I agree Kenner should have done alternate versions of all three, especially Vader. It's also absolutely criminal that Kenner never made a Tarkin and Rebel Blockade Trooper in the vintage line.
Why not just get the new version of Vader with the cloth cape and separate lightsaber from the Kenobi series or the Tarkin figure that HASBRO released. I know you only love Kenner but your missing out on some figures that can blend well with your Kenner figures. Bespin Luke looks great with the new Vader. I was 6 when Star Wars came out and love and cherish all of those memories but I’m not gonna turn something away that goes great with my old collection just because it’s HASBRO. I do respect your opinion though and I’m glad you have what makes you happy. Have a great day and thanks for the great videos! 😎👍🏼
Appreciate your support & your respect. Thank you. I don’t like supporting Hasbro with my money. They’ve gotten plenty of it back when I did collect modern. It’s just pure principle with me. Maybe one day I’ll change my mind but as of now, I’ll stick to original Kenner and private custom makers. 👊🏻
Love to hear that! Enjoy the channel. And if you don't already know, I post new videos every Saturday morning. Occasionally drop Short videos during the week sometimes.
Did he? It could be two different characters from the same race? I don't think Klaatu would be an important enough character to get two versions of? Weequay would make more sense, as more than one was seen in the film (on the skiff).
The "What If" possibilities were endless looking back. Today, we can ponder the countless opportunities that Kenner had to really beef up the line & give us all of the characters from the films. We now must depend on the custom market to help fill those gaps. Still, it's fun to discuss and debate all the cool things that Kenner could have / should have added to their line. Fun Vid GQ.
Yessir. Lots of possibilities. I just like to openly share my desires for what is beyond what we have. I find that having a viewpoint is so much more important than just dispensing factoids about the toys, that anyone can glean from surfing the internet like I see some channels do.
Potentially. Adult collectors are the ones who have these gripes. Like me. Don’t remember thinking about mustaches or insignias on helmets back in the day. Still, I had to share my thoughts.
I've always wanted to know from the seventies kids like I, which figures they had first, which ones were in abundance on shelves and those that were hardest to find. I thought that would be an interesting topic to see how it varied from country to country. For example, me from Australia. My first figure was Luke in April1978. The only one in the store. Never seen another for almost a year. My second figure was R2D2. Scores of them hanging on pegs at a department store's toy section and that's all there was just a plethora of R2s. Took until Feb '79 to get them all. My second to last was Jawa and a couple of weeks later I finally got Chewbacca to complete the collection. Those two were the hardest to find by far. By that time my Luke and R2 looked worse for ware. Then come May '79 there was just an explosion of all of them but on 20 back cards by then with the second wave. Funnily enough, Luke X-Wing happened to be my first from that second wave, along with Hammerhead. And Luke Bespin happened to be my first from the first ESB wave. Crazy, because CP30 was always my favorite from my first packet of Topps trading cards. The very first Star Wars related thing I ever owned back from around Christmas 1977...
@@GQJedi Yeah, those first two waves mean the most to me. I can remember all the dates I got them on, where and even what the weather was like on the day. It was a great time to be a kid and memories I'll never forget...
Kenner, to their credit, made EVERY figure in their SW line available throughout the run of the line. There was just one Vader but you could get him in 1978 and 1985.
As a youngling in the late 70’s and early 80’s, I can say it frustrated me to no end that ESB and ROTJ Lukes lightsaber was so radically different than Vader’s. At the minimum I think they should’ve went back and fixed those LS at least. Good video.
I can't remember for the other figures, but Vader was hard to find and sold out quickly in stores. The cape would easily tear and i would beg for a new one haha. - i think a cloth cape Vader would have been nice - but i'm sure Kenner didn't want to mess with sales.
