The Vintage Collection)

HAN SOLO Just Begin Again
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. E7763 No. G0921
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #372
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $16.99
Availability: September 2025
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: As captain of the Millennium Falcon, Han Solo and his co-pilot Chewbacca came to believe in the cause of galactic freedom, joining Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa in the fight against the Empire. (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: Since 1999 we have had several pretty good Han Solo figures, each with slight improvements and other changes that make them a little better and a little not-the-best. Since the 1990s it became increasingly obvious that replicated Harrison Ford's face is difficult. I remember back then that a lot of fans said Toys McCoy's 1:6 Indiana Jones was the best. It was good! It wasn't amazing. Kenner did a 12-inch Han that was pretty good but the coloring and nose weren't quite right. The CommTech 1999 one was very nice, and we've had a lot of pretty good ones ever since. I wouldn't call any of them definitive, just because the face is never really perfect. He's just so weirdly expressive that a replica feels wrong, even some photos don't look right. When looking at this figure's head at certain angles, in certain light, you can see that the sculptor absolutely is trying for Harrison Ford - but turn it a bit? And it's not right. It's quite the oddity in that it's close to right, and very likely the best one we have, but it's still not quite where I think we're going to say "OK, perfect, let's stop." It's the best face so far, but I feel like we'll see another attempt soon.

The head and some elements of the figure seem a little wider than necessary. Han's hair has a little bit of horizontal floof, his legs seem a little thicker, and his face seems barely - just barely - older than his appearance in 1977. I think if the plastic wig were placed better, I'd not think this, because you can see his trademark smirk and a hint of the wry smile that's exceptionally hard to get right. There are also elements that make me wonder if they took a 2015 scan and de-aged it a bit to get it right. I may never know - because it's close. I'd love to see this same face with a wig that's a little less fluffed out to the sides, I bet it would look great.

The texture is pretty neat, as Hasbro made some great choices to avoid paint issues. Han's neck and chest seem to be inset, molded plastic. (That costs extra.) The vest being molded separately makes it feel like it's different material from the shirt - which it is. Really, the only thing I don't like are the wrists. If you compare the final figure's pants texture to the prototype shots, it looks like there was a tiny bit of generation loss. You can still see the denim texture, but the production figure just seems a little smoother than what we saw during the pre-order online. This is to be expected.

Articulation is functionally better in the 2025 figure, but probably visually cleaner in 2004 if only because the hip cuts are simpler and the thigh swivels are something of a mixed blessing visually. For those who want the best range of motion, 2025 is the way to go with rocker ankles and a pivot waist. The bend-and-swivel wrists are stiff, but allow for more emoting. I think the swivels look better, though... perhaps Hasbro would be better off having swappable hands rather than the extra joint piece. Who wouldn't love a finger to point in C-3PO's face? Both hands do great at holding a blaster.

The new head deco has that separate wig plus a printed-on face that looks a lot more lively. He's got a twinkle in his eye and a hint of shine on his lips - it' very nice. The costume itself is fundamentally the same as always, as there's not much you can really improve on here. The blue pants, the red stripes, the black boots, the painted belt detail... what else is there to do? Other than finding a way to make a more authentic portrait, it's going to be a struggle to ever improve on the paint this guy.

Recommending a figure like this is tricky, because it's the best-ever figure, but it doesn't necessarily carve out new space. If you don't have a classic Han Solo? Get this one. It's the best. If you need a good - but not perfect - Han just to sit in the Falcon or a Cantina booth, the 1999 figure (or its 2004 reissue) gets the job done with a holster molded to his thigh, so nothing gets in the way. But the head isn't perfect. If you need a Han figure to stand around and look cool, the 2004 version you already own does a perfectly fine job. There are other variations in there too, like with a Stormtrooper belt or other minor changes, and if you have all of those Han figures you might not need one more. This is the first 1977 movie one with a removable vest, and a separately molded glued-on wig, and the super-real face paint, and rocker ankles, and improved hip articulation. It's an unquestionable upgrade - but it may not offer much above and beyond your hypothetical existing collection of Han figures.

So for newbies or the Hanless? A must-buy. For lifers? I'd still recommend it because I love the first movie so much, and it's an improvement across the board. But if Hasbro never made it, I'd be just as happy deploying my existing figures in various playsets and vehicles. That's not a critique of their capabilities, it truly is the best version of this figure at t his scale. Right now they could pop a new head on the old body and it'd still be very good - and I think we're going to be chasing that perfect Harrison Ford likeness for quite some time even though this one is a real improvement.

