Thursday, July 10, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,257: Sandtrooper (The Retro Collection)

SANDTROOPER
1980s Kenner-style Debut

The Retro Collection Target Exclusive 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Set
Item No.:
No. G1082
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: RT-97C heavy blaster rifle
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:
Back in the early 1990s, some of the figures I saw the most from Kenner customizers were the Rebel Fleet Trooper, Cantina Band, Slave Leia, and Sandtrooper. Usually you got a shoulder pad, sometimes you got a backpack, and on occasion, an ammo pouch. They would tend to come with a regular blaster or one of the blue rifles, and were pretty cool. Since we had regular (and Luke) Stormtroopers in the 1980s, I never felt it was missing, but now that I have it, I kind of wish I had it 40ish years ago.

Every adult fan probably has a wish list for figures they'd rather have first. Ignore them. This figure looks and feels pretty great as a 2025 entry to a series of figures from 1978. It has some key details that I doubt the Kenner of 1977 would ever have noticed given the available reference. Hasbro did good here.

While the Han Stormtrooper is a little tall, this one matches Stormtrooper 1.0 nicely. Every piece of the figure is different from a basic Stormtrooper. The left arm and torso add pauldron bits, plus a separate (but very barely articulated) helmet. The left arm has an ammo pouch, bent elbow, and a hand that can hold a blaster. The left leg adds the "diamond" knee to the armor. The right leg is almost identical, but the sole of the boot is retooled to have a lip around it. It's otherwise very similar. Details aren't as shiny as old Kenner Stormtroopers, but given he may have been in a dusty environ I think it's OK. The figure feels very much in line with what Kenner could have made as it feels like it was made from a chopped-up production figure. I don't know if Kenner would have given it two working hands - but I am pleased that Hasbro did.

The set includes many blasters, and extra blasters - so if you want a DLT-19 rifle (the long one), or E-11 (stormtrooper) blaster, you can steal them from Han Solo. Sandy here includes only one weapon - the obscure RT-97C heavy blaster rifle. Hasbro made one in The Vintage Collection, and it's something I never quite clocked in the movie. It's big, but not huge. There are scopes and ammo barrels, with detail that's more or less as simple as Kenner might have done were the line to continue beyond 1985. I don't know if it would be quite so wide - but it looks good this way, so I'm glad they didn't cut off the wide bits like Chewie's 1978 Bowcaster. It also fits in a normal Stormtrooper hand, if you want to mix things up.

I don't recall an orange pauldron trooper holding a RT-97C heavy blaster rifle in the movie, but I'm not going to complain. The figure can grip it in either hand. You can even put it in his left hand and rest it over his shoulder. It's designed well, given a little extra thought, and feels almost perfect. My only gripe is I really do wish Sandy's armor were glossier or dirtier, but maybe Hasbro can try again and release a 4-pack of them in various colors down the road. (I'd buy it.)

His backpack feels very much in line with the original 1979 Boba Fett and 2024 Battle Droid. It's molded to the back, and reduced in size with most of the details you would want. It looks incredibly familiar and doesn't quite melt into the armor like the others. It looks like a separate, real element that just happens to be molded to the figure. Hasbro did paint three white greeblies on the back, which seems like a modern luxury - but it looks nice. Paint is largely good, but the black lines around the wrists of mine seem slightly off. I'd complain if I didn't see weird hand paint masks on a lot of late-era The Empire Strikes Back figures like Lobot and Bespin Han back in the day. I'd prefer it be perfect, but "wrong" is baked in to a lot of what Kenner did. If you do it once it's a mistake, if you do it twice it's jazz.