OG Star Wars Fan here. "One Particular night, in the summer of 1977". I was 4. I still have almost all the original toy line up with a couple of exceptions. Generally speaking, I do understand what you're getting at. However, in summary, I can more or less address your questions/grievances LOL. It was 1977, NOT the '90s. Things were a lot different back then regarding "action figures". Until Star Wars, 3/4 scale action figures were virtually non-existent. 12" figures, GI Joe, and the slightly smaller Meco superhero figures were the norm. Star Wars essentially reinvented "toys" at the time. However, when Star Wars came out, the toy collection didn't exist. If the movie had bombed, they would probably not have bothered with it. However, Star Wars was a hit, and then Kenner, who had the license to make them had to go into crunch time to design a new toy line in the 3/4 scale to have product to sell by Christmas of the following year. (Remember the early bird special) So Kenner really didn't have time to fuck around, between time and budget constraints to create new product from scratch. While the figures may have been limited, we did get some great playsets. (The Death Star Playstation, Millennium Falcon, x-wing, tie-fighter, vaders tie-fighter, etc.) Trust me, we were NOT complaining at all. LOL The following movies brought in new playsets, figures etc. And while Han, Luke, Leia, got new figures, (some multiple versions) as they were the primary heroes, they had the biggest visual change on the screen. which makes sense. New imperials were added, but not much change to existing ones like Vader. And that was OK. From a kid's perspective he didn't change at all on screen. (Except I did notice something different which was the robe under the chest piece, vs. over) But the figure was already that way I believe. The thing is Star Wars, the movie, and the Star Wars toys were truly made by the seat of their pants from start to finish back then. So, with some exceptions, we got what we got. Though I'll say with the variant figures, they didn't have to reinvent the wheel either. Telescoping R2 was the same as the original with a change to the dome piece. etc. Obviously, the 90s came and Kenner took the time to retool and revamp the entire figure line (for better or worse) with variants. But in the 70s and early 80s that just wasn't a thing. I almost want to do a reaction video to this and provide commentary. Cool vid though. 👍
Great commentary. I fully understand why Kenner did what they did. I've watched plenty of content and read enough on it showcasing their creative decisions and the timetables that they were working on. There's been decades of time with people explaining this that know far more about Kenner than I. It's a fun conversation to have though and this video is more like a wish list from an adult collecting view point.
@@GQJedi I get that. As kids, we noticed the obvious stuff. Things like Why was Luke Skywalker's lightsaber yellow? Why were the cantina creatures in these Onesie, romper, jumpsuit type of attire? But we were never really bothered.
I will say when Kenner released their Power of the Force line up in the mid to late 90s. With revamped. Figures. In some ways it was an improvement. Darth Vader, for example, was. Bigger and bulkier, like he should have been. However, they also gave the same treatment to everyone else. And it looked a little strange to see a buff or swol Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. Lol.
So, while there were improvements in some, it seemed some of the changes were a little unnecessary in others. But that's how that works. You could almost mix and match them. To have them look more correct together in my opinion.
I believe the Kenner Vintage Collection from Hasbro is a nice offering. As they more or less stay true to the original toy line. I also think that the More recent Hasbro Star Wars saga collection... Did a pretty good job on those series as well. as the SAGA Collection wasn't a wild departure from what the toy line should look like. However, That's just my opinion.
Maybe the Kenner Power of the Force lineup in the mid to late 90s should have been renamed “Swol Wars”.
I think the Retro Collection cloth cape Darth Vader is a really nice figure. It's pretty much what I imagine a 2nd Kenner version of him would have been like. Just discovered your channel & love vintage Star Wars toys. Great video 👍
I know they did tarkin with the retro look, but I am wondering why they haven't started doing all the aliens and things like han in stormtrooper that they never did in the original line. Basically the stuff Stan Solo is doing.
@@GQJedi yeah I have a few Stan solo figures. Their R2 with the pop up lightsaber and 3rd leg is the best ever. Also grabbed the new screen accurate Boba Fett. Those are awesome.
Thanks for the video, enjoy the content, and agree, I customized a Vader to have a removable helmet and repainted an Imperial officer to fill a couple of the voids in my wishlist
Just a nitpick observation the dust on your figures is a distraction, please do some dusting the Star Wars figures and Woody would agree that it's the right thing to do and they would love you more for it LOL.
Yes he is virtually the same as the original I heard that they took a cast from the original figures for the retro as they no longer had any of the casts from the original runs left.
I hav lose set of each trilogy ,the original release DVader is in my first set and I placed the new retro red eye DVader in the ESB and ROTJ set it feel right to do so. Been nice to see an x wing pilot like Porkn’s.
What’s up buddy. I couldn’t agree more with you, they had so many possibilities with figures they could’ve produced. They wouldn’t have had any issues selling them. 👍🏻
Great episode again. I totally agree with you. Kenner could make these figures you talked about and so many more. It would be awesome to get a new Death Star Return of the Jedi version, same set up with a Throne chair on the top. So many possibilities.
Great video. I can’t believe I’m this old that I never questioned a single release for Vader. May I ask where you got your tiered stands for your figures?
