Luke Skywalker - Jumbo Vintage Kenner Figures

Is it an accurate assessment to refer to 1978’s Luke Skywalker as Star Wars action figure numero uno? He made his appearance along with three other classic figure in the Early Bird set, so technically he was part of a quartet for the first flight of the Star Wars line, but he always seems to appear first in listings and he was the first action figure in many of our collections when we were all young fans. Luke Skywalker is indeed the quintessential character from Star Wars and also the Star Wars character with the most action figures based on his likeness between Hasbro and Kenner. It goes without saying that the original Luke Skywalker figure would become of the first for the Jumbo Vintage Kenner Figures line by Gentle Giant Ltd. It’s just like you remember him but he’s only bigger this time around. The Jumbo Vintage Kenner Figures line is for a select group of collectors, but there is no denying the nostalgia they inspire or the homage that they pay to collectors. (Why must they be so expensive!?)

Luke Skywalker comes in an enlarged and frankly disproportionate version of the original packaging we grew up with as kids. We appreciate the efforts they’ve made to try and replicate the classic packaging (and they have clearly tried to bring many of the elements forward), but the large size 1:6 scaled interpretation of the action figure would require the card back to be much larger than it actually is. They compromised to make it as authentic as possible. But could you imagine paying even more than we do now in shipping costs for an even greater oversized card back? It just wouldn’t be feasible. But all of the important parts are here: silver and black background with the classic Luke and Leia in the top right and the color blocked name plate and background for the action figure. The whole packaging experience brings back some truly wonderful memories. It’s quite stirring. Luke Skywalker looks excellent in the packaging, but if you open these figures, it’s not going to mean that much to you.

But what about the Luke Skywalker action figure? Well, it’s completely reminiscent of the action figure we had as kids. It comes with five functional points of articulation that have full movement. Luke also comes with his incorrectly colored yellow lightsaber blade. The telescoping functionality works like a charm although it is a tad too loose at certain angles and slides out sometimes unassisted. The paint job is excellent. All of the colors have been wonderfully copied. We would have liked to see Gentle Giant Ltd. make a running change with brown hair. After all, that is the rarer version to locate in the modern collecting area and it’s more screen accurate than the banana yellow colored paint used on the first (and most common) versions. Luke Skywalker has been quite popular at the retail level and most stores and online shops quickly sold out of him. As a result, the overpriced aftermarket is your only bet to secure him. But we think he’s worth it!