In our twelve years of existence, we have reviewed almost every single 3.75” basic figure released since 2007 at least once.  This Tycho Celchu figure is one that slipped through the cracks.  So it is my honor to take the first crack at reviewing it here on Bantha Skull.  This Tycho Celchu figure represents the first super articulated A-Wing pilot in the history of the line.  It would be the basis of several subsequent Green Squadron pilots.  As far as Mr. Celchu, it was an odd choice as the character doesn’t appear in the movies.  Not really.  Celchu is mostly known from the now Legends Rogue Squadron book series, which I never read.  I personally know the character best as the husband of Winter from the Thrawn Trilogy.  As for Return of the Jedi, Celchu was retconned to become this character from the Home One briefing scene:

(click for the full sized image)

That guy

So much for the character I barely know, what about the figure?  I’m glad I asked.  It holds up very well thirteen years later.  While it doesn’t have the manner and degree of ball-jointery we’ve come to expect today, it certainly qualifies as super articulated.  The figure has ankles which hadn’t yet become the standard.  The 30th Anniversary Collection is populated with a high number of the ankle-less.  Heck, there are knee-less figures in TAC (I keep telling you bums that the line wasn’t as good as you think).  With that in mind, this Tycho Celchu figure is definitely one of the better figures form the line.  The knees don’t have stellar range of motion, but it’s certainly passable.  I feel like the floating flight stripes, which are something that elevates these pilot figures, are a more limiting factor in terms of the achievable poses.  But it is what it is.  I want the floating flight straps.  When the straps are part of the sculpt, it makes the figure look like a baby’s toy, and not a serious thing for serious adults such as we. 

Perhaps it was with that potential for pose limitation in mind that lead Hasbro to make the straps removable.  Or maybe they just wanted to dupe is in to doing part of the assembly ourselves.  The figure includes two types of helmets, which is neat, even if neither work spectacularly with the head sculpt.  The tan cloth AN-H-15 flight helmet is supposed to be somewhat form fitting to the character’s head, but as a separate piece, it’s too bulky.  Hasbro hasn’t been able to execute a realistic looking removable cloth flight helmet ever.  They’re usually laughably too big.  The only way this style of helmet works is as part of the head sculpt and not as a separate piece.  It would be impossible make the plastic thin enough to replicate cloth, and still have any semblance of durability.  As far as the hard A-Wing style helmet, it’s too large for the head sculpt.  It feels like the head swims within it.  The head sculpt itself is perhaps what shows the most age today.  It’s vague for lack of a better word.  A more modern head sculpt would be better defined, but that is the only aesthetic complaint.  The rest of the sculpt seamlessly blends with figures from today, and this figure earns a very good 8 out of 10.