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The Vintage Collection: The Ninety Six - THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK Imperial TIE Fighter Pilot
Welcome to another entry in our The Vintage Collection: The Ninety Six column. Hasbro recently committed to collectors that they will be “focusing” on characters in The Vintage Collection that fall under “The Ninety Six” banner. If you’re new to this, it means that there needs a modern counterpart for every classic Kenner figure. Between 2020 and 2021, Hasbro’s made an admirable effort by focusing on these characters. But there is more work to be done, and we’ll figure out where we are step by step. Today we assess Imperial TIE Fighter Pilot.
Just a few notes: We’re right in alignment with Hasbro in our vintage Kenner database with the count. There are 21 figures under the STAR WARS banner, 29 figures under THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK banner, 31 figures under the RETURN OF THE JEDI banner, and 15 figures under THE POWER OF THE FORCE banner. (Sy Snootles, Max Rebo, Droopy McCool, and Blue Snaggletooth bring the number to an even 100 figures.)
Read our assessment, and then please add your thoughts to the comments. Let us know if you agree or disagree. If you’re a customizer, show us your custom definitive figure in the comments as well! Who knows? It might give Hasbro some ideas.
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK Imperial TIE Fighter Pilot
Is there a definitive modern counterpart to 1982’s ESB Imperial TIE Fighter Pilot?
2011’s/2021’s TVC TIE Fighter Pilot (VC65) is generally regarded as the closest placeholder.
Has Hasbro added this character’s card art and action figure into THE VINTAGE COLLECTION? And is it definitive?
Yes, but no. Collectors generally agree that we need a new figure and a different entertainment logo before calling this definitive.
Does THE VINTAGE COLLECTION release completely satisfy the modern counterpart to 1982’s THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK Imperial TIE Fighter Pilot figure?
No. Hasbro initially released 2011’s THE VINTAGE COLLECTION TIE Fighter Pilot (VC65) on a RETURN OF THE JEDI card becuse of the RETURN OF THE JEDI/REVENGE OF THE JEDI promotion at that time. When Hasbro re-released the figure in 2021, they kept the RETURN OF THE JEDI entertainment logo. Interetsingly, they changed the figure (making it a different character altogether). But we still need a TIE Fighter Pilot, preferably with an all-black uniform (without any silver helmet detail) on a THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK card to meet the definition of The Ninety Six.
If Hasbro didn’t release the figure yet, do we have a near-definitive or definitive release of this character that can be added to THE VINTAGE COLLECTION as a straight repack, repaint, or with little retooling to update it?
THE LEGACY COLLECTION/LEGACY COLLECTION EVOLUTIONS TIE Fighter Pilot tooling is now obsolete. Hasbro shouldn’t have even released the VC65 figure in 2021 because of how terribly outdated it is.
What does Hasbro have to do so we can check off “Imperial TIE Fighter Pilot” from our Vintage Vs. Modern checklists?
Because of their cluelessness, it’s unlikely Hasbro will ever correct what needs to be corrected to get out a definitive Imperial TIE Fighter Pilot in THE VINTAGE COLLECTION collecting community. What we have in our collections now is probably all we are going to receive at this point.
The year and years elapsed (through 2021) since we last had this character in classic Kenner-styled packaging (vintage or modern)?
2011’s/2021’s TVC TIE Fighter Pilot VC65). 10 years/0 years ago (Return Of The Jedi variant)
2011’s/ TVC TIE Fighter Pilot (VC65). 10 years ago (Revenge Of The Jedi variant)
1982’s ESB Imperial TIE Fighter Pilot. 39 years ago
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Related Links
3.75-inch Super-Articulated Galactic Empire Hasbro Imperial TIE Fighter Pilot Kenner Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back The Empire Strikes Back TIE Fighter Pilot TIE Pilot
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