Glad you enjoyed the conversation! I'm just illustrating a desire for another Vader. Not necessary but a welcoming thought after staring at this collection so long. Ha! No problem. Check out www.gonktoys.com
As someone old enough to have collected Star Wars figures back in the late Seventies, the sculpts & paint-jobs weren’t NEARLY as sophisticated and intricate as they have been over the last couple of decades. We were lucky to get what we had and I remember them being cool at the time, but never felt the need for alternate versions of Chewie, Vader & Obi-Wan. It was still bloody odd that we got TWO Bespin Security Guards…
Unlike Hasbro today, it appears Kenner back in the day refrained from selling variants -- repaints and slight changes to pre-existing figure sculpts. The exceptions were R2, C3PO, and Bespin Security Guard. (Small head vs. big head Han, blue vs. red Snaggletooth, and vinyl vs. cloth Jawa could be considered "corrections," not official variants.) So I gotta give Kenner credit for focusing on selling us original figure sculpts.
I give Kenner credit for delivering an amazing line of action figures. However, a lot of background characters got a figure. I wish we had gotten some variations to main stream characters. The "modifications" might be slight but as a collector, it would be fun to have them.
Aside from the re-use of the farmer Luke headsculpt on Bespin Luke, Kenner didn't tend to reuse molds much on figures even when they could have. Endor General Han could have just as easily been '78 Han with a new trenchcoat but they gave us an all new figure. Had Kenner given us a removable helmet Vader, odds are it would have been a brand new figure sculpt entirely, which would have been a good thing. That '78 Vader was looking a little rickety by 1983/4 or even 1985. The sculpting in the line had improved drastically by then.
@@GQJedi He so desperately needed a cloth goods cape. That vinyl cape may have sufficed in 1978 but by 1983 it was looking a little goofy next to figures like Jedi Knight Luke.
I bought the "Retro" version of Vader from the Kenobi show just because it is basically what the ESB/ROTJ figure should have been. I actually wish they had gone that direction to begin with as I never liked the telescoping sabers, and the "cape" and robe were inaccurate and too delicate, though now they have a nostalgic appeal to them.
Old Stan solo has a removable helmet vader comming I believe. But I'm sure you already on that :) Always wanted to see the anikin head on a vader body. But with the prices......don't think people are willing to kitbash that
Skinny Vader is much more noticeable without his cape, so it’s a bit weird, but doesn’t bother me so much. Kenobi bothers me because he should have had light robes under a brown cloak. But at that time Kenner produced no figures with cloth. Probably due to time and money constraints. I would have liked a corrected Kenobi, so much so that I was going to get another, repaint it and use Luke’s Jedi cloak. A version of Vader that could have worked was one with swappable heads. One with the helmet, one without, you could have even recreated the dagobah swamp encounter scene with Luke with the removable head.
@@GQJedi yes, that’s true. I don’t know how I forgot about that, but if I recall correctly that was done as a “perceived value” type thing. To put a cloth cloak on a full size figure I would assume would have cost more. The Jawa was so small, that I think they thought a parent would look at it with the vinyl cape and think it’s not worth the same price. I had NEVER even seen a vinyl cape jawa in the wild (and it even took a long time to even find a cloth caped jawa in stores back then) so this was done early after the first 12 debuted. So it sounds like it was an update to sell more Jawas, and Kenobi wasn’t considered because it had a Vinyl cape and extending lightsaber- it had features and was full sized, the Jawa seems to be a slight course correction they wanted to do for sales. Still an updated Kenobi would have been nice. A jedi version (not in blue) with a cloth cape and not extending lightsaber (like Bespin Luke) would have been a nice addition for the Jedi collection…
0:49 "Darth Vader..." // Perhaps the best thing that came out of the Obi-Wan Disney+ show is the (retro) VADER figure that I always wanted back in the 80s! I sure wasn't happy with the stiff and super slim Kenner Vader that only had one usable hand... same with Luke. I don't get why Kenner didn't give us a better Luke Skywalker (Tattooine farm boy) figure with two good hands... Also R2-D2 was always missing his third leg in all the regular release versions... why?
The worst Kenner figure is actually the Stormtrooper. I never understood why they never made a better Stormtrooper. I hope we'll get a good Stormtrooper (that can hold his weapon properly) in the Hasbro retro line someday. !
