Monday, December 21, 2020

Action Figure Review: Luke Skywalker & Yoda (Jedi Training) from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

 


   So....seen anything good on television lately? I'm not going to say anything further but if you have then you know what I'm talking about, right? *High five*

   Anyways, 2020 is the celebration year for the greatest Star Wars film of them all, The Empire Strikes Back, and while Hasbro did release a Kenner inspired 40th Anniversary Collection subset for the Black Series the deluxe figures were released as part of the standard Black Series Phase III. Luke Skywalker & Yoda (Jedi Training) are labeled as the fourth set of the deluxe releases (the Probe Droid was the third) and was essentially sold as a two-pack. I love the Dagobah scenes from TESB and watching Yoda ride around on Luke during his Jedi training really is a pretty memorable image from the saga. Kenner's Power of the Force 2 figures were the Star Wars figures I had as a kid and I vividly recall stumbling upon the series containing Luke Skywalker in his Dagobah fatigues and Yoda with my mom on a trip to Toys 'R Us. It was pretty exciting to finally be able to add Yoda to my collection and having a figure that I knew didn't appear in the vintage line was pretty exciting. Of course, that Luke was really bulky and ripped but he was still very cool. Of course, this guy's even cooler than that figure and getting him and Yoda together is convenient. This is actually a modified Yoda as the earlier release (who I've apparently never reviewed) was quite oversized and wouldn't fit on Luke's back very well. Ready to jump in for some Jedi training? Then join me after the break...

  

The Facts: Luke Skywalker

Height: 5 3/4 inches

Articulation: Swivel/hinge ankles, swivel hinge knees, swivel thighs, ball jointed hips, ball jointed mid-torso, butterfly hinged elbows, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel hinge elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, ball jointed neck, and a ball jointed head.

Accessories: Lightsaber hilt with removable blade, 4 interchangeable hands, blaster, and a backpack.





The Facts: Yoda

Height: 2 3/8ths inches

Articulation: Swivel/hinge ankles, swivel/hinge knees, ball jointed hips, balljointed waist, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel/hinge elbows, swivel wrists, and a balljointed head.

Accessories: Gimer stick, flute necklace, and two interchangable heads. 

Non-Scalper Price: $40-$45 dollars





Comparison:

* The new Yoda from this set is on the left while the previous Yoda from the Black Series Phase II is on the right (he's also been re-released in the Archive Series and in The Empire Strikes Back 40th Anniversary Collection with facial printing). Yoda is only supposed to be 2.2' so this figure is about dead on for The Black Series being a true 6 inch scaled line. 

 

 

The Positives:

 

* Let's start by taking a look at Luke in his training gear, which is actually his "Bespin" fatigues without the button up shirt. Hasbro offered up a completely new sculpt though and it looks fantastic. This is a simple outfit for Luke but there's excellent work on his proportions and on the texture of the shirt and the pants. There's also a bit of mud on the outfit which is just a side product of training on a slimy mud-hole. 

 

 

 

 

 

* The headsculpt is fantastic, too. Hasbro has been doing an excellent job of capturing Mark Hamill's likeness ever since they started offering the photo real likenesses via the face printing technology and this one is another winner. I like how Luke's hair looks quite tousled and sweaty, which is fitting given the training Yoda put him through.

 * Luke uses the new articulation scheme for the Black Series and it all works really well. He's got the new swivel/ hinge hips rather than double joints, the swivel /hinge elbows with the better range of motion, a ball jointed base of the neck, and the butterfly shoulders. Everything's solid, fluid, and helps him to take on nearly any Jedi training pose you can think of.

 * Luke comes with four interchangeable hands, something we don't see all that often in the Black Series. You've got a standard pistol grip right hand and a gripping left hand as well as an outstretched right hand (great for lifting objects with the Force) and a left hand for doing hand stands. Does it work?


 

* Yes! Yes it does! I don't know that you could display him this way long without some additional support but I was able to use this alternate hand and keep Luke standing upside down hands free. How cool! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* Luke comes with his lightsaber which doesn't seem any different than any other version of the Skywalker family lightsaber we've had. Still a nice sculpt and it still has a removable blade.

 

* He's also packing his blaster pistol, useful for blasting at droid eating creatures in the swamps of Dagobah for sure.




* Yoda looks quite nice. I have a few criticisms, which I'll get to in a moment, but overall I like him. His outfit is pretty decent and he's wearing his belt (it's not removable so far as I can tell) and the little flute he wears around his neck. Since his head is removable to swap out the two included portraits, the flute is removable, too.




 

 

* The headsculpt is amazing. This is a really good Yoda portrait. It really is quite realistic and captures one of Yoda's facial expressions nicely.




 

* The alternate portrait is Yoda with his eyes closed, focusing on lifting an X-wing. I love it. It's really cool that Hasbro gave Yoda an extra portrait. I wish Luke had one, too, though Yoda's is definitely very, very memorable. You know, you c could also use this as a dying Yoda from Return of the Jedi. Just saying...

* Don't judge Yoda by his size! Though he's only a little over 2-inches he's nearly as articulated as most other standard Black Series figures. You can't see all of the articulation under his robe but it's almost all there.




