Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,344: Imperial Droid (With Probe-Mate Hyperspace Pod, Droid Factory, Boxed)

IMPERIAL DROID with Probe-Mate Hyperspace Pod
Star Wars Droid Depot
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: Droid, stand, pod
Action Feature: Removable dome
Retail: $29.99
Availability: August 2025
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: All different types of droids populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors. These two were first featured in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. May the Force be with you... and your Droids! (Taken from the packaging. Wait... these two?)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: The Empire Strikes Back was released 46 years ago! This Imperial Droid would probably better known as a Probot or Imperial Probe Droid by most fans, but hey, that's what the box says. The main figure mold is the Viper Probe Droid [FOTD #2,980] from Obi-Wan Kenobi, released in 2022. I consider it to be a pretty good figure, and almost identical. Disney tweaked the silver highlights on the droid in a few spots, but they're largely very similar. It would seem the silver paint is much brighter, and the red is a little brighter, but otherwise? It's more or less the same figure. If you have one, you may not need the other. And I use the word "may" because the Kenobi Probe came with 3 other droid figures, and this The Empire Strikes Back Probe comes with what effectively amounts to the first all-new The Empire Strikes Back vehicle mold in over 15 years and the first all-new classic trilogy ship since - someone correct me if I forgot something - the Sail Barge. Yes, we really haven't had many new original trilogy-era vehicles from Hasbro in quite some time.

Is the droid the right size? It's hard to say - the measurements on Wookieepedia say 1.5-1.6 meters, which means about as tall as Leia, probably. But where you you measure from? The longest leg? Hover height? Do you count the antenna? It's hard to tell, and looking at behind-the-scenes photos frequently have the droid hovering, elevated on a stand, in front of other characters or actors making it difficult to get a straight comparison with a normal sized person. Hasbro has made their Probe Droids bigger, and fans tend to react strongly to "corrections" even if they're correct. Things like Han's jacket or Jabba's height seem obvious to some and beyond argument to others. For the sake of brevity, let's say it's close enough for jazz.

That last probe droid sold for $50 in a 4-pack, which was a pretty decent deal. Give or take inflation, let's say he'd be about $15 today, making the Probe-Mate Hyperspace Pod about $15 - an excellent price. For me to consider something worth about $20, it needs to be roughly Speeder Bike size. And it is! According to Wookieepedia, the hyperspace pod is about 3.4-3.5-meters long. The toy is about 7-inches long. Ballparking 3 3/4-inch scale figures as 1:18 scale, that means the pod is about the right size. Functionally, it's a little tight. The droid fits inside with his display stand, but the interior panels nudge the antenna. If the antenna could telescope, I'd say it's perfect - but it's not. I do not recommend storing your droid in the pod.

The pod itself is kind of remarkable. As a kid I could never make it out in the movie, as it was small and blurry. Looking at Jazwares' Micro Galaxy Squadron toy or Wookieepedia's image, it looks like it's closer to the latter. Is it right or wrong? Let's say it's good enough, as I don't have sufficient reference handy that I can recall. The toy is a base, a lid, and 5 identical fold-down panels. It's incredibly efficient, and you can see Disney has effectively made a whole ship out of 3 fairly simple parts that can be assembled by hand with no screws or fasteners. Is it cheap or brilliant? I'd say both. The light paint on the panel is really all I need, and while weathering would be nice I can't argue with the price. Even with the theme park mark-up, it's a decent ship and I don't know if a Hasbro equivalent would be under $50. The plastic feels nice, and it has a nice hollow "chonk" sound to it that reminds me of Kenner's old mini-rigs.

