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 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

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,253: Walrus Man (The Retro Collection)

WALRUS MAN Kenner Take Two
The Retro Collection Target Exclusive 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. G1082
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 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: I can't imagine how Hasbro selects its The Retro Collection releases without massive internal squabbling. Who do you pick? Do you remake a rare figure like Yak Face? Do you put out somebody who will interest the masses like Yoda? Or do you put out Walrus Man, a strange figure in a weird toy line that not only cares not for style guides but also available relatively cheaply off-the-card? Given that he's in a set with five new molds, I think Hasbro made the right choice to release him as the pill with a treat wrapped around it.

As a kid I was trying to find Walrus Man at flea markets or garage sales. Not because of any specific love for the movie character, but because I wanted the wet suit-wearing alien weirdo figure that Kenner made as a toy. He looked like fun, and that's why I had to have him. Also all the ones I've ever owned had weird eyes, which they fixed for the 2025 rerelease... that's probably a good thing. It gave the old figure some personality, but I doubt side-eye was the intent of the original sculptor and designer Stephen Geddes. (Yeah, we actually know the name of the sculptor from 47 years ago!) I've occasionally been given a collection or spotted more at a garage sale, so I've got three originals in my orbit. It's just such a great design, so colorful and striking. I know many fans wanted a more accurate Ponda Baba figure - which we got later - but there's so little color in the original Star Wars line that a design like this really stands out.

There's some generation loss. Since Hasbro scanned the figures, you're getting some softer details. Had Hasbro made an all-new sculpt, like Rocket Firing Boba Fett, it would look a smidgen different but you could probably replicate the wrinkles, cuts, and hairy textures from the 1979 original. It's not as obvious that the new one has a beard, but most of the major landmarks are present - just not as sharp. The pose is still good, though, and the plastic finish is not nearly as glossy as an original.

The plastic colors are very close - but the original is more saturated. 2025's blue almost looks slightly Sun-damaged, with an orange that looks a bit more faded. The greens are a bit brighter, the black matches very nicely, and the peach is kind of fascinating. It's more saturated, but it also uses a paint mask that was a lot cleaner. There's some fading and gaps around the 1979 figures' faces, but here it's clean. Similarly, the eyes are more consistent with a bigger, more centered black dot in each. The greens of the eyes also seem brighter. 

The figure feels very much like the original. The plastic's a little bendy, the joints move well. He has no problems holding his included Stormtrooper E-11 blaster, but he has some problems holding the gray Evazan blaster from this set. It's loose in his hand - 1979 Walrus Man can grip it more tightly. I've since noticed this with other figures. 2019 Retro Han can't hold his gun, but weirdly, 1978 Han can hold the 2019 blaster and 2019 Han can hold the 1978 blaster. The parts tolerances were close, but not perfect, and that may be related to the generation loss in the sculpted detail. It looks good as a digital model, but it needs a little more refinement than it's getting when going into the tooling phase.

I wasn't remotely excited to get another Walrus Man, but Hasbro made enough changes (and included a bonus blaster with Evazan) that it's interesting again. The eyes give hm a new personality, the mouth is very different, and the colors are so, so close - but not exact. It feels like this figure came from molds Kenner and Hasbro kept running for 45 years, wore out, cleaned up, fixed some paint masks, and it's an imperfect match - I admire that. I recommend this figure if you don't have the original, but even if you do? It's not bad. The ribbing at the top of the boot is painted better this time, and it's worth the asking price.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,253: June 26, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,881: Ponda Baba (The Black Series)

PONDA BABA 6-Inch Debut
The Black Series 2020 Line Look Orange Star Wars: A New Hope Packaging
Item No.: Asst. E8908 No. F1872 or for PulseCon, No. F1266
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #02 - Star Wars: A New Hope
Includes: Blaster, alternate hands (PulseCon set includes Obi-Wan, Dr. Evazan, bar, glassware)
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $22.99
Availability: November 2021
Appearances: Star Wars: A New Hope

Bio: A burly Aqualish thug, Ponda Baba smuggled spice for Jabba the Hutt alongside his friend Dr. Cornelius Evazan, a murderous former surgeon Ponda had rescued from a bounty hunter. (Taken from the single figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab. Sample pictured is from the Cantina Showdown PulseCon 3-pack.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: It will not surprise you - but it may disappoint you - to find out Ponda Baba has a Rogue One-inspired sculpt on a Luke Skywalker (Yavin Ceremony) body. In the interests of keeping costs down things like this are inevitable, but given just how much of this line is repaints - all those Carbonized, Credit Collection SKUs plus trooper and droid variants - it's kind of a pity to see a scrawny body like Luke Skywalker's reused here on a burly bruiser like Ponda Baba.

