Hasbro Star Wars Luke Skywalker 100th Figure

At the heart of the original Star Wars trilogy, amidst the epic battles between the evil Galactic Empire and Rebel Alliance, is the journey Luke Skywalker makes from his humble Tatooine farm boy roots to hero of the Alliance and, more importantly, to becoming a Jedi Knight. In classic mythological and storytelling terms, Luke's role is that of the Hero on a Noble Quest, propelled into action by a captive Princess' call for help, helped along by a wise mentor and a motley crew of friends, and, along the way, confront and ultimately redeem his father, the fallen Jedi-turned-Sith Lord Darth Vader.

Knowing all this, I thought it was quite proper that Hasbro chose Luke Skywalker as its 100th 12-inch scale Action Collection figure. Yes, Han Solo is the more contemporary character in the Classic Trilogy, getting some of the best lines -- and the Princess' heart -- in the films A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi, but just as the current prequels are Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader's story, the Classic Trilogy is Luke's.

Even though I am a big fan of the Star Wars franchise, I made a conscious decision early on to limit my Star Wars collection to the 3.75-inch "action figures" and their accessories for both financial and space limitations. With figures selling (back in 1978) at $1.99 and basic vehicles selling for $15.00 (the Millennium Falcon vehicle set me back the then-exorbitant amount of $29.99), I knew I had to avoid being a completist as far as collecting went. Thus I didn't go for buying the larger 12-inch action figures until very recently.

As I might have mentioned in my review of the Hasbro Power of the Jedi Sith Lords 2-pack, my large-size action figure (a term invented by Hasbro way back in the early 1960s as a marketing tool to sell the original GI Joe; it was coined because no self-respecting male child would be caught dead playing with dolls!) collection is very small compared to my 200 or so 3.75-inch figures from all the Kenner/Hasbro lines starting from 1978 to the present. In addition to the Darth Vader and Darth Maul Sith Lords, I also own Princess Leia in Ceremonial Gown, Anakin Skywalker (as seen in the very end of the original version of Return of the Jedi), and Luke Skywalker (as seen in A New Hope.)

Hasbro, knowing full well who its main audience is, made this "commemorative figure" incredibly difficult to resist. (Maybe the marketing division found a Jedi Holocron and learned how to use the mind trick?) The package is very attractive, sporting the blacks, greens, and gold of its 2000-2002 Power of the Jedi line and offering a wonderfully sculpted likeness of Luke Skywalker wearing his Tatooine moisture farmer outfit -- complete with poncho and boots -- and grasping a long barreled blaster rifle. That in itself is impressive and would have pleased most collectors.

But, as so many TV sales pitches would put it, "wait, there's more!" Not only does young Skywalker come with his basic outfit and the long laser rifle that failed to survive that run-in with a Tusken Raider's gaffi stick, but also he is literally surrounded by all kinds of accessories:

Binoculars
Lightsaber
Medallion
Hand-held blaster
Blast shield helmet
Training remote with stand
Imperial blaster
Stormtrooper Comlink
Goggles
Grappling hook/cord
Desert hat (from scenes filmed for A New Hope but deleted, you can see the outfit on the publicity shot on the back cover of the package)
Stormtrooper belt
X-wing outfit
Flight helmet
Data cylinders
Life support unit
Flares
Gear harness
Flak vest
Flight boots

All of the extras are authentically detailed, down to the weathered scuff marks on Luke's Rebel-issue X-wing flight helmet, remaining true to the Star Wars movies' trademark "worn and used" look that was so atypical of science fiction films, in which most ships looked scrubbed clean and futuristic.

Hasbro recommends this toy for children ages 4 and up. There are plenty of small parts that could pose a choking hazard, so it's not safe for children under 3. However, given the price of this figure ($50.00 when it first appeared in toy stores in 2000) and the unique "commemorative figure" status -- not to mention its value as a collectible -- I really think this action figure is best appreciated by older kids or adult collectors who like to show off their figures as neat displayable conversation pieces.




Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 50.00
Type of Toy: Action Figure
Age Range of Child: Kids to Teens