 

* Yoda doesn't come with many accessories but he does include his gimer stick, a gift from the Wookies.

 

* The set also includes the backpack for Luke to tote Yoda around in. It's a nice piece that easily fits around Luke's torso.

 

* Yoda fits in the backpack perfectly. Doesn't this pair look incredible? This is an excellent way to display these characters on the shelf and Hasbro did a really nice job getting everything to work properly.




The Negatives:

* Like nearly every other Black Series lightsaber, I'm still nervous about the seemingly fragile tip on this one. Popping it in and out of the hilt makes me very, very nervous. I'd rather have one hilt and one lightsaber with the hilt permanently attached instead of this!


 * Does Yoda's head seem a bit oversized to you? I think so and, from looking at the comments of other Star Wars collectors, I believe I'm not alone. Yoda's noggin is a bit too large here. It's not much smaller than the head from the previous figure though his body is much smaller. That's a weird issue, isn't it? Since Yoda is an alien species it's not as noticeable as it would be if Luke's head was oversized but it's still a bit of an issue.



   This is a really cool set although given Yoda's smaller size and lack of extra accessories it seems a bit questionable for Hasbro to price this like a 2-pack. Actually, at most stores you'll actually find this price at $45 dollars rather than $40, so you're paying a bit of a premium, too. Still, it's quite a nice set and it'll make you want to set up some Dagobah scenes on your shelf for sure. Luke training Yoda is truly an iconic movie image and it's great to see it captured in the Black Series. If you don't want Yoda for some reason, you can get Luke by himself in the 40th Anniversary Collection, though without the extra hands and backpack.

 

If you're looking for more reviews of Luke Skywalker based toys check out Tosche Station.

Do you seek Yoda? If so, check out the Hero Mashers version, the Black Series Yoda (Force Spirit), the Micro Machines Classic Characters (2nd edition) Yoda, and the green hologram Yoda from the Micro Force advent calendar. 

For more reviews from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III check out the following:
0-0-0 (Triple Zero)
442nd Siege Battalion Clone Trooper, 212th Attack Battalion Utapau Trooper, Coruscant Guard ---(Phase II), and 501st Legion Clone Trooper 4 pack
4-LOM
Admiral Ackbar and First Order Officer
Admiral Piett
Ahsoka Tano 
Anakin Skywalker (Padawan)
Elite Praetorian Guard
Elite Praetorian Guard (with Heavy Blade)
Emperor Papatine and Throne
Enfys Nest's Swoop Bike/ Enfys Nest
Ezra Bridger
Finn (First Order Disguise)
Finn (FN-2187)
Finn (Jakku)
First Order Flametrooper
First Order General Hux
First Order Jet Trooper
First Order Snowtrooper
First Order Snowtrooper Officer
First Order Special Forces TIE Fighter
First Order Stormtrooper
First Order Stormtrooper Executioner 
First Order Stormtrooper (with Gear)
First Order TIE Fighter Pilot
Gamorrean Guard
General Grievous
General Leia Organa
General Veers
Grand Admiral Thrawn (SDCC Exclusive)
Grand Moff Tarkin 
Guardians of Evil 4-Pack
Guavian Enforcer
Han Solo (Exogorth Escape)
Han Solo (Mimban)
Han Solo (Solo)
Han Solo (The Force Awakens)
Heavy Battle Droid
Heavy Infantry Mandalorian
Hera Syndulla
IG-11
Imperial AT-ACT Driver
Imperial Death Trooper
Imperial Death Trooper, Captain Cassian Andor, and Sergeant Jyn Erso (Jedha) 3 pack
Imperial Hovertank Pilot 
Imperial Jumptrooper
Imperial Patrol Trooper
Imperial Probe Droid
Imperial Shock Trooper 
Imperial Royal Guard 
Inferno Squad Agent
Jaina Solo (Legends)
Jango Fett
Second Sister Inquisitor
Sergeant Jyn Erso (Eadu)
Sergeant Jyn Erso (Jedha)
Shadow Stormtrooper
Sith Trooper
Snowtrooper 
Stormtrooper (Mimban)
Stormtrooper (With Blast Accessories)
Supreme Leader Snoke (Throne Room)
Tobias Beckett
Tusken Raider 
Val (Vandor)
Vice Admiral Holdo
Wedge Antilles
X-34 Landspeeder & Luke Skywalker (SDCC Exclusive) 
X-Wing Pilot Asty 
Yoda (Force Spirit)
Zorii Bliss
Zuckuss
 







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4 comments:

  1. GIJigsawDecember 21, 2020 at 8:15 AM

    So glad they made this set. An absolute must have.

    ReplyDelete
  2. FrankDecember 21, 2020 at 9:02 AM

    Great review! I just bought this set from Target.com for $27 even though I own the single-packed Luke - the extra accessories really add a lot.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Barbecue17December 23, 2020 at 11:17 AM

      That's a really good price. I saw it, too. Plus, they had the Remnant Stormtrooper in stock yesterday.

      Delete

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