I get why they didn't do a other Chewbacca. Can you imagine trying to covince your parents to buy one? "Big deal. They put little white flakes on him for snow." Or "they parted his hair different and you expect me to buy you a other one?" 😂
Haha! That’s true. Yet Klaatu got 2 versions as another subscriber pointed out. Just a shame in my opinion. Convincing the parents might have been a task but would have been worth the effort if they actually came thru.
even parted or messy hair would have been cool on the same figure sculpt. i dont need spray paint looking snow on figures. i could have done that by accident with my dads paint then. i do remember a trip to Dolgins trying so hard to convince my mom we needed Storm Shadow but mostly the Snake Eyes with the wolf Timber version. she was right, we did have snake eyes already. i wasnt good at understanding her confusion and she wasnt getting that this was another version. a different Chewie might have slipped through our fingers.
At least the new retro line has a 5poa Tarkin, Hoth xwing Luke, Vader (from obi wan kenobi show) with handheld saber & cloth cape with sculpted crotch guard and tabbard , Even have a new retro style mon mothma
Darth Vader: Should've been reissued with - at the very least - a cloth cape for the EMPIRE / JEDI lines. A 'removable helmet' version would be ideal though. Boba Fett: Would've been enough to only change the colour of his armoured wrist gauntlets and rocket pack to green, for his appearance in EMPIRE. The existing figure (brick red and yellow-coloured wrist gauntlets) is close enough (for Kenner) to represent his more colourful costume from JEDI. Imperial Officer: Another easy fix. Kenner could've repainted the figure to give him a grey / green uniform. Luke Skywalker: X-Wing Pilot: Yet another easy fix. Different helmet insignias to represent the other Rebel pilots. Chewbacca: The existing Kenner figure can be passed off as both STAR WARS and EMPIRE versions. For the JEDI (or POTF LINE) lines, a new sculpt would be essential. Obi-Wan (Ben) Kenobi: Probably the easiest fix of the lot: just give him a Luke Skywalker: Jedi Knight cloth cloak (dyed in the appropriate brown) and he's done!
Yep. These were all easy fixes. I think Kenner ran out of time to look back and correct or alter and ultimately didn't give them enough thought. Like I said, one and done. I get their side. But as a collector, I still wish we got these versions.
Honestly, I was just thinking about the Chewbacca figure the other day. I think my main thing is the hair around his feet. Think Hammerhead's feet, or Gumby's feet, only hair instead. I know that sounds a little silly. :) And definitely Darth Vader needed to be updated with the robe sculpt. I also wish he weren't so TALL and skinny like Chewbacca. It's the only retro figure I got just because of the robe sculpt and the handheld lightsaber accessory. Beautiful figures, once again :) Thanks for the video
Me personally I would have replaced the Power Of The Force Anakin Skywalker with an updated Darth Vader, removable helmet, cloth cape, hand held lightsaber
Since these figures at the time were solely aimed at kids I can see why they didn't make other variations of figures with only slight differences.. but no decent carbon freeze chamber/Bespin playset? I know Kenner made cardboard ones, but they could've done better.
how odd kenner started to spit out more versions of characters (han in carbonite and stormtrooper luke i.e.) and on the screen momentaries (imperial dignitary i.e.) towards the end. the break between Empire and Return had steady trickles of Empire. i wish they would have kept producing some more star wars as they produced more Empire. even if up to Return only. im guessing squeezing Empire characters and getting ready to produce Return of the Jedi figures squeezed their plans? playsets! more playsets. seems even before Return we could have gotten a carbonite freezing chamber playset.
Speaking as someone whose formative childhood was between the years of 1989-1995, and remembering what life was like with zero Star Wars toys on shelves? I'll take junk over nothing. Probably why the toy companies can get away with so much but... hey I can say personally being part of the problem ain't so bad once you can tune out all the screeching purists ;)
Not sure about the purists you speak of but Kenner delivered the goods. Still, I had to point out some great additions to the line that could have happened since we got so many background characters.
I disagree with you totally. Vader and especially Ben, did not need any other figures. One of the things I loathe about modern figures is the 200 versions of a character with only a slight variation. More original figures, like Tarkin and Imperials, yes defintely. The only Kenner figures I was disappointed with as kid was the Jedi ones because so many characters did not have guns. Basically any alien figure could be a bounty hunter if he had a gun.
I may be misremembering this, but in the novel a snowspeeder crashed into the “face” of the walker, killing everyone in it. It may have been cut from the film.
@@GQJedi I just looked it up. In the novel, Hobbie’s smoking snowspeeder crashed into the cockpit of Veers’ walker. Not on screen, so I guess it depends on which canon people prefer.
