Setting The Terms For The 40th Anniversary Of Return Of The Jedi

The Vintage Collection was effectively shut out for the 40th Anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back. I'm not going to lie. That felt like a punch in the gut to me. I'm still partially in disbelief that it happened. The favorite film of a majority of the TVC community, and we didn't get a blessed figure from that source in 2020 (excluding Fan Channel and the Stormtrooper packed in with the Carbon Freeze Chamber). I honestly view that as unforgivable. Let's never go through that again.

2023 is the 40th Anniversary of Return of the Jedi as you all know. Hasbro, while ESB is a favorite movie of many TVC fans, ROTJ is their favorite toy source. Since the lineup is probably in the planning process as we write this, we'd better set the community's expectations now. We'll set what we feel are minimum requirements up through what would make a home run TVC celebration.

BARE MINIMUM

• Invite the TVC fans to the party this time. If there is going to be a celebratory shipper, as there was for the 40th of Empire, there had better be some Vintage Collection product in there. Preferably an entire wave, as both Retro and TBS got in 2020.


• At least one needed 096 update. We're talking a figure that needs either all new or partial tooling (i.e. not a straight repack). Candidates include Tessek (Squid Head), EV-9D9, 8-D8, Barada, and Sim Aloo. But don't make Sim Aloo.


• At least one of the following never before made Return of the Jedi characters: Yotts Oren, Taym-Dren Garen, Velken Tezeri, Fozec, Geezum and Shasa Tiel. Hasbro, once again, figures such of these are the soul of 3.75". Please don't render The Vintage Collection soulless.


• A repack of the Jabba's Dais from the "Shadows of the Darkside" packaging with the updated Photo Real Jabba from the sail barge to match the vintage Kenner counterpart.

NOW YOU'RE COOKING

• An Episode VI based playset. Ideally this would be Jabba's palace related, so we can continue to build out that part of the world. A Jabba's Dungeon playset with the droid disintegrator and 8-D8's branding device gets my vote. Failing that, a modular Home One playset would be great since we have literally a billion figures that go in that scene. Figuratively.


• A vehicle that is realistic for either brick and mortar or Fan Channel. This could be the Speeder Bike, the need for which is getting urgent, or the A-Wing. Since the A-Wing was only released in the Droids packing, getting one in The Vintage Collection would be a great "what if". Additionally, a second release in Droids packaging would make an incredible exclusive (right, Randy?)


• A follow up to the hugely popular Skiff Guard 3-pack. Obviously this would need to lean on repacks and partial tooling. Wooof, Lathe and a Yotts Oren using some partial tooling would be neat.

HOME RUN

• This one is a single bullet. Have a Return of the Jedi themed HasLab. Lord knows there are plenty of opportunities. From the vehicle stand point, there's the Lamda-Class Shuttle (Shuttle Tydirium). From and environment standpoint, you have the Death Star and Jabba's Palace. From a figure standpoint, fans would absolutely CELEBRATE the opportunity to get a multi-pack of obscure Jabba's Palace backgrounders that will never see market outside of HasLab.

Most importantly, Hasbro, don't worry about breaking our wallets. Bring it on. We'll show you.

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