In 1979 Kenner gave us Walrus Man, a wildly wrong take on this character that colored our perceptions for decades. Kenner revised it in 1997, and future figures tended to get closer and closer to what we saw in the movies. This guy just doesn't quite seem to have it right - the torso is too narrow, teh arms are too skinny, and the sad thing is this could be the last The Black Series version of the character we get for quite some time. Were this a figure whipped up in a hurry to flesh out the line, or one of the first releases, I'd shrug and say "well, that's how you get product to market." Given that Hasbro double-dipped on this item as both a standard and a convention release, and before that Ceremonial Luke was also done as an expanded deluxe release and a single release, Hasbro could've sprang for some more new parts here. I shouldn't be able to pick up a new figure like this and immediately go "...hey wait a minute, is this just Luke again?" As only the second cantina alien in this line since its inception in 2013, I always assumed the delay was because they wanted to get the sculpt right, or it was just on the backburner for some reason. If I knew it was just going to be a head swap, I think I could have kept waiting. This version of Ponda Baba has a whiter shirt - as opposed to off-white - which makes this closer to his appearance in Rogue One. That checks out given his slightly shaggier beard, too. The head sculpt is great with big glossy eyes, dirty and freckled skin, and the mouth which could be the subject of jokes for years. The head was a very good recreation of what we saw in the movies, and the hands are very good recreations as well.

As to the body, it's Wormie. The jacket may share some similarities to what Ponda wore in terms of the unique ribbed sleeves, but the pockets are all wrong and a lot of other details are different. These are things they got more or less right on the 3 3/4-inch figures, which is what makes this sting a bit - the 6-inch line is meant for adult fans and collectors. This set was sold as an online convention item at a premium price, and what we got failed to meet a pretty low bar for success in a line like this one. It's possible each collectible crew is working from a different set of reference points, but things like the clear Holiday Special jacket do look different from this one. After all, there's what appears to be a rank badge over the Ponda figure's left breast - he didn't have this in the movies.

You're probably going to buy this because there are no alternatives of merit in this size. After seeing Plo Koon and Kit Fisto reuse parts of Obi-Wan and Anakin to few to no fan complaints, I assume we're going to see more shortcuts like this as time goes on. With Marvel comic figures, it's standard practice and sensible given the similarities in build. You could use Spider-Man for dozens of other figures. For Hasbro's flagship Star Wars figure line these days, it's just disappointing. It seems like nearly every tooling may be up for reuse given the metallic repaints, but seeing it for regular characters was a bit of a downer. If you're not all-in on 6-inch, just hug your 3 3/4-inch Ponda Babas tightly and be glad that good ones already exist for you to love.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse in the PulseCon exclusive boxed set.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,881: December 14, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,634: Ponda Baba (Walrus Man)

PONDA BABA Walrus Man
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 97568 No. 32242
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: VC70
Includes: Pistol, alternate bloody arm, fin hands, paw hands, glass
Action Feature: Alternate right arm, alternate hands
Retail: $9.99
Availability: September 2011
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Celebrate the legendary Star Wars saga that changed the universe forever! This collection brings to life the incredible story of good versus evil that captured our imagination and took us to a galaxy far, far away. Iconic Star Wars heroes and villains are captured with incredible detail and premium features to commemorate each epic tale in the Star Wars saga. May the Force be with you! (Taken from the figure's packaging. There is no bio.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' kitchen.

Commentary: This Ponda Baba is pretty much perfect. It's one of my favorites. There's not much left to do with this guy, from where Hasbro's engineering goes. He's super-articulated. His coat is part of the torso. He has fins with strange little finger grips. He has paws. He has a holster. He can stand, he can sit, he can hold his liquor-- literally, he's got a glass.

This is the first completely new Ponda Baba sculpt since 1997. 1997. A resculpt in 2004 has been reused a few times, but it shared parts with the 1997 version-- so there's never been a super-articulated version of the figure before this one, and someone at Hasbro must have said "let's just put every last possible feature into this figure" because that's exactly what happened. Given the increased prices, it's good they did this-- I wasn't sure if I should be pleased that one of the precious few slots devoted to Cantina creatures would be given to a remake of a figure I was pretty satisfied with, but they did, and I dig it.

The second arm pops off at the shoulder-- just pull it out, it'll pop nicely. The alternate bloody stump arm has a ball-jointed shoulder and a "swivel" at the lightsaber wound, which makes sense given that the main point of this is to be a stump on the ground. The elbow is unnecessary, and the ability to select the paws or the fins is a nice touch. The hands swap easily, and the other feature-- the holster-- works great. The holster opens up a little bit so it can be gripped more easily, it works fantastic.

Hasbro did a bang-up job resculpting this guy. The 1997 figure was ahead of its time and a wonderful release in its day, and so is this one-- the brown shirt is here, the gold belt buckle is great, and they even painted one of the buttons on his jacket. The piping on the jacket is great, the textures on the outfit are magnificent, and the boots are nice and shiny. The holster doesn't grip the leg-- which means he can sit, which means this is a step in the Right Direction. (It's very important for figures to be able to sit.) I had to problem getting this guy into any pose I wanted, and since my vehicles are mostly packed up I didn't have many chances to get him to sit in something sensible-- but I did test him in the big 2010 AT-AT, the 2009 Millennium Falcon, and the 2010 redesign of the TIE Bomber and could get him to fit in a decent way in all of them. Which basically means this: I went out of my way to find something to complain about and could not find it. The figure is just that good.

