Han Solo (Hoth) - TBSA - Six Inch Figures

Han stuck with the Rebel Alliance and helped establish its new base on the ice planet Hoth. After Luke didn't return from a routine sweep of the planet surface, Han headed out alone into the frigid cold to find him.

The Black Series Archive serves a purpose. But we’re unsure if it’s serving the intended purpose right now. Many of the oldest 6” figures are commanding a lot of extra cash on the aftermarket. But it doesn’t mean they’re “good” action figures. And an archive line of action figure should focus on nothing but Hasbro’s best, in our opinion. Luke Skywalker (Hoth) and Han Solo (Hoth) were originally part of two “Deluxe” sets. A test market line that didn’t go beyond a few releases, but Hasbro canceled it abruptly, and the collectors who wanted the figures inside of them had to pay a hefty premium on eBay and the like. Now, Hasbro released three of the “Deluxe” figures in The Black Series Archive line, which seems right now to be a bittersweet move. Han Solo (Hoth) outfit is excellent to see with Photo Real updating. And Hasbro corrected the figure’s jacket’s color to be brown (the actual color of Han Solo’s parka). The final figure is still bittersweet, however. It’s virtually useless without the hood on the head or the goggles over the eyes because Han Solo (Hoth) looks ridiculous without wearing both. At this point in the 6” game, we feel that Han Solo in the Hoth outfit warrants new tooling. We think some of the existing toolings can be salvaged, but many parts need refreshing.

When originally released, neither figure in the Han Solo And Tauntaun set was perfect. But as we’ve mentioned, there are some saving graces. With Photo Real updating, it’s clear that the original tooling has a fair likeness to actor Harrison Ford. The articulation system is expected. There isn’t anything out of the norm present here. The figure moves decently, but it feels like it should pose better than it does. For The Black Series Archive figure, we believe that Hasbro generously accessorized Han Solo (Hoth). Hasbro is usually skimpy when it comes to action figure accessories, so we count our blessings that we receive four with this figure. You must always utilize two of them since they complete Han Solo’s look, so maybe this figure only comes with two “optional” accessories, if you know what we mean. The biggest issue with Han Solo is the feel of the plastic they used to old the figure. It still feels a tad “jiggly” or “jittery.” The joints don’t hold the parts together closely enough, yet they’re not loose either. It’s quite the conundrum. There is also a distinctly rubbery texture to the figure, and it has some bounce and “give.” We still want to know why Hasbro didn’t include an interchangeable portrait with this particular Han Solo figure. The removable hood is a pathetic way to handle the outfit changes.

Aside from the ill-fitted hood for the Han Solo’s head, this release still suffers in many ways. We’re happy to see some improvements, but there are some adjustments that won’t help the figure much at all. We always felt that this figure’s original biggest issue was a blue coat. We’re happy to see that remedied for The Black Series Archive release. But it doesn’t do enough here to save the figure. Hasbro always knew the parka is brown, so the decision to move forward with the blue parka was maddening with this figure’s original release. Even with the updates, Han Solo (Hoth) doesn’t feel like a full-fledged collectors’ figure. It feels lacking, and it makes us realize some of these older figures shouldn’t see the light of day anymore. It’s time to retire them officially. Even with The Empire Strikes Back 40th Anniversary right behind us, it seems like these figures don’t help to separate that landmark. Han Solo (Hoth) is not a must-have 6” figure in this configuration. We need an ultimate version of this character added to the lineup. Hopefully, you know what we mean. Han Solo (Hoth) is correctly scaled next to Luke Skywalker (Hoth), so we’re happy to see that Hasbro is paying close attention to scale all of the years. We don’t know if we’ll ever see the Tauntaun that came with the original release again, but that creature is a terrible and cheap release as well.