Would Hasbro be held to a higher standard? Probably, because fans expect too damn much and Hasbro really wants to sell top-of-the-line stuff. Disney seems to be going for more of a middle ground, and I'm thrilled to have an all-new Hoth figure-scale toy for the first time in decades. It's so rare to see anybody pull out a figure or especially a ship from the original trilogy that hasn't been done one or two (or 14) times, so I would say this was worth my while of calling in a favor so I could get it after missing the initial sale. I'm sure your model maker buddy could do a better job painting it, but for a theme park souvenir I couldn't ask for much more. Given the typical 3 3/4-inch figure at a store is $20, $30 is fine for something like this and I hope Hasbro considers making some slightly compromised but cheaper toys in the future. I don't need perfection - I just need something cool and fun.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Greg (hi Greg) who stopped by a Disney park to get me one in Spring 2026. It sold out online almost immediately, so thanks much for the help there.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,344: May 12, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,331: General Veers (AT-AT Driver, The Vintage Collection)

GENERAL VEERS (AT-AT COMMANDER)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch single figure
Item No.: Asst. F6878 No. G2603
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #392
Includes: Blaster, helmet
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: March 2026
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: The capable General Veers led the Empire’s AT-AT pilots, who controlled massive four-footed assault vehicles in combat against Rebel targets. (Taken from the single-figure packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: Like Greedo, I was kind of ho-hum about revisiting General Veers because we had a pretty good AT-AT Commander [FOTD #1,715] from 2010. He had a removable hat, goggles, and armor. There was also a very good The Saga Collection General Veers [FOTD #619] in 2006, but given secondary market prices and improvements? It's hard to beat this new one, even if he doesn't have removable armor.

So, what's good here? Almost everything. His construction shares arms and legs with multiple Imperials, with hands that vary from figure to figure. I had Krennic on my desk, and Krennic's left hand is different than Veers' - but the arms and legs are otherwise very similar. Veers' chest and "skirt" are new pieces with molded-on armor, as is his head and helmet. Thanks to the parts reuse, you know the joints are all pretty good and he stands perfectly well. He doesn't sit particularly well, so this is one of those figures where I'd say Hasbro could have gotten away with 1-piece legs and I wouldn't be disappointed. All he's going to do is stand on a shelf or stand in an AT-AT. The only thing that feels missing is his chin strap and tiny microphone, annoyingly giving Hasbro a reason to go back and do him again some day.

The armor color is probably right. It's always weird looking back at the movie and reference photography, because we've seen green Tarkins and there are some green-tinted Veers shots too. Teach the controversy, I guess. If it were 2007 or 2008 I would expect a deco variant in a multipack with some Snowtroopers so fans could get both, but I think that era is long behind us. Assuming you do not find fault with the colors Hasbro selected, as they are arguably open to interpretation, I would say that they did a good job here. The cloth parts look like cloth, the armor looks like plastic/metal/plasteel. Texturally, it's very good, and his helmet has the goggles stuck to them. I think this was the right move, as some Hoth troopers tried to do separate goggles and I don't like how they turned out. I think I would've preferred Hasbro to just mold everything to the head, and include the chin strap, when it comes to his "pilot" outfit. But, it's fine. At this size, a chin strap and microphone are likely to go missed by collectors unless they hold the figure up to the movie and go "hey, wait a minute." There are subtle differences in his uniform collar from the movie, but his chin will hide those so it's not of any great importance.

Hasbro opted to include a removable helmet, which means you get a frankly upsetting portrait of Julian Glover. Yes, Donavan from Indiana Jones. Yes, Scaroth from an excellent arc of Doctor Who. I assume Hasbro had some tip-top reference for him from Indiana Jones, as he looks a tiny bit older than the Star Wars look with - and maybe it's my imagination - less color in his hair. He's usually got his hat on, though, so it's up for debate - but what's undebatable is that it's an amazing face. Hasbro has really struggled to get perfect head sculpts of Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, and Mark Hamill... but Peter Cushing? Nailed it. Julian Glover? Perfect. There's nothing about it that seems off. Hasbro's head sculpt looks a lot like its 6-inch The Black Series figure. The face is perfect. The forehead wrinkles? Perfect. The slight hint of a scowl, it's all here. Other than making his eyebrows and hair a little browner, I wouldn't change a thing. It doesn't need to be this good, yet it is. Given that he's $20, I guess maybe he does need to be nearly perfect.