I love that it exists. I appreciate it's something the kids who are now 50 or older wanted and can now finally (maybe) buy. I also acknowledge that 5 of the 102 figures in this line are variations on the plain white Stormtrooper, 2 of which are in this set. I guess my only real gripe is he's sold in 6-packs. Were this a line of single-carded figures, Hasbro could re-introduce him to the assortment every few waves and people like me would buy him again. As part of a $60 gift set, especially one so popular, I don't know if I'll see it again. For the Kenner fanatic, it's worth the effort. If you don't care about retro figures, you can just leave it on the shelf for me. While it may sound counterintuitive, at this point I'd steer a brand-new collector to The Retro Collection over any other format. Why? At 102 figures (plus a few packaging and color proto variants) it's small, most of it is still affordable, and it's not overwhelming like The Black Series or The Vintage Collection. The 6-inch line might be pushing 800, The Vintage Collection is probably north of 400 with the trooper sets and unnumbered guys, so 102 feels less like taking on a full-time job.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target.

--Adam Pawlus



Day 3,257: July 10, 2025

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,256: IT-0 Interrogation Droid (with Darth Vader, Epic Hero Series)

IT-0 DROID, DARTH VADER
| Stormtrooper, MSE Droid - Interrogation Pack

Epic Hero Series Deluxe Target Exclusive Figure 2-Pack
Item No.:
No. F9374
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Darth Vader, Stormtrooper, blaster, lightsaber, cape, MSE droid, IT-0 droid with display stand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99 $14.99
Availability: August 2024
Appearances: Star Wars
Bio: The Galactic Empire ruled for years through fear and intimidation with a mighty military force including stormtroopers and spy technology like Imperial probe droids. (Taken from the packaging)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary:
Last year, we saw a flurry of multi-packs for Epic Hero Series. Some I bought, even though I knew the prices had to be wrong - I'm kind of stupid that way. Others I waited on, because I was willing to bet that they would be marked down. This was the latter category. Darth Vader, Stormtrooper, Interrogation Droid, and the MSE-6 droid all came in a set for $19.99. Individual Stormtrooper and Darth Vader were already available (and in my collection), selling for $9.99 or $7.99 each. I didn't want to throw down the extra cash for their sidekicks alone just yet, and I waited until March of 2025 when the stars aligned with a 40% off sale on a $14.99 price drop. $8.99 for two new sidekick guys? That seemed fair.

So, how's that Interrogation Droid? Pretty good. The black ball is molded in color with a red dot and a silver equator. The various gray tools are molded in color, and they can rotate. Some pop out fairly easily, too, so keep an eye out for all five gray appendages and a clear, short base if you ever see it in a second-hand shop. The sculpted details are fine, and arguably better than the 1999 CommTech version. The paint is inferior to that 1999 version, and there are some rough spots in the black plastic of the Epic Hero Series version. It's good enough for your needs, most likely, but it's not the best version we've ever got. Given that $6.99 got us a talking chip display stand and a Darth Vader figure 25 years ago, as inflation goes, it's not a bad set - but I find the short display stand to be a knock against it, too.

But only in terms of display. If I were a kid, I'd prefer this one as it has more moving points, and the wider base on a shorter stand makes it a more stable toy. In terms of engineering, it's pretty impressive and satisfying.

Unless I'm mistaken, the last time we got the IT-0 droids were in 2003 (Toys R Us Imperial Forces set) and 2002 (Target Death Star Accessory Set), both of which were rereleases of the CommTech droid. You'll no doubt correct me if I forgot a Battle Pack somewhere. If I'm right, that means this is the first Hasbro 3 3/4-inch/4-inch-scale version of the droid to see release in 21 years. That's an extremely long time, and something I really need to consider when griping "oh gosh, this again?" Five years is kind of soon, ten years is a pretty long time, but twenty years? That's multiple generations of kids and new fans never having a crack at an item. The Darth Vader in this pack is allegedly identical to Darth Vader (FOTD #3,128], I noticed the figure stands up better and doesn't flop over. It's probably just some sort of batch variation or the tray not warping the legs, so I'll just say I like this one slightly more if I had to pick.