For those asking what the best Hasbro Han head ever is? I'd say the 2019 Han Solo in Stormtrooper Disguise [FOTD #2,592] was a little pale but nailed it. Hair's a little thin on side floof, the lips are perfect, the forehead has a couple wrinkles, and there's a sign of a scar. Maybe it's just rose-colored glasses.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,291: November 6, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,263: Han Solo (Imperial Stormtrooper Outfit, The Retro Collection)

HAN SOLO (Imperial Stormtrooper Outfit)
The Retro Collection Target Exclusive 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. G1082
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: DLT-19 heavy blaster rifle, helmet, E-11 blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $59.99
Availability: April May 2025
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection features design and detailing inspired by the original 1970s Star Wars figures and features original figure design and detailing! Continue your collection from a galaxy far, far away. (Stolen from the marketing copy. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: The Retro Collection isn't for everybody. If you were a kid from 1977-1995, there's a good chance you owned some of the Kenner toys meant for children that we've all decided are serious adult things for some reason. Maybe you got them for your birthday, or at a garage sale, or at a comic shop, because these were the only toys around for quite some time. While other series have done it more accurately, that's not what Hasbro is selling here. Since 1995, some fans have been hoping to have that original line renewed and continued. It's not about wanting a collectible, or a tiny replica. It's about being sold the hope of getting to be a kid again, for a very short period of time. A Hot Toys figure, while amazing, is incapable of making middle-aged people feel that way. The slow-drip releases are kind of like being a kid again, in that you can't run to a store and spend all your money on Kenner figures. If you would like to buy 20 or 50 new figures, all you can get are 6. Maybe. They're probably out of stock.

This Han Solo (Imperial Stormtrooper Outfit) is its first official release in Kenner style. I (and others) had customs in the 1980s and 1990s. The Smith Lord Creations/Stan Solo sellers also had one in 2019-2022 [FOTD #2,960]... but it was a lot more expensive. I assume this official release was Hasbro trying to show them up. The quality is better at a lower price, and it has a bonus accessory. This isn't to say what the fan-produced figures delivered wasn't good or impressive. Hasbro's paint is better, with more gear, at a fraction of the price. Stan/Smith have sharper sculpts, but I would be lying if I said Hasbro's product weren't superior because his helmet fits nicer and, at least on my samples, Hasbro's paint is better.

The Luke Skywalker (Imperial Stormtrooper Outfit) was my second-to-last movie figure for my collection back in 1990. I hope they reissue it - but it was a little dumpy. For a 1985 release, it was fine, and the Han Trooper takes cues from that era. The black stripe around Luke's wrist is missing - it's missing on Han too. Luke's helmet is missing a some black marks next to the eyes of a standard Stormtrooper - Hasbro left them off Han's helmet too. Both Han and Luke have pin heads, which was part of how they got removable helmets to work back then. At a glance, both trooper disguise figures are similar in design decisions. The limbs all swing freely and sensibly, making this one feel like a legit toy. Han is oddly taller and wider than a standard Stormtrooper, and with the helmet on looks almost as big as Chewbacca. With the helmet off, he feels about the right size.

Han Trooper's stance is a little wider than standard Stormtroopers, but not as wide as Luke. His right arm is bent - it's cute to think that it's a signature Han figure thing for the first movie's Kenner figures. Both of his hands were tooled to better hold blasters. And I mean that - some figures can technically hold them, but both are extremely good here. I had no problem getting either hand to grip anything, and I hope Hasbro continues to improve old figures too and make them actually hold their stuff. It's important.

For a Retro figure to be truly interesting, it must be good in crappy ways and crappy in good ways. A lot of old Kenner figures had likenesses that were not even close. It doesn't look like Harrison Ford, but neither did the other massively-necked, weird-haired figures. For this figure you can see traces of the Han Solo hairstyle, downsized, diminished, and plastered to his tiny head. The sculpt is sharper than other retro figures, and it improves on the Luke Trooper by adding a working swivel neck. That makes this the only Kenner-style Stormtrooper that isn't a Sandtrooper with a swivel neck.  (And honestly, Sandy don't swivel too good.)

Another interesting choice is the helmet. While it has the same deco as Luke's from 40 years ago, it also is made from a different material. The rubbery helmet is more in line with Boushh from 1983. It's squishy, it grips the head just enough, and it looks pretty natural on the body. It feels more or less like a real, old Kenner helmet from the 1980s.

