The Empire Strikes Back is the best Star Wars movie of all time.  If you argue that point, you’ll go to your grave with as much shame as that one kid who insisted New Coke was better than Coke.  It’s the best complete movie, but Return of the Jedi has the best 1st act, and Rogue One has not only the best 3rd act in all of Star Wars, I might be persuaded to say it rivals the aforementioned opening act of Jedi as the best single act in all of Star Wars.  If you don’t love it, you’re dead inside. 

One of the great and most memorable moments of the Battle of Scarif was when Antoc Merrick swooped in with his X-Wing at the last minute to save the Roque One crew from imminent vaporization at the hands of an approaching AT-ACT. He then flashes a grin to celebrate a job well done.  It was a peak Star Wars moment that made a lasting impression on fans, who immediately began requesting a figure of the Rebel pilot as well as his ship. It was even the subject of a petition.  Hasbro finally delivered on the 5th anniversary of Rogue One. It’s a fitting tribute.  2021 has offered many gems in the Vintage Collection, but I feel this Target exclusive Antoc Merrick’s X-Wing is tied with VC186 - Boba Fett for the most exciting release of the year.

Antoc Merrick’s X-Wing Fighter

This is a repaint of 2019’s Red-5 (Luke Skywalker’s X-Wing), which itself was a continued evolution of an X-wing mold that dates all the way back to 1998’s Power of the Force “2” line.  I absolutely love where this sculpt has ended up from the concealed landing gear in the nose, to the removable flight controls, which greatly facilitate seating the pilot while holding the flight yoke, to the extendable targeting computer, and finally to the concealed proton torpedo.  It could be argued that many of these are “play features”, which are generally frowned upon in adult collectibles, but it’s only when they disrupt the aesthetic and/or create screen inaccuracies.  That is not the case here.  These features allow the vehicle to be “multiple”, which is a good thing.

The Blue Squadron markings on the ship are something that is particularly exciting to see.  It’s a second chance at what should have been in A New Hope.  Luke’s squadron was originally supposed to be Blue Squadron, but because the models were being shot on a blue chroma key, the blue wing designations would have resulted in a Brick Tamland moment. Thus, Luke’s group was changed to Red Squadron, and a blue X-Wing was a “what might have been” until Rogue One was released. This adds some extra intrigue to this release.

My gripes with the mold are that the rear landing gears retract too easily, and the cockpit does not close flush.  That seems like it would be a problem in the vacuum of space.  These issues result in a 9 out of 10.

Antoc Merrick (Blue Leader)

This is the first reuse of the new pilot buck Hasbro created for the VC158 - Luke Skywalker (X-Wing Pilot) figure, and it’s about time.  That mold is outstanding.  I don’t know what more you would want a pilot figure to do.  It’s been recast in the blue-green color of Merrick’s flight suit, and given a new head sculpt, which is outstanding.  The likeness to its on-screen counterpart is phenomenal.  The problem is that the helmet was also re-used from the aforementioned Luke figure.  It was sculpted to accommodate Hamill’s flowing, feathered 70’s locks.  Merrick’s coiffure is more tightly cropped.  The helmet doesn’t fit on the figure’s head at all.  It just rests on the sculpt rocking back and forth like a bobblehead.  This compels me to deduct a point for a 9 out of 10.