The door is open for another armor-less Veers, especially since Hasbro probably has all of the parts to cobble one together now. You'll want that too, if it comes to pass.

I have no doubt you have an AT-AT Commander or General Veers that you own and are fine with. This one is better. If you are happy with the figure you own, which you probably have not looked at in ten or fifteen years, you probably don't need this one. If the non-removable armor makes you cranky, don't buy the new one. Having said that, this outfit fits better. This head sculpt is dynamite. I wouldn't mind a black cardback variant to riff on the Sears Canada version, maybe even in Kenner colors, if they were up for it. But this'll do, and I once again say that there's arguably no reason for Hasbro to ever do another armored Veers figure in our lifetimes.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth. As of my writing this, he's a Fan Channel / Amazon exclusive. I'm hoping they put him into wider release for the anniversary next year.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,331: March 26, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,327: Rebel Soldier (Echo Base Hoth Gear, Shaven, The Vintage Collection)

REBEL SOLDIER (Echo Base Hoth Gear, No Facial Hair)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. F5555
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 4 hats, 2 rifles, 4 pistols, 4 goggles, 3 additional figures
Action Feature: Removable hat, holster for weapon
Retail: $44.99
Availability: December 2022 (I got mine March 2023)
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: Drawn from many homeworlds and species, Rebel troopers were the Alliance's front-line soldiers in the war against the Empire. (Taken from the press release.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: A lot of Army Builder packs remain unopened around my office. Not because they're not a good idea, but in all honesty I have no reason to open them - there's no big playset or ship to fill out, so what even is the point of an army builder? In 2022, Hasbro did four flavors of Rebel Soldider (Echo Base Hoth Gear) with four new heads and some minor deco tweaks. It was a 2011 figure that was, at the time, perfectly nice. It looks good, it stands well, but Hasbro's playset output for Hoth since 1995 has been a couple of turrets and one little trench. You really don't need these guys. But if you needed to fill out a diorama? These are pretty good guys.

We'll get to them all in due time, but Hasbro took the original 2011 mold and made some changes to it. From the neck down, it's pretty much the same. But from the neck up, they're interesting with varying colors of scarf, removable goggles, and new faces. I have no concept of these guys being a specific person from the movie, or a random Hasbro, Disney, or Lucasfilm employee. This one is just some white guy with no facial hair. He fits in with the other out-of-focus people in the background, with a costume that looks really nice. I don't mind getting more of this suit, because a) we've had few of this uniform and b) this was more or less based on the original Rebel Soldier figure from Kenner. (But you know, corrected a bit.) I assume he's just made up, and for some human guy? He looks great. The hair is molded to the head, and the hairline seems painted nicely. For all I know I bumped into his inspiration at a meeting, but I don't know for sure. He fits in. You can make use of him.

The hat is new for this set, and is fully removable. The scarf hangs down like the original Hoth Luke figure, and this one comes in dark brown. (Other figures are a little different.) It fits well, and it looks great. What I don't like about it is the goggles, which are a literal stretch to get over the hat and just don't work as something you can put on his eyes - they're too big. My guess is Hasbro wanted you to put them over the hat but I don't want to rip anything, so he'll probably just hold them in his hands. He has no problem holding either the blaster rifle or pistol, the latter of which fits into a holster with no fuss.

But how is that outdated body? On one hand, it's a 2011 bit of business that could be done better today - but to date Hasbro has yet to make a better Hoth Rebel mold. We've been getting the same ones over and over. Could Hasbro do better? Yes, and I assume they will. But for scene filler, this is still a pretty good mold despite the old design. The sculpt is crisp, and the colors are good. The detail and paint look fine. The wrists and hips are swivel-only... but unless you're trying to seat them at a console that doesn't exist, it doesn't matter - and they look good. The ankle joints aren't obnoxious, and the knee joints integrate nicely into the costume design. While I would've liked something fancier, we got 4 figures for $45 back when they were about $13.99 each. And old mold at a discount? I can live with that.

