Slave I - OTC - Vehicles (Exclusive)

The elliptical silhouette of the Slave I is the last thing any fugitive would want to see on his or her rear sensor display. The Slave I's sophisticated anti-detection gear and stealth package ensure that very few fugitives ever see their captor coming. The vessel is armed with numerous laser cannons, as well as concealed projectile launchers. The battle-worn vessel was originally owned and piloted by Jango Fett, who passed on his impressive skills to his son, Boba. Shortly after the Battle of Hoth, Boba Fett pilots the Slave I in pursuit of the Millennium Falcon, successfully tracking the fighter from the Anoat system to Bespin.

2004 was the year for collectors. Sure, everything that Hasbro made up until that point was in one fashion or another designed for collectors as well, but The Original Trilogy Collection focused on delivering us Original Trilogy based products in vintage Kenner styled packaging, and that was the icing on the cake and the thing that sealed the deal for the hardcore people. The Original Trilogy Collection was such a clever invention. Hasbro produced very little new for the lineup. They were rushed. Due to a last minute announcement by Lucasfilm Ltd. that the Original Trilogy would finally be coming to DVD, they instructed all licensees to create product that would focus around this exciting event. Hasbro quickly canned the Star Wars “Saga” line and figures that were planned for future waves were held back for their introduction into The Original Trilogy Collection line look. No less than seven all-new or nearly all-new sculpts of characters from The Empire Strikes Back saw release in this all-new and collector friendly packaging. And the vehicle releases were even more exciting. Hasbro dusted off some of the earliest Kenner sculpts, revisited them and provided collectors with incredible exclusives and companion figures that made the year even more exciting than it was. TARGET was lucky enough to secure the Slave I and for longtime collectors it’s really an all-new release. Let’s list the ways that makes it have a status of new.

Technically, Slave I is based on 2002’s SW [S - P1] Jango Fett’s Slave I. Obviously the vehicle has been completely repainted in the color scheme of Boba Fett’s ship in The Empire Strikes Back, but Hasbro also retooled the vehicle to make it as Original Trilogy focused as possible. For this release also, the sonic charges action feature has been completely removed. But in its place extra armory/weaponry has been added instead. Hasbro did an admirable job of ensuring that this release of the Slave I was Episode V specific, and a lot of that success must be attributed to the paint operations. Although a little too colorful for our liking, the detail is impressive and the color palette is quite beautiful. Even the underside of the vehicle has a rusted appearance and the details added to the turbo blasters give it a realistic presence straight out of the film. Some features like the missile launcher and missile storage has been carried forward. That’s alright though because it gives extra play value for the kids and that is never a bad thing. Sadly, the Slave I is terribly out of scale, and since the side panel can’t be removed with this sculpt, the vehicle has a claustrophobic feel to it. The cockpit opens up and everything, but where does Boba Fett go or do in the Slave I when he isn’t piloting it. With this release that will have to remain a mystery. Visually, the vehicle is appealing but that’s about the vehicle’s greatest attributes. (It really does look nice.)

Hasbro graciously packed in a nice Boba Fett figure to accompany the Slave I vehicle. They took 2000’s POTJ Boba Fett (300th Figure) and forgot to add the missile. There were reports of some Slave I vehicles being shipped with a complete Boba Fett figure, but to date no images have surfaced corroborating this claim. It’s our assumption that all were released incompletely. Anyway, Hasbro did mail replacements to those who didn't receive theirs and you can see the replacement prt in our photo gallery. The figure is essentially identical to the original release, but there are a few paint operations that are slightly different as well. As a bonus, Boba Fett fits into the cockpit very nicely. There is nothing worse that when a pack-in figure is unable to pilot his/her vehicle. Overall, we’re quite happy with how the Slave I turned out. It’s a great vehicle and until Hasbro updates the vehicle into a larger and more accurate scale, this may rank as one of their better efforts. It’s not perfect, and those who grew up with the original Kenner line may be disappointed that the vehicle doesn’t open up to reveal its interior… or come with a Han Solo in carbonite figure, but for the most part this figure is going to garner praise for its very nice paint job. No matter how you slice it, it’s an appropriate release for a commemorative line like The Original Trilogy Collection and it’s a great exclusive for those looking for a new version of the Slave I. And at $29.99, you really can’t complain because you get a retooled vehicle, a pack-in figure and a beautiful vehicle thanks to a wonderful deco.