Boba Fett’s Slave I [Slave I (Boba Fett’s Spaceship)] - TVC - Vehicles (Exclusive)

What a beautiful thing the Slave I (Boba Fett’s Spaceship) Amazon.com exclusive vehicle is. And there has been so much demand for it, Hasbro re-released it as a Fan Channel exclusive for a lot more money, new features, and an incredible paint job. It’s not perfect, but there is something powerful that the nostalgic Kenner replicas do for Star Wars collectors that no other toy can. It transports our collective minds to a time when things were much more straightforward and when we didn’t have to worry about adult things like paying the bills and putting a roof over our heads. No, we were simply the recipients of unequaled and unmatched goodness that was mostly given to us twice a year—at Christmas and birthdays. Times have changed, and toys are like expensive devices and furniture now. They were always luxury items, but now that’s unquestionable. Anyway, Slave I (Boba Fett’s Spaceship) – just in case you forgot who this vehicle belongs to – is visually much more impressive than anything else. The vehicle has gone through a series of issues. Collectors began prognosticating at the announcement of the Slave I that there would unquestionably be issues with how the item got shipped. And we all were right. After a very rough start at its release, Amazon.com quickly remedied all shipping issues and got things back on track for collectors. They even reached out to collectors to ensure that their Slave I arrived safely and undamaged.

The packaging of the Slave I (Boba Fett’s Spaceship) (for 2020, the vehicle is called Boba Fett’s Slave I) vehicle is, of course, stunning. Based on the original Kenner packaging, Hasbro utilized new action figures to recreate the original box art layout, giving it a nostalgically modern facelift with elements that call out the vehicle’s name, who it belongs to, and the film it appears in. The Slave I is a colorful ship in general, but Hasbro ensured the packaging looked bright. The final product is visually stimulating. It’s fantastic to see other action figures from the Legacy Collection, and The Vintage Collection joins this vehicle in a diorama display loosely based on a scene from The Empire Strikes Back. The packaging also goes on to explain some of the features of the vehicle too. The Slave I is much more compact than we expected, but rest assured this larger-scaled vehicle is now specific to Episode V. From an artful perspective, we think Hasbro exceeded our expectations with its paint operations. We believe most collectors will be impressed with the Slave I, again, probably just visually because there are some other irreconcilable issues that won’t be going away. Aside from shipping issues, Slave I (Boba Fett’s Spaceship) has an unacceptable price tag. It started at an unforgivable $99.99 but quickly came down to $69.99 once Hasbro announced its MSRP at 2013’s San Diego Comic-Con. Even still, almost $70 is still a steep price tag to pay for a vehicle without electronics or a ton of action features – it only comes with a few.

When it was an Amazon exclusive, collector reports hit the web explaining that parts were missing from the vehicle, like the Han Solo In Carbonite figure. We don’t believe we’ll have a repeat of those issues for 2020, however. We were fortunate enough to receive ours, but his head, especially his nose, got flattened because of improper packaging. He looks more like Dr. Evazan in carbonite more than Han Solo in carbonite. Such is life. The detention cell has no clear windows to see through this time. It’s just been cast in solid gray plastic. The 2020 release comes with a different carbonite block accessory. The last issue we feel the need to document is the partial inability of the spring-loaded wings to function as intended. You have to follow the directions recorded on the insert, but the only way you can lock the wings in the “flying” position is if they’re installed in the “landed position.” Both wings move in tandem with this function. There is no need for replacement springs and the like. Thankfully the wings lay flat when the vehicle is in the landed position. The new version also doesn’t seem to have this issue either. A vehicle that started at $69.99 that is now $149.99 should do everything smoothly without question, and that’s in place here. Slave I (Boba Fett’s Spaceship) is a repaint of Boba Fett’s Slave I from 2010’s TCW [SOTDS] The Rise Of Boba Fett Ultimate Battle Packs set, a Toys R Us exclusive. This time it’s been decorated in the colors as the ship appeared in The Empire Strikes Back. The Slave I is a truly colorful vehicle. A vehicle this beautiful doesn’t seem to be as lethal as it's portrayed in the Star Wars film. It’s almost ironic. Believed to be produced in a much smaller edition size than most other exclusives, and with the significant shipping issues collectors have experienced, we don’t expect Slave I (Boba Fett’s Spaceship) to last forever. If you want this, don’t delay. It may be the last time you ever see it.

In 2020, Hasbro reissued/re-released this former Amazon exclusive as a Fan Channel exclusive with a completely all-new paint job, new accessories, like the Han Solo (In Carbonite) figure, and updated many other details like a display stand.

Editor's Note: Hasbro re-released The Vintage Collection Boba Fett’s Slave I [Slave I (Boba Fett’s Spaceship]) in May 2020 with a significant number of changes. Updates include: (1) all-new deco, (2) a repainted prisoner chamber now cast in translucent plastic, (3) new decal sheet (4) new display stand, (5) different carbonite block from 2015's TBS [P2] Han Solo (In Carbonite) figure (6) refreshed 2020 packaging with different graphics (7) revised name

Review Status Update: The original publication date of this review is August 18, 2013. It was subsequently updated with a new Photo Gallery and revised General Analysis and republished on May 26, 2020 after Hasbro reissued the vehicle.