In 2026, this is not an impressive figure. It wasn't impressive in 2022 either... but it was good enough. If Hasbro can make "good enough" at prices that aren't $15-$20 per figure, I think I can be happy with that. I wish the goggles and hat were better integrated, though. Honestly just having goggles that could clip to the hat or molded to the top would've been fine by me, but at least Hasbro was trying to do something here. I'd recommend this set for those looking to fill out a scene, particularly the interior of Echo Base's hangar, but I can't imagine that's a common diorama these days. Given the price went from $45 to about $29, presumably Hasbro made far more than demand required. (Heck, I almost skipped this set.) For today's price of roughly $7.50 a pop, it's a slam-dunk. If Hasbro ever does a Hoth Rebel-specific The Empire Strikes Back diorama or Rebel Transport ship, you might want more of these. (I would not bet on this.) They're nice enough figures, with decent uniforms, and even though some of them don't match what you saw on the screen they're still decent enough at filling out trenches or adapting your speeders to the cold.

Confidential to Hasbro: if you could just make 3 3/4-inch scale enlarged versions of the Hoth MicroCollection playsets (stickers and all, nothing fancy), I'd buy another 3-5 packs of these guys. My interest in army building is directly proportional to having places to station those armies. With no big playsets for several years, I have no reason to buy more than one or maybe two of any given trooper. They serve no function other than to clutter my toy rooms.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse, and I waited until later so I could get free shipping. But they're sold out, so use the Amazon sonsored affiliate link where it's $15 less than what I paid for it.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,327: March 12, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,305: Snowtrooper (The Vintage Collection)

SNOWTROOPER Four-pack or single
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Four-Pack (pictured) or individual
Item No.: No. G1285 or Asst. F6878 No. G0927
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #349
Includes: Blaster, heavy blaster (4-pack only), backpack
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $54.99
Availability: September 2025
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: Snowtroopers are stormtroopers trained for operations in arctic conditions and equipped with specialized gear to protect them against cold. (Taken from the single-figure packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: "Do I need this?" is a regularly asked question, because Hasbro went full-on confusing with the Snowtrooper in 2025. A single-carded figure was released and, as of my writing this, is hard to find in stores. Hasbro Pulse put out a four-pack of them. The figure molds and deco all seem to be the same, but there are benefits to each version. If you're an opener, get the four-pack - those boxes include bonus heavy blasters. If you want to keep it packaged, go the single figure route.

This figure shares a few - very few - parts with the Officer in the 3-pack (sold separately.) It's a weird year for troopers, especially given there's no Hoth program or upsell vehicle like an AT-AT or Echo Base. For whatever reason, 2025 is the year of the Snowtrooper and you're in luck because they're good. This version has muddy boots, a slightly baggy mask under the helmet, a distinctive backpack with a peg that won't let you put it on wrong, and very good articulation. We don't see a lot of these guys sitting, but the improved hip joints with a thigh swivel are welcome. The hands can both hold a blaster, and the detail is great. All the little lights are painted. The various buttons have color, and the silver "buckle" is painted too. The eyes seem to be decorated nicely, and there are painted fingers on the gloves. Hasbro didn't skip details here.

The hood is a lot narrower, and I feel it's a big improvement over the ones we got in the first decade of the century with very, very wide masks. Sure, the wider mask might be more accurate but this looks better. You can turn the head and the helmet doesn't pop off or anything. It's great! I know it's silly to be impressed by something as simple as a neck joint, but if you had the 1980s Snowtrooper you know that it's a luxury.