I like this figure a lot. Maybe I'm biased because it feels like they did what I would want to do. Neck joint? Two blasters with gripping hands to match? Perfection. The sculpt is good and kind of weird, but it also feels right. The bent elbow was such a nice touch. I have no doubt fans will bemoan how the sculpting isn't as sharp as real old Kenner figures, but after seven years I am not expecting that. It's better. It's good. This figure in this costume was one of the most-missed figures in the old days, so Hasbro went back and corrected history. The next three movie guys on my wish list would be Wedge Antilles, Jabba's Prisoner Leia, and Dagobah Training Luke Skywalker. After Vlix.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target.

Author Notes: I started writing about toys on the internet 30 years ago tomorrow - and my first newsletters had to do with the then-new Kenner figure line from 1995 and the first weird rumor. Kellogg's Froot Loops had a Han Solo Stormtrooper mail-in figure, so that was my first big story - I wanted everybody to know it wasn't a hoax. And here we are today. From 1995 to roughly 2000, I wrote Adam's Star Wars Newsletter alongside stints at Go Figure! Magazine, Star Wars Galaxy Collector Magazine, Auction Universe, AOL's Star Wars Fan Club HoloCroN, features for Entertainment Earth's early catalogs, and other stuff. I also worked on Fandom Menace, Rebelscum, YakFace.com, ToyFare Magazine, and other outlets before landing at the world's leading supplier of Yahtzee score cards full-time by day and at Galactic Hunter by night. Thank you for reading. Thank you for telling a friend if you think they may care. Also if you're feeling generous, please kick in a dollar to our Patreon so I can pay for things like site hosting and domain renewals for 16bit.com and Galactic Hunter. And if you don't want to? Don't! I still love you all for reading. And if you have any Fisher-Price Adventure People needing a new home, call me. Thank you indulging for 30 years!

--Adam Pawlus

Oh, and here he is next to the Stan Solo/Smith Lord version.  I think Hasbro did it better.

Day 3,263: July 31, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,143: Han Solo (Twinduction)

HAN SOLO (Twinduction)
Star Wars Classics Walmart Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. FKD57 No. FKD58
Manufacturer: Mattel
Number: 1/8
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: About $1
Availability: 2018
Appearances: n/a

Bio: Han Solo rose from an impoverished childhood to become captain of the Millennium Falcon, a leader in the Alliance to Restore the Republic and an instrumental figure in the Galactic Civil War during the reign of the Galactic Empire.. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: It's Wheels Week! Here and at 16bit.com, I'm looking at some Hot Wheels and 1:64-compatible scale toys - they're cheap, why not. Stay tuned for collectible cars and RacerVerse here, while 16bit.com will look at Transformers Spy Changers, cars you can find at the grocery store with LEGO and MEGA-compatible studs, and other goodies. I'm still writing these, so you'll have to come back for more.

This Han Solo Twinduction was something I skipped in 2018 - I picked up all the "cheap" $1 Walmart exclusive cars, but for some reason this series, I didn't get at the time. I just got the series on eBay for about $3 percar shipped, which is arguably cheaper than gas & tax & driving around. A lot of people collect and flip these things, and some cars are pricey - but most of them aren't, and you can find a lot for $1-$4 (plus or minus shipping) at online and brick and mortar shops. The mark-up is probably more of the service of their holding on to it for a few years or the gas to the post office - this is not a piece that's in demand. If you are considering buying it, let me just say to buy it in a lot or small collection because the shipping is going to kill you on eight individual tiny cars. Don't blame the seller, blame math.

I started this week because I wanted an excuse to write about the RacerVerse go-kart toys (come back tomorrow!) and wound up diving lot of unopened toys, and remembered to look into this set. Was it worth my waiting six years to track down and open this car? ...no. I had a few cars as a kid (mostly from the 1983 McDonald's collection, all but one sadly sold at a garage sale) and I have picked up a few odds and ends as an adult. There's a pattern - it's usually when Star Wars collecting is particularly dire (so 2013 and 2024 were upswings) and when Mattel announces an interesting licensed car from TV or a movie that I want to track down. I'm also fascinated with people wo race these things as a sport. There are amazing features and fun things to do with these toys - usually. This one is top-tier "nothing special." I'd go as far as to say it's pretty bad, and you're buying it for the card art.

