Boba Fett - TVC - Basic (VC186)

He is here. And it only took Hasbro 38 years to get the character nearly perfect in the 3.75" scaled line. There have been MANY Boba Fett action figures based on Return Of The Jedi released by Hasbro. They made us wait unmercifully too long before giving us a version we can all agree is definitive Boba Fett action figure in the 3.75" super-articulated action figure line. It's the best version to date. Let's recall the history of Boba Fett based on Return Of The Jedi. The first modern figure, 1995's POTF2 [R/G] Boba Fett, is loosely based on the costume from Episode VI, and Hasbro carried the figure over into The Power Of The Force "2" [Freeze Frame/The Kenner Collection] line. Then, quite a few years passed, and in 2003 that Hasbro released an action feature-riddled version of the character and in multiple color schemes, as Boba Fett (The Pit Of Carkoon) ('03 #08) figure. The same figure was also released s Boba Fett (OTC #14) as a basic figure in The Original Trilogy Collection and as a pack-in figure in 2005's ROTS Boba Fett Collectible Figure And Cup set. Hasbro pulled out all of the stops and created the impressive and super-articulated 2004 VOTC Boba Fett figure. It held its place in the line for years. Hasbro re-released this figure multiple times throughout many lines, such as 2007's TAC Boba Fett Saga Legends figure and the 2010 SW [SOTDS] Boba Fett: Orphan To Bounty Hunter Toys R Us exclusive. Coincidentally, Hasbro resurrected this figure for The Vintage Collection's Return Of The Jedi/Revenge Of The Jedi Boba Fett (VC09) figure, which, at the time, satisfied collectors' demands. In 2005, Hasbro took 50% of the Boba Fett (The Pit Of Carkoon) ('03#08) figure and 50% of the 2004 VOTC Boba Fett figure to create The Saga Collection Boba Fett (SAGA 006) figure, and also released as 2011's SW [SOTDS] Boba Fett (SL30) figure. It was one of the wonkiest Boba Fett figures produced until 2012 when Hasbro created the international-only Movie Heroes Boba Fett (MH24) figure, which included some retooling the figure to have a play feature to make it a little more interesting for kids.

Hasbro decided to release Boba Fett on the alternate Return Of The Jedi, thank goodness. With Jedi Temple Archives and the community's help, Hasbro listened to the complaints of the wrong nameplate and figure backer colors (from orange to yellow), and a further pulled back crop of the figure photo. Hasbro fixed both errors. The updates do so much for the card art and the final packaging is gorgous. So, here we are in 2021. It's the year that Hasbro tooled an all-new Boba Fett figure based on the character's appearance in Star Wars Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi, and it might be the greatest The Vintage Collection action figure of the year. We'd say it has one minor problem, but we'll address the "good stuff" first. Comparing 2021's TVC Boba Fett (VC186) to other ROTJ Boba Fett figures isn't a difficult task. You'll immediately find that there are no second-place runner-ups. This new Boba Fett figure eviscerates the rest of the past efforts, and there is no longer any need to keep them in your collection to serve as your Return Of The Jedi Boba Fett. Hasbro tooled Boba Fett so incredibly well that it looks like a miniature The Black Series 6" Boba Fett. What Hasbro achieved for this action figure is an intense accomplishment, and no one should take anything for granted here because it's a magnificent action figure. Boba Fett's articulation system is astounding. And all of the articulation points function beautifully. The joints are hidden well throughout the figure, and more importantly, the insert portions of the ball-joints match the surrounding areas of the figure for a seamless aesthetic. The joints throughout the figure are tight and hold their positions well. We didn't have any trouble posing the figure, aside from a few small center-of-gravity issues, only due to the figure's jetpack with certain poses. It sometimes wants to pull the figure down, but you can prevent this natural effect from occurring with some careful positioning. All of the joints on Boba Fett articulate with buttery movement. Hasbro engineered a high-quality action figure that functions as nicely as it looks.

We noticed that Boba Fett is a little taller than in previous versions. The height difference isn't substantial, but it is noticeable. Regardless, Boba Fett (VC186) shines brilliantly next to the others because Boba Fett comes with one of the most beautiful paint jobs we've ever seen. Without sounding like a cliché, Boba Fett looks so realistic that it could have jumped out of a scene from Return Of The Jedi. That's how realistic the paint operations are. The two sigils on Boba Fett's chest armor and shoulder armor are correctly applied. Again, we're amazed by how successfully and how detailed Hasbro managed to add them to this action figure. The Jaster Mereel sigil is tiny, yet you can see every aspect of it. And the mythosaur sigil on Boba Fett's left shoulder plate, again, is stunning. The bright yellow shoulder armor complements the bright yellow knee armor, and the darker red gauntlets move with plenty of slack for the attached wire. And thank the Maker, we have freely moving hands with ball-jointed articulation that aren't dependent on the gauntlets anymore. What a lifesaver that is! As you may or may not know, Boba Fett's Z-6 jetpack is exceptionally colorful in Return Of The Jedi. The best version of an Episode VI Boba Fett before this release was 2004's VOTC Boba Fett or 2011's TVC Boba Fett (VC09) figure (they're the same). But Hasbro didn't paint the jetpack on those figures accurately. Now, Boba Fett's Z-6 jetpack is in full-color glory with plenty of red, white, blue, and yellow detail. It's another beautiful area of focus on this figure. Boba Fett also comes with a soft-good tattered cape. Hasbro ensured that it received the proper length, and it has a good drape hanging down the left side of the action figure. We also must comment on the perfect execution of Boba Fett's belt. It's multilayered with the brown leather pouches on top and the lowered red threaded belt underneath. Hasbro impressed us with capturing these details. We'd adore it if Hasbro took whatever they could from this figure and work up a revised The Empire Strikes Back version of Boba Fett to update the TVC Boba Fett (VC09) figure that is now obsolete when compared to this figure.

For accessories, Boba Fett comes with the aforementioned Z-6 Mitronomon jetpack. Hasbro changed the way it plugs into the back of the figure. The port and plug are now crescent-shaped, and it locks the orientation of the jetpack in place, so it doesn't move. It also plugs in firmly into the back of Boba Fett. It's not going anywhere. For those of you that have previous versions of Boba Fett with removable jetpacks, you know how they would often fly off if you looked at them funnily. That isn't going to happen here. And now it's time for the most important news with Boba Fett! We finally have the sawed-off blaster rifle. For years, Hasbro could not get this detail correct with all past Episode VI versions of Boba Fett. But now we have it, and we're thrilled about it. Hasbro designed the weapon gorgeously and the precision and energy that went into tooling, and you should commend it. Hasbro decorated the sawed-off blaster rifle similarly to how they approach the deco to 2010's TVC 4-LOM (VC10) figure. The metallic body is covered in a rust-colored wash, and it picks up details that would probably go overlooked were it not added. We're ecstatic over its inclusion here, and we know you will love it too. So, what is the one thing that is slightly bothering us about this figure? It's the helmet. It appears perfect when looking at it straight on, but when you view it from any other angle, aerially or from the sides, it seems too rounded in spots and looks off to us. It's not a deal-breaker by any means, but we wish we didn't notice this phenomenon. Regardless, Boba Fett gets the highest rating from us. From the perfect shade of gray used to cast the jumpsuit to the forest green chest armor with silver battle-damage. From the rocker ankles to the ball-jointed wrists. We even appreciate the shoulder armor plates, that while attached, allows the arms to move independently from them. The things to enjoy here are too numerous to list. But know that this figure will be around for a while.