The whole pack at $19.99 is a pretty good deal, and comes recommended to people who appreciate toy-style toys at $14.99 or less. Only this set has the droid buddies. Yes, both Vader and the Stormtrooper have five joints each - but you get two whole figures and two nice sidekick droids for less than the price of a single The Vintage Collection figure. It is possible that you can find single-carded Vader or Stormtrooper from $3-$6 on closeout shelves - but if you want all of the parts and accessories, don't buy those.

It is my assumption that some adults are still eye-rolling the "toy" stuff despite our entire hobby being born out of plastic toys for little boys, and I hope people give these a shot. Vader's a perfectly fine figure, and the bang for the buck seems to be there.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target.

--Adam Pawlus



Day 3,256: July 8, 2025

Thursday, July 3, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,255: Joruus C'baoth (The Vintage Collection)

JORUUS C'BAOTH
Debut At This Size

The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Hasbro Pulse/Shop Disney Exclusive Action Figure Set
Item No.:
No. G1283
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 3 figures with accessories, including a hilt, a lightsaber, and a lightning hand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $49.99
Availability: May 2025
Appearances: Heir to the Empire, etc.

Bio: A dark Jedi clone of Palpatine's creation, Joruus C'baoth allies with Grand Admiral Thrawn to end the New Republic - and ultimately plans to take over the Empire himself. (Taken from the cardback bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary:
We got a figure of him in The Black Series recently and it looked a lot like this one. The very first take on Joruus C'baoth at 3 3/4-inches is... decent. It's very similar to the big guy, with two key differences. One, this figure has a lit saber plus a hilt by itself. Two, this one has only one lightning hand and not two. I think that's probably a mistake. The right number is probably 2, or 0. Having only one makes it look incomplete - but maybe that's not for me to say, they only pay me here to play.

This figure of Alan Moore Moses Disco Rip van Winkle Joruus, a clone of a dead Jedi from the 1991 book Heir to the Empire, took surprisingly long to get here. Those books were a huge deal in the early 1990s, and his image was plastered on the cover. Kenner never got to him, nor Palleon. It took them until 1998 to get us Mara Jade and Thrawn, too. I'm kind of surprised we didn't get him in the Comic Packs as a retool of a shirtless Maul - and that's what I thought this figure would be. I honestly am struggling to identify the parts. I'm sure they're retooled from something, but I can't easily tell who or what. The sleeves and plastic robe bits seem new (or new enough), with a bare buff chest and sandals that are actually boots with pants. With the gaudy medallion, this makes the figure significantly weirder or more interesting. Sandal boots certainly evoke "yeah, this guy's been stranded in a warehouse and may be seeking his marbles."

The face looks great. The medallion is nifty. He's tall, hairy, and has some great circles around his eyes that make him look like he's going to cause some problems.

His hands - all three, including the lightning one - are very similar to Count Dooku's. I can't help but wonder if they were developed at the same time, but it does make you think - could C'boath been replaced with a clone Dooku and performed pretty much the exact same function? It seems like it. I was expecting the Jedi clone to show up in The Bad Batch after we saw Mount Tantiss, but maybe they're holding him and/or Mara Jade for the second season of Ahsoka or some future show. I can't imagine seeing Pallaeon in The Mandalorian was just for funsies.

I like this figure - he's the reason I bought the set. If this is the one and only version we ever get in this size, Hasbro did a good job with a better-than-average range of articulation and a lot of cloth bits. He stands, he sits, and maybe some day we'll get a storehouse set for him to lord over. Until then, be glad Hasbro is still digging back to the dead zones of Star Wars for characters like this one. It sold through (and came back) pretty quickly, so if you see it around for $50 I'd say the three-pack is probably worth buying.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse.