Mattel has gorgeous card art that is similar to - but not the same pose as - the art on the car itself. It reminds me a lot of collectible fast food glassware, in that it's flat and almost looks like it could have been traced. This one has a dull blue finish, it feels light and has some silver vac metal around the engine. A Star Wars logo sits on the roof of the car, and Han's last name "Solo" is written on Aurebesh on the sides. It's very blah - I don't necessarily expect Spectraflame paint, or metalflake paint, but a little shine goes a long way on these things. This is a car that sold for about $1 and looks like it should have sold for about $1.

As something you leave on the card, it's great. I love the big portrait, and the car art is actually quite nice. The tampos are incredibly crisp, with some nice striping and a Rebel Alliance logo. I am a little surprised that, in 2018, Mattel gave us an old-school Harrison Ford portrait and not something stylized or based specifically on Solo: A Star Wars Story. Maybe they were short on assets given the prequel's production, or the licensees were all given some "pivot to classic" directive because it was easier - and arguably safer - to do. The car itself more or less matches Han's Corellian jeans, complete with bloodstripes on the spokes of the wheels. It's a nice touch. It rolls a little rough, unlike a lot of other cars you can hear a hint of a rattle or a scrape while it moves on your mousepad. It glides along just fine, but there's a difference in the sound - compared to other Hot Wheels, it's not quite as clean of a gliding sound. But you're probably not buying this toy for track, this is a collectible, a souvenir, a way to spend $1 to tell the world "this is a thing I like." (See also: Hot Wheels cars based on states and various highways, and a Matchbox based on the 1986 arrival of Halley's Comet.)

I am not a car guy despite being descended from a Chrysler engineer, but I know what I like when it comes to toys. Functionally this particular Twinduction is a little disappointing but I really do appreciate that they made something that looks sort of like a goofy 1970s retro collectible. You can probably find this one at a second-hand shop of some sort on the cheap, and if you can't, there are a bunch of other licensed cars and go-karts in a store near you right now. Having said that, it is unlikely that a Han Solo may be among them at mass retail.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from eBay. I should also note that this series has a wild Jabba the Hutt-themed Deora II car, where the card art is based on Return of the Jedi while the car art is based on an unflattering angle of the Special Edition digital Jabba. I have no idea why they didn't just go double duty on the card art there - but take a look, it's worth it for the laughs.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,143: June 17, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,049: Han Solo (The Vintage Collection)

HAN SOLO without Endor Trenchcoat
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Deluxe Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F7311 No. F6878
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #281
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $16.99
Availability: June 2023
Appearances: Return of the Jedi
Bio: Han is just this guy, you know? ( There is no bio.)

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: This Han Solo figure - with no special identifier in the name capsule, which is a shame - would probably be your "Endor Raid" or "Ready for Action" figure, if you're in to older toy or trading card references, respectively. What's good is it's a new take on the Endor Han Solo outfit, which we last saw reissued two years ago and it really didn't turn out well - but you got a coat, and it was $12. This 2023 Han Solo has no coat, but you get a new head and some new parts slapped on the 2018 Solo: A Star Wars Story body so it's better than what you have but still not good enough to be a $16.99 figure. At $12, I'd say "hey, they did a nice job given the circumstances!" At $17, we're being charged a premium price for a product that is most certainly not premium. Other figures in this assortment have had alternate hands, bonus accessories, removable helmets, and Han has a blaster. If they threw in the coat I'd give it points for being a good replacement for an old figure, but as it is, it is not. And as usual it'll probably sell out and be hard to find in stores thanks to the starved market for this kind of thing.

In 2023, the 2016-style leg joints are kind of awful. You know the ones - you get the then-exciting thigh cut for swivels, and a bend-and-swivel hip joint with pretty limited movement despite additional parts and assembly costs. The knees and ankles are more or less the same as always, but these ones don't rock from side to side. Han has swivel and bending wrists, and that mid-torso joint Hasbro seems to love but just looks like Han got cut in half with a lightsaber. As bodies go, it reuses a lot of old (young) Han's parts and disguises them nicely enough that at first glance, this looks like a figure that was made to be this specific Han Solo costume. And that's pretty impressive.

It takes some fidgeting, but you can get him to stand upright. The range of motion in the legs is pretty stiff, so it's not exactly easy (or fun) to pose this figure - but at least he can hold his blaster, and so can his holster. And from some angles, the head looks a bit like Harrison Ford. It's a hard face to get right, but it's one of the better attempts. His hair is a separately painted "wig" piece, so you can see some extra money went into molding that and making sure it fit well so he has a clean hairline.