While I would love a little variety in the dirt deco, I can understand why Hasbro didn't do it. We still have a nice off-white "skirt," and you can always add more grime to any figure you want. The glossy shoulder pads look great, and the knee pads are good too. Maybe we'll get an E-Web to go with these guys later. For now, this is as good as it gets and I appreciate that Hasbro gave fans options on how they want to buy this figure. $17 for one stings a bit, and $55 for four is a little more reasonable for those looking to build a diorama. If you have the means or interest, get at least one. I'm not sure I'll ever need four or more - but maybe Hasbro can put out a playset and change my mind.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse. It was an exclusive but later opened up elsewhere.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,305: December 25, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,292: Snowtrooper Commander (The Vintage Collection)

SNOWTROOPER COMMANDER Newer and Improveder
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Stormtroopers of the Empire Set
Item No.: No. G1281
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #379
Includes: Blasters
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $49.99
Availability: September 2025
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: Stormtroopers specialize in operations across the galaxy, from desert worlds to arctic conditions. Scout troopers patrol for the Empire with speeder bikes. (Taken from packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: While many eyes have been rolled and pixels have been spilled on the whole "not my Star Wars!" thing, I'm not going to lie to you - it has been really nice getting stuff from the original trilogy era in 2025. Kenner-flavored Cantina aliens, Kenner-sculpted classic heroes, a Cantina, a Mos Eisley, new versions of Luke, Han, and Chewie... even a Snowtrooper army pack and Snowtrooper Commander - as updates - are nice to have. I don't dislike the new era, necessarily, but the further you get away from "Empires vs. Rebels vs. Space Gangsters" I'm realizing my interest starts to wane. When I was a kid there weren't many people with lightsabers, and even in that first MMO Jedi were a special rarity. It's kind of nice to see Star Wars items that are recognizably from highly-watched (or played, or read) materials and I'm going to have few complaints about toys from The Empire Strikes Back.

Hasbro has done versions of the Snowtrooper Commander before, and it's kind of amazing that there are any shared parts with the regular Snowtrooper. For this 3-pack version, Hasbro flipped the shoulder armor, changed the entire torso, made a different boots, and different forearms, and also a unique belt, and a distinctive mask. I think the upper arms, upper legs, and possibly lower torso are the same.

The last figure of this guy was about ten years ago, and this one is glossier in all the right spots. The colors are a little more vibrant, with separately molded shoulder armor and a cloth (rather than plastic) lower coat. He stands well, the blaster fits in the holster, but the lower torso armor sort of gets in the way of his legs. Luckily, this figure will probably spend most of his time standing. The ball-jointed hips and rocker ankles will help with those action poses, but nothing's going to help the fact that you will probably wish you could buy a few more of these. At least the standard rank-and-file were sold in a four pack.

While we've got a few of this guy, I can't say it's not an improvement. While I am a little over Clones (and am hitting my limit on Stormtroopers with new spot colors), Snowtroopers are not exactly abundant and a new fan hasn't had a crack at this guy for a while. I'd prefer single versions so you can stock up on the ones you want - but $50 for 3 guys isn't terrible for an opener in 2025. If I get a crack at these guys at a discount I'll probably buy more. There's a lot of new tooling here.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse, It has come in and out of availability several times during its pre-order window.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,292: November 11, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,147: Bespin (Silhouette II)

BESPIN (Silhouette II)
Star Wars Classics Walmart Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. DJK03 No. DJL05
Manufacturer: Mattel
Number: 6/8
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: About $1
Availability: 2016
Appearances: n/a   

Bio: This series of intergalactic Hot Wheels celebrates the many diverse worlds of the STAR WARS universe. Race from the icy reaches of Hoth, to the fiery lava flows of Mustafar. Zoom from the parched desert world of Tatooine, to the lush forest moon of Endor. Collect all eight and speed to a galaxy far, far away! (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: And Wheels Week is over! I got Bespin (Silhouette II) way back when it came out, and it's a perfect $1 collectible car. The axles aren't as janky as the Han Solo Twinduction, but they're not as smooth as many other cars either - that means when it flies out of a launcher on the tracks, it doesn't go terribly far. But sometimes you buy a car because it's gorgeous, and this is. The Silhouette II is an updated version of one of the first year of Hot Wheels cars, and it's been in and out of circulation since the 1960s. The II model has some tweaks and different engines - if you had your druthers, you'd probably want the original, but those aren't as cheap. I saw this one at Bookman's for $2 over Memorial Day weekend,so you can get it without spending real money if you have time to look around.

