Chewbacca - RC - Basic

The Star Wars Retro Collection is inspired by the 1970s STAR WARS figures and features original figure design and detailing! Continue your collection from the galaxy far, far away! (Each sold separately. Subject to availability.)

We are quite surprised by the level of dissent surrounding the Retro Collection. Hasbro finally gives us something that is based on what Kenner provided to us decades ago, and more than a few collectors are unhappy about it. The Retro Collection is not intended to replace the original vintage Kenner Star Wars figures. It’s not a surrogate or replacement for The Vintage Collection. The line’s main intent is to give collectors similarly looking simple action figures based on the ones we bought in the 70s and 80s. And Hasbro needs to compete with the Funko ReAction market of figures which are performing better than expected with all types of collectors. Besides, getting refreshed, brighter and tightly-articulated new versions of the vintage Kenner line should make all collectors happy. Or are we completely incorrect on that sentiment? Hasbro produced six figures to launch the first wave. And they’re exclusively available at TARGET and TARGET.com on May 12, 2019, and then will be available in other fan outlets in Fall 2019. The Retro Collection figures look incredible with the vehicles and playsets from the original vintage Kenner lineup. The figures bring back many memories. From the Death Star Battle Station playset to the X-wing Fighter and TIE Fighter, all of the old Kenner toys work beautifully with the Retro Collection basic figure line.

No matter your position on this line, the Retro Collection should bring out the nostalgia in all of us. One thing that’s wonderful about the Retro Collection is that we’re getting the vintage Kenner card backs from the STAR WARS line, even if the figures inside of them come with four or five points of articulation. The packaging alone is a beautiful part of the Retro Collection. The first wave contains Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia Organa, Chewbacca, Darth Vader, Stormtrooper and Han Solo. Hasbro faithfully recreated them based on their original vintage Kenner counterparts. But the paint operations are cleaner, more accurately applied, and most noticeable are the vibrant white colors for the characters cast in this color. It is effortless to tell the new Retro Collection figures apart from the vintage Kenner 12-Back releases. Luke Skywalker’s hair is a brighter yellow color this time, and his pants are colored in a darker tan. The white parts on Princess Leia Organa and Stormtrooper are so bright that they’re almost glowing. Chewbacca is shorter than the 1978 release for some strange reason. Han Solo comes with a ”big head” and more even stance this time. And Darth Vader looks the most like its 1978 version. All of the figures are cast in shiny plastic and perfectly capture the spirit of the vintage Kenner era. The figure are remarkably different than the ones featured in 1995’s The Power Of The Force “2” [Red] Classic Edition 4-Pack. The approach is completely different.

Many collectors are concerned with these figures’ weapons and how they might get passed off as valid replacements for the vintage Kenner figures. But we don’t believe that will be an issue. The weapons on the Retro Collection figures are noticeably different from the 1978 accessories. They’re different colors, different shapes and have different details. At best, it looks like Hasbro copied them from Hasbro. For example, the handle on the E-11 Stormtrooper blaster is a totally different shape and size from the vintage Kenner release. You’ll also see different lightsaber tips on the accessories for Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa. The same is true for Han Solo’s and Princess Leia Organa’s blaster. The vinyl capes may become more of an issue than the weapons over time. But like the weapons, there are obvious differences, and we hope collectors pay attention to them. For those interested in this line, many see the Retro Collection stocker as a significant negative. But the good news is that the stickers are easily removable, as long as you’re patient. We managed to remove them without any problems whatsoever. We’re interested to see where Hasbro takes this line. How many original Kenner figures will they “re-release” in this fashion? Will they do The Power Of The Force, Droids, and Ewoks lines? Will they keep adding “never-before-made” characters like Grand Moff Tarkin? The anticipation is exciting!