I personally dislike modern ultradetsil figures...they are no longer toys but silly collectables straight away and in the end..because more simple..more durable. Modern figures.not.going to last 40 years. Thats for sure.
Chewie got a medal at the end of rise of skywalker…which is an amazing movie…come on..tell me you didn’t cry when chewie got the medal…people want to hate on that movie and it was quite epic.it defiantly has a great pace and action,and Landon in the falcon..come on that movie was great
I was 5 when Star Wars hit theaters. I was only 5 but the Kenner figures disappointed the hell out of me. But what could I do? It's all we got. I bought them all & played with them but I never really liked them much. R2-D2 & R5-D4 were friggin horrible. X-Wing Pilot Luke looked like a Playskool figure with his stupid black dot eyes. I HATED the 5POA & how they couldn't sit in the vehicles properly, especially the Speeder Bikes. The TIE Fighter, my favorite ship, pissed me off with it's tiny solar panel wings & being molded in bright white. And Darth Vader's TIE was all wrong. I remember the model looked right but the toy was shit. And the AT-AT was horribly out of proportion & way too small. And the Wampa had no feet. WTF? I sold my whole collection & never regretted it. I don't miss them at all.
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I agree Kenner should have done alternate versions of all three, especially Vader. It's also absolutely criminal that Kenner never made a Tarkin and Rebel Blockade Trooper in the vintage line.
You can get an awesome Rebel Fleet Trooper from Stan Solo! I have a couple and I love em!
Why not just get the new version of Vader with the cloth cape and separate lightsaber from the Kenobi series or the Tarkin figure that HASBRO released. I know you only love Kenner but your missing out on some figures that can blend well with your Kenner figures. Bespin Luke looks great with the new Vader. I was 6 when Star Wars came out and love and cherish all of those memories but I’m not gonna turn something away that goes great with my old collection just because it’s HASBRO. I do respect your opinion though and I’m glad you have what makes you happy. Have a great day and thanks for the great videos! 😎👍🏼
Appreciate your support & your respect. Thank you. I don’t like supporting Hasbro with my money. They’ve gotten plenty of it back when I did collect modern. It’s just pure principle with me. Maybe one day I’ll change my mind but as of now, I’ll stick to original Kenner and private custom makers. 👊🏻
Cool! Subscribed!
Love to hear that! Enjoy the channel. And if you don't already know, I post new videos every Saturday morning. Occasionally drop Short videos during the week sometimes.
So spot on. How did Klaatu get multiple versions but Vader, Chewie and Obi wan just the one??? Cmon Kenner?!?!?
Bro…I almost mentioned that when I was making the video. I kid you not. Just bonkers some of the decisions Kenner made.
Stan Solo could definitely pull off a vintage Darth Vader with a removable helmet.
Funny you should say that because SS is currently in the process of making one. Will come out next year!
@GQJedi That's great news! Stan Solo take my money!
Did he? It could be two different characters from the same race? I don't think Klaatu would be an important enough character to get two versions of? Weequay would make more sense, as more than one was seen in the film (on the skiff).
The "What If" possibilities were endless looking back. Today, we can ponder the countless opportunities that Kenner had to really beef up the line & give us all of the characters from the films.
We now must depend on the custom market to help fill those gaps. Still, it's fun to discuss and debate all the cool things that Kenner could have / should have added to their line.
Fun Vid GQ.
Yessir. Lots of possibilities. I just like to openly share my desires for what is beyond what we have. I find that having a viewpoint is so much more important than just dispensing factoids about the toys, that anyone can glean from surfing the internet like I see some channels do.
8:40. Wedge & Biggs. I think Kenner just underestimated the demand of the lines potential really.
Potentially. Adult collectors are the ones who have these gripes. Like me. Don’t remember thinking about mustaches or insignias on helmets back in the day. Still, I had to share my thoughts.
@@GQJedi I’m a little older than you, believe you me we started to notice this. The demand was there.
See? I rest my case your Honor. No further questions.
I've always wanted to know from the seventies kids like I, which figures they had first, which ones were in abundance on shelves and those that were hardest to find. I thought that would be an interesting topic to see how it varied from country to country.
For example, me from Australia. My first figure was Luke in April1978. The only one in the store. Never seen another for almost a year. My second figure was R2D2. Scores of them hanging on pegs at a department store's toy section and that's all there was just a plethora of R2s. Took until Feb '79 to get them all. My second to last was Jawa and a couple of weeks later I finally got Chewbacca to complete the collection. Those two were the hardest to find by far. By that time my Luke and R2 looked worse for ware.