--Adam Pawlus



Day 3,255: July 3, 2025

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,254: GS-C1B (The Book of Boba Fett, Droid Factory)

GS-C1B
The Book of Boba Fett Set

Star Wars Droid Factory - Shop Disney/Park Exclusive
Item No.:
???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: 4 figures, drink harness, drum harness, salad harness
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $44.99
Availability: May 2025
Appearances: The Book of Boba Fett
Bio: All different types of astromech droid populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors. These droids can be found in Garsa's Sanctuary on Tatooine. May the Force be with you... and your droids! (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary:
It's good! The GS-C1B figure delivers what I expect from a droid in that it's not perfect, but more or less gets the job done. If you compare them to their photos, it's basically a C-3PO body with a new head and an added restraining bolt. The figure lacks the restraining bolt, but you get the new head. While not perfect, it's worth noting a) Hasbro's barely doing any droids, b) Hasbro's barely done anything for The Book of Boba Fett, and c) the head is really what matters. I'm of the mindset that if the head is right, and the colors match, you're basically in good shape - but once the head looks wrong, it's hard to let it go.

The same protocol droid body has been used by Disney for ages, and it's very similar to Hasbro's 2009 Legacy build-a-droid construction. You don't get ankle joints, but it's a good and sturdy design. I'd go as far as to say Hasbro should reconsider figures like this for their own lines, if it means getting costs back under control. I don't miss the ankles on a figure that's just going to stand up straight. The shoulders swivel, the wrists also swivel, and the elbows bend and swivel. Every character doesn't need every last joint, and this one gets the job done. His hips swing forward, but he's not going to sit well in a vehicle - that's really the only downside. But I'm not putting him in ships. I guess I'm not putting him in Garsa's Sanctuary either, as nobody has made one despite it being loaded with cool robots and aliens.

The head is new, and looks great. The metallic paint really makes every detail pop, plus you get gold eyes and a silver mouth thing. It matches the body quite nicely, despite their vast age gap. The paint makes the body look amazing, too, and this is probably one of Disney's best paint jobs on any of its many droid figures. It's impressive, and I think you'll like it up-close.

Seeing how much I like this figure, and since Hasbro hasn't made one since 1997, I'd also like to see Disney do a new EV-9D9. I bet it'd be pretty good. But until then, I'd just recommend you get this guy. He's not bad for the money, especially in this day and age, and it's not like you already have one at home. Go get yourself some new droids, you deserve a nice treat.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney. It was posted on May 4, and abruptly sold through. Check the theme park or eBay for this one. I hate directing people to eBay, but given the cost of admission (and parking, and a plane ticket, and a hotel) it might be your least worst option. At this point in my life I'd pay a small mark-up just to not lose 1-2 days of my life across state lines for a shopping trip with paid parking.

--Adam Pawlus



Day 3,254: July 1, 2025

Thursday, June 26, 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

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,252: MSE-6 Droid (with Epic Hero Series Stormtrooper)

MSE-6 DROID, STORMTROOPER | Darth Vader, Interrogation Droid - Interrogation Pack
Epic Hero Series Deluxe Target Exclusive Figure 2-Pack
Item No.:
No. F9374
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Darth Vader, Stormtrooper, blaster, lightsaber, cape, MSE droid, IT-0 droid with display stand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99 $14.99
Availability: August 2024
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: The Galactic Empire ruled for years through fear and intimidation with a mighty military force including stormtroopers and spy technology like Imperial probe droids. (Taken from the packaging)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: In 2024 we got a lot of Epic Hero Series exclusives at the big retail partners - Target got this set with Darth Vader, a Stormtrooper, Mouse Droid, and an Interrogation Droid while Walmart got a couple of sets and Amazon got another set. All of the figures in the exclusive packs used existing tooling, but had new accessories and/or new deco. In this case, the figures both came with sidekicks that weren't in the single packs rendering them interesting enough for me to keep an eye on for months. I couldn't bring myself to spend $20 on two figures I had when there were so many of this set on-shelf, but when it hit $14.99 with a "Circle" 40% off deal I couldn't say no.

