This.  This figure is the quintessence of Star Wars action figure collecting.  It’s what makes 3.75” special and it’s why Kenner’s record breaking action figure sales are as safe as Cy Young’s record 511 wins.  Neither will ever be reproduced.  No one will even come close.  In the words of Marsellus Wallace, “not by a darn sight.”  (Only he didn’t say “darn”.)  Star Wars collecting isn’t just about the main characters (though they are obviously important).  It’s about what that brilliant and ground breaking team at that small Cincinnati toy company collectively realized.  It’s about world-building, and that is why they invented the 3.75” scale. You can’t world-build in the over-sized 6” scale (unless you own an aircraft hangar).  You can’t world build with just Luke, Leia, Han, Rey, Poe and Finn.  You world-build with Hrchek Kal Fas and Wioslea and Ephant Mon and hundreds of other set pieces like them.  If you don’t own this figure, you disgust me, and I only have one thing to say to you:

Hi, Jimmy. I hope your day is going well and you’re enjoying that Legacy Collection Ben Kenobi figure.

Hrchek Kal Fas was one of two crocodilian Saurin seen in the Cantina.  According to better nerds than I, those two Saurin are identical, so this is a “two-fer” in a different sense. Typically when we say “two-fer” it refers to one figure that can be configured (due to its accessories) to represent two different characters (or character appearances).  In this case, we mean you can buy two of this figure and fill out two different characters in your cantina display.  If you didn’t buy two back in the day, I bet you feel like an idiot now.  You should have bought two.  First, these are so expensive on the secondary market now that they are effectively inaccessible.  Second, if you’re an idiot and easily lose small blasters, at least you’d have a spare on hand from your second figure.  Not that one of the owners of this website, whose name rhymes with Schmomadscout, lost his Hrchek Kal Fas blaster for over a year. 

Some interesting things about the figure start with it being wholly inaccurate by design.  First, the eyes on the figure are gold instead of the solid black as Hrchek Kal Fas appeared on screen and on the cardback.  Second, Hrchek Kal Fas wore boots on set and didn’t have the Bossk-like feet of the figure.  Since the character was never seen on film below the waist, the reptilian claw-like feet seemed like appropriate artistic license, but the gold eyes were a bit much, and give the figure a mild “shocked” expression.  In fact, this figure is the basis of Bantha Skull’s first ever meme.  Normally I would kill the figure for the extremely purpose-posed left hand.  It can do nothing, save for back-slapping.  But in an odd sense, it helps express this character’s essence.  Despite the formidable appearance, Hrchek Kal Fas comes across as a jovial fellow on-screen.  I don’t want to praise Hasbro for this, however.  Pre-posing a hand like this is like hitting with 19 in Black Jack.  If you draw a two, it doesn’t mean you’re smart.  It just means you’re lucky.  Hasbro got lucky here.  So that brings us to the original Bantha Skull review from 2009:

*First issue eyes are gold with black pupil.  Later versions were shipped with more accurate completely black eyes. 2018 Editor’s Note:  WHAT?!?
*The figure doesn’t really match his appearance in ANH

Original score 8/10

Those people should all be fired.  There was no “black eyes” running change.  Now you might be saying, “Hey, stupid.  I see a black eyed Hrchek Kal Fas in the background of the last image,” and you are correct.  Except that is a custom I made.  I was showing off my Strong Bad “skills of an artist” (Hi, Randy).  Second, this figure is as 10 out of 10 as 10 out of 10 gets.  GAH!  Proto-Bantha Skull IDIOTS!

Build-A-Droid 

Hrchek Kal Fas contains the body for the astromech R4-P44.  This droid could possibly be seen inside ARC-170 star fighters as part of Obi-Wan’s Fifth Fleet during the battles of Coruscant and Cato Nemoidia.  Source:  Revenge of the Sith.

Verdict: Re-issue [with black eyes] (High priority) 

Hasbro has repeatedly told us that modifying the sculpt essentially counts as an “all new figure”,  but modifying the paint applications costs next to nothing.  That makes this Hrchek Kal Fas the biggest no-brainer re-release in the history of re-releases.  Repacking this figure with corrected black eyes WOULD BE A REPACK THAT ACTUALLY MAKES FANS REJOICE.  This figure goes for a bloody fortune on the secondary market, so fans who missed out would be THRILLED to get it for MSRP.  Fans who own it, but are immune to customization, would be thrilled to get a screen accurate black eyed release.  Finally, fans who have already paid a premium on the secondary market wouldn’t be burned because they would own the “rare” gold eyes version.  This is such an OBVIOUS candidate for a corrected re-release that I’m more frustrated than Homer Simpson’s Witness Protection Program handlers.  HASBRO, WE’RE GIVING YOU GOLD.  NOW MAKE SOME VINTAGE COLLECTION MAGIC.  In fact, to whet your appetite:

Click for the full sized image.

Verdict Guide:
Re-sculpt = The figure is not definitive, and a new version should be developed.
Re-issue = This version is definitive (or close enough), and shows sufficient secondary market demand to warrant a straight repack.
No Action = This release does not require new attention.