Then come May '79 there was just an explosion of all of them but on 20 back cards by then with the second wave. Funnily enough, Luke X-Wing happened to be my first from that second wave, along with Hammerhead. And Luke Bespin happened to be my first from the first ESB wave. Crazy, because CP30 was always my favorite from my first packet of Topps trading cards. The very first Star Wars related thing I ever owned back from around Christmas 1977...
You have a great memory. The glory days of being a child. That’s the stuff that keeps people tied to these toys the most. Memories. Love it!
@@GQJedi Yeah, those first two waves mean the most to me. I can remember all the dates I got them on, where and even what the weather was like on the day. It was a great time to be a kid and memories I'll never forget...
Kenner, to their credit, made EVERY figure in their SW line available throughout the run of the line. There was just one Vader but you could get him in 1978 and 1985.
That you are right. And for that reason, they have made collecting easier for kids. Kudos to them!
As a youngling in the late 70’s and early 80’s, I can say it frustrated me to no end that ESB and ROTJ Lukes lightsaber was so radically different than Vader’s. At the minimum I think they should’ve went back and fixed those LS at least. Good video.
I know I’m not the only one that has thought these things.
@@GQJedi very true.
Absolutely right about the figures. I personally would have loved to have seen a sand trooper to go along with the stormtrooper.
A Sandtrooper would have been aces in my book. Having him paired up with the Kenner Dewback would've been sublime.
I can't remember for the other figures, but Vader was hard to find and sold out quickly in stores. The cape would easily tear and i would beg for a new one haha. - i think a cloth cape Vader would have been nice - but i'm sure Kenner didn't want to mess with sales.
A cloth cape for Vader would’ve been sweet. I do love the vinyl retro look but I’m a sucker for cloth soft goods!
3:58 Well patiently waiting on my Stan Solo 😊 Vader to come. 😊. Great Video as always.
I can’t wait for that figure! Thanks to SS some of these holes are getting filled. Appreciate you tuning in, bro!
You’re so damn good at this. Hope you get a million subscribers. Seriously. xx
Thank you for always being in my corner. Words can't express. But you know.
OG Star Wars Fan here. "One Particular night, in the summer of 1977". I was 4. I still have almost all the original toy line up with a couple of exceptions. Generally speaking, I do understand what you're getting at. However, in summary, I can more or less address your questions/grievances LOL.
It was 1977, NOT the '90s. Things were a lot different back then regarding "action figures". Until Star Wars, 3/4 scale action figures were virtually non-existent. 12" figures, GI Joe, and the slightly smaller Meco superhero figures were the norm. Star Wars essentially reinvented "toys" at the time. However, when Star Wars came out, the toy collection didn't exist. If the movie had bombed, they would probably not have bothered with it.
However, Star Wars was a hit, and then Kenner, who had the license to make them had to go into crunch time to design a new toy line in the 3/4 scale to have product to sell by Christmas of the following year. (Remember the early bird special) So Kenner really didn't have time to fuck around, between time and budget constraints to create new product from scratch. While the figures may have been limited, we did get some great playsets. (The Death Star Playstation, Millennium Falcon, x-wing, tie-fighter, vaders tie-fighter, etc.) Trust me, we were NOT complaining at all. LOL
The following movies brought in new playsets, figures etc. And while Han, Luke, Leia, got new figures, (some multiple versions) as they were the primary heroes, they had the biggest visual change on the screen. which makes sense. New imperials were added, but not much change to existing ones like Vader. And that was OK. From a kid's perspective he didn't change at all on screen. (Except I did notice something different which was the robe under the chest piece, vs. over) But the figure was already that way I believe.
The thing is Star Wars, the movie, and the Star Wars toys were truly made by the seat of their pants from start to finish back then. So, with some exceptions, we got what we got. Though I'll say with the variant figures, they didn't have to reinvent the wheel either. Telescoping R2 was the same as the original with a change to the dome piece. etc. Obviously, the 90s came and Kenner took the time to retool and revamp the entire figure line (for better or worse) with variants. But in the 70s and early 80s that just wasn't a thing.
I almost want to do a reaction video to this and provide commentary. Cool vid though. 👍
Great commentary. I fully understand why Kenner did what they did. I've watched plenty of content and read enough on it showcasing their creative decisions and the timetables that they were working on. There's been decades of time with people explaining this that know far more about Kenner than I. It's a fun conversation to have though and this video is more like a wish list from an adult collecting view point.
