Galactic Hunter's Star Wars Figure of the Day with Adam Pawlus

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,384: Anakin Skywalker (Ewok Village Spirit, The Vintage Collection)

2026-09-29T01:00:00.000-07:00

ANAKIN SKYWALKER Mail-Away or POTF2 Style
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch basic figure
Item No.: Asst. F6878 No. G2610
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #405
Includes: Cloth robes
Action Feature: Removable robes
Retail: $19.99
Availability: August 2026
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: On Endor, Anakin watched over Luke and his friends Yoda and Obi-Wan as they celebrated the galaxy’s new freedom . (Taken from the cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: We haven't received a new version of this particular iteration of Anakin Skywalker in quite a while. It's kind of a strange one to explain, but here goes. Back in the 1980s, Kenner had this Spirit of Anakin Skywalker as its last mail-away figure - carded samples were scarce. In the USA, it came on a coin card Power of the Force package while overseas, it was a trilogo Return of the Jedi cardback. The figure had grey robes which did a surprisingly decent job of conjuring the image of a blue-tinged apparition in an era before "clear blue" was a real consideration. We got an attempt to update this figure as Anakin Skywalker (Jedi Spirits) [FOTD #3,317] last year, and it got pretty close except for the sheer negligee Jedi robes. This figure in opaque plastic with brown robes is meant to recall the original 1980s carded figure, but does so by giving us a figure in non-toy colors, on a cardback style that hasn't previously existed. But I'm a stickler for such things and it is baffling to me that Hasbro isn't doing Power of the Force cardbacks, even if they had to swap out the coin with a POG for cost reasons.

But how is the figure? Fine, more or less. It's very similar to the 1999 Flashback Photo Anakin Skywalker [FOTD #7]. That figure makes a very compelling argument for the plastic robe - sure, this new one hangs fine, but the plastic one hangs with intention. Anakin's movie shot and previous figures always have it fairly open so you can see the robes on his torso, while this one is packaged with it wrapped closed. If anything, it just makes an argument to rerelease the figure in Retro if you want to eventually get the original 92 (let's be honest, 116) remade. Once removed from the cardback, 2026 Anakin can be posted to look acceptably. But I still prefer the legs-can't-move 1984 and 1996 versions in terms of functionality (it's one of few figures that has no need to sit or be posed) and how it looks on a shelf. The new likeness seems to be more like the cardback than the actor, but hey, why not. It's what people probably remember. If the eyebrows were a smidgen darker, I'd say this head is probably difficult if not impossible to improve upon. Also, Sebastian Shaw was 78 in Return of the Jedi with Darth Vader being around 46. As a kid, you probably didn't think anything of how old the old Jedi looked, but if you're reading this feature you might be older than that today. And you don't look that old.

The figure's new robes are of a better material and cut than the Spirit version. The clear blue see-thru mesh was just plain not appropriate for the purpose, and this one blocks you from seeing what's under the robe. That's good! It has a hood, and the cut is fairly clean. I think this is an accessory Hasbro could improve on a future release, as there were some signs of folding and rumpled-ness that we just plain don't get - or possibly can't get - with a cloth piece at this size.

While the figure itself is very good with rocker ankles, bend-and-swivel wrists, and everything you expect from a $20 figure, these joints are kind of a waste of expenses. The robes restrict a bit of movement, and the lower plastic robes restrict all movement. Fans would sometimes deride figures from being a chess piece, but you know what? For a few figures, that's a more sensible and cost-effective way to make a figure. We never see Sebastian Shaw Anakin do much other than move his head - so why pay for layers of plastic robes and joints you won't see and not use? (To charge you $20 for what could have been a really good $10 figure, of course.)

I prefer this figure to the blue robed ghost version, and will probably keep the Hayden head on the Spirit from now on.

The question of super articulation versus not, or Vintage versus Retro, is normally one of taste - but like with Andor Mon Mothma, I think there really is a case to be made from not-premium figure assortments. R2-D2 3 3/4-inch? Not premium. A Jawa? Not premium. This Anakin? It is premium - but unlike other Jedi, you get no lightsaber, no hilt, no swappable hands. Really, this figure exists to remain carded or to go on a display shelf of some sort, so you will not benefit from the extra engineering here. I recommend this as a neat carded figure, particularly for those putting together a modernized set of the original line. This is very much the figure I would want on my Endor display if we ever got (or I ever 3D print) a new Ewok Village. But if I ever want to fuss with a Sebastian Shaw Anakin figure, I'm going to the POTF2 version or the mail-away from when I was a kid. This new one's ankles and robes are easily knocked out of whack, and the simpler 20th century figures more or less get the job done just fine. TVC 405 a much more impressive take on those old figures, but sometimes impressive isn't what makes for the best action figure. And it may be bias talking, but I prefer the old mail-in one overall. The gray robes were a creative way to make a Jedi Spirit and I wouldn't mind seeing them rerelease Obi-Wan and Yoda in similar colors to match it. (Yes I know about Stan Solo's spirits. No he did not use the right molds for the job.)

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth. Two cases of Vintage showed up at the exact same time, which seems like overkill in a light year - I wish they spread these out a bit more.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,384: September 29, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,383: Embo (The Vintage Collection)

2026-09-24T01:00:00.000-07:00

EMBO Live-Action Debut
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch basic figure
Item No.: Asst. G2786 No. G2623
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #406
Includes: Hat, bowcaster, alternate hands two bowcaster chunks
Action Feature: Removable hat
Retail: $19.99
Availability: August 2026
Appearances: Star Wars: The Mandorian and Grogu

Bio: The bowcaster-wielding Embo is a lethal warrior and seasoned bounty hunter tracking prey since before the Clone Wars. (Taken from the cardback. And despite it being from a new movie in a movie year, that is a fabulous, useful bio that isn't the movie's log line so good job everyone.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: I almost want to bet you money that Embo was designed as a "deluxe" figure. And it's kind of a back-handed compliment. Hasbro overdid it here, which is good if money is no object and probably not great in terms of efficiency. Maybe the tools were set up that all the extra parts were easy to include at minimal extra cost, but and extra set of hands - with wrist hinges - on a basic The Vintage Collection figures? A two-piece bowcaster? Soft goods? Extra I guess bowcaster pieces that you can use to club someone over the head with? There's a lot here. Comparing him to other deluxe figures, there's actually a bit more going on here - so I assume the "deluxe" ones may be sold in sold cases separately due to popularity. I do not understand why Baze Malbus got the distinction instead of Embo, though, there just seems to be more going on here (and the character was already expensive on eBay thanks to his 2010 cartoon figure [FOTD #1,390].

Lucasfilm seems very interested in keeping many of its characters in the same clothes for decades. The Clone Wars Embo has the same wrap around his waist, the same gloves, the same bowcaster, the same hat, the same armor, even the same (presumably) Beskar-toed boots as his appearances decades earlier. We saw the same with Fennec Shand and some other characters. At least Boba Fett was given the dignity of an occasional change of clothes! Hasbro did a good job with both figures, translating the saturated, brightly-colored cartoon Embo to a wonderful figure and doing the same again this year with the realistic, desaturated version. I kind of prefer the previous version only because the eyes have darker rings, the skin is a lighter grey, and the cloth parts of the outfit have more painted details on them. They're both excellent, but clearly they're two versions of the same guy in the same costume.

Hasbro's Vintage figures adds extra hands - I think this might be overkill. The defauly hands are too small to hold the bowcaster, but the alternate ones are more open with a separated trigger finger. They work much better with the bowcaster and with the bowcaster's bow part tonfa things. I'm really not sure why Hasbro would spend the money on an extra set of samey hands, which aren't functionally better than the trigger hands, particularly given that paint and assembly are required. It certainly adds to the premium feel of the $19.99 figure - which is absolutely necessary unless Hasbro plans on giving the line a price cut. But if Hasbro left out the hands and clubs, I would not have missed them. The two-part bowcaster easily fits in the larger, open hands but do take note that the bow is connected by a couple of pegs and is easily knocked off. Take care to not lose it. The black plastic bowcaster is completely unpainted.

The figure has extra gear on his person, including a removable hat - famous for being a shield, a weapon, and a fashion choice. It's very much like the cartoon version, but it seems to actually have slightly less detail. The cartoon figure has deeper sculpted panels and brighter browns on top, making it a better match for that figure's style. This hat better matches this figure. It fits in his hands so he can be posed like he's going to "throw" it.

The detail on the figure itself is quite good, with decent textures befitting a CGI character in an era where digitally sculpted toys are less likely to have deep groves and exaggerated cuts that show off the detail. It's flatter, in duller colors, and not terribly dynamic. It is, however, true to the movie and looks as good as what we saw (well, I saw) on what is now officially the worst performer on the big screen. The body design is really something because it's thin and tall in ways that would be difficult for a human, so it gives him a distinct silhouette while also not seeming out of place with your other aliens. You could probably have him hang out in the cantina or Jabba's palace without seeming too far from belonging there.

Articulation is great. He has a separately molded scarf around his neck, and the head can move just fine in there. The hips have a great range of movement, as do the knees, ankles, wrists, and just about everything. There is not much about this figure that you wouldn't have found on another existing figure, but it comes together pretty nicely and it actually feels like this wave is where Hasbro spent the extra money we're paying them. No 3 3/4-inch figure feels like a steal at $20, but this one feels like one of the better ones at the price point. Give it a look if you can find it, new "movie" aliens are far and few between. My only real gripe about the figure is that it doesn't make a radical departure from the prequel-era costume, and I would like to think I'd change my clothes after a couple of decades. Admittedly, maybe I haven't.

Day 3,383: September 24, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,382: Garindan (The Retro Collection)

2026-09-22T01:00:00.000-07:00

GARINDAN (Kenner Flavor)
The Retro Collection Target Exclusive 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. G2554
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, communicator, soft goods shawl
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $64.99
Availability: July 2026
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Rediscover the classics with The Star Wars Retro Collection - inspired by the Kenner originals! (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: One of the few aliens I would say felt missing from the original Kenner Star Wars line was Garindan. This has nothing to do with design or relative cool-ness, but this guy was an actual antagonist that ratted Luke and pals out to the Empire. He did something. I like Snaggletooth and Hammerhead a lot, but it's weird that Kenner skipped the character that metal miniature makers would make, even without a license. But Kenner also skipped Peter Cushing for 20 years, around the same time we got a Garindan.

I don't really have any complaints here. I wasn't sure about it when I first saw the renders, but the actual figure is quite nice. The whole set makes me extremely happy, except Wedge is a little mid. You could just stop reading here, there is no reason for me to write so much about Garindan. Garindan is good and feels a bit more modern in spots.

Since I can't quite make out precisely where they drew their inspiration for each element of the costume, I find the pastiche to be charming and worthwhile. If I want a theoretically more accurate one, Hasbro Pulse has me covered - this is someone trying to make a 1980s figure, and largely succeeding. If I want something that looks like someone shrugged after getting a look at the movie and a couple of stills (and I do), this is it. If I had to nitpick and give it a running change, I'd ask Hasbro to make the nose grayer and lenses darker. That's it. If the shirt was bright blue or otherwise wacky it'd be a solid fit for the 1970s, but the earth tones feel like a 1980s or 1990s interpretation of the character. So why does this review go on so long? Enthusiasm, my dear fellow. I am excited, and happy.

At first fans sort of flipped out over the figure. It sparked debates over how we perceived the costume, notably its hood. The "current" approved look look that Sideshow and Hasbro using are a completely full-head-masked alien with something of a shawl worn on the head, with pants and what seems to be some sort of surplus uniform. That's what we're getting in The Vintage Collection in a few months. Kenner's 1997 and Hasbro's 2006 figures had a hooded cape that's a little more Red Riding Hood. Both riffed on a uniform-with-pants and some form of cape look we all saw in the movie. In my imagination, the film costume was a little baggy but I don't know that I ever got a close enough look at it to say "this is right!" or "this is wrong!" Also, Kenner-stylization is a blanket license to do whatever you want, and it seems Hasbro did.

I took for granted that the alien species was an aardvark-esque creature in sunglasses. Now, I'm not so sure - looking at hi-res close-up shots, it seems that maybe the nose is the alien's face and maybe it's just a distinctive mask like a plague doctor had. The picture in Wookieepedia seems to have seams, just like the Retro figure where the snout seems to be separately molded and glued in. Sideshow's figure most definitely seems to treat the head as completely covered in a mask, complete with stitching. Sure, Disney's new canon says they eat bugs with their noses but we've seen authorial intent ignored before and fans (or licensing departments just sort of roll with perception. Look at Max Rebo, who we all agree has legs, and who the cartoons show his species as having legs, but the puppet? No legs.