We got an improved head sculpt, but after 46 years it's not like any Han Solo figure has been exactly perfect. Fans wanting the most accurate Hasbro Han might be better getting the 6-inch Endor Trenchcoat version, possibly still on shelves near you right now. For 3 3/4-inch Return of the Jedi Han Solo figures, this may be as good as it gets for a while and that can get pretty frustrating. We know they can make really awesome hip joints and smooth articulation all around, without unsightly belly cuts, but here we are. Carded fans will probably dig it, and I assume those looking to upgrade would be well-served to get this Han - especially if he shows up on sale. But he's not exactly a great value proposition if you're cutting back.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,049: July 25, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,032: Han Solo (Endor, The Retro Collection)

HAN SOLO (Endor, Kenner Style)
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F6866 No. F7276
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, coat
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $11.99
Availability: February 2023
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection features design and detailing inspired by the original 1970s Star Wars figures. (Stolen from the marketing copy. Packaging has no bio.)

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: As a kid, Han Solo (Endor) was a figure that took me a long time to get - you just couldn't stumble over one in the flea markets, antique shows, or garage sales of the late 1980s. I think mine cost me the then-princely sum of $10, and that's about what this 2023 release costs. You lucky devils. While not as crisply sculpted as the 1984 original, and while the skin in the head is a little more ghostly, it's still pretty good.

Luke looks almost like a different sculpt, I think Leia was a different head, and Lando's sufficiently different - but Han? Han looks like someone really worked hard to get the painted facial details right. The sculpt is a little crisper than the other guys in the wave, but you can still see some softness and weirdness, particularly in the vest. It feels like the figure, with his five points of articulation, suffered a little generation loss when being copied for a modern figure - but we've seen worse. The sculpted wrinkles on the shirt and pants are good, but not as deep as the original. They still stand out as being better than most of the retro guys, but weirdly, the right hand was not improved in its design to hold a blaster. Other figures improved this a bit here and there, but not Han. His pose was also altered slightly, as a 1984 original's left hand will rest a bit on his hip when it hangs down. The 2023 version swings by without touching it.

Sadly, some of the figure's original texture is completely gone. Han 1984 had a bit of a feel on his vest and the 2023 one is flat and shiny. The pants and shirt are pretty similar, but the hair definitely lost some sculpted detail in the reissue process. I kind of prefer the new hair color, though, the brown just looks a little bit better.

I would say this is one of the better reissue retro figures, even if he's not perfect. If the face skin was a little less translucent and the right hand was a little better at holding the gun, I'd say this is a winner. The coat is good - it might even be a good replacement for a lost original's, despite not being the same. I guess Hasbro can't (or doesn't want to) perfectly replicate the past, but at least they came close enough that I don't feel a little insulted or hurt by it.

Hasbro, if you're reading - I'd love to see you guys do a "retro remastered" line with slightly better colors, revised sculpts, and improved things like hands that can better grip the accessories. I'd pay. I think others would too, especially if they came on non-weathered cardbacks (make 'em j-hooks if you gotta, or leave out the punched hole completely.) And remember, Return of the Jedi is 40 - that means any kid who was old enough to see this in the theater is also over 40. The nostalgia window is shrinking.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,032: May 25, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,960: Han Solo in Stormtrooper Disguise (Custom)

HAN SOLO in Stormtrooper Disguise
Fan-Produced Custom Figure
Item No.: No. n/a
Manufacturer: Smith Lord Creations
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, helmet
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $35-$45
Availability: ca. March 2019
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Han Solo in Stormtrooper Outfit custom figure. The blaster and helmet are reproductions. (Stolen from an eBay listing. There is no bio. Figure was sold on reproduction packaging or loose)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Commentary: As a kid I had a custom Han Solo in Stormtrooper Disguise, and back then you could either get one made of a decapitated Power of the Force Stormtrooper Luke, or one made from 2-3 figures - a Stormtrooper would get cut up for the body (and helmet), and a Han figure of your choosing for the head. None of these were great options - the helmets didn't quite fit, and the work was clearly the work of a craftsman doing their best. Enter Smith Lord Creations in 2019 - someone said "hey let's just mold our own (and also make reproductions of real Kenner figures)" rather than hack up rare figures from the 1980s. I'm still not entirely sure what to make of straight-up reproductions, but I do appreciate it when you can easily tell they're fakes. Since this one never existed in the old days, determining a forgery isn't a lot of hard work.

