The Last 17: Where Does Lumat Stand?

 
Kenner Name: Lumat

Modern Name: Lumat

Vintage Release: ROTJ 79-Back (1984) [No. 93670]

Does It Exist In The Modern Line: YES

Does It Exist In The Vintage Collection: YES

Latest Modern Release: The Vintage Collection (2012)

Is The Modern Release Good Enough: YES

Review: VC104 - Lumat


As mentioned when we announced this feature the last seventeen figures from the vintage Kenner collection carry a bit of prestige (and a premium on the collectible market). These figures represent an "end of line". Vintage toy lines rarely (never?) went out on top. They typically sputtered to an ignominious end in clearance. Because of this decreased demand, production levels are reduced. If the underlying property has any pop-cultural indelibility, the reduced production levels ensure future collectibility. Such is the case with final Kenner Star Wars figures. Type the generic phrase "last 17" into the Ebay search bar, and you will automatically get dozens of Stars Wars related auto-complete suggestions.

Because the final line look for the Kenner collection was the Power of the Force cards in 1985, some fans incorrectly assume that the phrase "last 17" is synonymous with Power of the Force. This is an incorrect assumption. "Last 17" refers to figures that were released when Kenner was cutting the production volume. That actually occurred at the end of 1984 when Kenner produced the last two figures under the Return of the Jedi line look. The first of those two is the Ewok Lumat. Perhaps launching with a non-POTF figure isnt' the sexiest way to launch our Last 17 mini-series, but my collector obsessions insist that I go in product number order (and thus Paploo is up next).

Another thing that possibly makes Lumat a less exciting entry is that the figure's status within the modern line is almost without controversy. Typically figures from 2012 would be archaic by 2025 standards, but it's hard to imagine how such a diminuative figure could be much improved. Articulation doesn't lend itself to short, stocky limbs, so the lack of knees doesn't phase me. Lumat uses the Logray buck, which has ball jointed elbows, but again, because the arms are not very long, the articulation is not all that functional. Ewoks are the one class of Star Wars figures where I accept loss of function for the sake of aesthetics. I personally don't need this figure updated.

The Vintage Collection has avoided the POTF line look like the plague with one notable exception (the Sail Barge Yak Face). That's an issue for the last fifteeen, but as mentioned, Lumat debuted on a ROTJ card in the Kenner line, and likewise was released on a ROTJ card in the Vintage Collection. So all the way around, the 2012 release of Lumat serves as a satisfactory counterpart to the 1984 Kenner release. It checks all the boxes, but I said it was almost without controversy. Hasbro made (and continues to make) Lumat difficult to acquire. It's like poetry. It rhymes. Lumat was released at the end of the Kenner line and Lumat was released at the end of TVC 1.0 in the literally last wave.

That final wave was an online exclusive, which was unheard of in 2012. Almost all of the figures from that wave became collectible at one point. Also, almost all of them have been released outside of that final wave as a re-release in TVC 2.0 or they were pre-released in the Walmart exclusive "Discover the Force" line for the Phantom Menace 3D theatrical release. The only outliers are Orrimaarko (Prune Face), and Lumat. Carded samples routinely sell for over $100 (usually well over). So the only thing that can be said is that it should probably get a re-release, but paying $20 for an Ewok will be a bit of a bitter pill.

One final bit of commentary, as a child of the Neon Decade, I absolutely love the hot pink name pill. It hits me right in the nostalgia feels.

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