This Garindan has a lighter colored snoot, like the 1997 Kenner The Power of the Force figure. His shawl seems to be movie-accurate, and Hasbro's factory sourced textiles very similar to the 1983 Kenner Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker figure. I'm impressed. It hangs on his head, and is easily removed if it offends you. His goggles are red tinted, which I think is maybe a nod to one of Ralph McQuarrie's paintings for a book. I don't believe the prop had red lenses. Our spy's snout has more subtle rivet divets than the movie, and I think Kenner would have exaggerated them some more or ignored them completely. The hood feels right, but it doesn't match Sideshow's figure - which has a round, hooded head with what is very obviously not a biological snout. Teach the controversy! It seems Hasbro went with a take based on 1990s interpretations or their own imaginations. And that's what Kenner probably would have done in 1979, so I'm all for it.

The Sideshow shirt - and possibly the movie shirt - are a very dark blue. This one wears a couple of shades of gray. Retro Garindan's torso seems to be made by someone that recognized the basic form of the shirt and belt, but made it looser and more like a robe. Neat! The movie costume's cape around the shoulders is gone, because there's an actual full robe covering the figure's body - and no other officially licensed figure had that. All the others had fully visible boots, and some of the figures had holsters for their blasters. This one has signs of different boots, and also straps around the leg that may well be for blaster or commlink holsters. Hasbro went for a vibe closer to 1984 mail-in Anakin Skywalker, except Garindan's legs can swing fully forward. This may not mean much to you, as I just assume literally everybody has a full Kenner set handy.

Hasbro's sculptors did a very nice job with the pose. Garindan's body language feels like an old Kenner figure with a more pronounced slouch, a slightly bent left arm, and a very bent right arm so he can talk on his communicator. The gloves look fine, and each hand can easily hold the blaster, which is notable for having a different sculpt from the blaster from Dr. Evazan. I expected Garindan's communicator just to be the Cloud Car Pilot one, but it's not - it's a new design. It's not from the movie, and it's not from the McQuarrie painting. I don't immediately recognize it. I like it, it feels authentic and fabricated over lunch.

The sculpt feels like one of Hasbro's best attempts to Kenner things up due to all the changes and off-model (or possibly on-model, depending on the model) design choices. This doesn't match my other Garindan figures except for things like color, goggles, and snout - it's a unique take on the costume. I'm all for it. I think the face paint is a little too modern, with red circles slightly printed off-center in the goggles plus a nose whose paint reminds me a lot of the 1997 figure. Maybe that's my fault. The figure is glossy in spots, and it really does feel like something that's using Kenner's design language in or before 1983.

But how is he as a vehicle pilot? Not great. I spot-checked mini-rigs and some others, and his pants are so big he can't fit in most vehicles. I was surprised to find that if you bend him down a bit, he's one of the best figures for the CAP-2. His pants keep him from falling all the way in, and he can be made to look as if he is crouching in a cramped vehicle. He also fit well in the INT-4, One-Man Sand Skimmer, Side Gunner, and Endor Forest Ranger. He did not pass the Landspeeder Test.

It's a good action figure. I would have absolutely adored it as a child. It's functional, the hands can hold the accessories with zero reservations, and the shawl stays on acceptably. (It also falls off.) His big feet make him easy to keep standing, and his heavy legs insure he won't fall over if you knock the table. It's by no means the most Kenner-y figure of the wave, but it's satisfying in a way few super-articulated figures can match. I know some people were dying for a vinyl cape, but I don't feel like Hasbro misfired here. This is a good experience and I would absolutely love to know who sculpted which figure(s) because this guy did a great job. And I will laugh incredibly hard if I ever found out this sculptor also did Cad Bane.

That's it for The Retro Collection in 2026. Hasbro tells us the line will grow to 28 figures and 3 bigger items in 2027, so start saving and clearing some shelf space.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target at a store, where they seem to be widely available right meow.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,382: September 22, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,381: Lieutenant Callahan (The Vintage Collection)

2026-09-17T01:00:00.000-07:00

LIEUTENANT CALLAHAN The One, The Only
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch basic figure
Item No.: Asst. G2786 No. G1241
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #351
Includes: Helmet, blaster
Action Feature: Removable helmet
Retail: $19.99
Availability: July 2025
Appearances: Star Wars: Ahsoka

Bio: A New Republic E-wing pilot, Lieutenant Callahan and her droid KE4-N4 aid Governor Ryden Azadi on the world of Lothal. (Taken from the cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: After a few decades, it can be worth examining "why." Lieutenant Callahan takes up a slot in a line where, typically, Disney+ content sometimes struggles to sell and we have far more pilots than vehicles. In this case, she seems to be holding a decent price on the secondary market, and I haven't seen her marked down in clearance shops. That's good! She has a unique blue New Republic flight suit, which adapts the existing X-Wing pilot mold with a few clever changes. That's also good! Sure, she's not a droid or an alien, but she serves a function. And I'll take a figure that fills a void in my toy collection any day of the week.

I'd be grouchy if we got this figure with no plans for an E-wing, but we got an E-wing fighter that was pretty good. She fits in it easily, and that matters. The mold makes use of an existing The Vintage Collection body, which I thought would tick me off because some of those older hips are kind of horrible. For this release, Hasbro used a plastic with less friction so I was able to easily bend the legs forward with no real problems. The straps didn't get in the way. She seemed functionally better than other figures with this particular style of hip joint, and if Hasbro can deploy more older figures with this smoother movement I'm all for it. I've been keen to never see this older hip joint style again because it was unpleasant on most older figures, but here? Smooth as butter. The neck, arms, knees, ankles, and everything else also move nicely. I have no complaints here.

The figure makes use of a lot of old parts - and that's fine. Why? So did Lucasfilm. The flight suit seems to be a pretty generic jumpsuit, and Lucasfilm often reused the same basic suits (or very similar ones) for various costumes. Maybe the color changed, and I would say it's close enough to what we see on screen that it was a sensible choice. The gloves on the figure may not be a precise match for the show, but this figure's purpose is to be a pilot for a vehicle (sold separately.) The boots, head, vest, and hanging straps are all new parts that look pretty great. The buttons and greeblies on her chest console match the prop quite nicely. The pouch and hoses match. The only thing I think may not match are the code cylinders. The figure has them on the arm, the costume has them on the belt. Would I notice without seeing the image on Wookieepedia? No. I don't know that I would have budgeted for more parts were I in Hasbro's position either, so I'm glad they spent money making the cool white boots and a photoreal head.

I don't know much about actress Michele Weaver but she has been in a lot and the figure seems to do a decent job matching her person. The figure's hair is the tiniest bit fluffier, sculpted tightly and painted well.

Her accessories include a blue helmet with IKEA-like yellow highlights and a clear visor. It looks like the photos, it even has the chin strap. The plastic piece that goes over the chin is black on the figure, and white on the show. Otherwise, it looks like the Hasbro team got it and at this size, I'm not going to complain.

My opinion of the show's overly expository nature for its first season hasn't improved much, but I like all the toys Hasbro made for it.

We don't always get the most exciting characters on the show - I mean, I'm biased for droids and witches - but we got one that adds to the toy box and that matters. We got a ship, and the ship needs a pilot. This one meets my requirements and more or less meets my expectations. Parts reuse are an ugly part of the modern collector toy business, but I'm picking at nits here. If we got Kenner-style Retro figures that are off-model, I'd say it's part of the charm. On one hand, we have high expectations at the $20 price point and on the other, it doesn't bother me that the arm and the belt were tweaked a bit to keep costs down. The colors, vest, head, and helmet are all very good and that's what I need in a pilot figure. I'd recommend getting her if you skipped her and like Ahsoka-era New Republic stuff.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,381: September 17, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,380: RA-7 (Blue Droid Factory)

2026-09-15T01:00:00.000-07:00

RA-7 PROTOCOL DROID Blue
Star Tours Droid Factory Customizable Figure
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney?
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Removable limbs
Retail: $12.95
Availability: April 2017
Appearances: n/a

Bio: The RA-7 protocol droid, also known as the RA-7 inventory droid, the RA-7 series protocol droid, the "insect droid" due to its large photoreceptors, and nicknamed the "Death Star droid" due to its use aboard the first Death Star, was a model of protocol droid manufactured by Arakyd Industries. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I've had these guys for years but apparently haven't looked at the RA-7 Protocol Droid (Blue) or any color yet. Let's start with this one. Disney had bins of parts out at its theme parks where kids could make abominations swapping parts and Frankensteining together the droid of their dreams. This is great fun for them, or great frustration for older fans that just want a figure that looks like it might be in a movie or a cartoon. I had to enlist some help to get these guys, because theme park admission ain't cheap.

While similar to Hasbro's molds, Disney built its own thing. The pieces all look similar, but the arms have more articulationand Disney even added wrist joints. The legs sadly don't bend 90 degrees, so this is not a good figure to pilot any ships. On the other hand, the added elbow and wrist movement means you can have a great tour guide or greeter. The figure stands easily, and doesn't topple over when you knock a desk. The mouse house did a good job letting their consumer products department redesign this one.

The droid's unpainted limbs no doubt help keep costs down, with some painted wires on the black painted belly region and silver eyes making up the paint budget. This is a good move for a kid toy, because it won't show scrapes quite as easily as a figure with painted limbs. The silver eyes pop nicely, and the dark blue plastic hides some of the figure's shortcomings. I really don't like the smooth mouth, but also, I can't really see it. It feels unfinished, but there's a nice wrinkle here - it doesn't matter.

As far as I can tell the only blue RA-7 droid appears in a comic book and it's possible (but also unlikely) it inspired the designers. Like I said, it doesn't matter - to most fans, this was a souvenir. It's not a movie droid, or a cartoon droid. It merely is what it is. If you like the colors and design, that's great! There's really not much to compare it against and scrutinize it. It's an original thing, and while some of the details are a little soft I can't knock it. It is the only blue RA-7 I have, it will probably be the only one we ever get.

As we approach the hair-graying 50th anniversary next year, I'm starting to ask "why?" a bit more when I pick up a figure. I got these guys because I wanted to be all-in on droids, which has proven expensive given Disney having some as a 1:4 pull in an expensive vehicle and some were produced in tiny numbers - so I'm no longer all-in on Disney droids. As of now this one doesn't really have a home in any playset, planet, or environment - it just exists to be collected. I'm in no rush to sell it, but I admit it has no real place and if I ever did have to dump my collection, this is one of the things I probably wouldn't miss. It's not bad, it's just an example of how far away we've gotten from what brought a lot of us to collecting these toys in the first place. It's not from a story I liked as a kid, it's not styled like the figures I had as a kid, so I don't have a reason why I would necessarily encourage you to hunt one down other than completism. And I would discourage you from that behavior given how much time, space, money, and bandwidth it can take to keep things going - but I can tell you I absolutely felt it was worth the $13 when I got it.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney Hollywood Studios. Thanks Shannon!

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,380: September 15, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,379: Princess Leia Organa (Yavin, The Retro Collection)

2026-09-10T01:00:00.000-07:00

PRINCESS LEIA ORGANA (Yavin)
The Retro Collection Target Exclusive 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. G2554
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Medal, soft goods dress parts
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $64.99
Availability: July 2026
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Rediscover the classics with The Star Wars Retro Collection - inspired by the Kenner originals! (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 reveal of this Princess Leia Organa (Yavin) figure resulted in a "meh," mostly because it's not a costume I find fun or necessary. This isn't an adventure outfit, or one that Leia seems to do much in other than hand out the EGOT of Star Wars. She only had two dresses in the original movie, and this one is not terribly different to a kid that saw the movie on TV and sees Leia in a white dress, and then Leia in a slightly fancier white dress with less distinctive hair. I'm not ripping on Hasbro here, it was just a blah costume compared to The Empire Strikes Back's killer snowbunny or Return of the Jedi's various looks that would be welcome at Burning Man.

I find it odd that I have so much to say about such a simple figure, but there's more art and craft here than "we made a perfect replica of the thing in the movie." The final product feels a lot like Battle Poncho Leia from 1984, with similarly small arms and a bulky cloth garment in which she could drown. I don't know that the cloth turned out precisely as Hasbro had anticipated, but the weird mix of "accurate" and "what the heck?" makes the old figures fun. In the words of every TV judge ever, "I'll allow it." It's fine. It's not amazing. It might not be exactly what I would have done but it feels consistent with what I would expect from Kenner in or after 1983, plus or minus the head.

I think a good Retro figure is generally unconcerned with "accuracy" so much as "vibes." If it feels like what I saw in the movie, that's what matters. If it functions well, we're in business. This one comes pretty close. A lot of fans have expressed a preference for the Gary Weaver-designed Procustom Figures Leia, and you can see why. The facial details look a little younger, the sleeves are a little less poofy, and the angel wing sleeves cover her arms a bit - as they sometimes but don't always do in photos of the costume. It's actually pretty similar to Hasbro's general build with cloth bits around her arms, a ponytail, and very similar colors.

