Tag Archives: Death Star Gunner

Up next for the Walmart exclusive Original 96 wave is the Imperial Gunner (VC232). Click below for our fully detailed Visual Guide. You can also read a full review of this figure in our review database.

Do you remember the scene from “Misery” when Annie Wilkes exclaimed “He didn’t get out of the cockadoodie car!”? That’s about where we are with the Walmart exclusive Imperial Gunner figure from The Vintage Collection. Apparently, Hasbro believes they can pull the wool over longtime TVC collectors’ eyes so they can pass off an old figure from a Disney Star Wars source as an OT character when it’s entirely inaccurate! (more….)

Thank you for reading Research Droids Reviews: Season 14!

Welcome to another entry in our The Vintage Collection: The Ninety Six column. Hasbro recently committed to collectors that they will be “focusing” on characters in The Vintage Collection that fall under “The Ninety Six” banner. If you’re new to this, it means that there needs a modern counterpart for every classic Kenner figure. Between 2020 and 2021, Hasbro’s made an admirable effort by focusing on these characters. But there is more work to be done, and we’ll figure out where we are step by step. Today we assess Imperial Gunner.

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In 1984, new packaging for Star Wars figures was introduced for the European market. A cost containment initiative, the new packaging sported three languages of the Return Of The Jedi logo for a “one size fits all” approach. Although a “three-logo” design was created for The Power Of The Force line (as evidenced on some ‘boxed’ toys), it wasn’t carried over to the basic figure line’s card design. They continued to use the three Return Of The Jedi logos instead. Although the word “Trilogo” is found nowhere on the packaging, the term is universally adopted by all Star Wars collectors to describe this line of figures.

We are finishing the Trilogo line up with the final 15 The Power Of The Force Kenner figures, and there weren’t any coins provided with them. Today we revisit Imperial Gunner. The card art features darker color tones with a pink wash over the entire graphic. Kenner “airbrushed” an image of a new helmet over existing image. See the full card art and additional notes by revisiting 1985’s THE POWER OF THE FORCE Imperial Gunner figure HERE.

Let’s check out the FAO Schwarz exclusive Grand Moff Tarkin & Imperial Gunner (With Interrogator Droid) Collector Series 12 Inch Figure two-pack set. It’s very nice. See more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

Imperial Gunner • The Power Of The Force • 1985

Over the weekend, I chatted with my former best pal Chris Swanski (from BanthaSkull.com) via text. I decided I couldn’t be friends with him anymore after he wouldn’t shut up giving glorious praise for The Vintage Collection Death Star Gunner (VC147) figure. I tried to enlighten him by going through all of the talking points about what’s wrong with this figure, but he just kept texting back in all caps “I LOVE IT!” So, it’s time for us to move on now. Hey Chris, if you’re OK with the Death Star Gunner’s “snorkel-for-an-antenna” then I expect a full redaction on your opinions of the horrifying lightsaber-launching R2-D2 from 1998!

Egregiously out of scale proportions seemingly don’t faze Chris.

We’re almost done with the reviews, but you can check everything else out right now including a ton of comparison images, diorama shots and the new figures interacting with other figures and vehicles. I have to admit that The Vintage Collection wave 22 isn’t doing it for me. My favorite figure in the wave is the Imperial Assault Tank Commander, and that should NOT be the case. I am thrilled about finally getting a carded “12-Back” Artoo-Detoo (R2-D2) figure, but this character and card back were worthy of a completely all-new sculpt. Oh well. Luke Skywalker (Crait) is a decent release, but he is limited in movement thanks to constricting robes. His articulation system is almost voided out by it. And the Death Star Gunner should have been the crowning joy of the wave, but it has disappointed me hugely. Anyhow, check out the new images of the latest figures. Hopefully, the next wave will be a little bit better.

Last week I introduced a new weekly segment called Toy Run Tuesdays. We’ll call it TRT for short (if abbreviations are your thing). Today, the first TRT has arrived! Be sure to post photos in the comments. Check out the introductory article if you want to get a better picture of what we’re looking for, and the purpose behind TRT (hint: you can still participate if you didn’t go to a brick & mortar store). Hop on over to the comment section and show us what you’ve been up to collecting-wise!

My very first attempt to airbrush anything… I need some practice…

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Tonight we are adding one of the latest releases from The Vintage Collection to our Visual Guides. Click below to check out the Death Star Gunner (VC147). Make sure to also check out our full review on this figure right here.

The latest wave of The Vintage Collection has hit, so it’s time to start looking at them! Let’s begin with the Death Star Gunner. We’re disappointed with it. But it is the most-definitive version we have now. Learn more in our Research Droids Reviews today! Be sure to leave your thoughts in our comments section, vote in the poll or comment about it on our Facebook page. Click the banner below for the direct link to the review! As always, you can also send your review requests via email if you’d like to see something that we didn’t cover yet.

You can now pre-order several figures from The Vintage Collection wave 22 on Amazon for $12.99 each. Thanks to JTA reader Michael for the alert!

We’ve updated our Visual Guides to include the 6th and final wave from The Power of the Force [Red] line. Click each thumbnail below to check out our updated Visual Guides for these figures. This wraps up our updates for the basic figure run for the red-carded POTF2 figures into our newer format. Don’t forget to also check out our full reviews for each of these figures right here!

DON’T FORGET TO CLICK THE COIN! We continue with our uninterrupted run of the final wave of vintage Kenner figures which we’re calling “The Final Countdown.” These 15 action figures make up Kenner’s THE POWER OF THE FORCE series 8 figures. Here’s another beauty of a figure that still looks great today! But there is still debate on the Imperial Gunner. Find out why in our Research Droids Reviews today. Be sure to add your own experiences to the conversation! Reminisce your own childhood stories of this figure in our comments. Share your life-changing vintage Kenner adolescent experiences with us!

This is cool! Instagram user gorkoracing has images of unproduced super-articulated 3.75″ action figures. There apparently was supposed to be an Echo Base set produced including a revised Rebel Trooper and an all-new Probe Droid. He also lists that a new Death Star Gunner was part of the set, but I am certain he is mistaken. If you recall, JTA broke the news of the Death Star Gunner coming as part of the now-canceled The Black Series [Phase I] line as a basic figure for which we have insider information. (That Death Star Gunner basic figure release apparently never came to pass.) Hopefully, Hasbro gets all of this beautiful glory released in the relaunched The Vintage Collection! Special thanks to friend Victoria from Victoria’s Cantina for the alert!

If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the final product images of the Hot Toys  A New Hope Death Star Gunner Sixth Scale figure. This figure looks phenomenal in my opinion. The helmet is so nicely done and the detail is spot on, but the outfit is what really shines for me. It looks to be tailored to perfection and is also interchangeable. You can more images of this incredible figure here.