'Star Wars' Action Figure Review: Luke Skywalker (Hoth Attack) - 'Star Wars' Saga Collection

(C) 2004 Hasbro, Inc. and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) 

Luke Skywalker (Hoth Attack) Action Figure

While patrolling on Hoth, Luke was savagely attacked by a Wampa and dragged by the ice creature to its cave, where he was suspended from the ceiling in anticipation of becoming the Wampa's next meal. Luke used the Force to retrieve his lightsaber from the floor of the cave and freed himself from the ice entrapping his leg. The Wampa attacked again, and Luke fought the vicious creature, escaping only after severing one of the Wampa's arms. – Product blurb: Luke Skywalker (Hoth Attack) Action Figure

Luke Skywalker has had a very bad day on Hoth.

While on a routine mounted patrol on the surface of the ice world Hoth, the young Rebel Commander had spotted what looked like a meteor falling from the sky. Before he could investigate, the huge clawed paw of a hungry Wampa Ice Creature slammed him off his tauntaun and knocked him out. When Luke regained consciousness some time later, he was hanging upside down in the Wampa's cave-lair, fastened to the ceiling by solid ice. And on the snow-covered floor of the cave lay his only means of escape –  his father's lightsaber.

I have 3 different figures depicting Luke in Hoth gear – Kenner's original 1980s figure, the 1990s Hasbro Power of the Force Tauntaun with Luke Skywalker, and the Star Wars Saga 2004 Luke Skywalker (Hoth Attack) Action Figure. Although the quality of the sculpts and points of articulation varies somewhat, I think they all have their virtues.

 True, the original could not hold a lightsaber, but he could ride the original Kenner tauntaun (it had an ingenious "trap door" saddle into which you inserted the figure's legs to simulate the character's being in a covered saddle without worrying about the poor articulation of the original 3.75-inch figure). The costume detailing was good for its time.

The Luke in Hoth gear released with the 1990s tauntaun has better detailing in the face (for a figure that size, anyway) and can be posed more realistically as the articulation is specifically designed to "ride" the tauntaun.

This 2004 Hasbro Star Wars action figure is nicely rendered; the Rebel-issue winter gear -- which includes a set of removable goggles -- looks good, and the "blood" on Luke's face (courtesy of the Wampa Ice Creature's claws) is a nice touch, especially for collectors who like to display their figures in action poses. As a matter of fact, the figure also comes with a lightsaber and a "cave base" that connects with the Wampa figure to recreate the suspenseful scene from The Empire Strikes Back where the Jedi-to-be escapes from the fearsome carnivore.

Luke Skywalker (Hoth Attack)  Star Wars Saga Collection (Hasbro)  Year / Release: 2004 / No. 03 Assortment: Hoth Assortment No.: 84727/84715 Retail: $4.99 Weapons and Accessories:  Lightsaber Goggles Cave Base