The ProCustoms figure's sleeves seem to be more of a wrap, while photos from the movie show the cloth bits more as sleeves that are not completely connected to the gown - there are vents for her pits. I assume. I don't know anything about fashion. Hasbro doesn't have these either, but they do have a figure with an exposed back so you can see her belt and ponytail, just like the movie stills. The belt and necklace both look pretty much like the movie, although not as sharp or shiny. It looks just changed enough from the movie design that you could see this getting some late-1970s reference material and a lower amount of scrutiny on approvals. The joints all move well, the hand has no problem holding Han's medal, and the design is flexible enough that she can sit in a ship. If you tug down on the wings a bit, you'll even be able to get a look a bit closer to the movie. Hasbro seemed to have a good design, but was slightly thwarted by the quality of the soft goods.

Hasbro did do a nice job with the body. Translating a dress to a figure form has been hard for them, and we've seen things like Bespin Leia's vinyl cape which is a little odd. It's of its time, and we're used to it, but maybe it could have been different. This figure opts for the split leg dress like we saw for Super7's Bride of Frankenstein with similar-but-different pleats and creases. The plastic dress has sculpted bunched-up bits on her back, so it looks more like a fabric garment hanging off of a person and not just some pixels and polygons in a dress shape. Her bust has a point under her breasts like we see in the movie too, and her silver shoes peek out from under the dress.

I don't love the face. And I don't think it's her fault. I'm guessing the layer of peachy skin paint is thick enough to wash out some details and result in a head that's just not quite right. The hair is molded in color with a separately molded braid hanging down the back, and I assume a head molded in skin color with a completely separately molded wig - like we saw for Osha Aniseya [FOTD #3,191] - might have yielded a more satisfying final product. Or not. Leia's been a tough nut to crack in pre-scanned-face days. Her face could benefit from a bit more color, which you can cheat and get with a molded skin face and you absolutely lose when you paint it. But I get it - they want it to match the adjacent torso with exposed clavicle and upper chest. No matter what, we would probably have something to complain about here... ut I wouldn't mind it if they ever went back and did a variant with flesh-molded face Leia Yavin.

The medal is a new mold, but similar to the one we got with Luke [FOTD #3,267] last year. It's the same color, and the shapes are nearly identical - but you'll see differences in a side-by-side comparison. Luke's medal has the ribbon seemingly connected to the medal part, while Leia's has separated the strap a bit from the award part. It's very subtle. Also the, erm, nipple seems to be a bit different. Luke's ribbon also seems smoother and shinier, while Leia's has a hint of additional texture. Leia's is better, and it also fits perfectly on your companion Han Solo figures.

Her beehive looks good and the braid is fine, but I think a customizer will have to glam her up a bit to prove if this is a good sculpt or not. (I think it might be.) She fell a little short of perfect, but I've got to give it to the designers - it's interesting, and it feels like something Kenner might have done. It's a worthwhile interpretation of a costume, and I'm more or less happy to have it as this wave's token main character. And I get it - you need those. Otherwise this wave is two droids who do nothing, a white guy who dies immediately, a squeaky alien, and a pilot that has a cult following and a figure that feels like it missed the point of the endeavor. Kudos to Hasbro for trying so much weird stuff. I assume most people are going to disagree but I'm going to give that oh so important rating: "good enough."

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target. For the kids in the future, Target put this set 20% off the week of August 16, 2026.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,379: September 10, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,378: Anakin Skywalker (Technically Darth Vader Maybe, The Vintage Collection)

2026-09-08T01:00:00.000-07:00

ANAKIN SKYWALKER Technically Darth Vader
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Walmart Exclusive 2-Pack
Item No.: No. G3192
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #412
Includes: Cloak, lightsaber, hilt, alternate hand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $39.99
Availability: August 2026
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: Entranced by Palpatine's promise to teach him the ways of th Sith, Anakin succumbed to the temptation of the dark side, leading the Empire's eradication of the Jedi Order.. (Taken from the cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Walmart now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: This is a good Anakin Skywalker figure, and it's the kind of thing I don't think should have been a Walmart exclusive. Yes, let's start with a tangent - it's because I think core characters should be widely available. It's a real coup for Walmart to have it, but I think there's probably a ton of business to be had selling this guy everywhere because this is one of those gateway figures for millennials. This is the kind of figure that's so good, it makes you want to start a collection (or keep it going.) To put it in a closed box, as a $40 exclusive, it's probably not going to be a good first experience for a new collector. But maybe it'll do fine, I remember the previous set being well-received enough that customers cracked the box open and swiped one of the figures inside at some stores.

Using what seems to be most if not all of the same parts from last year's Darth Vader (The Journey of Anakin Skywalker) [FOTD #3,285] plus one of Hasbro's best cloth cloaks at any scale, this is a very good figure. Let's start with that cloak - it may not be 100% a match for the movie but Hasbro made a silhouette that absolutely captured the vibes of a flat garment with a hood that partially covers his face, yet still is sewn down. That's impressive. The sleeves are just a little long - just like you like it - and the bottom kind of drags on the floor. The lightsaber hilt is not perfect. The unique nub near the emitter is the wrong shape, but it's basically an appropriate form given the small size of the accessory. It lacks the texture around the on switch, as well as the gold highlights. If it wasn't for the cloak, I'd be cranky about this. Not every single hilt has been perfect in this line, so sometimes I just shrug and hand-wave anything that would likely be covered by a figure's hand or robes. It could be better, but I'm not going to let it ruin my day because I'll never notice it in my displays.

Anakin has another hand. You've seen it before. It's a hand, it swaps out, you know the drill.

The figure's body is the same as before, and the head might be. The eyes don't have the dark dot printing, and the head has the same wig. It fits way better on the final toy than on some pictures or renders, and the face looks very good to my eyes from a reasonable distance. No photo-real head can hold up perfectly to the scrutiny of the cruel megapixels of your macro function, but I can see the eyes are nice. The lips are painted. He's got his scar over his eye. The skin color is good, and so is the texture on his Jedi garments. While Obi-Wan's felt a little plastic, Anakin's seems close to perfect thanks to his leathery elements. The cloth skirt doesn't get in the way of piloting a ship, and the boots had more texture than I expected. This figure exceeds expectations.

What could be improved in the future? Articulation. At this size there are challenges in getting the shoulders posed just-so. I'd love to be able to do more double-handed lightsaber poses, but that's tough even at 1:12 scale. (Less so at 1:6 scale.) I've mentioned before that we may be reaching the limit of what Hasbro can do at this scale without new kinds of joints (or more money), and this really does feel like the best this character can be. Right now. Who knows if someone will come up with a better idea, or if Hasbro will abandon dozens of joints in favor of swappable limbs for display/play purposes someday. I guess Hasbro could paint the soles on the boots, but would it be worth an increased charge? Not to me. But now that I put that kind of thing out there, I'm sure someone will be demanding the additional paint or features that will cause this class of figure to reach $22.99 in the next five years. And I don't know if I have the constitution for that.

My first reaction to the fifth or eighth or 20th version of a figure is to roll my eyes and look for a reason to complain. I didn't find one. I'm sure there are inaccuracies you can find if you check it against whatever reference guide shows a slightly different belt but I'm pretty happy with this one. It's been a long time since Hasbro made a new not-eyeshadowed, movie-specific version of Evil Ani and here it is. It even fits well as a basic Revenge of the Sith Anakin, but they could probably do him again with messed-up hair and sell us an Invisible Hand version. (Hasbro: please don't.) Now that we're in an area where these are less "toys" than "premium collectibles," I would say Hasbro succeeded. Get this one, unless we're 5-10 years down the road and Hasbro found some new tech to improve on it.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Walmart. It can still be easily found here.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,378: September 8, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,377: R0-M1 ( & RJ-83, Droid Factory)

2026-09-03T01:00:00.000-07:00

R0-M1 & RJ-83
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: Mini RJ-83 Droid, card, RX head
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $19.99
Availability: August 2025
Appearances: Young Jedi Adventures

Bio: All different types of droids populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors. These droids can be found in the Tenoo Jedi Temple training area. Join R0-M1 and RJ-83 on their adventures throughout the galaxy. 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: This is another weird one, because I've never actually watched Young Jedi Adventures. If we were in a year with no other stuff to watch, I'd be checking it out. There's too much variety (and too small portions) for various shows, so all I can judge R0-M1 & RJ-83 on are their own merits. And because they're separate characters, I'm going to do separate reviews. Sure, one is more of an accessory, but with a unique name and paint and articulation? That's two figures in my book.

When I saw the preview picture for the purple R0-M1, I was immediately annoyed. It was good! I am not particularly interested in the High Republic era, nor did Wookieepedia explain what this droid's deal was. All I can do is say is that they look like they could have been on "The Great Heep" and that's reason enough for me to want it. It looks good with other animated droids, and fits in some vehicles. I found it fits well in the ARC-170 and TVC Y-Wing, but doesn't fit so well in most X-Wing or Jedi Starfighter sockets.

So what do you get? A whole new droid. The dome is removable, and you can pop it on other bodies. Just know that the dome is short, so you'll see some exposed droid guts. The legs are removable, and a little wobbly. Each one has wheels, and there's a third leg socket underneath. No third leg is included, but it's nice to have hooks for future customs or other releases. The figure is mostly cast in white with purple panels. As far as I can tell, it closely matches the TV show. There's a big black eye, there are purple antennae, you even get little painted treads on the feet. But you don't get the rocket booster underneath, or the extra neck articulation implied by the picture on the cardback.

The paint is surprisingly good. There are all sorts of purple boxes, plus dark purple marks in the light purple panels. You can see various painted vents and lights, and everything seems to be pretty sharp. This is one of Disney's best decorated little robots, and odds are a lot of fans will never bother with it because it's basically an adult collectible of a preschool toy.

The figure's head has a few connection ports. You can't really put R2-D2's head on the R0-M1 socket, but you can put some very small hats or stars in the hat socket in the dome. There are also two foot pegs on the dome to place RJ-83, so that's nice.

The purple robot doesn't do much, but you get a lot of painted parts and two characters for your money. I think this is a better figure for "toy collectors" than "Star Wars collectors," because it has little purpose in the context of any movie-specific collection. The set is perfect to hang out with other droids or in the background of your shelves, and is just distinctive enough to be fun. If I were a little kid, I'd want it. If you can get it at a fair price, buy one. But also be aware it's pretty small, about 2 1/4-inches tall. This makes it about the same size as a $2.99 Blokees Defender-class figure, and those have 14 points of articulation. Star Wars collecting is not a particularly good value as hobbies go. If you want bang for your buck, check out any second-hand store or clearance depot and get yourself some Black Series at prices that would make your past self weep.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Shop Disney. It sold out very quickly, and I am beginning to wonder if they have a time limit rather than a quantity limit on these things.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,377: September 3, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,376: R4-M9 (The Retro Collection)

2026-09-01T01:00:00.000-07:00

R4-M9 Kenner Debut
The Retro Collection Target Exclusive 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. G2554
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Leg
Action Feature: Dome clicks when turned, third leg is removable
Retail: $64.99
Availability: July 2026
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Rediscover the classics with The Star Wars Retro Collection - inspired by the Kenner originals! (Stolen from the marketing copy. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Warning: I tested this figure in my 1983 Y-Wing Fighter astromech socket, and it is tight enough that you really have to pull to get it out. I recommend not putting it in a 1983 Return of the Jedi Y-Wing Fighter toy.

Commentary: When we saw the previews, we all knew R4-M9 was going to be good. As a figure, it's pretty much precisely what we all wanted - the original Kenner R2-D2 look and feel, but with a new dome and matching sticker. And we got it! But here's the thing - the monkey's paw got us. Hasbro made this figure just a little bit wider than the original R2-D2 so, like Chopper, it doesn't fit in the old Kenner astromech socket in the Y-Wing Fighter. It fits great in the Y-Wing Scout Bomber, the TVC X-Wing, and various The Clone Wars Jedi Starfighter sockets, as well as the TVC Y-Wing Fighter. But it is preposterously tight in the old Kenner toy, so don't do it.

Functionally, it's like every Kennery R2-D2 you've got. It's a round body with two legs, and a dome on top that clicks. This one doesn't have a screw under the dome, so you won't be taking it apart. Hasbro moved the foot peg holes closer to the back of the foot, as opposed to your original R2-D2 being near the middle. Functionally, it feels just like R2-D2 and R5-D4, just a little bit stiffer. It might just be that it's a new figure needing to be broken in, but Chopper wasn't quite this stiff. The actual body mold is similar, but not identical, to Retro R2-D2. Or, maybe one of the two were just assembled backward for me. I don't know.

The deco is very good, with a black disc eye and that weird puke green running from the painted dome, to the label, to the legs. It all matches nicely, and looks pretty great. Weirdly, it looks almost too good - like a 1985-ish dome was plopped on a 1978 body. It doesn't feel too out of place, to be honest, and the details on the dome are much more exaggerated and deeper than I would have expected. I don't dislike it - it makes it feel like something out of time, and it is. They even put a nifty "+"-shaped panel on top of the dome. It's pretty great, and R4-M9 feels like something that could have been from the era of EV-9D9.

