Phase 2 of the 3.75” Black Series line started to introduce repacks.  Some of them were repacks from Phase 1 of the 3.75” Black Series line, including one truly terrible figure.  Repacking that Yoda was the equivalent of Hasbro slapping our sun burn.  Other repacks were of hard to find Vintage Collection figures, such as this Starkiller figure.  That is a true kindness by Hasbro.  TBS Phase 2 was like a Sour Patch Kids commercial.

The major difference between this figure and the original release (linked above) is the paint apps to the head.  This release has the infamous “Spock eyebrows”.  There is no way this was intentional.  During this time, Hasbro clearly switched factories, and the new factory was greatly struggling with the accuracy on the paint applications.  The odd thing is that it makes the figure look much more intense.  I have to be honest.  I kind of like it better. You will have to make the decision of which one you like better.

While I do like increased intensity this unintentional change provides, I have to admit the paint applications are much more sloppy with gaps in the hair and overspray on the face.

The following is the original review of the VC100 - Starkiller figure:

Review:  Bret - 9/15/2018 07:05 AM

The Force Unleashed 2 might have been a pretty good game.  I remember liking it just fine.  But then I watched some videos of the game in order to come up with some ideas for the gallery, and I realized I never played this.  So I guess I don’t really remember playing this game.  I did like the first game well enough, and Hasbro put a lot of effort into making plenty of characters and toys to support it.  It’s also the reason I got an Xbox 360, my first console since the Super Nintendo.  But it seems this was the only figure that Hasbro produced based on the sequel, so I didn’t really have much to go on in order to make my “diorama” shots in the gallery.  I could have repurposed some figures from the original, but it just didn’t feel right.  And that’s all I have to say about that.

I thought LucasArts did a nice job of creating this new character that was so important leading up to the events of the OT.  Galen Marek was given the name “Starkiller” by his master, Darth Vader, an homage to the early drafts of Star Wars.  However, the Starkiller name, and the entire The Force Unleashed series, was relegated to Legends under the Disney banner, which then “rebranded” Starkiller as the name of the First Order’s Bigger Jaws superweapon.  Of interest, Galen Marek/Starkiller is voiced by Sam Witwer, whose likeness was digitized for the character.  Later, Witwer voiced Darth Maul in The Clone Wars, Rebels, and then in Solo: A Star Wars Story.

The figure is pretty fantastic, as Chris stated.  He’s a super-articulated two-fer, with outstanding sculpt, excellent paint applications, a headsculpt with a great likeness to the video game version of Witwer, and comes with a ton of accessories.  It’s one of the great values in the TVC line.

My complaints are the lack of ball jointed hips, which should have been added to this figure.  Such articulation would give the figure the range of motion appropriate for such a dynamic and powerful character.  I also think fans that normally dislike the aesthetics of such hip articulation might not mind as much for a figure based on a video game rather than live action.  The accessories allow for a ton of display options.  The figure can wield the two lightsabers in a variety of fighting stiles.  The portrait is well matched to the source material, and as Chris mentioned, has that brooding look that was so much a part of the character.

Oh, I’m also not really a fan of the fact that this was the character chosen to be VC100.  I feel that’s a bit of an honor that should have gone to a more classic character, like Kitster and/or Wald.  Otherwise, this is the definitive version of The Force Unleashed 2 Galen Marek.  We’ll go with the original 9 out of 10.