JTA Presents: Evolutions - Wedge Antilles (X-wing Pilot)

Welcome to another one of our JTA Presents: Evolutions features! Let’s check out how close or far we are from having an ideal Hasbro 3.75″ Wedge Antilles (X-wing Pilot) action figure. Have we arrived at definitive status yet? Weigh in and let us know what conclusion you’ll come to by clicking through and adding your two cents in the comments!

It surprised collectors for years how long Kenner/Hasbro ignored Wedge Antilles for the basic figure line. It wasn’t until The Vintage Collection that Wedge Antilles had his first basic figure release: 16 years after the modern line relaunched. Sure, there were the occasional exclusive figures or pack-in figures, but Wedge Antilles didn’t get the much-deserved slot of a basic figure until 2011 (and even that figure was delayed so Hasbro could update the head sculpt and do right by the character). Collectors still aren’t too sure if we have the definitive version of him yet, but we wonder how long it will be until Hasbro decides to make a brand new one.

COMING SOON: Wedge Antilles from 1999’s POTF2 [FB/CT] Rebel Pilots Cinema Scenes set.

Wedge Antilles from 2005’s The Original Trilogy Collection line.

The second real version of Wedge Antilles (X-wing Pilot) was released as 2005 internet exclusive and came in The Original Trilogy Collection packaging. Based on the previous year’s Dutch Vander (Gold Leader) (Battle Of Yavin) (’04 #13) figure from the Star Wars “Saga” line, Wedge Antilles didn’t come with optimal movement or a perfect likeness for that matter. Still, collectors were so excited to see a basic figure version of him (in vintage Kenner inspired packaging no less), and he sold very well across the internet. Sadly, this Wedge Antilles figure quickly aged, and thankfully Hasbro worked up a new version of him but as a pack-in figure.

Wedge Antilles from 2009’s Legacy Collection Wedge Antilles’ X-wing Starfighter TARGET exclusive set.

The next Wedge Antilles (X-wing Pilot) figure is part of the Legacy Collection and was released in Wedge Antilles X-wing Starfighter TARGET exclusive. It came with an, at the time, unnamed astromech droid and the ladders from a Star Wars “Saga” canceled Accessory Set from years ago. The figure is super-articulated and has a fair likeness to the onscreen actor. But as with most exclusives, collectors waited for clearance, and then this set simply disappeared out of the blue. Today, collectors pay a premium to secure this multipack for their collections. And many collectors feel the pack-in figures make it worth it.

Wedge Antilles (VC28) from 2011’s The Vintage Collection line.

Hasbro’s original goal was to take the pack-in figure from the TARGET exclusive Legacy Collection set and simply repack it for The Vintage Collection. But as they reflected on how they “treated” this character in the basic figure line, they opted to tool an all-new head instead to make it the best version of the character to date. This retooling resulted in a significant delay and Wedge Antilles didn’t make it into the first ten case assortments for wave 3. Hasbro finally released the 11th remixed case assortment in early 2011 which finally featured the new Wedge Antilles figure. It’s our best version to date, but is it definitive?

Wedge Antilles (X-wing Pilot) Group Shot

Questions for discussion:

1. In your opinion, do we have a definitive version of this figure?

2. If we don’t have a definitive version of this figure, should Hasbro tool a new figure from the ground up again, or should they tweak a current sculpt to perfect it instead?

3. If the figure ranks as definitive for you, do you want to see it repackaged in vintage Kenner packaging (The Vintage Collection) if it isn’t already?

4. Add any other points of note or interest in the comments about any of these versions of Wedge Antilles (X-wing Pilot) action figures.

Editor’s Note: I missed the Wedge Antilles figure from the POTF2 [FB/CT] Rebel Pilots Cinema Scenes set. Once I have a chance to add that figure I will edit this post. Please keep this figure in mind when discussing. Thank you!

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