Arguably the most interesting extra in the figure is a third leg. Kenner and Hasbro have riffed on these before, and you can even 3D print a real nice one for your old Kenner figures. This new one fits perfectly in Retro R2-D2 and R4-M9, with just enough friction to stay in there unless you want to pull it out. Hasbro deserves massive credit for this, as getting this sort of form fit just right is difficult and doesn't tend to happen. The third leg even fit in my old R2-D2 (Sensorscope), but it was a little bit looser. And that's OK - it's nearly 45 years old, and I don't expect it to be perfect with something made for collectors in 2026. For display purposes, it does fit. I expect a lot of collectors to seek out extra R4-M9s unless Hasbro decides to reissue R2-D2 next year with the third leg, and we all hope that they do.

I would love to give you a snarky comment here but I don't have one. Other than the chance it could go in a Y-Wing's hole and get stick - it was a million-to-one shot, doc - I really don't think there's anything Hasbro could have done better here. "Is it what you would have done, Adam?" No, and I'm glad you asked - but I think what Hasbro did is better. I would have made the entire dome smooth without the indentations or raised areas, except for a big Kenner 1978 R2-D2 circle eye that would be intentionally off-model. Hasbro's lumpy approach is way more interesting. Figures like this are more art than literal interpretation of what we see with our eyes, so I always feel they're more open to discussion and critique. Maybe it's a childhood bias, but I'd recommend you pay $65 for CZ-3 and R4-M9. "But that's a lot of money!" Yeah, but these are awesome, and I'm good for it.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target. It was on shelf, they did not fulfill my pre-order yet.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,376: September 1, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,375: Nabrun Leids (The Vintage Collection)

2026-08-27T01:00:00.000-07:00

NABRUN LEIDS New and Significantly Jointed
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch HasLab Cantina Pack-In
Item No.: No. G1302
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #HAS011
Includes: 1 tumbler, 2 blasters, 1 alternate hose
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $399.99-$499.99
Availability: September 2025
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: No one knows what the Morseerian former pilot Nabrun Leids looks like underneath his breath mask, which he must wear in all non-methane environments. He'll fly anyone or anything anywhere - if the price is suitable. (Taken from packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Won't you be, won't you be, won't you be my Nabrun Leids? Right off the bat, I was not remotely excited that this was part of the crowdfund only because The Saga Collection redeco of Nabrun Leids [FOTD #397] was so good. I get some flack for this, but my feeling is if it ain't broke don't remake it. You can get that figure - with Kabe - for under $20. The set was $7 in 2007, and while a little hard to find as a Walmart exclusive it was able to be bought at a fair price. Side-by-side, the old figure is brighter and shinier, but has less gear and significantly less articulation. A lot of us differ philosophically on what "needs" a remake. 2006 Nabrun was a 1998 mold, repainted, and the original sculpt was surprisingly "modern." The HasLab version has more wrinkles and more joints, but if you just need a cool alien in your Cantina either version will do the trick. I don't need everybody to have rocker ankles and swinging wrists, and Hasbro made the 2025 version up to the standards of their higher-priced Deluxe figures. That's good! But necessary? Well, that's up to you.

So with that out of the way, this a most excellent figure that shows Hasbro showing off. The figure's basic form is the same as the previous releases, with a few key differences. The mask straps all join up in the back of the head now. The knees are a little different. The boots are now a dark silver, rather than white. The new figure also has fewer fingers, which is more accurate to the background photography of the costume. Aside from some wrinkles, the sculpts are both very good and you won't notice the differences in the background of a dark bar diorama. But this new figure does provide you with options.

For starters, he has a glass this time. It is designed to fit in his main right hand. The hands can also hold the original figure's massive double-grip blaster, if you so choose. The smaller hands can easily hold his pistols, which look like some sort of vintage ray gun. They're great, and if they're sourced from the movie I don't recognize them. The mask hose is removable, allowing you to swap it out with a bent model. I appreciate Hasbro throwing in extra parts, but honestly I wouldn't miss any of the accessories. The bar itself is loaded with glassware, and I don't remember the blasters (or a need for a bent hose) from the movie. But there's nothing wrong with the old figure, either - it just gives you more options to have the very best.

Articulation is incredible. Each hand has a bend and swivel wrist. Each arm is as good as these figures get, with incredible leg articulation and nothing to block it. You get rocker ankles, smooth knees, and a neck that can tilt as needed. The waist is also perfect, and can pivot at the belt line. I have no notes. Everything here is right where it should be. It's above and beyond the 8 joints we got in 1998 and 2007. If Hasbro ever produces the weird landspeeders from Mos Eisley, I assume this figure will have zero problems fitting in any cockpit we could throw at it. Plus or minus the second arm pair.

There are subtle differences in the flight suit, but what's amazing is how similar they are. The patches behind the wrists are still there. The accordion textures are very similar. The belt is a bit more rounded now, but still fundamentally the same as before. Kenner of old was doing great work right up to the end of their old building, and the new one shows how to functionally improve on that for the modern collector.

When it comes to the heads, I'd say it's a toss-up as to which is better. The new one has a more weathered, more desaturated mask. That looks great! The old one is brighter. The skin textures are a little different, but both have tons of detail. A wipe on Nabrun 2007 brings it out a bit more, but the 2025 figure also looks excellent. The mask looks great on both, and the straps are only barely different. The joined cluster on the back matches the Gentle Giant mini-bust, so it's probably the most authentic take on the alien we'll ever get. I wish you could get one easily and cheaply.

If you don't have a Nabrun Leids, this is the best one. If you just need one to stand around a bar, The Saga Collection release is completely fine. Every collector has different opinions of what they need, or what's necessary, and I'm of two minds about it. When it comes to the Cantina, I need a figure to serve a function. Some sit, some stand. As long as they can do what they did in the movie, I don't need them to be perfect. This figure is perfect, and it is far better at conveying its vague indifference through body language than the previous releases. For that reason, this is probably the best choice to have getting drinks at Chalmun's.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse. I hope it shows up in the regular line, for now it's exclusive to a crowdfund that is no longer available outside the likes of eBay.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,375: August 27, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,374: R2-WRWLF (Droid Factory)

2026-08-25T01:00:00.000-07:00

R2-WRWLF Halloween Edition
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: Wolf ears
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $14.99-$17.99-$14.99
Availability: August 2026
Appearances: n/a

Bio: All different types of droids populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors. This droid can be found in teh swampy vegetation of Zanbar. Join R2-WRWLF on their adventures throughout the galaxy. 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: Hailing from the planet where Savage and Maul did some stuff, R2-WRWLF is a departure from most holiday droids. Generally, Disney do a good job to be respectful of coloring in the lines and giving you a figure that seems that it could be an in-universe paint job, plus or minus some garish flourishes or the occasional transparent or glow chassis. This one makes a big departure by giving us something that's more of a "designer figure." Given how previous droids were zombies or ghosts or pumpkins or even a vampire, it makes sense that they wanted to try something a bit different. And you know what? It works.

While not without its pricing drama (see below), it's easy to see this droid and go "you is a wahrwilf!" This figure uses the standard build-a-droid body with the non-cable feet, and adds an all-new set of wolf ears. Perhaps we'll see them again as cat ears, a "black cat" droid would make a lot of sense. The Disney designers really went to town on this one. The wolf ears have pink interiors, but the dome is surprisingly ornate. The main eye is yellow - which looks great - and adds a black pupil. Creepy! The box below it adds pink "gums" around a white box for "teeth," and even retains a red dot which can be the interior of the mouth. It's a really clever use of the space, even if it is a bit of a departure from a traditional droid. Aside from that, most of the panels are painted brown - beautiful brown.

The ears are removable, but cover one of the greeblies on top of his dome. This helps it to lock in place. Oh, and be sure to compare your figure to the cardback photos - the "torn panel" patterns changed from the card art to the figure.

The body and legs are sort of brilliant. The droid body is cast in brown put painted mostly in red with lines that look sort of like a plaid pattern, with the occasional "pocket" panel. I love this - I don't think we've ever had a plaid droid before. I'm surprised it didn't start in a Christmas robot. If you've seen the Lon Chaney Jr. classic The Wolf Man or even An American Werewolf in London, and my goodness you should see both, you know that lycanthropy results in torn clothing. Disney knows this too. The figure's right "shoulder" is exposed brown, as are a couple of back panels and one front panel. What a clever idea! I would continue with the commentary, but it sort of gets ugly as you go down - the feet are brown, but so is a third leg extending from below the figure's shirt. Maybe they should have painted the feet brown or green. The soles of the feet are painted black, with black wheels. That's unusual, but it looks good.

If you're looking for something brown, or something dandy, make sure you get this one before it gets expensive. Disney really spent some money slathering this guy in paint, and it turned out rather well. It's creative, and while it probably has no real place in any diorama you can't deny it isn't interesting. $15 isn't cheap, but the only new 3 3/4-inch action figures on the market today at a lower price are Retro Kenner guys. And you have to buy a six pack. I hope monster collectors get wind of this one, I think they're going to enjoy it as a particularly exciting monster mash-up.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Shop Disney. It was $14.99 on launch day, $17.99 a couple days later, and then $14.99 again by the next Wednesday.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,374: August 25, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,373: CZ-3 (The Retro Collection)

2026-08-20T01:00:00.000-07:00

CZ-3 Kenner Debut
The Retro Collection Target Exclusive 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. G2554
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $64.99
Availability: July 2026
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Rediscover the classics with The Star Wars Retro Collection - inspired by the Kenner originals! (Stolen from the marketing copy. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: When I first saw CZ-3 I said to myself "Hey, that's pretty good." It is rare that Hasbro makes a figure in Retro that hasn't received a previous Kenner/Hasbro release, but here's one. Disney made a CZ Series Communications Droid (White, Droid Factory) [FOTD #2,381] nearly ten years ago, but all Hasbro has made was 2007's CZ-4 - itself a very nice figure. The white, filthy business droid from Mos Eisley never got a Hasbro or Kenner figure until now. Maybe the other guys were good enough, and maybe not - I don't know you, so you'll have to tell me. I had the Disney guy standing in.

So, how is it? Great. Wedge felt like a fudged modern sculpt. Captain Antilles was very good, but felt very digital. CZ-3 feels like someone might have caught a glimpse of the previous made-for-Disney droid, since their CZ bin bots have open right hands and gripping left hands - same as this guy. The fronts of the figures are quite similar, but their backs, arms, and head shapes are a little different. The 2026 Kenner figure has almost a pin head, pointier in the back. Speaking of the back, the design is quite different from both Hasbro and Disney CZ molds. The Kenner Retro guy has fewer details, and is honestly quite unimaginative. Kenner usually concocted something neat for the back, but at least I can say the design is pretty original. CZ-3's legs look like those of Kenner C-3PO but feature a lot of changes. For starters, the ribbing behind the knees are smoothed out, like the Disney figure. The raised lines over C-3PO's shins are smoothed out on CZ, and CZ has a single line running up the front of the thigh as opposed to the doubles on C-3PO. (And as we all know, triples is best.) The backs of the legs have changed up designs, and the feet are different too. I think a lot of fans would have been happy with a reuse of C-3PO legs, but Hasbro went and made something that felt the same but looks different. Good for them, I really like that decision.

The deco is different from previous figures as well as the costume from the movie. It's giving me a sense of a designer that probably worked from some reference, and some memory. It's good at capturing the vibes of the design, while getting it a little wrong. That's how Kenner did it, although not on purpose. The grey outline around the chest is pure nonsense, and the unpainted limbs seem very much like a Kenner move. (Heck, it's still a modern Mattel move.) The pointy coverings of the lower arms around the elbow are smoothed out, and the long nose somehow feels even longer - I like it. Hasbro also declined to paint the eyes, instead just sculpting in a dot and letting light do its thing. This was common in 3 3/4-inch Mego figures of the 1970s, go take a look at Mork from Ork or The Motion Picture Spock if you have them handy. I'll wait.

A departure from most Kenner-style droids who aren't Zuckuss or HK-87, this protocol-adjacent droid has one hand that can hold an accessory. I handed him Retro Wedge's blaster, and I was surprised to find out CZ-3's hand has a better grip than Wedge. Or Han. I have no reason for this guy to hold anything, ever, but I guess it's good to know Hasbro can make a good Kenner droid hand if they want. Nicely done.

I have nothing snarky to say here and little to criticize. I will buy another boxed set (or two, or three) for more of this guy. If it hits clearance, I will buy a few. All the joints move well and it feels pretty good. It's not hard ABS (I think) plastic like C-3PO, the Death Star Droid, or FX-7, but the PVC (again, I think) feels just fine. I wish he had a hint more of a slouch to his posture, but Hasbro really delivered the goods here. It's fun putting him in ships and playsets, and it looks cool. I like it, and I'll likely buy another one or two (sets.)

