Action Figure Review: Luke Skywalker (Jedi Master) - Ahch-To Island from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

   Well..it's been over a week since I saw The Last Jedi and since you're someone intentionally tracking down Star Wars action figure reviews on a website, I'm assuming you've already seen it too. If for some strange reason you haven't, I'll try to keep spoilers to a minimum. I mainly want to focus on the action figure anyway which is of Luke Skywalker in his Jedi Master robes. Luke was already released in this outfit back on Force Friday (as well as being part of a SDCC 2017 exclusive set with Rey) so there's nothing incredibly unique about this release. Like the deluxe version of Rey, this exclusive figure (it's a Target exclusive, by the way) includes a die-cast metal part, an environmental display base, more soft goods mixed in with the figure's sculpt, and an improved paint job. That also comes at an elevated price, though. I now have all four of the deluxe figures in hand (I've reviewed Rey and Snoke already and Kylo Ren's review will be coming soon) and I can safely say that Snoke and Luke are the two deluxe releases that you could purchase and feel like you were missing nothing from the single packed figures. Luke absolutely does feature some nice improvements that make him a better figure than the standard version though. Pull yourself up a bottle of green milk and let's check out this new version of Luke Skywalker after the break...

 The Facts:

Height: 5 7/8ths inches

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

Accessories: Cloak, alternate die-cast metal hand, Ach-To display base.

Non-Scalper Price: $35 dollars

 The Positives:

* On the left is the Target exclusive version of Luke while the standard version is on the right. In a smaller image it is nearly impossible to notice the differences. View the full picture, though, and you'll clearly see the improved paintwork and new torso. The standard release features sculpted plastic robes while the deluxe release features soft goods woven in with the sculpted robes.

 The Positives:

* This is a pretty good looking figure. Luke's outfit is fairly simple with a mixture of off-white and grayish-tan robes and a simple brown belt, but it's cool. There's something almost jarring with seeing Luke wearing an outfit that seems so much more at home in the Prequels. This isn't my favorite outfit of Luke's from The Last Jedi, though, so hopefully we'll see his other two before the release of Episode IX.

 * Unlike the standard release, the plastic robes do not inhibit the leg motion. Luke can take on a wide variety of poses and feels sturdy and well made. This definitely isn't much of an "action" outfit for him in the movie but he wears it in quite a few crucial scenes.

 * This figure has much better paintwork than the previous release and it radically improves the likeness. This is an excellent rendition of Luke. The hair color still doesn't seem quite right but it's close.

* The way that Luke's tunic is a mixture of sculpted plastic strips and actual fabric looks great. It's a very convincing look and definitely makes this figure feel much more complex than the standard release.

* Luke's belt is much better than on the standard release. The lightsaber clip (not that he needs it) is much improved, too. This clip would actually hold a lightsaber.

* I love Luke's mechanical right hand. The sculpt is very cool and features a lot of nice detail.

* The selling piece of this set is the Ahch-To Island display base. This is a nice large piece featuring some solid sculpting and paintwork and two pegs for holding figures. You can easily put Luke and Rey on here to recreate their famous scene from the end of The Force Awakens (and their infamous scene from The Last Jedi).

 The Negatives:


* Luke comes with a tannish-gray cloak that fits over his head and shoulders. It seems like a good idea but it just doesn't stay on very well. It also has lots of loose strings hanging off of the inside seams, making the piece feel kind of messy. I usually prefer soft goods to plastic, but this piece just doesn't feel like it has enough structure to it.

* Luke comes with a die-cast metal robotic hand that can swap out with the plastic right hand. It's a cool idea but the metal hand seems too small, is sculpted in an odd fist, and doesn't really add anything different from the standard hand. It seems kind of useless, really, especially being that it's billed as a deluxe feature. Any accessory, particularly a Porg, would have been better.

