Luke Skywalker (Hoth) - TBSA - Six Inch Figures

While on patrol, Luke and his tauntaun are attacked by a vicous wampa. The creature hangs Luke upside down in its cave, but Luke uses the Force to escape.

Hasbro is trying to get some of their “greatest hits” out to collectors through The Black Series Archive line. Instead of the figures truly being some of their most significant efforts to date, it’s more a collection of figures that cost too much on the aftermarket. This detail doesn’t guarantee quality action figure making. Still, it does ensure a collector that he or she will get a “better” version of the figure they necessarily can’t afford on the aftermarket. In 2015, Hasbro released two Hoth-themed Deluxe sets in The Black Series [Phase II] lineup. One set, Luke Skywalker And Wampa gave us our first version of Luke Skywalker in Hoth gear. The figure was atrocious. The paint operations on the head sculpts were laughable. And the Wampa battle damage courtesy of a paw to the face was way too pink and didn’t capture the look of the injury all that well. Despite this, the set quickly became a highly sought after item on the aftermarket, and the pack promptly rose in cost until it was no longer affordable. Hasbro updated both the Wampa as 2020’s TBS [TESB40] Hoth Wampa release, and now the Luke Skywalker (Hoth) figure is available courtesy of The Black Series Archive third wave.

Luke Skywalker (Hoth) certainly looks better than its original release, but we wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s perfect because it’s not. The Photo Real update makes the eyes look too dark and semi-possessed. While it captures the essence of Mark Hamill, it’s not a dead ringer of the actor. What makes The Black Series Archive Luke Skywalker (Hoth) extra bizarre is that Hasbro didn’t smooth over the scar on the figure’s face. This “Archive” version doesn’t come with the battle-damage from the Wampa this time, but you can still see the indentation on the contour of the face because Hasbro didn’t remove it. We didn’t expect them to tweak the tooling on this figure, but a little sanding would have made a world of difference, and collectors of the line would have appreciated it. Right now, this figure looks like a battle-damaged character with a foundation to hide the scarring. The next biggest update aside from the Photo Real updating is the material used for the scarf. They used a heavier fabric with a drape that hangs appropriately. The first version had a mind of its own and made it difficult to pose hanging down without looking flyaway or unnatural. We’re happy about this update too.

It’s evident that some of Hasbro’s earliest The Black Series 6” figures haven’t aged well. While this sculpting of Luke Skywalker (Hoth) is a half-decade old now, you can see how far Hasbro has come years later when it comes to premium action figures. Luke Skywalker (Hoth) comes with 26 points of articulation across 16 areas. While the articulation system is decent, you’ll find you’re limited when compared against some of their most recent action figures in the 6” line. Still, the figure achieves a great deal of movement despite its limitations, so you’re probably not going to care all that much about its limitations. While we see paint operations color differences when compared against the original version of this figure, we have to say that the figure is otherwise and remarkably nearly identical to one another, even after all of these years. So, Hasbro seems to be committed to authenticity and consistency if they get the color right on these figures. Luke Skywalker (Hoth comes with three accessories. They are a blaster pistol, a lightsaber hilt, and a lighter (sky) blue lightsaber blade. Admittedly, Luke Skywalker (Hoth) is a fitting entry into The Black Series Archive line since we just celebrated the 40th Anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back.