Luke Skywalker (Jedi Academy) - RC - Basic

The Star Wars Retro Collection is inspired by the 1980s STAR WARS figures and features original figure design and detailing! Continue your collection from the galaxy far, far away!

Man. Hasbro got lazy with the Retro Collection wave of figures based on The Book Of Boba Fett. The collection of eight figures contains a decent amount of newness, but characters like Luke Skywalker (Jedi Academy) needed to catch up. It’s the 2023 RC Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight) figure with a new cloak and less accessories. And that’s it. We feel that this line is so affordable to produce that they should give us all-new tooling for every action figure released in this format. We don’t think they have an excuse to do otherwise. And just like the first issue of this figure, this version is too tan (but still better than the ROTJ version), has soft features, and has misshaped limbs that make it look a whole lot more wonky than attractive, in our opinion. It is probably safe to say that the 1983 ROTJ Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight Outfit) Kenner figure is one of the most significant action figure accomplishments from the 80s. Kenner worked in unprecedented detail, setting the stage for many forthcoming action figures in the Star Wars line when it came to soft goods and accessories. But its Disney Star Wars counterpart didn’t fare well, and it pales by comparison. The posture of the limbs looks off, and the softer details affect its likeness negatively. Hasbro did a decent job recrafting the green lightsaber accessory, but we couldn’t help but notice that the modern figure doesn’t hold them nearly as well as the classic Kenner figure from 1983. This reality is disappointing and shows that important details get lost in translation with their current methods. The paint operations are off quite a bit. Luke’s skin color is much too dark. On a more positive note, Hasbro got the hair color matched perfectly. The figure stands well unassisted, but you’ll notice that the posture isn’t straight and upright. Once again, essential details got muddled in this translation. Like all figures in the Retro Collection, Luke Skywalker (Jedi Academy) comes on card art with “vintage” markings throughout it. Sadly, it looks more like a memo notebook than an “aged” effect added to give it character. Also, Hasbro is adamant about placing “RETRO COLLECTION” stickers over the character photo, which is highly aggravating. It covers up the classic artwork and character photos and advertises a sub-line name that doesn’t mean much to modern collectors. Hasbro intended collectors to pair Luke Skywalker (Jedi Academy) with the Grogu figure in the same case assortment. They do interact well with each other, but with minimal articulation and detail; how many collectors will care? The line now has an MSRP set at $11.99 and is closely approaching the figures made for The Vintage Collection. The Hasbro Star Wars line is struggling to engage the collecting community. But will Hasbro have time to change its course before everyone is gone?