There's no doubt that the Target exclusive Luke Skywalker is a big improvement over the standard release. Of course, the cost of that improvement is $15 dollars more than the cost of the standard release. At that price, this really is still just a Good figure, like the standard release. The Achh-To base is cool and the improved paint applications and tunic is welcome, but it still feels like you're getting shorted, particularly when this figure was released a few months after the standard. Let's be honest: Who would collect the Black Series and not have bought Luke right away? A cool release, but it leaves me wanting a bit more.


   Looking for more Luke Skywalker reviews? You're in luck! I've reviewed the Funko POP! Luke Skywalker with Landspeeder! and the Mystery Minis Jedi Exile Luke Skywalker. I've also reviewed micro versions of Luke from the Galoob Micro Machines Classic Characters (2nd Edition) set and the Hasbro Endor Forest Battle, multiple Black Series Lukes including (Bespin Outfit), (X-Wing Pilot), (Jedi Knight) , (Stormtrooper Disguise), in Hoth Disguise with Wampa, Jedi Master, the standard classic Luke Skywalker, and the SDCC Luke with the X-34 Landspeeder. Oh, and the Hero Mashers Luke Skywalker and Luke Skywalker Vs. Darth Vader.

If you're looking for more figures from the Black Series, check out the following:

442nd Siege Battalion Clone Trooper, 212th Attack Battalion Utapau Trooper, Coruscant Guard ---(Phase II), and 501st Legion Clone Trooper 4 pack
Admiral Ackbar and First Order Officer
Ahsoka Tano 
AT-AT Pilot 
Baze Malbus
Captain Cassian Andor (Eadu) 
Captain Poe Dameron
C-3PO
C-3PO (Resistance Base)
Captain Phasma
Chewbacca
Chirrut Imwe 
Clone Captain Rex (HasCon Exclusive)
Clone Commander Gree
Constable Zuvio
Darth Revan 
Darth Vader (Emperor's Wrath)
Director Krennic
Elite Praetorian Guard
Elite Praetorian Guard (with Heavy Blade)
Finn (First Order Disguise)
Finn (FN-2187)
Finn (Jakku)
First Order Flametrooper
First Order General Hux
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
General Leia Organa
Grand Admiral Thrawn (SDCC Exclusive)
Guardians of Evil 4-Pack
Guavian Enforcer
Han Solo 
Hera Syndulla
Imperial AT-ACT Driver
Imperial Death Trooper
Imperial Death Trooper, Captain Cassian Andor, and Sergeant Jyn Erso (Jedha) 3 pack
Imperial Hovertank Pilot 
Imperial Shock Trooper 
Imperial Royal Guard 
Inferno Squad Agent
Jango Fett
K-2SO
Kanan Jarrus
Kylo Ren 
Kylo Ren (SDCC 2016)
Kylo Ren (The Last Jedi) 
Kylo Ren (Starkiller Base)
Lando Calrissian
Luke Skywalker 
Luke Skywalker (Jedi Master) 
Maz Kanata 
Obi-Wan Kenobi (Force Spirit)
Obi-Wan Kenobi (SDCC 2016)
Phase 1 Clone Trooper Commander, Phase II Clone Trooper, Imperial Stormtrooper, and First Order ---Stormtrooper Officer four pack
Poe Dameron
Poe Dameron and First Order Riot Control Stormtrooper
Princess Leia Organa 
Qui-Gon Jinn
R2-A3, R5-K6, and R2-F2
Resistance Trooper
Rey (Jakku) & BB-8 
Rey (Jedi Training)
Rey (Jedi Training)- Crait
Rey (Starkiller Base) 
Rey's Speeder (Jakku)
Sabine Wren
Sandtrooper Sergeant, Crimson Stormtrooper, Lieutenant OXIXO, and R2-Q5
Scarif Stormtrooper
Scarif Stormtrooper Squad Leader 
Sergeant Jyn Erso (Eadu)
Sergeant Jyn Erso (Jedha)
Snowtrooper 
Supreme Leader Snoke (Throne Room)
Tusken Raider 
X-34 Landspeeder & Luke Skywalker (SDCC Exclusive) 
X-Wing Pilot Asty