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,373: August 20, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,372: Geonosian Picador (The Vintage Collection)

2026-08-18T01:00:00.000-07:00

GEONOSIAN PICADOR with Orray
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Vehicle Pack-In Figure
Item No.: No. G2769
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #411
Includes: Pike, Orray, plugs for orray, reins, stand, wagon
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $79.99
Availability: July 2026
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: Geonosians use orrays - sturday quadrupeds native to the rocky planet - as mounts for the picadors in the execution arena, as well as to pull carts carrying condemned prisoners. (Taken from the cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: It's great to finally have this Orray & Geonosian Picador set. It's also a little late. Attack of the Clones came out in 2002, so this beast hit 26 years later. To put it in perspective, the long-delayed Bantha first got made by Kenner in the summer of 1998... only 21 years after the original movie had been in theaters. Prequel kids have been either much more patient or indifferent than the Gen X-ers, so now they get to pony up $80 for what is an admittedly very good - and over-engineered - display piece. It's very good, it's original, and most importantly it's packed with new stuff you didn't buy when the movie was still new. That is such a rarity that I think it's actually worth holding your nose and getting your credit card without waiting for a sale. I doubt we're going to get a lot of never-before-made stuff next year.

So what's in the set? It's versatile, and it's this year's "playset." It's an item designed to be bought more than once for display reasons, and it became apparent as I was setting it up. The orray creature has a saddle plus little plastic plugs in his side, which you can pull out to connect the reins. This means you should probably buy one of these guys to be pulling the cart, and a second one so that the Geonosian may ride him and the cart can be overturned in a display. Heck, you can probably buy more if you want. Like Mos Eisley and the Tantive IV, this set was very clearly intended for repeated purchase. The cart is good, but noting special. The orray is superior to the Mattel Jurassic World toys by a fair bit, but also you're being charged accordingly. It's the same size as the baby stegosaurus mold from a few years ago. The creature has loads of joints and deco, but is sized similarly to the $13 toys in Mattel's line. If this were made at 2009 levels of Hasbro articulation, I assume this set would probably be $40 - but we are in an era where the goal seems to be to give the fan the very best, most expensive offering possible. Everything has tons of extra detailing and joints. If you love that sort of thing, you're going to love this. If you're on a budget, you're probably mad.

The carded Geonosian Picador figure inside comes on a card, with the biggest blister in The Vintage Collection. The giant spear covers almost the entire box for the photo, and probably makes a pretty good case for Hasbro to try a new 3 3/4-inch packaging style after nearly a decade so we can get some other kinds of accessories. The ones released with the movie had sticks or blasters, but I think they were lacking this specific lengthy stick. It's distinctive, so if you have an army of these guys it'll stand out.

The figure itself surprised me. It's not a figure that shares parts with Poggle the Lesser [FOTD #3,342]. Both seem to share elements from a CAD file ancestor, but nearly every piece is significantly altered with added (or removed) armor plus different carapace detailing. Poggle has a lot more spikes and bumps, and this picador is a bit more smoothed out. Functionally, they're pretty much the same with joints in the same places. The range of movement will not surprise you, but perhaps the hands will. Poggle's are larger, with fingers outstretched for gesturing or holding his cane. This picador grips either the pike or the reins tightly, to the point where I would say it might be challenging to get them gripping.

The level of detail on the figure is pretty great, with the green bug bits being texturally similar to the others in the line with flexible gold armor so nobody loses an eye. This one stands out because the back of the armor has various jewels and tassels. Perhaps the significance of the blue gem or various rings and bars are known to you, but I may have forgotten with time. Maybe they just look cool! I appreciate that they made this guy look different than the four-pack at Hasbro Pulse. The quality is there. Hasbro did a nice job, and if you just want more bugs you can skip this set and get four in the cheaper army pack.

I found getting the orray on the cart fairly easy, but contorting this nicely jointed Geonosian to fit in the seat was tough. I worry it might distort the plastic limbs over time, so I'll probably display him nearby either seated on the creature or standing until/unless I buy a second one. (Unlikely at $80.) I'm sure anyone that worked on this is rolling their eyes at my price-related comments, but you do get a sense of sticker shock when a very good $20 figure is in an $80 box with a floating boat and dinosaur of sorts. At $60 I'd say "this is pretty great." There's so much paint, articulation, and detail on everything in the set that you can get why they are asking $80, and I assume only a sliver of that has to do with our current fun with international trade. It's also the first completely new mold we've had for an Attack of the Clones vehicle or creature in over a decade, and I appreciate that we actually got something that isn't another remake. If you're a prequel collector, go buy this, it's great. If you love creatures and vehicles, it's very cool. If you want it to be 2002 and this to be $25 with a roaring sound box, well, maybe they'll try a "retro" thing for the prequels by going back to 1990s-2000s aesthetics some day. (This won't happen.)

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,372: August 18, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,371: BDX Droid (Green with Cresh symbol, Droid Factory, Boxed)

2026-08-13T01:00:00.000-07:00

BDX DROID Green Cresh
Star Wars Droid Depot
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: 3 other droids
Action Feature: Hatless - I repeat, hatless
Retail: ~~$49.99~~ $59.99
Availability: May 2026
Appearances: The Mandalorian and Grogu and theme parks

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 were featured in Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu. 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 time for me to look at the green BDX Droid. I checked my order to make sure I wasn't in error - but when I got this set back in May, it was $49.99. Disney Store increased the price to $59.99 at some point before or on August 1. For a fairly expensive, repetitive boxed set based on a movie most fans skipped? That's a curious thing to do. Target and Walmart have marked down most of their movie window The Mandalorian and Grogu toys, and there haven't been any reasons that I would guess to justify a sudden 20% price hike. It's not like there's a new low free shipping deal to counter, or some great coupon. As such, I'll spoil the ending and say "don't pay $60, wait for a deal or skip it."

At $12.50 a pop, these guys had some zing. eBay sellers are getting $10-$12 per on opened up sets, which is a bad sign. Typically, a figure from a boxed set commands a price at least slightly higher than its share of the boxed set. There are even complete sets selling for as little as $36 delivered. It feels weird to steer you to eBay rather than the original source, but we are in an amazing era where it's kind of hard to deny that a lot of these items are a bit overpriced.

Part of the reason for that may be profits. Disney did a good job making sure a tiny figure that could have gotten away with three joints had considerably more. Each leg is jointed at the knee, ankle, and hip. The neck is jointed to swivel and bend in two spots. That's 10 joints on a little guy and I don't think fans are going to give Disney credit for it since this isn't a figure that needs a lot of dynamic action poses. Since I assume we'll never see another of this theme park droid/cameo as a toy, it's good that Disney maxed out the feature set on the first drop so you can have them walk around your Rebel ships and pilots. And by that, I mean your old ones, because Hasbro avoided 3 3/4-inch ones this year.

The vaguely Tomy-flavored little robot has a couple of antenna and a hole for a hat or star or other accessory. There are even small holes for a stand. How thoughtful! The paint is perfectly fine for a Disney exclusive, with bright green stripes and a Cresh letter (C) on the side of the body. The eyes are painted, there are some decorated vents, and even the bottom of the feet got some black paint. They didn't skimp on deco, but what my theory presupposes, maybe they should have. A simpler 4-pack at $30 might have sold out, or maybe Disney knew this would be a struggle and decided to get as much as they could from a smaller potential customer base. Theme park fanatics know these guys from walking around and seeing or interacting with them, while the rest of us probably are unfamiliar with them outside their movie cameo. While I love a good droid cameo, this guy isn't 75% as good as one of Hasbro's increasingly impressive and robust The Vintage Collection offerings.

I assume theme park fans will get more juice out of these than Star Wars collectors. There doesn't seem to be much interest in building out a 3 3/4-inch Republic Base, so these guys will likely have to be adopted by another display or one of your many boxes or drawers. If the set didn't just happen to coincide with pre-orders and a free shipping offer, I likely would have skipped it. They're good enough that I would not say "avoid," but I'm finding I might have been happier to keep the fifty (now sixty) bucks.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney Store's web site. It did not sell out.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,371: August 13, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,370: Captain Antilles (The Retro Collection)

2026-08-11T01:00:00.000-07:00

CAPTAIN ANTILLES Kenner Debut
The Retro Collection Target Exclusive 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. G2554
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: DL-17 blaster pistol
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $64.99
Availability: July 2026
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Rediscover the classics with The Star Wars Retro Collection - inspired by the Kenner originals! (Stolen from the marketing copy. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: The more I go through these figures, I can't help but wonder if the sculpts would be more interesting (read: Kenner authentic) if you assigned them to a sculptor that is mostly working from memory. Accuracy is not necessarily the name of the game for these guys, and Captain Antilles has a figure that's pretty accurate and feels pretty retro. I was expecting a tweaked 2025 Rebel Fleet Trooper [FOTD #3,260] and I'm glad to say Hasbro gave us a new, improved, and refined design. I should note that has more or less the same blue Rebel blaster, which is fine by me.

If a figure makes me smile, it's a good one - and this one did. I noticed some dramatic improvements in how the details were cut, with deeper folds and exaggerated pockets and fabric layers giving it a level of detail that gets closer to the original Kenner figures. I particularly like the boots and pants, and it's worth noting the face - being painted, not molded - does a good job of highlighting the smile lines around the mouth. If the light hits him just right, you'll see tiny bags under his eyes and a weary expression that works well with the faux-Kenner eyes. The personality won me over here, with details like that added shell layer seemingly being added to the CAD file... unlike last time. I assume someone out there is expecting me to be angry about the lack of chin strap. Since the Death Squad Commander didn't have one, I don't much miss that particular detail. Colors are good, and textures more or less match what I would expect from someone who clearly referenced the movie.

He might be a little too good in spots. The five blue dots are painted, a detail Kenner just plain fudged Hoth Luke and the Rebel Commander. I assume Kenner would have sculpted the dots, or ignored them and made up a new badge, but not painted them. I also assume fans would complain if they didn't paint them, so really, nobody is going to be happy here. The position of the coat cuts on the legs more or less line up with the Rebel Commander. I find the pose to be a little uninspired - usually Kenner sneaks in an interesting arm or subtle ankle bend - but I think it passed the "vibes" test. The legs have a hint of a bend at the knee, and the folds in the pants look real good. Pick him up, stick him in that Tantive IV mini-rig you 3D printed, and he delivers the goods. They painted the black stripes on his pants, as we saw on most Han Solo figures from the old days, which makes for a pretty decent deco experience.

Articulation is standard, but well-engineered. The head on my sample moves with just the right amount of resistance, the arms move with no problems, and the legs? Oh ho ho, the legs! He has a squared-off butt, but when he sits everything lines up right. This is a hard detail for some retro figures to get right, so I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. He'll go great in that Kenner Blockade Runner that you don't have because there isn't one.

Nitpicks? Sure. I would have preferred sculpted rank dots, and it would be nice if the sculptor used his hands and a blade rather than/in addition to the computer. The outfit's pockets and creases are a little too perfect. A pal of mine (who I would love to get on the horn again) told me that you can "cheat" the process by taking a blade to the finished digital sculpt to add some imperfections and asymmetry, so that's my unsolicited annoying thing to suggest to Hasbro for next time. Just muck it up a little bit, make a "mistake" or four and the eye will probably buy that somebody sculpted this out of some putty before sending it to the factory. I can't tell if Hasbro did this with his helmet - it's a little "off" in a way that feels very realistic. I like the helmet and this figure a lot more than last year's Rebel Fleet Trooper.

The helmet seems to be a separate mold from the head, and the face is painted. That's probably more work than Kenner would have done, but the results are pretty good. I'd rather have both molded in color, but that's not what Kenner would have done either. By having the mold in plastic, it's likely to show less wear and tear over time thanks to the helmet likely causing a buffer from the nose getting dinged up during play. (But who am I kidding? No child is ever going to play with this figure.)