Han looks like the real article, and feels like the real deal, but doesn't quite play perfectly. The figure seems born from a tweaked 1985 Stormtrooper Luke figure, with a new smaller Han Solo head. (Mine had misaligned facial paint - it's a bit ugly.) The arms and legs move just like a real Kenner figure, with details that are nearly perfect copies of original figures - but are not as crisp. There are no copyright markings, and the legs are spread out a lot, but this figure absolutely looks like a lost Kenner release. The head won't turn, but the hair looks like something Kenner would do and the head is small enough to fit under the helmet. If you put this in a faked old toy catalog or in a figure display, it passes for a genuine Kenner product with minimal black paint. The eyes and hair are painted too, and even off-center it looks like something I had as a kid. While he is a little short for a Stormtrooper, he's standing next to my 1983 Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker figure, an old Bossk, and 2022 Kenner-style Ahsoka and Bo-Katan and he belongs.

The figure is good - the accessories are notably different. The clip on the Stormtrooper blaster has an indentation on the side, so it doesn't look exactly like an original. The grip has a slightly different pattern on it, and the plastic's look and feel differs slightly from Kenner originals - but if you don't have any, you probably wouldn't realize it. It would have been nice to have an "R" molded on it somewhere. Due to Han's hands, the figure has difficulty holding the blaster. You might be able to wedge it in his hand and rest it against the bowed-out legs, though, so it makes a good display piece.

The helmet isn't fooling anybody, because the paint is a little weird and it doesn't quite fit. It feels like an old Kenner helmet, but the paint is pretty dreadful. The details are soft and paint is glossy and outside the lines, giving it the feel of a knock-off Ben Cooper mask. It's a Stormtrooper, and all the elements are there, but it's ugly. It also doesn't fit straight on his head - he can wear it at an angle, but it doesn't fit if you want him looking forward. It either tips up a bit, or looks off to the side - but it looks fine in his hand, or at his feet. Again, as a display piece, you can probably make it work.

This was one of the first figures from the team that broke up that was once Smith Lord Creations (who still makes stuff without Stan Solo) and the effort to make one of those figures Kenner left out is amazing. This is a stellar fan-made release, but it's still an unlicensed figure that doesn't have the best interaction with accessories. It's a neat bootleg you'd probably want because there's no better official alternative. If Hasbro ever made their own, it would probably put this "custom" in the curiosity bin or junk drawer. Maybe. There are also "custom" Grand Moff Tarkin figures and while I prefer Hasbro's, somebody is buying the fan-made ones. It seems absolutely silly to have paid $40 for this guy, but I did, and I'm happy with it. It looks decent - it's just not a great toy. I would love to see Hasbro make their own 1980s-style Kenner-carded Power of the Force Han Solo Stormtrooper figures, and I for one would happily pay $16 if it means they threw a coin in there. And of course, if they could ensure the helmet actually fits.

Custom figures like this aren't toys for kids, and we don't really know what kind of testing they went through. As far as we know they're not authorized unless there's some wink-wink in the background, and I have no idea if they came out of a factory in China that also makes other companies' officially licensed stuff - but the look and feel is excellent. If you stumble on one, and if you're finding yourself to be over 6-inch figures or the endless torrent of stuff in the original trilogy timeline but not from any of your favorite old movies, give this a shot.

Collector's Notes: I got mine off of a guy on eBay.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,960: September 15, 2022

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,852: Han Solo (Endor, The Vintage Collection)

HAN SOLO (Endor, reissue of 2006 and 2011 releases)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. E7763 No. F1899
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #62
Includes: Trenchcoat, blaster pistol
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $12.99
Availability: May 2021
Appearances: Return of the Jedi
Bio: Han Solo and his strike team landed on the forest moon of Endor, where they encountered Scout Troopers and were captured by Ewoks. (Taken from marketing copy. There is no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: Good coat, bad face paint, unpainted blaster.

Hasbro told fans that the reason they were rerunning older figures for The Vintage Collection were to bring us back very expensive figures to make them affordable, and to bring back the very best because there's not a heck of a lot of room for improvement. This does not explain Han Solo (Endor), a figure that was, let's be generous, pretty good for 2006 [FOTD #410] but pretty bad in 2011 and downright awful in 2021. Back in 2006, we were only 2 years into super-articulated figures being something of a normal happening and Hasbro was still struggling with making a really good Harrison Ford face. (Heck, they still are.) The figure's proportions are a little strange with oddly-posed legs hidden by a big cloth coat. The head was fine before when unpainted, but with the added photoreal deco looks something like a blobfish removed from the pressures of the deep. The face looks like it's melting. It's not good. Hasbro was seemingly aware of this from the official photography, which tends to show the figure at very specific angles which flatter the sculpt and hide the flaws - I mean, that's what you're supposed to do. The product photographers at Hasbro are absolute artists, because you probably had no idea just how bad this figure looks until you got it in your hands.

