Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,176: Professor Huyang (The Vintage Collection)

PROFESSOR HUYANG Live Version
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. E7763 No. F9778
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #311
Includes: Backpack with 2 removable collapsed arms or 2 extended arms, data pad, tool
Action Feature: Removable backpack with swappable limbs
Retail: $16.99
Availability: April 2024
Appearances: Star Wars Ahsoka

Bio: A repository of ancient Jedi lore, Huyang oversaw the construction of lightsabers in the Jedi Order for centuries, keeping an exacting record o every lightsaber constructed under his supervision. (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: Sometimes, it's more fun to review a figure late - you get weird insights. Roughly 3 3/4-inch Professor Huyang came out earlier this year twice - once as a Disney-made figure, and then this taller figure. You might be asking "Which one is better?" and the answer will irritate you. Hasbro's is taller, with more gear, and more articulation. Disney's has some details painted in that Hasbro skipped, but it also includes an additional three droid figures you can't get from Hasbro. There's no conundrum for the completist, but fans on a budget who just want to keep one of them will probably err toward the wrong-sized, slightly-better-looking, droid-friended version from Disney. For display purposes, assuming your focus is beyond droid figures exclusively, you should probably get the more emotive Hasbro toy.

The figure itself has better articulation than the Disney release. They share bending elbows, but only Hasbro's has a thigh swivel and a double-jointed neck. He stands surprisingly well for a tall, skinny guy, no doubt thanks to the extra joints. The ball-and-socket hips and swivel thighs make a huge difference, and in his time standing on my desk he hasn't fallen over often. The hands are great at gripping the tool and the datapad, and the articulation helps him to emote too. The best figures have a decent face and enough articulation so that you can make it look like it's thinking, and Huyang fits the bill. It helps that the face on the TV show is a non-moving metal mask, so there's really no way Hasbro could mess this up short of making it the wrong color. While I do think painting the figure, rather than molding it in-color in a slightly translucent sheen, would help, it would no doubt further drive this figure's price up past the point of a basic $16.99 release. As it is, it seems to be one of the better figures in this assortment and is certainly one of the very best 3 3/4-inch droids we've ever seen. He's by no means perfect - that would probably take another $2-$3 on the retail price - but he's good enough that if this winds up being the only one we ever see, I can say Hasbro did good enough.

In terms of accessories, they're good, and they're ample, but they're not great. Again, we're dealing with the budget. Disney's Huyang figure has a lot of deco hits on the side, but the arms aren't articulated or removable. Hasbro's backpack is light on paint and the arms are devoid of deco, presumably an acceptable loss given how so many collectors are never going to open up the figure and look at it. The backpack pops off easily and the default collapsed limbs are relatively easy to pop out. The alternate arms are very good, with visible non-functioning joints and one of the tiniest droid thumbs I've ever seen. I would love a little more paint here, but again, that's life. His datapad and tool are also undecorated, and part of me wonders if they're even necessary - would I like the figure more if Hasbro traded them away for more paint? Maybe. There are very few droids where I feel the accessory is necessary. If and when Hasbro ever revisits EV-9D9, I don't need a computer console. But when they do (and redo) C-3PO, accessories are everything - would any of us have re-purchased the character without a net, or a throne, or Salacious Crumb in the package? ...probably, we love C-3PO. And I like Huyang - I would be very interested in seeing a deluxe version of even an alternate version with less articulation and more paint, were Hasbro so inclined.

When it comes to deco, neither has a clear edge. Hasbro's Huyang has lots of painted neck and forearm details. Disney's has painted waist cables and an apron with greater contrast and weathering. And metallic paint on his dome, and extra paint hit on a chest bolt, and additional upper arm deco. It really is kind of maddening that neither looks better, and figures like this probably make a pretty compelling argument to do a deluxe release for this and other reasons. Had the backpack arms been fully articulated too, I think fans would begrudgingly go for it because you can see Hasbro starting to bump into budget restrictions on this figure in ways they don't for, say, R2-D2 and his being a mold from 2008 with a mere three points of articulation and removable third leg for $17.