Captain Antilles and Yavin Leia were the two figures I was preparing to dislike... but I like this one. (I haven't opened Leia as of my writing this.) I admit that, as a kid, I never once thought about wanting this character because Vader can't hold him up and he doesn't do anything other than die. As an adult, I'm glad to have him walking around with my troopers. I appreciate Hasbro expanding the 1977 movie's Kenner cast by a dozen new characters and/or costumes over the past eight years. If you subtract the 35-figure overlap from the Kenner and Retro eras, this line is around 189 different figures. That's a lot of figures.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target. I am seeing more of this set in Target stores than any of their previous Retro exclusives, and that's just in the first week of availability. I'd recommend buying at least one at regular price to show 'em we still care.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,370: August 11, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,369: Obi-Wan Kenobi (Utapau The Vintage Collection)

2026-08-06T01:00:00.000-07:00

OBI-WAN KENOBI (Utapau)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Walmart Exclusive 2-Pack
Item No.: No. G3191
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #398
Includes: Cloak, lightsaber, hilt, alternat hand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $39.99
Availability: March 2026
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: On the planet Utapau, General Obi-Wan Kenobi faced General Grievous and his four imposing lightsabers. Upon defeating Grievous, he escaped in the warlord's Stafighter. (Taken from the cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Walmart now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I got this Obi-Wan Kenobi (Utapau) in March and didn't open it until the end of July, in part because of the classic "I don't know where I'm going to put it" and "I was happy with the ones I have. The portrait of Ewan MaGregor looks better than previous Revenge of the Sith releases, no doubt. Sometimes by the time I'm ready to open a figure I'll be more excited by it but in this case, I'm not. It isn't bad, but it's another lateral release. It's great for fans who don't have an Episode III Kenobi, and on a technical level the articulation and head sculpt are the very best. But I'm not remotely disappointed in my old Kenobi figures, and there aren't enough new playsets or vehicles (or any) that I think could benefit from having an improved version of the Jedi Master.

It's easy to pose this figure and the articulation skeleton is excellent, but it's disappointing to see less exaggeration in his plastic textiles and the aforementioned knee issue. Is it a deal-breaker? No, not really. But in this era of endless figure remakes, I think it's fair to say fans expect and deserve figures that are improvements with no downsides. Each "replacement" figure should be superior across the board. It's very good, to be sure, but with no new accessory or action feature I would say it's essential to new collectors and worth a peek for the old guard. That head sculpt is eerily good, but the old figure's body sculpt is still pretty satisfying.

Compared to the Star Wars The Vintage Collection Obi-Wan Kenobi (Attack of the Clones) 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure, which has eyes like some sort of demon, this figure is an absolute dream. The plastic wig fits perfectly, the beard is painted cleanly and trimmed well. The eyes have visible whites on them, and he has just enough weariness around his painted eyes that you immediately know who he is. Maybe Hasbro will make a better one some day, or change the hair color to be 10% more realistic, but I don't know that it's necessary. They did good.

The previous The Vintage Collection Kenobi from 2010 was just The Saga Collection figure from 2006 with a higher price and two fewer accessories, as is the way. The head was great for its time, but it's a little puffier and more toy-like by modern standards. Id on't dislike it. The costume, on the other hand, seems better. It had the limitations of its day with no cloth soft goods and no rocker ankles, but you could still move it in most of the same places. Sure, this new one has optional swappable hands to lose and can sit more easily thanks to the cloth skirt robes, and the paint on the belt is better. But the texture of the 2006 robes is much richer, and the 2026 figure's legs are strange. His pants cover his boots, which I suppose is fine but there's a weird cut for the ring if you ever let the figure sit down. Even if Hasbro painted the articulation ring, it would still look weird in some poses. It's just a poor engineering choice and an inappropriate place to joint the figure. Maybe someone was new on the team, or they felt the location was more important than the aesthetics, but I don't agree on that design choice. It's kind of amazing to have good articulation and an amazing portrait, but a body that feels like a few steps back. Especially at a higher price, and even more especially because Hasbro already has an Attack of the Clones reuse of the body planned for later this year.

But how are the accessories? The robe has the same problem as other recent releases, with the hood sewn down. I dislike that. The lightsaber looks good, with decent painted detail and defined sculpted ridges. Both the hilt and the full lightsaber look good and are better than most previous releases, if not all, and the hilt plugs smoothly in the belt. They did a great job making sure the peg and the hole were the right size. I realize that may sound insincere, but it's not - some of these things are a real pain to get in there. Swapping hands also proved to be painless, which is good, I was expecting a fight with the peg hanging in for dear life.

I would say this is a great figure for carded collectors. Openers, you're going to have some complaints. As a display piece it's pretty good. If his cloth robes cover the body, you might not notice the knees being a little odd, or the shirt looking a little lifeless. I love the detail in the hair, and I can't complain a bit about the face. Hasbro has improved their work on human heads just so much in the past 10 years that I must know to whom they sacrificed a first-born to achieve these skills. I assume it was a Rumpelstiltskin.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Walmart. It can still be easily found here.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,369: August 6, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,368: Vendor Droid (Silver, Droid Factory)

2026-08-04T01:00:00.000-07:00

VENDOR DROID Silver
Star Tours Droid Factory Customizable Figure
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney?
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Removable limbs
Retail: $12.95
Availability: April 2017
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: A vendor droid, also known as a shopkeeper droid, was a type of droid assigned to sell merchandise. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I've had a few of these for a while, but haven't reviewed them - but I hear parts bins are supposedly making the rounds again in some parks. So let's check out the Silver Vendor Droid, or Shop Droid, or whatever the cool kids are calling them. Is there some reason to bring it up now, to showcase it, is it appearing in something, somewhere? No. It's just a build-a-droid, made from a parts bin, and it's more of a souvenir than a part of this complete ~~breakfast~~ action figure collection. My pal Shannon put it together for me since he's able to go to Disney more than I am. (I think I was last at a theme park in 2016?)

It's funny calling anything obscure in the age of the internet, but the Disney droids made of parts from bins with no names are somewhat difficult to identify and how many were "manufactured" by fans is hard to know. Given that Disney allowed fans to create what they will, these are likely some of the rarest mass-produced droids in the entire history of Star Wars collecting. Aside from Vlix.

While neat, I increasingly find that I don't know what to do with some of the droids. The Vintage Collection lacks open-ended playsets or new environments, and we've never really gotten shop or street playsets of note. As such, this guy is just sort of taking up space - but he's pretty cool. This particular configuration uses CZ-style arms, a Shop Droid head, a C-3PO body, and C-3PO legs. The end result is pretty decent, especially since the right shoulder has some blue metallic silver paint on it. It's a subtle accent, but it gives the figure a sense of having been repaired.

He's got standard articulation for one of the Disney droids, with swivel wrists and jointed ankles. It's kind of funny to think that the body is riffing on what was more or less standard for Hasbro's build-a-droid releases in 2008, and here we are 18 years later with some of these molds still in rotation... without a price drop. If you look back to the 2000s and earlier, old molds usually gave us cheaper toys too - that doesn't seem to happen anymore. At the time, $13 for a single droid was still kind of expensive but not horrible for a theme park souvenir. Given how hard these are to get outside the parks, you'll probably pay considerably more for a junker made of random parts, and good luck to you if you can find something cohesive. I like this droid because I generally like droids, but the yellow eyes and blue scanner do little to really add zing to a pretty bland gray/silver chassis. It is a perfectly fine robot, but nothing about it is likely to stand out in a pool of over 3,000 Star Wars action figures in an era where there's no single complete tome of reference allowing any collector to see them all in one place.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney Hollywood Studios. Thanks Shannon!

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,368: August 4, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,367: Wedge Antilles (The Retro Collection)

2026-07-30T01:00:00.000-07:00

WEDGE ANTILLES Kenner Debut
The Retro Collection Target Exclusive 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. G2554
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: DL-44 blaster pistol
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $64.99
Availability: July 2026
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Rediscover the classics with The Star Wars Retro Collection - inspired by the Kenner originals! (Stolen from the marketing copy. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Originality is the art of concealing your source, and something seemed off about Wedge Antilles right away. I don't love this one. It looked familiar - but not like the 1979 X-Wing Luke or the 2020 Snowspeeder Luke [FOTD #2,698]. When I went into my ship room to see how Wedge fit in X-Wings and Y-Wings (just perfectly, even with the bulky helmet) I walked by my 2015 Saga Legends X-Wing Luke [FOTD #2,123], and there it was. Hasbro ripped off their own modern sculpt, rather than ripping off their previous real and faux retro sculpts. It certainly looks as if the sculptor cheated on the assignment for this one.

When I see this figure out of the corner of my eye, it reminds me of 1998 Biggs Darklighter - it's just not a first-gen flavored sculpt but it absolutely is very functional, can use his gear, and fit in old ships perfectly. It is a good toy figure, even if it does not look like a legitimate 1980s toy figure. I think they did a better job capturing the vibes with Snowspeeder Luke. If Wedge's sculpted torso detail was toned down a bit I could buy this 2026 Wedge as something that might have come out around 1984. Having said that, it feels amazing - the legs and arms swing perfectly, and the butt area isn't weirdly squared-off like some retro figures. It isn't a perfect Kenner figure sculpt, but I really do appreciate how it feels in my hands.

Wedge has very short arms, with fingers that more or less stop at the bottom of the torso. The level of vest and chest detail is much higher than any Kenner-era (or previous Retro) pilot figure, with many more vest ribs anything of that era. The torso doesn't really match the limbs stylistically - the level of detail on the boots, pants, arms, and gloves is much lower but generally in line with most of the best of Hasbro's retro modern figures. They're just very short. It's also worth noting that Wedge's helmet fits perfectly on that 2015 Luke - and vice-versa. I wouldn't be at all surprised if this sculptor used the CAD files for Luke as a starting point for Wedge, and just sort of didn't finish refining it.

Wedge retains details Kenner-era pilots lacked. While they did edit out the pockets on his pants, he does have the code tubes and shoulder pockets, same as 2015 Saga Legends Luke. Wedge has the same dube, the same basic straps (pushed up a bit on the legs, but same on the torso), plus the same tube on the lower left of the body. The chest computer has many of the same switches and buttons, just fudged a bit or moved slightly. He even has that often-ignored buckle on the back of his vest, same as 2015 Pilot Luke - the Kenner and Retro ones didn't have that.

Deco is more 1990s and 2000s than 1980s or 1970s. The previous Kenner/Retro pilots had black, not gray, chest computers and straps with white leg straps. The A-Wing and B-Wing pilots eschewed painting the leg straps completely, and if Hasbro's going for a 1980s vibe I wish they did that here too. The head sculpt is good in the "1980s removable helmet pinhead" sense, so no notes there. It was painted well, and sculpted appropriately. Painting the gloves made sense, but all of Hasbro's 1980s Rebel Pilots had bare hands - no gloves. Wedge feels more like a 1990s or 2015 figure, sculpted by someone who was probably on a deadline and painted by someone who didn't look at the previous four Rebel Pilots in this style. I don't think it's asking a lot for someone to look at Google and ask "how did they do this in the olden times?"

Wedge has two sensible accessories. The helmet was painted with an appropriate level of detail, including a yellow visor and some big green stripes on top - this is the right choice. I would have been happy if they cut out the visor, and I find the shape of the helmet odd. X-Wing and Snowspeeder Luke figures had helmets that bent inward toward the neck, while Wedge's flares out. It doesn't match and it looks too big for his head. The blaster is interesting. Cast in Kenner blue, it's a completely new digital sculpt with an appropriate level of detail. The lines on the grip are a little higher, and the cuts on the scope, the barrel, and the greeblies all seem to be a better depth. They're sharper, not as fuzzy or rounded as the scanned-in blasters of previous figures. Having said that, it's a little undercooked. One side of the blaster body is missing detail found in Kenner/Retro blasters, and the grip lines seem unfinished - like they should extend a bit more. I would have liked the area in front of the trigger to be more squared-off like the prop, but that's just a matter of taste really. As a new design, inspired by the old design, it's pretty neat. Nobody's going to be fooled into thinking this is the original.

If this were the first sculpt from the 2019 reboot, I'd grouse "it's a good first attempt, let's see how they do later." Last year's new figures were generally better, although the Rebel Fleet Trooper and Luke grew on me a bit. I'll be curious to see if Wedge does, but as first impressions go I would say a) Hasbro tried too hard, and b) Kenner was not beyond reusing molds when it suited them. In this case I think I would've preferred the Luke body with a new head, or at least this body with the Luke-style of deco.

Packaging Notes: I would say the 2026 packaging is easily the best packaging of The Retro Collection's entire eight year run to date. The front of the cards lack the faux weathering, and now feature a low-tack sticker that you can remove easily and apply to your phone case. I would give the card fronts an A+ in terms of template revisions and execution. Sure, you have the choke warning and yes, now you have the obnoxious 4+ circle for age rating, but that's not going away until they stop making multi-lingual packaging. The back of the packaging is as likely as good as it gets. Over half tof th cardback is hideous, multi-lingual legalese - which I wish they could just leave on the box as the figures are not labeled for individual sale - but you do get a 1979-style 3x2 figure grid showing the wave. That's a plus! I hope they do something similar next year to showcase multiple items. I love an upsell, but if you've bought everything in one set it is a little less useful. Charming, sure.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target. It was on shelf, they did not fulfill my pre-order yet.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,367: July 30, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,366: Battle Droid (Right side of tray, The Vintage Collection)

2026-07-28T01:00:00.000-07:00

BATTLE DROID (Geonosis, far right)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. F9259
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, backpack, antenna, 2 slightly different red droids and 1 Super Battle Droid with gear
Action Feature: Blaster
Retail: $67.99
Availability: July 2026
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: Battle droids, also known as combat droids, war droids,[2] clankers, droid soldiers, or battle bots, were a type of droid designed for combat. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I love a nice surprise. This is one of three barely different Battle Droid figures in a four-pack with an all-new Super Battle Droid. I appreciate there was some subtle variety, but I particularly appreciate that this figure is not identical to the 2022 Battle Droid [FOTD #2,913] from Walmart's "Clone Wars" (no "The") collection. Not only is it a different shade of red, the hands and feet had some changes.