@@GQJedi I get that. As kids, we noticed the obvious stuff. Things like Why was Luke Skywalker's lightsaber yellow? Why were the cantina creatures in these Onesie, romper, jumpsuit type of attire? But we were never really bothered.
I will say when Kenner released their Power of the Force line up in the mid to late 90s. With revamped. Figures. In some ways it was an improvement. Darth Vader, for example, was. Bigger and bulkier, like he should have been. However, they also gave the same treatment to everyone else. And it looked a little strange to see a buff or swol Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. Lol.
So, while there were improvements in some, it seemed some of the changes were a little unnecessary in others. But that's how that works. You could almost mix and match them. To have them look more correct together in my opinion.
I believe the Kenner Vintage Collection from Hasbro is a nice offering. As they more or less stay true to the original toy line. I also think that the More recent Hasbro Star Wars saga collection... Did a pretty good job on those series as well. as the SAGA Collection wasn't a wild departure from what the toy line should look like. However, That's just my opinion.
Maybe the Kenner Power of the Force lineup in the mid to late 90s should have been renamed “Swol Wars”.
Swol Wars. That's hilarious!!!
I think the Retro Collection cloth cape Darth Vader is a really nice figure. It's pretty much what I imagine a 2nd Kenner version of him would have been like. Just discovered your channel & love vintage Star Wars toys. Great video 👍
The Retro Vader is a nice creation. I have to hand it to Hasbro on that one. Welcome to the channel! I post new videos every Saturday morning. Cheers!
I agree. The new Retro Vader is awesome. The Mon Mothma is fantastic also. She looks exactly like what Kenner would have done.
@@GQJedi
The new retro Vader with cloth cape and removable lightsaber is pretty tight. Nice red eyes too.
I’ve seen him. I agree. But I don’t collect modern nor do I want to give Hasbro my money.
I know they did tarkin with the retro look, but I am wondering why they haven't started doing all the aliens and things like han in stormtrooper that they never did in the original line. Basically the stuff Stan Solo is doing.
Thank god for Stan Solo! I make exceptions for custom makers like him. His stuff is better than the stuff Hasbro puts out anyway imo.
@@GQJedi yeah I have a few Stan solo figures. Their R2 with the pop up lightsaber and 3rd leg is the best ever. Also grabbed the new screen accurate Boba Fett. Those are awesome.
I have both. Got a few SS figures actually. I’m sure you’ve seen my SS review videos. There’s tons on the channel.
Thanks for the video, enjoy the content, and agree,
I customized a Vader to have a removable helmet and repainted an Imperial officer to fill a couple of the voids in my wishlist
You're welcome, bud! Customizing is the only way to get some of these figures.
I agree. We should of got a Piett, Wedge, Tarkin, Han Storm Trooper. Would of liked some kind of mouse droid
Yes! I would have loved to have gotten a Mouse Droid.
@@GQJedi I did a video of what I thought the card backs might have looked like.
Just a nitpick observation the dust on your figures is a distraction, please do some dusting the Star Wars figures and Woody would agree that it's the right thing to do and they would love you more for it LOL.
LOL
100%!!! I want an Endor Chewie with his hair parted/not slicked back!!
Right?! I knew I wasn’t the only one. 👊🏻
Thank the maker we have Stan Solo, Last 17, Klunky and other custom figure creators. 😊
I agree. These custom makers are filling in the gaps. Great time to be a collector.
Definitely wanted a tarkin with the original 12 would have been brilliant with Vader but got him on a retro since and I love him 🤩
I've heard that the Retro Vader is pretty sweet looking!
Yes he is virtually the same as the original I heard that they took a cast from the original figures for the retro as they no longer had any of the casts from the original runs left.
I hav lose set of each trilogy ,the original release DVader is in my first set and I placed the new retro red eye DVader in the ESB and ROTJ set it feel right to do so. Been nice to see an x wing pilot like Porkn’s.
I see why the Retro Vader gets love from vintage collectors. He looks great!
What’s up buddy. I couldn’t agree more with you, they had so many possibilities with figures they could’ve produced. They wouldn’t have had any issues selling them. 👍🏻
Hey. No issues selling them at all. Kids would’ve found a way to get parents to buy them. Even if they had to ask a relative at Christmas time.
Great episode again. I totally agree with you. Kenner could make these figures you talked about and so many more. It would be awesome to get a new Death Star Return of the Jedi version, same set up with a Throne chair on the top. So many possibilities.
