Doctor Aphra - TVC - Basic (VC129)

Celebrate the legacy of Star Wars, the action-and-adventure-packed space saga from a galaxy far, far away, with this collection of premium, highly-detailed 3.75-inch scale figures and vehicles. (Each sold separately. Subject to availability.)

We don’t think there could be a better example that creates more indifference to us than Doctor Aphra. But that doesn’t mean that others don’t want to see her released as an action figure. A new character that is revered in the new Disney Star Wars Canon, Doctor Aphra is seemingly the Indiana Jones of the Star Wars world, accompanied by two killer robots and a lack of fear when it comes to Darth Vader. She won The Vintage Collection Fans’ Choice Poll in 2017. She then made her debut in the 2018 San Diego Comic Con exclusive Special Action Figure Set (Doctor Aphra Comic Set) only to be quickly released after that as a basic figure in The Vintage Collection. Setting aside the controversy of whether or not Hasbro should have wasted a slot in the very few that comprise The Vintage Collection with Doctor Aphra, it seems as if she is surrounded with debate above and beyond this. Her packaging is a point of contention for longtime Star Wars collectors. Yes, technically there is no Expanded Universe anymore, just Canon and Legends. But maybe a 12-Back inspired Star Wars card wasn’t the best choice for a newbie character. We feel strongly that Hasbro should have developed an all-new card back reflecting “Star Wars Canon” instead and keep the original Star Wars 12-Back art to the characters that are featured in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Otherwise, the line becomes confused and The Vintage Collection goes from a black and white approach to a collection of action figures with blurred lines. We appreciate the fact that it is a difficult thing to consider what type of packaging style to use for Doctor Aphra, but we’ll stand strong in our opinion that the “STAR WARS” logo style is perhaps the worst choice of all.

Many longtime collectors were disappointed when Doctor Aphra won the Fans’ Choice Poll. Many people couldn’t understand how she made it in the poll. Hasbro promised collectors at Toy Fair that there would indeed be a The Vintage Collection San Diego Comic-Con exclusive. And they came through on their promise with the Special Action Figure Set (Doctor Aphra Comic Set). While it was a great way to introduce Doctor Aphra, it also shows collectors that the Special Action Figure Set three-packs are officially back. (Hasbro – you better complete them now!) Hopefully, more will come. If we’re all honest, the return of The Vintage Collection has been bittersweet thus far. And even if you aren’t crazy about Doctor Aphra, her inclusion in the line shows us that Hasbro is committed to creating a collection of action figures from across the Star Wars timeline and that there will be something for everyone here. They need to get back to basics and start focusing on some Original Trilogy characters now. The whole point of the Special Action Figure Set (Doctor Aphra Comic Set) is to officially introduce Doctor Aphra. And now that she is introduced, she’s officially part of the line because she is now a basic figure in the line now too. Hasbro did a great job on her tooling. Fans of super-articulation are going to love what Hasbro did with Doctor Aphra. And if you’re like us, not knowing anything about her aside from the comments of others, you’re still going to appreciate what she brings to the table. A Fans’ Choice winner, Hasbro has to make a “big deal” about her, and it’s the reason why we’re seeing her released twice in the lineup. It will be interesting to see how she performs at retail after seeing release previously.

There is no denying that Doctor Aphra is a great-looking action figure. Some things bug us, like the inability to remove her hat and goggles, but it certainly isn’t a deal breaker by any means. As you know, Doctor Aphra is an all-new figure. Well, technically she is a straight repack of the figure from the San Diego Comic Con exclusive. Hasbro gave her a glorious 29 points of articulation. She can achieve almost any pose that you wish. When an action figure reaches this many points of articulation, it’s competing with The Black Series 6” quality, and 3.75” collectors should take this into account when appreciating these action figures. All of the points work beautifully and allow every positioning you desire. The paint applications are especially nice too. She has a full arm tattoo which is cleanly applied. It’s amazing that Hasbro managed to add this deco so beautifully on her arm without issues. Doctor Aphra is also colorful, and all of the details are clean. There are no signs of paint bleed at all. The removable orange vest and blaster pistol are her only accessories, and in our opinion, she should have come with an extra accessory or two to complete her look. And of course, making her cap and goggles removable would have been a nice touch. We feel that’s a big loss here. But the rest of her is executed perfectly, and most collectors will be able to overlook this detail. Right now, fans of The Vintage Collection are so anxious for Original Trilogy characters that they’ll likely not give a character like Doctor Aphra the credit she deserves for being a well-made action figure. We truly understand that. Hopefully, Hasbro will mix things up better, give the Original Trilogy a stronger focus, and get The Vintage Collection back to where it needs to be.