Looking at my review of the previous red droid, Hasbro listened. The same plain basic droid is a new shade of red, with some silver enhancements painted on the arsm, ribs, and metal antenna on the backpacks. On this particular robot, Hasbro added some excrutiatingly subtle silver weathering on its right neck collar area and around the right area of its torso. It has to catch enough light just-so, or you won't even notice it's there. I wish Hasbro could have amped it up or left it off, but it's appreciated. The backpack has similar weathering, also on its right side. There are also black blast marks over the vents of the backpack, and some on the front of the figure's torso too. Check out the right thigh and a unique rusty drip coming from the nipple - the pattern is different on each droid in the set. Hasbro could have put them all out with the same (or no) weathering and while I would probably complain, I certainly would understand why they didn't go all-out. But they did! There are some black enhancements to the eyes too, but they're so small you might miss them.

Hasbro was not content to use the same body as last time. A few parts may be derived from similar CAD files or tools, but the legs are new. The arms are new. The chest seems to be new. I can tell because we have things like bend-and-swivel wrists, swivel knees, and what seem to be attempts at rocking ankles. I can't get the ankles to move much from side to side, but the pins are much more subtle and that can be said of the arms, too. Hasbro getting more movement out of one of the skinniest figures in the line is quite impressive. He can mostly fold up and crouch, but I found the telescoping neck will cause the head to bump into the backpack.

Both the head and the backpack were knocked off when I tried to do this. (He works fine with the OOM antenna, though.) At least he can get pretty close, though. I was particularly pleased at the range of motion given to the shoulders thanks to its ball-and-socket construction, which lets him get a few decent blaster poses when combined with the wrists. Hasbro did a generally excellent job here, and we're probably approaching the limits of what you can do with joints on very thin limbs. Swappable arms might be a way around this, or slug figures specifically meant to crouch and only to crouch.

The one accessory that I think could have knocked this set out of the park would have been a single C-3PO head to swap out on one of the droid bodies. Maybe next time. What we do get is an unpainted black blaster and silver-antenna'ed backpacks. They fit nicely, even if they sometimes get in the way of some poses. It's a pretty decent load-out given what we saw in the Geonosis arena in 2002.

While I'd be lying if I said the prospect of a new Battle Droid in 2026 was something I was excited to see, I can say it's an improvement over the ones I had at home already. It's nice to see them fit in wrist articulation, and I appreciate the attempt at the tilting ankles. I had a hard time getting this figure to balance in a lot of poses, but at least he can stand on a shelf. If you're on the fence, I'd nudge you to give this set a shot. It's slightly cheaper than four carded figures, which is nice to have in this economy.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,366: July 28, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,365: Night Trooper (Gray Jaw, The Vintage Collection)

2026-07-23T01:00:00.000-07:00

NIGHT TROOPER Gray Jaw
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. F9259
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: Blaster
Retail: $54.99
Availability: July 2024
Appearances: Ahsoka

Bio: The Night Troopers were stormtroopers who served Grand Admiral Thrawn during his exile on the extragalactic planet Peridea, comprising the majority of his forces. (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: As I finish up reviewing the many (many) figures around my desk, which will never end, let's look at the third Night Trooper from 2024. This one has a gray jaw with a lot of red wrappings, and is the only trooper in the set to have an unwrapped chest. (Well, other than Enoch.) It's funny looking back on the set - and show - with a tinge of "Maybe George Lucas was right." In the 1990s, we got a lot of stories in comics and in video games, plus a few novels - there were no TV shows and only one single new movie. By keeping things tight, fans were always left wanting more and we were really never left wanting for a new monthly or bimonthly adventure of some sort since 1991. There was really no reason to compare the new stories to the old stuff, because the medium was different. Shadows of the Empire delighted a lot of new fans on their own terms, on a Nintendo 64 or PC, or at the book store, or comic shop. You could have a new story, and not have to worry too much about a budget or the potential of changing anyone's opinion on a legacy.

Ahsoka season one wrapped three years ago in October, and left me kind of cold. I liked the concepts, I liked the costume, I liked the toys. But Thrawn may be a better character for the page, and I can't help but think I might have had more fun swinging lightsabers at an Xbox or doing some sort of Jedi training under Ahsoka. As a passive observer we got an incomplete story, and it will have been nearly four years between seasons. The entire sequel trilogy wrapped in four years, and I may be alone in saying that while I appreciated visiting with Mon Mothma, C-3PO, Sabine, and of course Ahsoka, I get the same kind of warm fuzzies from a toy or a comic. No matter how good the show is, it makes more homework for new fans and Star Wars managed to do a lot with its coursework of three (or six) movies in terms of cultivating a massive, hungry fanbase.

But, like I said, we got some cool costumes. Hasbro mixed and matched its "mummy" Stormtrooper parts and pieces in this set, and it's a pity Enoch ate a slot - otherwise I might've bought a second to swap parts between figures. This one has a distinctive white helmet with gray jaw, plus lots of gold filler. The red wrapping exists on every limb, but not the upper torso. Some subtle red wrap exists above his belt, on both shins, on both forearms, on the upper left arm, and of course the upper right thigh. Hasbro did a nice job giving us an army builder set where no two figures are the exact same mold - but enough parts are mixed and matched that it's effectively two figures in unique configurations. I bet they could sell slightly different versions again, were they so inclined. The red wrap is nicely painted, and the gold looks good. I hope it lasts for the ages as some gold painted figures sort of molds with age, or at least, that's what I saw in Fisher-Price Adventure People's space lines.

This figure uses the same basic mold we've been getting for roughly a decade. It's the best super-articulated Stormtrooper we've had to date, with better bending elbows and crisp details - but it also has those older-style hip joints and I still hate those. They're bad for getting figures to sit, but they hold up well in a diorama. Which is more important? Well, I don't hear stories of kids buying figures and vehicles these days, so we're probably throttling what would've been a potential market with how the adult crew prefers things. Comparing this older mold to newer figures from competitors in the American market, Hasbro's figures are generally superior. (I can't speak to Hiya, I haven't been buying theirs.) I really love Mattel's daffy Jurassic World creations, but they're a little puffier. But, they're also cheaper and have great hip joints and wonderful vehicle compatibility. You can't have it all, I suppose.

I really like this set. Now that we're post-tariffs (I hope) it's worth noting that this is a good deal on the secondary market, often selling under $45 for four figures. Unless you demand cardbacks, this is actually a really good deal in the modern marketplace. I'd recommend picking one up this year before the show comes back and makes people go "Oh, I should buy that." That was how I did things in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and it worked nicely for me.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth. But they're sold out, so use the Amazon sponsored link.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,365: July 23, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,164: Tig Fromm (Droids cartoon)

2026-07-21T01:00:00.000-07:00

TIG FROMM The One, The Only
Droids Basic Figure
Item No.: Asst. 71760 No. 71830
Manufacturer: Kenner
Number: n/a
Includes: Collector coin, baton
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $3.79
Availability: ca. Fall 1985
Appearances: Star Wars: Droids

Bio: The leader of an underworld gang of thugs and cutthroats who prey on the weak and helpless of INGO. (Taken from the packaging. The cartoons had bios.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I was feeling uninspired, so I decided to review an actual pre-1990s figure for a change. I got Tig Fromm from a toy dealer in 1991 (hi Ron) because, at the time, nobody really wanted the cartoon-original figures from Droids. Anyone from the Star Wars movies was a big deal, but people weren't excited by Sise Fromm or Tig or Jord or Kea - but they'd pay a princely sum for Boba Fett or an A-Wing Pilot. I saw Tig at Kay-Bee Toys in the 1980s when they had pegs of unsold figures, but as a child with zero allowance it was hard to convince my parents to get me the weird alien gangster since he wasn't in the movies they saw. I even saw this guy a couple of years later at the Horton Plaza Kay-Bee in San Diego, but I was after R2-D2, C-3PO, Logray, and Wicket - and I found Logray (and Klaatu) on that trip. The Droids and Ewoks figures were somewhat hard to find, I bought every single one carded for a couple of bucks because opened ones weren't even available - people still were hard at work getting rid of these guys. Well, bully for me I guess. Older fans didn't watch the cartoon, but I did - and that's why I have him today.

I didn't play with him a whole heck of a lot, but he did spend time in the Side Gunner. The figure included the same staff you got with 2-1B, and is one of two Tigs I would see near show business. (The other being Tig Notaro, who I had the fortune of seeing host Comedy Death Ray when I lived in Los Angeles.) This guy was a gangster, but he was actually more of a tech bro. His whole thing was robots and engineering, designing machines to do the dirty work while he put together a weapons satellite that was expensive because it was made of teensy-weensy little components. As a character, this guy was a mix of stock bad guy and evidence of some real visionary work on the part of the writers, who clearly understood that the future was in technology and automation before most people even had a computer at home. Tig was a bit of a weasel, but so was Starscream and people can't stop writing about his imagined exploits.

His sculpt was pretty fantastic - especially for 1985. Kenner's quality for humanoids was all over the map, with fat and thick necks on some characters and basically a turtleneck for the evil green Steve Jobs here. Each hand has a thumb and three fingers, with a suit that looks like it's out of some Jean Giraud art. (Actually, the whole Droids cartoon feels like a big tribute to the works of the late Moebius.) Comparing the figure to the artwork, it's a pretty good match with puffy shoulders, a big collar, a distinctive belt, bizarre toed shoes, and a few signs of what seem to be cybernetic enhancements. Tig has them, Vlix and Sise do not. Did I mention this guy was bullied by Vlix? Yeah, this is the guy who was bullied by Vlix, and a big reason why Vlix was so memorable on the show. I love the deep grooves carved in the outfit, exaggerating the belts and vests so old eyes don't have to squint. I got this guy as a child, so I never once gave that any thought - I just appreciated the fact I had another awesome alien to play with in an era where Star Wars seemed like it would be dead forever.

The sides of his head aren't a perfect match for the show. His unpainted cybernetic tabs over his cheeks look similar to what should be above his ears, but aren't. There are some odd unpainted vent-like details there instead, hinting at another character model used to inspire the toy sculpt... or maybe someone just made it up because it looked cool. The colors aren't a perfect match for his animation cel, as Tig-the-figure lacks any of the red seen in his cart art. Kenner's figure's eyes were painted a little strangely, with extra green under the peepers. He could have benefitted from a couple of black dots to bring out his eyes. There are no sculpted (or painted) red cheek dots to indicate anger/rage, but at least there's a lot here you could work from in order. If this guy were still worthless, I'd probably buy a second one to repaint it - but he's not worthless. The amount of money people spend for him today - north of $500 - is what I expected I'd some day have to pay for Vlix, given the chance. That hasn't worked out so well for me, and I'd be hesitant to recommend you spend $500 on one of Kenner's very last alien Star Wars action figures from the original era. He's one of my very favorites, and he stood up well to age.

For a five-jointed figure, the sculptor did a dynamite job. His left leg has a knee bent slightly, so it looks like he could be shifting his weight from one side to the other - Hasbro doesn't do this with their "retro" figures very often. The right hand is posed to grip an accessory, but the left is turned a bit so you can pretend he's typing at a computer or working the controls on a ship. The wide mouth is a bit of an exaggeration, but it looks pretty close to his frown on the show. I think it gets the point across - this is the bad guy.