If you've been collecting for a long while, you no doubt have a few Kenner or Hasbro Mouse Droids. Maybe you got one with the Death Star Droid in 1998, or in that SDCC Revenge of the Jedi collection, or The Vintage Collection Grand Moff Tarkin, or that Galoob MicroMachines Droid figure pack in the 1990s. It seems to be a new mold! It's hollow like the 1990s design, but has a lot more detail like the 2010s one. There's no paint, but you can see a lot of sculpted bits on the sides and the little transmitter things on top. There are no rolling wheels. While the enlarged 4-inch scale droid may be big for some, the unpainted little guy looks just fine around any other figures I have from the past four (almost five) decades. If you just want a MSE droid for dioramas, it's fine with sharp details. There's just not much else to it.

The Stormtrooper is pretty much the same as the single-carded Stormtrooper [FOTD #3,137]. If you want to build an army, they're a little big with helmets that are a little small, but they're sturdy. He still has the forearm holes, but he feels like a quality toy. I feel like if we got figures closer to this in 1995, we'd probably have been complaining a lot less. His blaster is still huge, but it's not like I'd anticipate they would do a new tool for a repack set exclusive like this. As a holiday item or some entry-level product for kids, the set makes a ton of sense.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,252: June 24, 2025

Thursday, June 19, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,251: Human Male Rebel Pilot (Rebel Pilots set, The Vintage Collection)

X-WING PILOT
(Human Male)

The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Shared Exclusive Action Figure Set
Item No.:
No. F9395
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 4 Pilot figures with 3 Rebel Blasters like the Troopers and 3 Rebel Blasters like Luke's Pilot blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $54.99
Availability: September 2024
Appearances: ???

Bio: Who imagine I'm not human
And my heart is made of stone
I never had no problems
And my toilet's trimmed with chrome
I'm a man, yes I am (Taken from The Spencer Davis Group.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary:
The X-Wing Pilots this Human Male! At last, we have a human male Rebel pilot. Unprecedented! The same Luke body returns once more, and this time it's a pretty simple head transplant. The all-new head has painted lips, clear eyes, and some forehead wrinkles that say "why yes, I was old enough to vote for Reagan." I have no idea who this was meant to represent, but each detail is impressive - the eyelids, the ears, the hair, everything looks like Hasbro spent countless hours getting it just right. Or, maybe they scanned it, and it took about an hour. The hair texture is excellent, and it looks like a real person. Probably. Maybe it's like a police sketch made up of various parts of Hasbro's accounting department - we'll probably never know. (That would be a great Q&A with Hasbro. I'll just bring a box of figures and ask "Who is this?")

Hasbro used the best mold available to them at the time, which isn't great in 2025. I've said this before, but one of the things that irks me about collector figures - rather than toy figures - is the amount of fidgeting you have to do just to get him to sit down. The hip joints Hasbro used for figures from the back chunk of the 2010s had a good range of motion, but you had to very carefully rotate the upper thigh and with the straps? It's a slog. It's better than the 1970s-style swivel joints in terms of getting a figure to look cool standing up, but I vastly prefer the modern ball-jointed hips in most circumstances. Granted, I really love the Kenner figures because you could just slide those suckers right into a cockpit with no fidgeting at all.

If you're looking for a figure to fill your shelves, this is it. At this point you've got dozens of pilots and starfighters, but Hasbro hasn't delivered a lot of Rebel bases for these guys to populate. Or New Republic, for that matter - the helmet here seems more in line with the 21st century Ahsoka and The Mandalorian designs. I'd rather "filler" troopers be cheaper, lower-articulated figures - but that's me. It's good for what it is, but I also feel that a lot of the lines are a little less "special" due to the repetition and randos. It's a special treat to get a new Star Wars figure, so when it's an anonymous nobody, sometimes you have to ask "why?" If we ever get a hint as to who this is, it might be a little more special.