Aside form the stump, the neatest new feature are the fin hands. The flippers are sort of round, paddle-shaped appendages with three fingers each. The two fingers and thumb are these weird little tube things, and they can perfectly grip the glass or the gun. Perfectly. If you buy only one unnecessary remake this year, this may well be your best bet. At ten bucks I do not feel I wasted my money, and for those of you who know me, I am a cheapskate. As the Aquabats once said, "Don't ask why, just buy buy buy." Cantina lovers, this may be your figure of the year for 2011.

Collector's Notes: This figure hit with some repacks, but the most notable things about this figure are in the packaging. For starters, the cardback uses a different illustration than the 1979 original. Second, it has the Boba Fett mail-away flyer, which does say you can use any Hasbro Star Wars action figures for the offer and does not impose a limit on which assortments. So sender beware! I'd love to see Hasbro try a "Kenner" version someday-- swim fins, stupid vest, green skin-- but I think that's unlikely. I'd buy it though-- if it's as good as this one, it would be a treat. A freaky green treat.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,634: September 19, 2011

Figure of the Day: Day 1,035: Ponda Baba

PONDA BABA Cantina Showdown Cinema Scene
Power of the Force Wal-Mart Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. 69650 No. 69738
Manufacturer: Kenner
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, additional figures, display stand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: 1997
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: On the run from Imperial stormtroopers, Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker enter the seedy Mos Eisley Cantina in hopes of finding swift passage to the planet Alderaan. Inside, among the gallery of criminals are the murderous Dr. Evazan and the brutal Ponda Baba--both of whom are thirsty for a fight with Skywalker. Reaching for their blasters, the villains are suddenly cut off from Luke by the pulsating blaze of Obi-Wan's lightsaber! Will Obi-Wan triumph and save the Rebellion's only hope? (Taken from the figure's box.)

Commentary: After releasing the super-cool basic carded Ponda Baba, Kenner made Wal-Mart this exclusive version. It was basically the same, but had more action-oriented limbs. The good news is that in the packaging, or in a diorama, it looks fantastic. The figure had the same ahead-of-its time-sculpt with the highly detailed face and jacket, the sharp boots, and the cool blaster. The coloring wasn't as good, but hey-- can't win 'em all. Unfortunately, the goofy pose prevents the figure from standing, sitting, or performing any other function. It's a statue with joints, and while it's certainly a well-designed one with great black eyes and a bright orange jacket, it isn't much of a toy. This is a display piece, so if what you want is a solid toy, go for one of the other releases-- both offer a little bit more, specifically the 2002/2004 release with its removable arm. (That's what makes it.)

Collector's Notes: Every Ponda Baba to date uses the same basic design as this one-- unless a new one got announced by now, the 1997 releases and 2002/2004 versions are all pretty similar. A new version is rumored for 2009/2010, which I have to assume will be redone from the ground on up.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,035: June 2, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 136: Ponda Baba

PONDA BABA Walrus Man
Saga Collection Wal-Mart Exclusive; Original Trilogy Collection Kmart Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. 32539 No. 32543; No. 34527
Number: 1 of 3; n/a
Includes: 3 glasses, bar section; blaster pistol
Action Feature: removable "slashed off" arm
Retail: $9.96, $19.99
Availability: Summer 2002, Summer 2004
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Ponda Baba was the Aqualish partner of Doctor Evazan. He fulfilled the Aqualish stereotype of being an ill-tempered thug. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: The toy shelves of Adam Pawlus.

Commentary: For years, fans asked Hasbro (then Kenner) "Why don't you add a removable arm feature to Ponda Baba?" When Hasbro first responded to this question, the answer was that they were afraid that it would get loose and fly around in the box before you open it. They seem to have gotten over this fear and released this figure, which is based on the 1997 version of the figure except with new legs and a new arm. The figure has the traditional six points of articulation plus knees and a bonus swivel joint where the arm can be hacked off. While it took a few years to do it, Hasbro did a great job by having an easy-to-remove limb that stays in place on a figure with excellent paint. This is about as good as Ponda Baba figures look, and since you have at least five different ways to buy him, it might be worth doing your homework to pick "the best one" if you're one of the people that hates having more than one Greedo. He stands, he sits, he does it all.

You might want to keep an eye out for paint-- as you can see, the, um, "butt" of his face is painted awkwardly in this sample.

Collector's Notes: This figure is not especially hard to find. The "hacked-off arm" version always comes in a larger box with a bar section, which is a nice display extra even if it isn't 100% accurate to the movie. It's cool, though, and it's a figure worthy of your dollars.

Day 136: September 19, 2006