You won't find a figure with sleeves quite this puffy from the 1980s, I'll tell you that. While sadly no longer priced as an impulse purchase, you can get one for the price of one of the more expensive game consoles. I'd love to see Hasbro reissue this guy, and if they do I'd love to recommend they cash in by doing a two-pack with "toy colors" and "cartoon colors." (I'm good for it.) I don't know if a ton of people are dying to own this guy, but he got captured by Boba Fett - that has to make him more than a little interesting to fans of the oldest-school Star Wars stories. To my knowledge this character has not had a second action figure - although there are certainly fans working in the industry who have been making requests for the past couple of decades.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Ron at a toy/collectible round-up in 1991. Thanks Ron, I owe you/I blame you for enabling me.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,364: July 21, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,363: Chopper (C1-10P in Mining Facility Disguise, Droid Factory)

2026-07-16T01:00:00.000-07:00

CHOPPER (C1-10P in Mining Facility Disguise)
Star Wars Droid Depot
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: Collector card, RX-01 torso
Action Feature: Pulls apart, jointed arms, opening front repair arm
Retail: $19.99
Availability: April 2026
Appearances: n/a

Bio: All different types of droids populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors. This droid can be found aboard freighter 2716 in Faos station. Join Chopper on his adventures throughout the galaxy! May the Force be with you... and your Droids! (Taken from the packaging.) (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: While I will of course grouse about the price, as I must play the hits, I also quite like Chopper (C1-10P in Mining Facility Disguise). It's an existing mold, in a color I pretty much forgot about, despite remembering a lot from the "In the Name of the Rebellion" episodes. He's in part 2, and unlike the Imperial disguise I didn't remember the normally orange Chopper's yellow makeover until I saw the figure. I've seen this color scheme on other toys, as it looks a lot like various caution signs and an old Imaginext robot I had on hand. He has a yellow body with black and gray highlights, making the figure look like a completely new droid. If Disney wants to give me bright new colors on a mold that make it look different from my other droids, I'm going to be a lot more chipper about wasting $33 or so to ship one to my house.

The markings all match closely. The orange on the sides of the dome are actually lights, not just an orange stripe, so that doesn't look quite right - but everything else is pretty much on the mark. You don't get panel lines, but at least the sculpted panels look pretty good and I guess you could add your own grime wipe if you're the kind of person who still has the time and drive to customize your toys. I'm leaving it pristine.

There's a lot of extra paint on this one. Not only is the top of his dome silver, but the little dish has painted black panels on top. We haven't seen that on other Chopper figures. It's distinctive, making this the kind of figure you could have in a background on a shelf or in a playset to mix things up a bit.

Construction is the same as the other Disney Chopper figures, with jointed dome-arms, ankles, a rotating wheel leg, plus that pop-out claw arm. If you've bought another one, you know what to expect. Joints are generally tight, with a dome that swivels more easily than some other astromechs. I especially appreciate the black wheels. You'll probably never bother to look at them, but they pop nicely.

The figure includes the core body for RX-01, which I assume you will build out between now and December. He takes up about 1/3 of the figure's bubble. The cardback on my sample was thicker, but with some of the worst non-bootleg printing I've seen in a while. The text appears more fuzzy than usual, perhaps it's a color alignment issue. Even the portrait on the front looked a little rough.

If you're a Chopper completist, this is a decent one. It appears on an actual episode, and it brings us the mold in new colors. That's about as good as one can expect these days. I wouldn't recommend it at premium eBay pricing, but it's charming enough and different enough to warrant blowing a few bucks.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney Store's web site. It took a while to sell through.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,363: July 16, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,362: Zeb Orrelios (New Republic Pilot, The Vintage Collection)

2026-07-14T01:00:00.000-07:00

ZEB ORRELIOS (New Republic Pilot)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Deluxe Action Figure
Item No.: No. G2766
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #400
Includes: Bo-rifle (pole mode), Bo-rifle (blaster mode)
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $27.99
Availability: July 2026
Appearances: The Mandalorian and Grogu

Bio: The Mandalorian and his young apprentice Grogu embark on a thrilling adventure as they travel the galaxy. (Taken from the figure's cardback. At some point I hope Hasbro realizes the space for bios that say nothing may be better used for other purposes.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: "Is it worth it?" is a question I should probably stop addressing, because on the whole the answer is "not really." Is Zeb Orrelios (New Republic Pilot) good? Yes. Does he have a great sculpt and good articulation? Absolutely. Does he have as much stuff in the box as previous Zeb figures at a lower price, including 6-inch scale ones? No.

Hasbro's engineering is, without a doubt, excellent. I assume at this point they get some sort of digital model from Disney consumer products and turn it over to a vendor to slice up the design, insert some joints, and budget out what paint and accessories you get. There's really little reason for anything to look any less than "very good," especially at current inflated price increases, so you'll be glad to know that the elbows have an exceptional range of movement so he can touch his own face. Or double-grip the bo-rifle, which is not a euphemism. The joints on this Zeb are all very similar to the previous cartoony models from The Vintage Collection with slightly more subtle settings and generally improved ranges of motion. Functionally, we're better off with one of the best mid-torso joints ever hidden by his flight vest. I assume Hasbro had more time to design these guys, given how far in advance this movie was shot and mostly completed.

Historically, some of the all-digital characters were a little off-model for their first action figures from the films. Boss Nass was weird. Jar Jar's personality was wrong. Several of the first Geonosians were based on their nude alien maquettes rather than the digital armored model in the movies. Zeb avoids those indignities with a blue flight suit and a white flight vest that seems like it could have been a leftover asset from the sequel trilogy. He has a Rebel/Resistance symbol on his chest, plus very subtle upside-down Aurebesh text reading "PULL TO INFLATE." Sensible! The quilted white vest feels much softer in texture and detail than many other figures, lacking the exaggerated cuts we got in the old days. It's probably truer to the reality of being a 1:18 scale replica of a digital model, but those who know things realize a lot of action figures have oversized heads or other exaggerated details to bring out memorable features. For being a digital purple giant cat man, it's odd to say "it's more realistic" but it's certainly truer to the films.

His face is incredible. The eyes are shiny, the lips are painted and parted slightly, and depending on the lighting you might see his teeth peek out from behind a smirk. He has his beard and other hair, with hints of furry arms and painted toenails. His fingers and toes are pinker - a bit exaggerated, and that's good - and all of the textures seem a little less shaggy than his Rebels figures from this collection. He feels more alive and colorful, with gear that's a little less impressive. You get two bo-rifles, and each one has two paint applications - the grips, and little rings. It's not as impressive as the wraps in the TV-specific ones, which had energy bits that this figure also lacks. I'm sure there's some accounting reason (tariffs, oil, Q3 EBITDA) that are why they left out the extra goods but this doesn't feel like a particularly "deluxe" release. It's good - but there used to be something more to a figure, like hands and extra gear, that warranted the price. Being tall isn't "deluxe" if we get Chewbacca or a Dark Trooper as a basic figure.

Price aside, this is a good figure. If it existed for $19.99, you'd go "Oh, this has the same articulation as a regular guy and looks like a happy guy." If he goes on sale, I'd strongly recommend it. At $28 he's not terrible, just not impressive or visibly worth the $8 mark-up. As the first live-action Zeb, Hasbro nailed it. This is good, because I don't have it in me to pay another $28 for version 2.0.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth

.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,362: July 14, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,361: R4-6D0 (Droid Factory)

2026-07-09T01:00:00.000-07:00

R4-6D0 3 3/4-Inch Debut
Star Wars Droid Depot
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: Collector card, TC-332 right leg
Action Feature: Pulls apart
Retail: $19.99
Availability: April 2026
Appearances: n/a

Bio: All different types of droids populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors. This droid can be found in the office of the Magistrate of Nevarro. Join R4-6D0 on their adventures throughout the galaxy! May the Force be with you... and your Droids! (Taken from the packaging.) (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Expensive and maddeningly fast to sell out, R4-6D0 is nothing if not actually worth the effort. Given the build-a-droid collection was a mix of reruns and something new, this is actually new enough to make you go "oh, that was actually kind of nice." Assuming, of course, you were able to get it for around $20. At $40, I can't say it's a tour de force so much as a very good redeco of a decent mold, with the foot cables, that actually appeared on the show. These are decent reasons to want this figure which, again, is obnoxiously scarce. For large droid fans Hasbro made a The Black Series version for Walmart, if you need it.

You've seen this mold and bought it (or passed on it) dozens of times, so why buy it in white, with red legs, and peach panels? The boxes are a little different, and the colors are unique. You'll notice the dome has many silver outlines unique to this droid, plus red and black boxes painted on the sides. The orange panels on top look great, and the red ring around the base looks good too. While you may have orange or red droids, you don't have this one - and that's a nice change of pace. And it's a good match for the show!

The same is true for the body. The panels are colored in, but differently. There's a panel on his right that splits the peach color with red - a unique design I haven't seen elsewhere. There's a series of white stripes on the center foot, partially painted orange - that's new! The red legs have orange panels, and the side panels on the body have white stripes within them. I didn't think we'd see original panel designs. There's not much else I can say other than "if I'm going to have dozens of R4s, at least I got one that doesn't look like all the rest."

If this were a basic figure you could get in stores for $20, I'd say "good enough." The bonus droid parts are nice - if frustrating - because you're unlikely to be able to complete the set unless you've already got them, or if money is a non-issue. $120ish for 6 droids plus a bonus seventh isn't the worst deal, but it would be nice if they were all original and if you could combine shipping charges. Such is life. I'm not upset I bought the set but I don't know how Round Two will go. I guess we're going to find out as the months go on.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney Store's web site. It sold out instantly, I got it on a brief restock window of availability.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,361: July 9, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,360: Guard Droid (with STAP, ActionVerse)

2026-07-07T01:00:00.000-07:00

GUARD DROID & Mercenary STAP
ActionVerse Target Exclusive Vehicle
Item No.: Asst. E7763 No. F9798
Number: n/a
Includes: 2-part green display base, cape, STAP vehicle, two red rockets
Action Feature: Blaster fits in holster
Retail: $21.99
Availability: April 2024
Appearances: The Mandalorian and Grogu

Bio: B-1 series mercenary sentry droids were a variant of B1-series battle droid that existed in the galaxy by the early New Republic Era. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Not planned for the 3 3/4-inch collector lines (as far as I know), this Guard Droid was something I saw at Target and planned to skip. Heck, the whole line is something I planned to skip because I wasn't in the mood for yet another new scale... but I'll buy a clearance vehicle for 66.66% off. This is a particularly interesting piece in light of the history of this toy line, because back in 1998 we got an Episode I sneak preview STAP with Battle Droid and it was $19.99. It was similarly jointed, and that was 28 years ago. If you're wondering if there's a collector tax of sorts, wonder no more - but that "tax" is also what happens when your toys stop being toys. If Hasbro made a 3 3/4-inch version of this same exact vehicle with movie-accurate bodily proportions at the very same price, I'd be screaming from the rooftops about how you should buy it, until they hauled me away.

Hasbro's figures-for-adults have exceeded their mandate, and fan tastes are a little too fancy for the price points they want. At $21.99, this whole set is $2 more than a 3 3/4-inch The Vintage Collection figure. It really does raise the question of "what are wrist and ankle joints worth to you?" The Guard Droid lacks ankle or wrist joints, but everything else is really good. The ball-jointed neck is perfect. The shoulders, hips, knees, and elbows all bend and swivel. He even has a very nice plastic cape - other than the beefy proportions I think most fans of all ages would be generally happy to have a 3 3/4-inch figure of this quality. I just don't want another (most likely temporary) scale in my collection, but I can't deny Hasbro did a nice job painting the blue, rusty, and brown parts that give us a surprisingly ornate kiddo action figure for the asking price. It isn't a perfect match for the movie, but it's not bad at all. For the money, I'm generally impressed. It's good enough, but I also don't agree with the general sense of fans demanding everything be a tiny prop replica with every detail that's perfect, and money is no object. The head is a little wide, and it's all a little silly - but it evokes the vibe from the movie.

While there's no handheld blaster in the box, Hasbro instead gives you a full-blown vehicle and a stand that's also a micro playset. Grogu can hide in the side of the 2-piece green display base, effectively giving him a little cave in a tree. That's a great, clever idea on Hasbro's part. The STAP plugs in the base nicely, and if you have any trouble you can pop it apart to remove it. There's a peg and a hole to keep it upright. Will it snap off? I have no idea, I'm old and not going to snap it. The ship itself is made out of a great hard plastic and has two firing rocket launchers. Each launcher is activated by its own unique button, so you can pick which one goes off. The red fireblasts look bright and shiny, making them easier to find in the carpet than a brown rocket. Unless, of course, your carpeting is covered in fresh blood or berries. If either of those things are happening, get the appropriate help. Our Guard Droid friend has no problems reaching the foot pedals and the handlebars, making this an absolutely ideal example of Hasbro making a toy with figure/vehicle compatibility that works without flaw.

If I bought this set at full price, particularly in this economy, I would tell you it's very good and Hasbro's changes to the STAP & Battle Droid format work well even after their cost-cutting. By changing scale, Hasbro made something I think a lot of fans have no reason to consider or even look at despite the fact their engineers cooked up a really solid-feeling toy that is a heck of a lot more fun than more expensive items on the toy aisle. For those of you who like toys, I'd strongly recommend picking it up on sale. I'll probably pick up other vehicles (and maybe figures) as they hit sale shelves. I'm a big supporter of buying what you like at full price, but I didn't want this scale because it doesn't fit in well with any of the many toy lines I collect. It's a great one-off, though, and Hasbro's toy designers should be proud that they managed to deliver a toy concept from the 1990s at the same price and same quality given all the production and freight challenges they face in 2026.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target. It was on clearance for $6.59.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,360: July 7, 2026