Luke Skywalker - OTC - Basic (OTC #06)

The Rebel hero Luke Skywalker learns the ways of the Jedi from two wise teachers, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda. They train Luke to use the power of the Force to help him in his battles against Darth Vader. He learns how to control a lightsaber, the legendary weapon of the Jedi Knights. With his new abilities, Luke helps the Rebel Alliance win their fight to stop the evil Empire.

Hasbro had to wrap the Star Wars “Saga” line up much more quickly than anticipated. They had to gear up for development of The Original Trilogy Collection to prepare for the commemoration of the Star Wars Original Trilogy getting released on DVD for the very first time. Hasbro took the task very seriously and created some of the most unique products to date with collectors getting considered first. As a result, The Original Trilogy Collection exceeded expectations which forced Hasbro to rethink case assortments ratios, delay some waves and reconfigure distribution to get more figures out to meet the demand. It also gave them the opportunity to refine some older sculpts to make them as modern as possible. And lastly, it gave many well-sculpted figures a second chance at retail whose lifespan had to be cut short to make room for the OTC line. Luke Skywalker was one of these examples. And it was with good reason he was rereleased again so closely to his original tenure as a basic figure.

Originally released as 2004’s SW Luke Skywalker (Jabba’s Palace) (‘04 #04) figure, Luke Skywalker arrives again to collectors with little to no changes. There are absolutely some minor variances in the paint operations, but it’s not really enough to warrant it as a change. You may also feel that the soft-goods material is slightly different that the original release too. Luke Skywalker comes with literally the same exact accessories as the original edition. A wonderfully cut soft-goods cloak come with a fully lit green-bladed lightsaber and a skiff guard blaster. Luke Skywalker also comes with a dark gray action figure display stand which works well in aiding him to attain some impressive poses if you’re so inclined. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this figure is its fair likeness to the onscreen character coupled with its healthy dose of articulation. It’s just that the articulation isn’t premium in any way.

Aside from hinge-jointed knees, Luke Skywalker comes with complete swivel articulation. While these points of articulation are unobtrusive and in general rather clean, they’re very inhibiting to how expressively you can pose the action figure. Think about it. The swivel shoulders and swivel elbows are the most limiting points. Arms need a full range of motion to make them look believable, but Luke Skywalker always looks like his arms are glued to his side. The hinge-jointed knees are appreciated, but what good will they do when they only provide one plane of movement and are to be complemented by swivel hips and swivel boots? There just isn’t a whole lot that can be done with Luke Skywalker, so you’ll probably find that he serves your collection best on display, for which he looks rather fantastic. The saving grace, like all of The Original Trilogy Collection figures, is the packaging. So you may find the way to add him to your collection optimally is by getting one carded. It’s your choice.