Darth Vader Carry Case - OTC - Miscellaneous (Exclusive)

Celebrate the legendary Star Wars trilogy that changed the universe forever, with The Original Trilogy 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 recreations of the iconic Star Wars heroes and villains are back with incredible detail and premium features to commemorate each epic tale in the Original Trilogy: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. 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.

2004 was all about the Original Trilogy. And in 2004, Hasbro created The Original Trilogy Collection to pay homage to both the Original Trilogy on DVD and also the vintage Kenner toy line. Re-releasing elements of the vintage Kenner packaging with a new modern take, they focused on characters, vehicles, and exclusives that based themselves on pivotal and memorable scenes from A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return Of The Jedi. Along with the basic figure and vehicles came retailer exclusives. Two of them, the Darth Vader Carry Case and the C-3PO Carry Case were exclusive to Walmart and came in a large shelf-shipper with the latest basic figures as well as The “Vintage” Original Trilogy Collection lineup. Hasbro based each Carry Case on the original vintage Kenner ones (with a few changes). Hasbro then developed an all-new sticker sheet featuring all of the basic figures included from OTC #01 to OTC #38. Then Hasbro added two of the basic figures in each Carry Case as pack-in premium. But the chosen pack-in figures didn’t resonate all that well with collectors.

The back of the Darth Vader Carry Case now features a rough finish, and it feels like an odd choice here. The pack-in figures here are Boba Fett and Stormtrooper. Boba Fett is a straight repack of 2004’s OTC Boba Fett (OTC #14) figure (with revised blue jumpsuit). This time Hasbro only included the blaster rifle with Boba Fett. They left out the fireball stand and the blaster effect. But we have to wonder why Hasbro decided to repack a figure that everyone purchased in the basic figure line of The Original Trilogy Collection here. Retailer exclusives should have something exclusive included with them. Sure, the Cary Cases are exclusive, but the pack-in figures are not. The other figure included here is an interesting choice. Hasbro chose a Stormtrooper, but it’s unique to the line. It’s not the Stormtrooper (OTC #16) figure, not The “Vintage” Original Trilogy Collection Stormtrooper figure. Instead, Hasbro took the Stormtrooper figure from 2003’s Star Wars “Saga” [Phase II] Imperial Forces multipack and included it here. The addition of this figure makes the total three unique Stormtrooper figures in the line.

The C-3PO Carry Case is a retool of 1996’s POTF2 [R/G] C-3PO Carry Case. This time, Hasbro removed the electronics. However, they didn’t “return” the strap they removed to include the electronics. So, this version of the C-3PO Carry Case has a big open wasted space that collectors can’t utilize since it’s missing the piece that holds the action figures inside. Both cases hold over 30 The Original Trilogy Collection action figures. And the labels add the finishing touches to a re-released of a Kenner classic. Packaged in graphics that will remind you of the vintage Kenner line, the Darth Vader Carry Case, and the C-3PO Carry Case contain elements of Kenner while remaining fresh for the Hasbro modern line. To focus on the good versus evil theme of the Star Wars Original Trilogy, Hasbro divided the line into the Rebel Alliance or Galactic Empire. This organization also applies to characters like Greedo (OTC #22), Jawas (OTC #24), and the Tusken Raider (OTC #23) that are typically agnostic when it comes to choosing sides. Retailing or $21.99, there is definite value here. And if you need your Kenner nostalgia stroked, the Darth Vader Carry Case and C-3PO Carry Case exclusives are a fantastic way to do that.