Huyang has four extra accessories, and at least 26 points of articulation. I wouldn't mind seeing Hasbro not only consider deluxe figures for characters where the extra couple of bucks would make a difference, but maybe, just maybe, make a "basic" assortment for figures like R2-D2, a Jawa, Grogu, Yoda, an Ewok, or Salacious Crumb where you can't really make a case that there's $17 worth of toy there. If any figure is worth $17, it's Huyang. Heck, when it comes to Grogu I remain surprised he wasn't a pack-in accessory in a zillion poses so every figure came with a different Grogu much like how figures once came with coins.

Given the nature of a The Vintage Collection figure, and budgets, and the timing of the release (and how far in advance Hasbro started to work on it) I would say this is an excellent figure. I wouldn't be upset to see another take on him if he appeared in a movie or a second season of the series, and I certainly would love it if Hasbro tried to do something really fancy like die-cast metal 3 3/4-inch droid figures with lots of paint and maybe less articulation. But I'm not in product development. Hasbro pat yourselves on the back here, you did a good figure for the price and I would be very interested in seeing what another few bucks could get us... or if this is good enough before hitting $30.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,176: October 1, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,174: Professor Huyang (Droid Factory)

PROFESSOR HUYANG and Mary-Ann
Star Tours Droid Factory Ahsoka Set
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: 3 more droids
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $49.99
Availability: January 2024
Appearances: Ahsoka   

Bio: All different types of droids populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors. These four are featured in Star Wars: Ahsoka. May the Force be with you.... and your Droids! (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.   

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Both Disney and Hasbro put out Professor Huyang figures at the same time for roughly the same price. Which is better? Probably Hasbro's. Hasbro's is taller and has more accessories - but there are elements that the Disney version has decorated that Hasbro left blank, and vice-versa. Hasbro's figure is almost a head taller than Disney's. It is bizarre, and sensible, that both have similar articulation - Hasbro has the edge with the thigh swivels - but hey, I'm getting ahead of myself. We're talking about the shorter Disney parks release.

Given both cost about the same, Disney's comes up short in more than just the literal way. It's curious to see where each design team put its priorities, as Disney's has a bolted-on backpack without any articulated back arms. Disney did paint the arm joints, though, while Hasbro didn't - and Hasbro gave hte backpack unit itself a little more paint. Hasbro added weathered paint to the legs, but Disney did not - although Disney has panted torso cables, while Hasbro does not. But Disney painted the chest bolt on his right, and the bicep wires, but Hasbro did not. It's extremely difficult to describe one without looking at the other, because neither provides a more authentic, more complete, or more accurate collecting experience. When placed side-by-side it just shows each company elected to cut different corners.

He's skinny, but nor tall, standing roughly 3 3/4-inches and not towering over the Hasbro figures. Scale is always tough to nail down, but I am reading Huyang is about 1.8 meters - so about 6 foot 2 inches. His shoulders swivel, but don't pivot out. The legs swing forward well enough, as his toolbelt seems to have just enough give to allow him to sit. The knees bend, the ankles bend and swivel, the wrists swivel... it's about as well-articulated as the Disney Protocol Droids. Depending on what you are looking for, this figure might have the edge on paint as he has painted hands, metallic deco on his helmet, the aforementioned waist, nipple, and backpack paint, and slightly better painted shoulders with the rings around each arm. By himself, not making size or detail comparisons, Disney did a good job. The sculpt matches the TV show, the expression is good, the yellow optics are bright, and it looks like the droid you're looking for. Depending on your collection needs - especially if all you buy are droids - this might be the best choice for you. The $16.99 Vintage figure offers more Huyang-ness, but this set has three plastic pals who are fun to be with, and I think most collectors will see that as a priority over a data pad or alternate arms.