The futurism of the 1960s, retooled in the 1990s, and painted orange seems like a perfect fit for the Twin-Pod Cloud Car. Obviously, this is only one pod - but it looks sort of close to the concept sketches, what with the dome and the long nose. The chrome engine looks great, there's a nicely detailed interior, and the shiny orange finish looks superb. The cart art is no slouch either - and if you dare open it, you'll be treated to a Star Wars logo over where the trunk isn't. The vehicle has a metal top and a plastic bottom, which means it's not going to win any races.

The reason to get excited about this car - indeed, this entire set - is the great artwork on each car. It's Burger King glass-style simple, with clouds, Cloud City, the Millennium Falcon, and presumably as a gag silhouettes of a Cloud Car to go on a Cloud Car-colored Silhouette. Clever. It's really nicely designed and they didn't mirror-flip the Falcon to make the art fit either.

Walmart did multiple series of these $1 cars since Mattel got the license - themes included Movies/TV Series, in-universe factions, planets, masters & apprentices, and finally, characters. As far as I know they haven't done any more cheap cars nor planned to do them, which is probably smart, because I completely ignored their $4+ products and focused solely on the $1 ones. This may well be the best of them. If you see any version of the Silhouette or Silhouette II on the cheap it's worth a gander, but this Bespin version is a no-brainer. Get it if the price is right.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Walmart. If you need another car to chase down, let me recommend the Tusken Raider-themed Tatooine deco on The Vanster. It's also worth noting that there are 51 state cars (plus DC) from around 2009 if you like this sort of "destination car." I don't believe I actually ever saw those - so if you're sitting on any, especially an Arizona-themed Hotbird, fax one my way. I hope Mattel does more of those for real-world destinations, because they'd be wonderful pick-ups in touristy gift shops at Presidential Museum and Libraries, or shops near national parks.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,147: June 21, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,073: Boba Fett (Comic Art Edition, The Vintage Collection)

BOBA FETT (Comic Art Edition - Marvel )
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Target Exclusive Action Figure
Item No.: No. F8070
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #277
Includes: Pistol, rifle
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $22.99 $20.99
Availability: September 2023
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: Celebrate the Star Wars publishing legacy with this 3.75-inch action figure featuring the color palette from the character’s appearance in the 1970s Star Wars comics!. (Taken from marketing copy. There is 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: Overcharge me twice, shame on me. This Marvel 1980-inspired Boba Fett (Vintage Comic Art) figure is something I wanted - and asked for over the years! We got a pretty good Boba Fett based on Marvel comics back in 2008 [FOTD #1,236] in a 2-pack, with a full-size comic, for a mere $11.87 back when a standard figure was about $6.99. I would say it was a good deal on a good set. This new one took a $12.99 figure and jacked it up to $22.99, an utterly absurd price for a redeco and as of my writing this a month before it goes live, it's sitting around a bit. As it should. It's a great idea, an a good execution, on a gorgeous cardback, but this is a particularly painful example of an exclusive mark-up. The deco, articulation, or accessories are in no way overly superior to a basic figure. Even if a basic figure is $16.99 now, where is that extra $4-$6 coming from?

It's not the accessories, nice as they are. You get a light gray blaster pistol as well as a purple rifle. No paint on either - they look fine. The cloth cape looks good too, and it's also uncolored. His jetpack is molded in a very light baby blue and has minimal white paint applications on it. It's a typical Boba Fett compliment, far fewer accessories than the average 100% new The Vintage Collection figure these days.

The figure itself ain't bad. The torso is green with a tampo, otherwise unadorned. The has some paint on the gloves, the gauntlets, the shoes, and a couple of small bits - but overall, seems to have less paint than an average normal retail Boba Fett. The helmet has a bit more going on, but I don't know if it's more work given we've traded all those yellow marks, silver battle-damage bits, and other elements for some comic-style flat shading. The back of the helmet has no paint.