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

--Adam Pawlus



Day 3,251: June 19, 2025

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,250: C1-RN8W (Pride Collection, Droid Factory)

C1-RN8W
Pride Collection Disney Exclusive

Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.:
No. 418148205414
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: May 2025
Appearances: n/a

Bio: The Disney Pride Collection was created by members and allies of the LGBTQIA+ community. The Walt Disney Company proudly works with nonprofits throughout the LGBTQIA+ community globally. (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary:
New! The C1-RN8W figure iterates on what we got with R3-RN8W [FOTD #3,141] last year - a black repaint, with a lot of colors. (I'd also accept droids in 1980s beige PC cases with rainbow colors, just saying.) This time around we get Chopper, and it looks great. And expensive.

The same mold has been in circulation for years, and this time I assume a fair amount of cash was spent getting many colors of paint applied correctly. It's not quite as colorful as last year's model - it had a few more colors than this one - but it still pops nicely. The top of the dome has painted a very clean silver, with a matching set of details for various panel covers, the equator around the dome, plus markings on the feet and legs. Vents on the front and back of the figure are also decorated.

The rainbow color pattern repeats in order in a few spots. I'm surprised both the front and back of the legs got fully decorated, plus the full treatment on the eyes. And across the torso, a few times. And up and down. It's pretty impressive, particularly given how some of these lines are about 1mm tall and are set inside a sculpted indentation correctly. If one or two were out of alignment, I'd understand it, but they got 'em all right. This sort of thing still amazes me, I remember seeing old Kenner figures in cheap used bins with overspray on the wrists and going "Oh, I bet this is from like 1982 or something because this kept happening." Kudos on Disney for their precision here.

As with other C1-10P figures from Disney, you get a lot of moving parts. The claw across the chest pops out, the arms on the head are jointed in three spots, and you can pop that radar dish off if you want. The legs and dome are fully removable, but Disney opted to not paint the interior on the body - which makes sense, you're unlikely to see it much. It breaks zero new ground in terms of tooling, but short of the tilting head on Hasbro's version of the mold? There's not much else you could do with it. This is fine.

If you've got enough droids, you might not want this one too. The lack of color is one of my gripes about Star Wars toys in general, given how it's mostly earthtones and lightsabers, so these Pride droids really pop on the shelf. I'm hoping they rerelase (or reiterate) R2-RNBW at some point so I can get one of those too finally. This one hasn't sold through yet, but it's pretty nifty and arguably worth getting if you need something to get to free shipping. Maybe next year we can get a protocol droid!

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney. For future generations, take note: shipping was about $10 in 2025, so buying it online cost about $25 + tax. Buying it at a theme park probably meant paying for parking. Yes, I think about these things a lot.

--Adam Pawlus



Day 3,250: June 17, 2025

Thursday, June 12, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,249: Dr. Evazan (The Retro Collection)

DR. EVAZAN
Or Roofoo, or Cornelius

The Retro Collection Target Exclusive 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Set
Item No.:
No. G1082
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: SE-14C blaster, DL-21 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 first figure of this set I opened was Dr. Evazan. I thought it was going to be Walrus Man, but no - this one gave me a lot of questions I needed answered. This is the first new licensed Kenner-style Cantina resident since the 1970s. That's kind of a big deal, and the kind of thing that invites excessive scrutiny because this style of figure is kind of a big deal to those who celebrate. If you're a guy my age who is me, this is an essential addition to any collection even though Dr. Evazan wouldn't have been the first - or fifth - Cantina figure I'd have asked for.


The figure's sculpt is very good. If what you're hoping is for a figure that fell out of a time warp, it's close. I don't think anyone is using the same tools, budgets, and limitation of Kenner in the 20th century unless your name rhymes with Beven Feddes. The details are not as sharp as authentic original Kenner figures, but it seems less soft than most modern Retro figures. The head in particular has some solid grooves around the nose and mouth, but some softer scarring around the eyes. The hair is much more accurate than I would have guessed, with a slightly receding hairline, and such notable features as ears. If you look at your 1970s humans, the ears are not exactly prominent. I like the one white eye and one normal eye, plus the gray eyebrows are nice. I was almost going to complain about the head seeming small, but Han Solo's first head in 1978 was tiny and we loved him.

