CJ’s Last Figure Standing Picks

With our primary contributors and fearless leaders dealing with real life stuff, I've decided to get off my butt and write something. Is it the most creative topic in the world? No. But it will help to hold you ravenous consumers of content over until NYCC later this week.

This year's LFS top-10 submission was a lot harder than in years past. Not because my most wanted figures have been addressed in the past year, but because I really wanted to put some thought into this and nominate figures that would not only make me really happy but would also fit well and help support the line.

Uncle Owen (ANH) - I have written previously about the importance of Uncle Owen as a character in Luke's development. Owen is a critical balance to Obi-Wan, and his death is meaningful enough to ignite Luke's "hero's journey." Our only version of this character is from a 1997 Cinema Scene and was already terrible by even the low standards of that time. The new Wuher shows what Hasbro can do with gruff old men. Owen deserves the same treatment.

AT-AT Driver (ESB) - When I was a kid, I did not have a TIE Fighter Pilot, but I did have an AT-AT Driver. Maybe that is why I've always had a soft spot for these guys. I love all things Hoth. The new Snowtrooper this year is one of the best things ever made by anyone. Now seems like the perfect time to keep that ball rolling and give us another much-needed upgrade. With an appearance in the Mandalorian and Grogu trailer, this seems like a no-brainer, but if we've learned anything over the years it's that we should never assume that anything is guaranteed.

Mon Mothma (ROTJ) - Mon Mothma's arc in Andor elevated her from a one-scene curiosity to one of the most compelling and complex characters in the saga. But I'm not asking for an Andor version. Mon Mothma's original appearance in ROTJ wasn't much, but she is presented as the leader of the Rebel Alliance and she is a critical lynchpin of any Home One briefing display. I cannot say that any version of this character would sell well on its own, but surely there is a multipack or adventure set (short of a $500 Haslab) that would work.

Princess Leia (Ewok Dress) - This version of Leia has persisted on every wishlist, March Madness, and LFS submission that I've put forward in the past 15 years. The POTF2 version is monstrous and resembles Carrie Fisher only slightly more than Chewbacca's wife from the Holiday Special. We finally got a decent ANH Leia, and there are certainly other versions that need to be updated, but this one is egregious. The fact that the Black Series version can be had at Ollie's for a nickel is enraging to me. We need an Ewok Dress Leia, and more Ewoks, and Clapping Lando, and Jedi Luke with the flap down. But mostly the first one.

Ownellco (Cantina Lutrillian) - Ownellco/Atheloe/Solomahal.. I don't care what his name is. But no cantina is complete without a bubble-butted Lutrillian or two. A rare cantina alien species that has never been attempted, this species (referred to as "dormouse" on set) is a classic example of the John Mollo/Stuart Freeborn style and craftsmanship. I'm holding out hope that this submission will be moot by the time voting opens, but I'm not going to stop asking until this happens.

Arleil Schous (Cantina) - If TVC collectors weren't the worst, we would already have this guy. But instead we have a huge gap in the cantina and have to wait even longer for this character debut. Despite winning LFS last year and being rumored in the upcoming multipack, we need to keep demonstrating to Hasbro that the demand is real and goes beyond the desire to own what we can't have.

Admiral Raddus (RO) - I'm apparently in the small minority of Star Wars fans that thought Rogue One was just alright, but the entire battle of Scarif was a fantastic mix of nostalgic fan service and tight action direction. Admiral Raddus was the break-out star of that sequence both in terms of personality and battlefield leadership. We got a garbage 5-POA figure that was almost impossible to obtain, but let's not screw around here. We need a TVC version. And not just a repaint of Admiral Ackbar. That would be racist.

Captain Panaka (TPM) - This was possibly the hardest decision for my submissions this year. We painfully need new versions of "basic" Anakin and Theed Battle Padme, but I left them off this year and added Captain Panaka. Like many TPM characters, the only version of Panaka that we have is from 1999 and doesn't match modern figures in terms of size or aesthetics. I'm not going to argue that Panaka is important or exciting, but he is very prominent and somewhat action-oriented. The 2012 TPM-pocalypse may have ruined our chances to ever get a full-scale focus on that movie, but Panaka might have a shot if he's slotted into the right spot.

Rycar Ryjerd (Cantina) - As I worked on narrowing down my list this year, I tried to spread out my picks across different sources, but the Haslab Cantina certainly loomed large. I had to drop Muftak, Garouf Lafoe, Yerka Mig and others. But I had to make room for this li'l fella. Not only is he prominently visible at the bar, he's got a look that mixes classic slick 1950's sci-fi with the "used universe" particularly noticeable on Tatooine. Rycar is a nice unique design that would help fill out cantinas everywhere and probably make an awesome base for customs.

Rebel Commando (ROTJ) - Hasbro has been slowly working through upgrading various troop builders, but the Endor Rebel is becoming a bit of an elephant in the room. Hasbro released two versions of the Endor Rebel Trooper in TVC 1.0, and that base figure was good. But it is very much showing its age at this point. Not updating this figure when the Shield Generator set was released was a big missed opportunity. But it's not too late! An all-new Endor Rebel provides opportunities for outfit variants, troop builder 4-packs, new Dresselians, and more. Now, some people insist that they need to release the "jumpsuit" variant to complete the O96, but I contend that there is no jumpsuit and those people are delusional. Fight me.

So that's my list, AKA the correct list. I look forward to getting this show on the road and debating with strangers about which Glup Shitto I want to pay $20 to own.

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