Luke Skywalker (Bespin Fatigues) - TSC - Vintage

Celebrate the legendary Star Wars films that changed the universe forever, with The Saga Collection. This collection brings to life the incredible story of good versus evil that captured our imagination and took us to a galaxy far, far away. The finest re-creations of the iconic Star Wars heroes and villains are back with incredible detail and premium features to commemorate each epic tale in the Star Wars saga. And, as a tribute to the dedication of Star Wars fans everywhere, we are re-releasing elements of the original packaging that harken back to the creation of Star Wars action figures, which began over 25 years ago with the Original Trilogy. May the Force be with you!

Hasbro unequivocally saved the best for last when it came to their exceptional vintage-styled figures. In 2004, Hasbro introduced the “vintage-styled” line to the Star Wars collecting community, and collectors received it with thunderous applause. The first batch gave us twelve core Star Wars characters, four from each film, with impressive likenesses and excellent articulation. Not all of the figures from 2004 hold up as well as they did at their release, but it was a great start of even better things to come. Hasbro gave the line rest in 2005 to focus their efforts in marketing the final Star Wars film, Revenge Of The Sith, and where they developed their popular Evolutions line, another premium action figure line. But little did collectors know that something exciting was cooking on the back burner during this time as well. After Revenge Of The Sith, Hasbro brought back the “vintage-styled” action figure line for 2006’s The Saga Collection. More than a year after Hasbro released the vintage-styled 2006 figures, they treated us to a second (and better) wave. At the time, we were well on our way enjoying the 30th Anniversary of Star Wars with the 30 (77-07) line, but Hasbro still had products to yet release in The Saga Collection to close it out. Most of the second wave figures are from The Empire Strikes Back, and collectors were chomping at the bit to grab them all. The figures are remarkable (with few exceptions). Surprisingly, some collectors were disappointed with the character selections. We were shocked to hear some of the whispers that fans didn’t need to see another Bossk (Bounty Hunter) or Han Solo (Hoth Gear), for example. These vintage-styled updates to the line were nothing short of incredible, and we still consider them some of our favorites today.

Luke Skywalker (Bespin Fatigues) was another release part of a 2007 Ultimate Galactic Hunt promotion for an exclusive set of seven coins housed in a lovely custom display box, called the 2007 Vintage Coin Set. Hasbro believed that coins would be a nice tie-in since they released them during the height of the 30 (77-07) line. They packed the coins in a premium box. But how does the figure fare? Luke Skywalker (Bespin Fatigues) was one of the vintage-styled figures that didn’t deliver as well as the rest. It’s a bittersweet release. Still, while this figure may not be the definitive version of this character in this outfit, it’s indeed the best for now until he gets revisited. (Editor’s Note: An all-new Luke Skywalker (Bespin Fatigues) (VC04) was released in August 2010 as part of The Vintage Collection, and it trounces all other previous releases!) Luke Skywalker comes with 23 points of articulation. But you’d likely be surprised that with all this potential movement that the figure isn’t as flexible as collectors had hoped. The figure naturally wants to lean back (and subsequently fall backward) and to try to get his ankles to move and stay in a position to counteract this is quite the chore. The head sculpt is doesn’t look like Mark Hamill at all. It appears they were going for a battle-damaged look here, but it fails. This action figure looks depressed instead. We are surprised that Lucasfilm, Ltd. allowed this portrait to pass the final stages. You know this is Luke because of the outfit, but don’t expect to recognize this action figure as Luke by the head sculpt alone. We find this a shame because they are so many tools out there that Hasbro could have used. The good news is that it has a ball-jointed head, so you should find one that suits this figure’s needs much better. Hasbro designed a functioning holster that both function well and stores the weapon nicely and also lays flush against the figure’s body.

Hasbro sculpted the outfit/fatigues brilliantly, but something went mildly awry with the paint job. Rather than have dirt (and grease) smears on them, Luke Skywalker appears to have speckled moss from Dagobah instead. You don’t see them at first glance, but upon further inspection, you realize that this may not have been the best final touches for this figure. And what’s more perplexing are the varying levels of green you will find on the different samples of this figure. We have found many with substantial green amounts, and then we have seen just as many examples with little to no green. Something didn’t run smoothly at the factory level, it seems. It is possible to find a sample with a decent paint job if you look for one. Luke Skywalker comes modestly accessorized with both a lit blue lightsaber and a BlasTech DL-44 heavy blaster pistol. It mimics the 1980 ESB Luke Skywalker (Bespin Fatigues) vintage Kenner figure nicely. The figure comes with all it needs to battle on Bespin. In our opinion, this figure is a must-have for your collection, if nothing more than for historical purposes. Of course, the figure’s packaging will bring a tear to your eye, and suck you in here. Many collectors bought one to keep in the package (even loose collectors were tempted to do the same thing). The biggest complaint with this sub-line of figures was the price point. We thought it was alright to command $9.99 for the special clamshell case and premium packaging. But now, Hasbro is producing regular basic figures with the same super-articulation. The MSRP is a bone of contention for collectors, and after this wave, Hasbro decided to tuck away the vintage-styled figures for a rainy day. They need to come back because they’re one of the best things Hasbro has ever produced.