The body, arms, and legs are similarly a bit better. The left arm has that famous claw-like hand, which can sometimes hold an accessory but may or may not have been designed to do so. The right hand can grip a blaster easily, so he can hold both if you wish. The arms bend away from the body a little more than I feel was normal for my older figures, but that's OK. I mean, the line died 40 years ago, and it's never going to be exact. Different sculptors have different takes, and this one as a feel that's asymmetrical (like the old days) but not quite as dynamic as some of the poses Kenner gave us. But, it's also significantly more lively in his body language than Cad Bane. There's no unique knee or ankle bend like some of the older figures have, but the feet go out at different angles. The wrinkles on the pants are a bit more distinctive. The painted shirt looks good. I'm not sure how I feel about the exposed chest yet - but there isn't another Kenner figure of that vintage showing that much skin. So I can't say it's wrong, either.

The deco is simple, arguably better than most of this figure's hypothetical peers. Dr. Evazan has purple pants - a choice, I assume, to be intentionally weird against the traditional gray Evazan trousers - and I love it. It's subtle, with a figure that's mostly all business from the waist up and a little more Kennery below the belt. I'm surprised Hasbro painted the holster and the strap around his thigh - most old Kenner figures didn't go through the trouble - and also painted the belt buckle. Some Han figures have a painted buckle, but some don't. The black boots look good too. The figure isn't nearly as glossy as actual 40-47 year old Kenner figures, but it has enough shine that I think it's good enough to fit in on most displays. It reminds me a bit of the first figure from 1997, paradoxically being both more primitive and more authentic. There is less paint here. The head sculpt is more accurate. The pant color seems intentionally silly. But the holster and belt buckle look great. Taken for what it is, it's a nice figure.

What puts this figure over the top are his accessories. The black blaster - a SE-14C - is what we saw him draw in the movie. It's also what we saw on the floor next to Ponda Baba's severed arm. So the question is, did Ponda have one too, or was this Evazan's, dropped to the ground? The Vintage Collection/The Black Series 3 3/4-inch Ponda Baba included a version of this weapon too, but most collectible Ponda Baba figures include a DL-21, the gray blaster in this set. This opens up a world of play and display opportunities, and if you have an extra old Walrus Man missing his blaster? You now have an extra gun to give him. Making toys that interact with other toys is what makes collecting fun - you want figures for your vehicles and playsets for your figures - and having gear you can share between figures is enjoyable too. I appreciate that this figure adds options to your Walrus Man needs.

If this were sold individually for $10, I'm convinced you'd never see it. A new Cantina guy, plus a blaster for your old guys? That's incredible. You no doubt have a few Evazan figures, but if you never could get over the old Kenner style? You'll want this one. You may even prefer this one. If Hasbro left off the silver on the belt I think it would feel more lowercase-v "vintage" but it's still very excellent, with a lot of personality, and a step in the right direction. If you have a chance to buy the set, I'd say go for it.

Packaging Notes: Hasbro confirmed the stickers are a lower-tack, easy-peel so they come right off. Fans have observed that some cards were stickered with the bubble on top of the label. My Dr. Evazan was made this way, and somehow it slid right out from under the bubble with no tears or fuss. So if you're the kind of person that wants to devalue your unpunched, packaged figure by removing part of it, so its next owner gets damaged goods while you can't play with it, you may now do so without ripping the cardback. I was really surprised the sticker slipped out from under the bubble.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target. My first pre-order got canceled. My second random middle-of-the-night order took a week.

--Adam Pawlus



Day 3,249: June 12, 2025