The choice of mold is also unfortunate - they went with a Return of the Jedi body, which uses a different belt than what's illustrated in the comic book. They did a nice job painting him to match the colors, though. I would rather they have waited for a new The Empire Strikes Back Boba Fett, because this model uses the older, cruddier hip joints too. The arms are fine, and the coloring is gorgeous.

I ordered it online, so not only did they overcharge me by two bucks compared to retail stores, but somehow the bubble got severely smashed despite being packed in a nice big box with packing material. This one left a bad taste in my mouth, somehow, despite being exactly what I wanted to own. Maybe it would've been better as a Retro figure (at $15 or under) or a 6-inch figure (at $27.50 or under), but at $23 I feel like I should have waited for a sale. Five years ago, I think anyone in this hobby or business would see Boba Fett as a thing that would be guaranteed to sell out immediately and rise on the secondary market - and now Hasbro seems to be charging the secondary market prices from the get go. I assume this must be working for the bottom line, but it's off-putting as a fan passing the age most collectors move on to concerns of regular real life. I'd love to see toys priced and treated as toys again, but I think we're probably going to continue to see premium prices from here on out. If money is no object, it's a beautiful figure. Just scan it before you take it to the register - Target's in-aisle scanners have frequently been a couple of bucks off from what the registers say this year, on this and other toy lines, so take care as you make your purchases and check the receipts.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target. I was charged $22.99 for my pre-order from December 2022, but in-stock orders seem to be $20.99. Maybe you should wait for exclusives now.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,073: October 17, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,029: 4-LOM (The Retro Collection)

4-LOM and Zuckuss, Amazon Exclusive
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. F6983
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $27.99
Availability: March 2023
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: Cold, calculating droid 4-LOM and Gand bounty hunter Zuckuss were summond by Darth Vader to locate the Millennium Falcon and her crew in STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKE BACK - and together, they make a deadly pair. (Taken from the figure's outer packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: There's something funny about 4-LOM being an Amazon exclusive. As one of the very last The Empire Strikes Back action figures, it may have been first sent to many homes from a Kenner mail-in offer. (Remember those?) You could send off some proof-of-purchases and get a free figure. The reason for that was to clear shelves - kids would buy a few figures they maybe didn't want to get the special new mail-away figure, making stores and Kenner happy without markdown dollars or buybacks or clearances. Now, they just prefer to sell the figures and have the figures sell out - and right now, 4-LOM is busy not selling out on Amazon.

But how is he? I was surprised they reissued him, because you could buy a Kenner original relatively cheaply - and while there are differences, they are not as significant as Zuckuss. The brown rubery vest isn't identical, but is extremely close. A lot of the detail on the front - especially the shoulder straps - was smoothed out and removed, but on the backside it looks pretty much the same. The head is also smoothed out, losing some of those deep grooves and bug-like skin markings. The eyes and facial detail is also a little washed out, sort of like someone had a meter to push the depth up a bit so the colors match and the basic shapes are there, but if you get in close, you'll realize this is the new one. This is annoying, because an eBay photo on your phone looks pretty much the same for the 1982 or 2023 releases - only in person can you easily tell the difference.

Under the robes, there is some loss of detail but at least from the parts I examined, it's not as bad as the head. Much stranger are the foot peg holes - they're small. Very small. Compared to other Kenner reissues, they're tiny - closer to The Vintage Collection foot holes. As much as I'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt, this is just sloppy work - foot peg holes should be a consistent size in a line, especially if the original figure had room for a standard, bigger one. You won't be able to fit him on old Kenner foot pegs. Articulation is the same, though, so there's that.

The accessories are largely pretty good. The fabric on his outfit is very similar, but not identical, and it feels pretty good for a material sourced 40 years after its original release. Similarly, the blaster isn't bad - you lose a little sculpted detail fidelity, but also they scrubbed some of the recessed circles on the bottom of the rifle off the 1982 original. That's an interesting choice - I like a major (but not significant) change so fans can immediately identify a reproduction beyond "compared to the original, it doesn't look as good." Heck, they could put a little R on these for all I care.

