Top 5 TVC 2.0 Figures That Already Need an Update

When we discuss figure update wishlists, we're usually talking about older figures that are badly out of place when displayed next to their modern counterparts, like 1997's Owen Lars. The Vintage Collection was rebooted with the release of (the dreaded) Wave 1 in April 2018. A mere 3 years into TVC 2.0's run (which was the entire lifespan of TVC 1.0), there are already several figures that have fallen short of their potential right out of the package. I'm not talking character choices here, but the execution of those choices. Three of the figures in the list are very good, but could have been as close to perfect as we could expect just by addressing an aspect that was maddeningly incorrect or absent upon release. Another entry was executed so poorly it probably should have never made it past the prototype stage. We start our list with one figure should never have been greenlit in the first place.





While the iconic character was in pretty high demand following the controversial release of The Last Jedi, Hasbro's execution was, to say the least, terrible. We gave Crait Luke an abysmal 4/10, which is to say, it's objectively better than a POTF2-era figure, or a 5POA animation-styled figure. But that obviously isn't saying much, and if the flagship Star Wars action figure line can't produce anything better than this for one of the most iconic characters on the planet, then we've got a real problem. We classified the sculpt as "irredeemable," meaning there was simply not much worth salvaging. As we detailed in our review, this effort was severely lacking in articulation, both due to the actual joints themselves falling short of the "Jedi Level Articulation" that any Luke figure deserves (ball jointed wrists, rocker ankles), but the joints that do exist are absurdly restricted by the terrible plastic robes and lower tunic. Hasbro might as well have saved on tooling costs and given us a Padmé-style salt shaker. Hasbro saved the softer plastic for the ankle joints, which make just standing Luke upright a chore. Finally, the face sculpt and paint applications bear zero resemblance to Mark Hamill. This figure unforgivably made it through the design/prototype phases into full production. As bad as the figure is, it fetches a hefty price on the secondary market. Someday, Hasbro needs to scrap this figure and redo Crait Luke to something that resembles modern TVC standards. This, by a long shot, is the worst figure in TVC 2.0.





Hell hath no fury like a Captain Rex scorned...or something like that. When this figure first debuted in 2015's Black Series (Phase 2), it was already strongly disliked. Probably due to the fact that I was just happy to have a realistically styled Rex, I gave the figure a overly generous 7. It's really a 5-6. Hasbro eschewed the sculpt and accessory load out from what was arguably one of TVC 1.0's best figures, the VC54 ARC Clone Commander "Not Fordo" in order to introduce a new creation from scratch, and it took several steps backwards in aesthetics, posablilty, and accessories. Not only that, but they doubled down on the sculpt by repainting it and retooling it multiple times that year with figures like Doom and Thorn. There was even a prototype of Rex shown at a convention/fair that used the VC54 base. Yet somehow we got this under articulated and under accessorized ripoff. Not satisfied with one release, Hasbro re-released the same figure in TVC (this time we gave it a 6), and fans went berserk. We can only hope that it was merely a short-term joke, and Hasbro is secretly working on an upgrade just as we're about to get more Clone-Crazy when The Bad Batch debuts in a few weeks.





We gave this figure a 10. That's because the one major "error" that was made seemed to have been done on purpose. As Chris stated in the review of VC147, it's missing the Imperial emblem on the shoulder. Since this release was sourced to Rogue One, it technically could be forgiven since evidence points to the recreated uniforms from that 2015 film were also missing the emblem. While there is also some behind the scenes evidence to suggest that some of the gunners in the OT also lacked an emblem, the fact is that in almost every OT shot, they sport the imperial cog on their shoulders. This seemingly would be a super easy adjustment to make, and could also give Hasbro an easy "repaint" that would allow them to cross off another O96 figure, if you're into that kind of thing, Oh yeah, there is the issue of the perceived smallness of the helmet. It didn't bother Chris when he gave out the perfect score, but it seems to rub a lot of collectors the wrong way. Not sure if we really want Hasbro to risk trying to embiggen the helmet and overshooting the mark. It might be best to leave well enough alone.





While the VC166 pre-Beskar Mando will likely never been revisited, the Beskar-clad Din Djarin already has 2 figures (VC177 and VC181) with at least one more on the way (the soft-caped Razor Crest pack-in) could stand a quick update before Hasbro inevitably cranks out additional repaints and repacks of this tooling. Besides considering the soft goods cape to be a permanent part of the figure going forward, Din Djarin really needs those rocker ankles to make it arguably perfect. Rocker ankles are making a big splash in TVC lately, but came just a bit after the Mando mold was already cooked up. A dynamic hero character like Din Djarin deserves rocker ankles.





Here's the big one. Hasbro knocked it out of the park with VC140. The problem here is that it was a solo homer, and we're down by 3. We needed a grand slam. The good news is that it wouldn't take much to make this a 12 out of 10 figure. To quote Chris from our review, "This is perhaps the most conspicuous lack of rocker ankles in the history of the line." Yes, Chris, you were very correct to write that. The Constitution of the United States explicitly states that TVC Stormtroopers require rocker ankles. By issuing this figure as they did, The Supreme Court recently ruled (9-0!) that VC140 is unconstitutional, and therefore an affront to humanity. While they're fixing the ankle articulation, it's possible (I have no idea) that Hasbro might need to retool the shins. That would work out splendidly, as the second biggest complaint here is the flared shin armor, giving the stormtrooper an odd bellbottom look. If they're going to add rocker ankles (and they are legally bound to do so), they might as well retool a slightly larger helmet and add a belt with a holster to create the perfect OT Stormtrooper. Oh, and while they're at it, they might as well appease the O96 zealots and issue it on a Star Wars card. Do these things, and they will sell billions of them. Forget cases, some folks would buy them by the pallet. It would be the biggest selling figure of all time - provided they were made available to purchase in perpetuity. Hasbro: Stock them at brick and mortar, online partners, and Hasbro Pulse. Include them as pack-ins in every OT themed multi-pack, playset, and vehicle, even if not directly related to Stormtroopers. And if you really want to make collectors happy, offer them as an instant army builder at a discount in generic, uncarded baggies or white boxes. Do this, Hasbro, and it would be as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in joy, and then suddenly opened their bank accounts.

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