Hasbro had BIG plans for the 2008/2009 Blue/Red Legacy Collection.  BIG!  So huge, that they quickly realized their factories couldn’t possibly deliver*, so they scaled back.  And they scaled back in a BIG way.  BIG!  So huge, that they didn’t deliver any part of those big plans.  Well, at least as far as plans go for no less than 3 of the 4 known running changes to basic carded figures.  This Ugnaught represents one of the 3 running changes that didn’t happen as scheduled.  Hasbro wasn’t able to fulfill the promise of a true running change for the blue TLC BD43 Ugnaught, and it took about a year to bring this little piggy to market.  Hasbro finally did so in the red Legacy Collection as BD28. 

Another planned running change was for the clean-shaven Hoth Rebel Trooper.  After initially debuting as a bearded figure as 2008’s blue TLC BD42, the clean-shaven variant was eventually released in 3 different Target Exclusive multi-packs:  SOTDS Defense of Hoth in 2010, The Search for Luke Skywalker in 2011, and the TVC Rebel 3-pack set in 2011.  It wasn’t until the spring of 2018 that it realized its intended placement as a single carded release, and did so as the star of the otherwise miserable “relaunch” wave of TVC. 

As for the third promised variant, the tall Utai was sadly never released, and I cry a little every night before I go to sleep when I think about what could have been.  I’m all about the background characters.

So “1 year, 10 years, and never,” is the proper answer to the question, “When did the promised running changes from The Legacy Collection get delivered?”

So here is the Ugnaught planned “variant.”  Since the figure is on its own card, rather than on the same one as the original release, I don’t really consider it a variant, as I would the two different versions of the VC26 Rebel Commando.  Also, while the two Ugnaughts share some parts, the final figures are different enough to further support classifying them as individual figures.  The sculpt is very good, including a unique head/face that contains a lot of detail and personality.  The coloring and uniform are different from the Blue TLC version, but are both nevertheless well painted and sculpted.  Ugnaught has standard super-articulation for 2009-era figures, with the exception of having no ankles.  “Nankles”, if you will.  For this type of figure, it’s not a huge blow, but it still would have been nice if it was fully articulated.

Ugnaught comes with the same white “lunchbox” and grey control panel that are included with the first release.  The figure grips the handle of the lunchbox well.  It was important for ugnaughts to bring their own lunch from home, because Guy Fieri’s Cloud City Cafeteria (also known as “Triple C”) only served bacon, pork chops, and prosciutto.  The control panel is one of my favorite accessories.  I use it as a background piece in several images throughout our galleries.  I think a soft goods “bib” would have been a nice homage to the vintage figure.

Although it lacks articulated ankles, it’s still a neat little figure, and between the two variations, pretty much scratches the Ugnaught itch, if you know what I mean.  It’s basically definitive, it’s collector-worthy, it’s a nice update to a Kenner original, and it’s a background alien from ESB.  Click the eBay link and get it already, GOSH!

Seems like this guy will run you about $30-35 now, roughly double what the first version (TLC blue carded BD43).  Even though that’s a decent price, I’m not convinced it would be a strong seller at retail today as a carry forward.  I’m sure there are those that would like to see this modern version of a Kenner figure on a TVC card.  Maybe that would be cool if they included both figures in a two-pack, even if they dropped the console accessory.  Or perhaps they could do both as a true running change (like the aforementioned VC26 Rebel Commando).  It would probably be best if Hasbro left this alone, unless there was some major ESB-themed push, say in 2020 for the 40th.

*At the time this figure was manufactured, Hasbro had not yet heeded Bantha Skull’s advice to move some of their production to Vietnam. Had they done so, none of this would have been an issue. 

Build-A-Droid 

Ugnaught contains the body of R3-M3, which could be seen rolling down a corridor of the Death Star as Obi-Wan was preparing himself to face Darth Vader.  Source:  A New Hope.