I'm always torn between "this is good" and "this is terrible" on some of the retro remakes. Hasbro is repeatedly doing what I assume has got to be an intentionally bad job with soft detail, because after six full waves and various exclusives, if they're still getting it wrong, it has to be a choice. You can't possibly make this many accidents - and if you see the new Retro Indiana Jones, woof. Horrible, worst one yet. Thanks to 4-LOM being mostly covered in cloth and he's able to hold his blaster well, I think this figure - standing on a shelf - is a fine replacement for an original. But you can also just go to eBay and buy an original for about $20. And if you have a junker original, you could probably steal the remake's parts to fix him up. I don't think the set is an improvement in any way, but in the sense that it's got a few differences, it's interesting. You'll want to keep the originals, though.

Collector's Notes: I got mine at Amazon. It was delivered to the wrong house. My friend's evaporated en route. This set carries a curse.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,029: May 16, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,026: Zuckuss (The Retro Collection)

ZUCKUSS and 4-LOM, Amazon Exclusive
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. F6983
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $27.99
Availability: March 2023
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: Cold, calculating droid 4-LOM and Gand bounty hunter Zuckuss were summond by Darth Vader to locate the Millennium Falcon and her crew in STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKE BACK - and together, they make a deadly pair. (Taken from the figure's outer packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: If inevitability has a name it's Zuckuss. Boba Fett is a given, but when IG-88, Dengar, and/or Bossk show up you know 4-LOM and Zuckuss are just around the corner. In 1982, Zuckuss was the name on the package of a silver/gray robot which fans realized was wrong years later in the 1990s when books and games started to correct the mistake. It really speaks to Kenner's then-dominance over the perception of these characters and films, as toys and toy marketing materials were the reference material a lot of kids had on-hand. Neither figure in this set is going to set the world on fire, but I like what Hasbro did here. Zuckuss has enough changed about him that, if it were the early 1990s and I were going to garage sales still, I would buy this variant because it's distinctive.

So what's new? The silver/gray color is changed, and the hand was retooled to better hold the blaster. The butt triangle is a little different, and many of the sculpted details are a little softer - the circles on the chest are clearly changed. In many respects, the 2023 Amazon-exclusive reissue looks more like what I remember - it doesn't have the metallic swirl baked in, the fingers nicely grip the blaster, and the details on the furrowed droid brow aren't quite as severe as the 1982 release. His joints are stiff, but so are many originals - this was one of the later releases from The Empire Strikes Back and the original 4-11-year-old Star Wars kids were a creaky 9-16, so some kids just got them as gifts and they sat in a carry case or a vehicle, unlikely to go on any adventures like Boba Fett did just a few years earlier.

The sculpting looks typical of the time, minus about 20% of the crisp detail. Hasbro softened the chest details, knee panels, finger joints, and so on to give you something that's good, but could be better. Every last detail from the movie is not represented on the figure, but you get the key ones - some of which are even correct. The Kenner toy coloring is much cleaner than the brown-lined movie costume with green eyes.

Since you can get the original pretty cheaply on eBay I was initially grumpy they picked Zuckuss to reissue, but Hasbro did a great job updating the figure. Sure, a Snowtrooper might be more exciting, but Zuckuss in a visibly different color with a retooled hand that better can hold his blaster? I'm all in for functionality. If you collected old Kenner toys and are a variant hunter, I'd suggest you get this set for that reason alone. It doesn't quite have the same metallic luster as the original, and it doesn't have the history behind it, but as someone who loves toys I just appreciate that Hasbro made the hand better. I'll buy anything from that era again if it's improved, even if it's not a 100% improvement. At least I can interact with it differently than I would the 1982 original.

Collector's Notes: I got mine at Amazon. It was delivered to the wrong house. My friend's evaporated en route. This set carries a curse.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,026: May 4, 2023