Since Disney and Hasbro both have competing figures at the same time, with neither having the clear edge - each has unique painted elements the other lacks - I can't say either is better. Hasbro's is probably the right height, with more gear, but Disney's has a lot more front-facing painted details that look good. Neither seems to be quite the right color, though, and if you believe in magic there's a chance they could revisit the character for Ahsoka season 2. (I'll believe it when they announce a release date.) But I digress - Disney's Professor Huyang is good, but since there's another figure against which to compare him, I can't say either is perfect. Flip a coin, with a little more weight toward this one if you want the other Chopper, C4-R4C, and RD-3 figures exclusively in the set with the professor.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,174: September 24, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,095: Professor Huyang (The Black Series)

PROFESSOR HUYANG Old Droid
The Black Series 2023 Window Box Line Look Ahsoka Packaging
Item No.: Asst. E8908 No. F7110
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #07 - Star Wars: Ahsoka
Includes: Removable backpack, tool, pad
Action Feature: Removable backpack has jointed arms
Retail: $24.99
Availability: October 2023
Appearances: Star Wars: Ahsoka

Bio: Set after the fall of the Empire, Ahsoka follows former Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy. (Taken from the box 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: Originally seen in The Clone Wars, this Professor Huyang action figure seems to be an all-new sculpt that fell victim to budgeting cuts on its way out the door. My sample is stable and stands well, with just the right articulation and some nice gear - but the coloration and paint isn't quite right. Normally I don't advocate for "premium finish" reissues, but this is one of the few cases where I might say Hasbro should consider it in a year or two. It's a good figure - but it's not a great figure. As I write this, the price on Amazon dipped a bit - a disturbing trend with 6-inch figures shortly after they hit stores. It might be back up by now, but this is the kind of trend you don't want to see with new, collectible figures within weeks of release.

Looking at the droid, Hasbro seemed to be working from great reference. The sculpted texture on the droid chest is great, a much more streamlined and sinewy take on the slightly chunkier robot we saw in the cartoons. The joints in the design translate nicely to functional joints on the action figure, with a vinyl apron being just flexible enough to not get in the way of posing his legs. The double-jointed neck does much to add to his personality, letting him cock his head as he examines his accessories or be posed "talking" to another figure. I found the figure to be generally stable and had no problems posing him in any way I wanted, although the shoulders were a little stiff and didn' move exactly like I expected. Due to their design, I assumed they had the "ring" we used to see in older figure shoulder joints - they don't. Whoever sat at the computer sculpting this one did a great job overall, as the parts fit together well and everything looks like it should. The only shortcoming might be for safety reasons - the figure had a big antenna on his left shoulder in the live-action show, and it was either retracted or removed to a small nub for this release. The figure even has a backpack with moving limbs - which no doubt added much to the cost - with some paint on them too.

Unfortunately, cost is a real issue and when it comes to deco I feel it came up short. The figure was molded in plastic that seems closer to the cartoon coloring, rather than the "painted" opaque look of the live-action show. Had Hasbro used different materials or painted the whole thing, I think he would look great. Even his tool lost the red pommel deco hit, and his biceps are unpainted despite having paint on the TV show. I think fans would bristle at paying "deluxe" prices for this one, but I do wonder if there's a way to do this for $1 or $2 more - and how would he look? The eyes aren't quite the right color, but it's close. If you don't compare the figure to a still from the show you'd probably say "yup, looks like Huyang" - and being a new character that's likely. It's not like we've been staring at him for 30 years so we know when the hair is wrong or a panel is misplaced, but you can look at him and tell a few things didn't quite turn out as the designers likely intended. Heck, maybe it's just because the TV show design was unfinished when the figure left China.

It's rare that Hasbro can get a Disney+ series toy on-shelf with a show anymore, but Huyang came pretty close at just a couple of months. I'd love to see stuff day-and-date - or before - the show comes out, as that used to be commonplace... but it does come with a cost of potential accuracy. We've seen Transformers Studio Series toys get delayed until after the movie comes out to shoot for improved accuracy, with kid line toys getting out on-shelf first minus the authenticity. That might actually be a really good compromise - get a "kid version" (or Retro Kenner) version out fast and cheap, while delaying the "collector" version for later so they can nail it. When you're looking at a premium figure - and at $25, this is a premium figure - fan expectations are for sub-perfection and Professor Huyang is tantalizingly close to perfect. A customizer with a steady hand probably already perfected him, but for those of us untalented hacks, we'll have to settle for "good enough." But "good enough" is actually really well done... minus the pesky paint problems.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,095: January 2, 2024