Hasbro shouldn't have brought this one back, and I would assume there may have been better alternatives - like adding a holster to TVC136 Han Solo in Carbonite, and seeing how the photoreal paint worked on that may have proven a cost-effective solution that didn't make you look at the figure with pity. It's also worth noting this figure doesn't have a silver muzzle on the blaster, but the 2006 release does. I applaud Hasbro for trying, but this should've been axed before it left the production stage. I'm sure it may scratch some itches for fans wanting to fill up their Kenner collections, but the genuine article - a real Kenner figure from 1984 - is around $54, and the superior figure (but inferior coat) from the 2006 release sells on eBay for as little as $13. I'm not telling you anything you don't know here - this is just a bad reissue of a figure that didn't age well.

The main reason to buy this figure is for the coat. You can apply it to another Han figure you like better, because it does look pretty good. It's a little bulky - it's impossible to perfectly scale down real-life fabrics to fit these guys - so it doesn't hang perfectly. Sculpted plastic tends to look better at this size, but Hasbro's artisans picked a good fabric that mimics the unique fabric pattern from the film quite nicely. The stitching is also downplayed, not looking as obvious as on the previous releases. This feels like where the budget for the figure went, and Hasbro has been consistently good about improving its patterns and fabrics at this size. Whoever did this, my I tip my hat to you - you did great.

This is a very old figure they reissued. To put it in perspective, it's 15 years old. It would be like if they put out The Power of the Force 1985 figures in the year 2000. It would be like if they put out more original 12-inch G.I. Joes in 1979. It would be like if we saw The Power of the Force 1995 figures in 2010. This is now a very old figure.

I assume the figure deco artist did their very best too, but sometimes you can't polish Bantha poodoo. The head is the same as the 2006 and 2011 releases, which wasn't great - but in its unpainted flesh-colored state, it looked acceptable at best. I didn't have a reason to dunk on it because it's not like they did anything to draw attention to the lips. For the 2021 release Hasbro used its fancy paint printing to give us more lifelike eyes - and I like those! - and a melty smile. It's not unique to my figure, and it seems to be a result of the printing aligning with the existing sculpt - every sample I've seen looked bad, and I don't think any level of paint could make it look better. I was surprised, though, to see it could make it worse. At certain angles it does look pretty good - but deviate from that position, and you lose it.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,852: September 2, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,846: Han Solo (Endor, The Black Series 6-Inch)

HAN SOLO (Endor)
The Black Series 2020 Line Look Green Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Packaging - Also PulseCon Boxed Set
Item No.: Asst. E8908 No. E9364 also No. EXXXX
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #05
Includes: Trenchcoat, Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: October 2020
Appearances: Return of the Jedi
Bio: Han Solo volunteered to lead the mission to destroy the new Death Star’s shield generator on the forest moon of Endor, where he and his strike team encountered Scout Troopers and Ewoks. (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!

Commentary: For years fans have been grousing that Harrison Ford's likeness is impossible to capture in plastic, and on the whole it seems they're generally right. You can capture a certain sense of Han Solo or Indiana Jones, but is it really Harrison? With Han Solo (Endor) from last year, it looks like the answer is "yes." The actor's wry smile doesn't translate in a single color of flesh plastic - a hint of scruff, some more color around his eyes, and painted lips make a tremendous difference and make this figure (available in a PulseCon set or by himself) absolutely worth owning. Since the Kenner 1984 Endor Trenchcoat Han Solo remains one of my favorites from that era, I'm glad that this 2020 figure seems to be my favorite from the bigger modern line.

The figure is a mix of existing and new parts. The head seems to be new, with incredible face paint and separately-molded hair that make a huge difference in elevating the figure form a perfectly good action figure to something you can look at and say "this looks like an actual technological advancement." The legs and lower body seem to be recycled from Bespin Han Solo (the SKU is still stamped on his boot), but the rest seems to be mostly new. He has no problems holding his blaster, and the coat fits really nicely. I'm not saying it's perfect, but Hasbro's relationship with soft goods has rarely exceeded the quality of what Kenner gave us in the 1980s. This is pretty good - a little thin, but with good stitching and it doesn't look bad.

