The Last 17: Do We Have A Passable Luke Skywalker (in Battle Poncho)?

 
Kenner Name: Luke Skywalker (in Battle Poncho)

Modern Name: Luke Skywalker (Endor)

Vintage Release: POTF 92-Back (1985) [No. 93710]

Does It Exist In The Modern Line: YES

Does It Exist In The Vintage Collection: YES

Does It Exist In The Vintage Collection On Its Debut Card: NO

Latest Modern Release: The Vintage Collection (2021)

Is The Modern Release Good Enough: NO

Review: VC198 - Luke Skywalker (Endor)


Endor Luke Skywalker has had a wild history in the modern line. It's had five releases since the line returned in 1995, but despite being an action-based version of the core-est of core characters and an O96 figure, only two of those releases have been single carded. The first release came in 1997 as a pack-in with a Speeder Bike (not reviewed on Bantha Skull at this time). That release featured hinged knees to facilitate the Speeder Bike sittin' and whatnot. Another Luke Endor was released the following year in the weird, but simultaneously neat, Millennium Minted Coin collection (also not reviewed on Bantha Skull at this time). For some reason, Hasbro didn't just repack the Speeder Bike figure. This time it got a new set of legs that ditched the hinged knees. Both of those releases are objectively terrible by today's standards.

In 2006, we would finally get our first single-carded release in the Saga Collection with 044 - Luke Skywalker (Battle of Endor). It was above average for its day, but with swivel elbows and no ankles, it too is objectively terrible by today's standards. In 2009, we would finally get a super articulated Endor Luke, but once again it was tucked in a multi-pack. This time it came in the Legacy Collection "Battle for Endor" battle pack (not reviewed on Bantha Skull at this time). Interestingly, that same battle pack also gives us our only modern version of another Last 17 figure that we'll be getting to towards the end of this series. Yikes. We might have to grab it off of Ebay so we can have the review done in advance.

We would ride that 2009 version as our goto for the next decade plus, but by the 2020's, it was getting pretty long in the tooth. Finally in 2021 we would get our second carded Luke Endor release, and even better, it was a Kenner-styled Vintage Collection card. But while the year of release is fairly recent, most of the tooling used is not. As with Paploo, which we looked at in the last entry, this Luke Endor was part of a Walmart exclusive wave which, at the time, meant only minimal new tooling could be included. How little tooling? It's a new head on 2010's VC23 - Luke Skywalker (Endor Capture) plus a new soft goods poncho. VC23 was well ahead of its time in 2010, so it hadn't aged itself out by 2021. Then 2022 happened, and a quantum leap in 3.75" figures occurred. Under no measure does that 2021 Luke Endor hold up in the era of barbell hips and rocker ankles. Not for a Luke Skywalker figure, anyway.

There's another issue, and it's one that is going to be true for 14 of the last 15 going forward. VC198 does not appear on Luke Endor's debut Kenner card which was 1985's legendary Power of the Force line look. I truly want all of the Last 15 released on modern replicas of the 1985 POTF cards complete with a coin (I don't care if its minted unless one of you convinces me otherwise). Given that the figure is no longer good enough, combining these two factors seems like there's opportunity for a re-release in a vacuum. In context, VC198 didn't preform particularly well. Walmart's original allotment was still available on their website at a discount for over a year (and maybe years). This is partly due to the fact that they never shipped any of the figures to stores that I'm aware of, but that doesn't completely excuse the poor performance.

I still think we should get a new Luke Endor on a POTF card. Just do it in a way where the people who want such a thing need to step up to the plate with their wallets without interrupting the main line. If Hasbro wants to charge more for figures, they need to go where the deep pockets are. And I'm convinced POTF replicas WITH definitive updates will strike a money vein. I truly think that the reason cantina sold as many units as it did was because some collectors were willing to pay $80 per figure, and worry about selling off the extra Cantinas later.

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