This is probably the very best Han Solo to date - which gives me high hopes they'll do a pre- or post-Carbonite one some day that will look equally as good. (If you take the vest off of this release, the arms look bad - so he'd need more work.) Since this figure made use of old parts, there's not a lot I can say about the articulation beyond that the coat does a great job covering up all the joints and ensuring the figure has maximum mobility with minimal visible articulation breaks. It even hides the breaks in the yellow stripes if you want to have the thighs rotated. This is one of the perfect combinations of using the costume to both enhance the figure's look while hiding what makes it functional. Old fans should make this Han Solo a must-buy-while-they-still-can, because it's superb. It looks right. Heck, it even gives me hope that if we ever got another Indiana Jones line, maybe this time we won't have to go through 90 figures to find one that has a decent looking face. (2008 was a very awkward year on the pegs.) Get this one - and the matching Leia and Luke - if you still can.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth for the single release, and my 4-pack came from Hasbro Pulse.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,846: August 12, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,813: Han Solo (6-Inch Value Figure, Solo: A Star Wars Story Line Look)

HAN SOLO Better Late than Never?
Solo: A Star Wars Story "Dollar Store" 6-Inch Figure
Item No.: Asst. B3946 No. E1446
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $5.00

 
Availability: Unknown - I first saw a production sample in a board room in September of 2018, the first sightings seemed to be around December 2020, I found it in April 2021 Appearances: Solo: A Star Wars Story Bio: Han Solo reinvents himself after leaving behind his old life, growing comfortable traveling with law-benders and scoundrels. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: This figure was a White Whale for me for over two years. This Han Solo from Solo: A Star Wars Story has a manufacture date stamp of 81061, meaning he was likely stamped out in April of 2018 - I found it at a Five Below in April of 2021. To my knowledge this particular Han figure didn't ship to food or drug stores in the USA, but other waves did - a lot of The Last Jedi stuff shipped to grocery stores near me for years. I mentioned in Q&A that I was still vexed by not seeing this figure anywhere, and then someone said "Oh our Five Below got some" - so I ran out to mine, and found one. I'm slipping in my old age, or because COVID keeps me from doing the full-on big toy runs with obsessive repetition like I used to do. I got this 6-inch figure with 4 points of articulation for a mere five bucks. The Black Series figure looks similar, with more articulation, a removable blaster, great face paint... really you've got no reason to get the simple 6-inch one unless you're in to this sort of thing. And I am.

I am not great with faces sometimes - but I don't think this figure was sculpted with Alden Ehrenreich in mind. It could just be the lack of deco and odd positioning of the eyes and eyebrows, because it looks a little bit like Han Solo - but not necessarily like the actor. In many respects it looks like an alternate realistic take on a 1980s Kenner sculpt, plausibly a real person but not the person we had in mind. Given the lead time for product, it's also possible (and speculated) that Disney's consumer product division may have nudged the merchandise designs to look a little bit less like the actor - just in case he was recast. Is it true? They'll never admit it, so it doesn't matter. But it's a face that doesn't scream "I'm Hobie Doyle" - but it's close enough that kids would probably be OK with it if they ever saw it. And I doubt American kids did until somewhat recently.

The figure's pose has a great swagger to it, from the blaster arm with his fingers wrapped around the grip, to his other hand looking like oh-so-many old Han Solo publicity stills with the fingers looking like they're almost thinking. The costume is nearly perfect, matching The Black Series figure in almost every way. The bloodstripes are on the pants, the silver pin has the red dot, the only thing missing are the silver rivets on his holster. In many respects, this figure is a great example of how good of a figure Hasbro can make for five bucks, while the $20-$23 collector figures may be overly complicated for what a fan may need. (Obviously, fans will always ask for more articulation - there's no satisfying that demand.)

Not finding this figure in stores always bugged me - and now I have to find Chewbacca - so I'm glad to have crossed one more white whale off my hunting list. He stands well, and he looks fine. I'm sure the head could be a tiny bit better, but I've also got The Black Series figure and this whole 6-inch line is more of a fun, cheap curiosity than a definitive collection of plastic. Heck, Hasbro and Disney seemingly completely skipped The Rise of Skywalker for the format, meaning they are smart because I just can't seem to bring myself to say much nice about that film. If you see this one for five bones, I'd suggest buying it - unless you've got The Black Series figure already. Toys like this are fascinating in that you can see what you can make on a diminished budget, but the dubious decision to focus the entire line squarely at adult collectors - and their increasing wallets as the Star Wars generation gets older - means that super-affordable kid-fodder like this turned out to be uncharacteristically scarce. Such is life.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Five Below, thank you Jim for the tip!

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,813: May 13, 2021