So many opportunities. So little time. Luckily custom makers are filling in the gaps.
Great video. I can’t believe I’m this old that I never questioned a single release for Vader. May I ask where you got your tiered stands for your figures?
Glad you enjoyed the conversation! I'm just illustrating a desire for another Vader. Not necessary but a welcoming thought after staring at this collection so long. Ha! No problem. Check out www.gonktoys.com
I love the idea. A helmet-less Vader would have been awesome!
Right?! Stan Solo is working on releasing a Removable Helmet Vader sometime next year. I'm excited for that one.
We got a pretty decent Kenner style Vader in the Kenobi collection.
I don't collect modern so I can't comment.
As someone old enough to have collected Star Wars figures back in the late Seventies, the sculpts & paint-jobs weren’t NEARLY as sophisticated and intricate as they have been over the last couple of decades. We were lucky to get what we had and I remember them being cool at the time, but never felt the need for alternate versions of Chewie, Vader & Obi-Wan.
It was still bloody odd that we got TWO Bespin Security Guards…
I am speaking only for myself. As an adult collector, I wish we had gotten the versions I mentioned.
The figure display shelves you have in your display cases, where did you get them?
www.gonktoys.com - They make all kinds of acrylic items for collectors.
Unlike Hasbro today, it appears Kenner back in the day refrained from selling variants -- repaints and slight changes to pre-existing figure sculpts. The exceptions were R2, C3PO, and Bespin Security Guard. (Small head vs. big head Han, blue vs. red Snaggletooth, and vinyl vs. cloth Jawa could be considered "corrections," not official variants.) So I gotta give Kenner credit for focusing on selling us original figure sculpts.
I give Kenner credit for delivering an amazing line of action figures. However, a lot of background characters got a figure. I wish we had gotten some variations to main stream characters. The "modifications" might be slight but as a collector, it would be fun to have them.
You need to dust off your vader@@GQJedi
@@juliosanchez95 You aren’t lying! Lol
Wedge and Biggs should've had figures, givin the inclusion of blink and miss characters it would have made sense to have them too
Such a shame. So many "background" characters got a figure. Speaking characters like Wedge or Biggs definitely warranted an action figure.
Aside from the re-use of the farmer Luke headsculpt on Bespin Luke, Kenner didn't tend to reuse molds much on figures even when they could have. Endor General Han could have just as easily been '78 Han with a new trenchcoat but they gave us an all new figure. Had Kenner given us a removable helmet Vader, odds are it would have been a brand new figure sculpt entirely, which would have been a good thing. That '78 Vader was looking a little rickety by 1983/4 or even 1985. The sculpting in the line had improved drastically by then.
Exactly my point. It's a shame we didn't get a second Vader figure.
@@GQJedi He so desperately needed a cloth goods cape. That vinyl cape may have sufficed in 1978 but by 1983 it was looking a little goofy next to figures like Jedi Knight Luke.
I agree. An updated version of him complete with soft cape and removable saber, if not helmet, would have been righteous.
I bought the "Retro" version of Vader from the Kenobi show just because it is basically what the ESB/ROTJ figure should have been. I actually wish they had gone that direction to begin with as I never liked the telescoping sabers, and the "cape" and robe were inaccurate and too delicate, though now they have a nostalgic appeal to them.
For modern collectors, I see the appeal to buy the Retro figs. For me, I only collect Kenner. So I'll have to keep dreaming ;)
Thats about to change thanks to Stan Solo
I know. I can’t wait for that Vader & Dagobah Luke.
Old Stan solo has a removable helmet vader comming I believe. But I'm sure you already on that :)
Always wanted to see the anikin head on a vader body. But with the prices......don't think people are willing to kitbash that
I can't wait for the removable helmet Vader from SS. What a treat?! Kitbashing last 17 figures doesn't sit well with too many people. I get it.
@@GQJedi right!!!! I'd do it......:)
Skinny Vader is much more noticeable without his cape, so it’s a bit weird, but doesn’t bother me so much. Kenobi bothers me because he should have had light robes under a brown cloak. But at that time Kenner produced no figures with cloth. Probably due to time and money constraints. I would have liked a corrected Kenobi, so much so that I was going to get another, repaint it and use Luke’s Jedi cloak. A version of Vader that could have worked was one with swappable heads. One with the helmet, one without, you could have even recreated the dagobah swamp encounter scene with Luke with the removable head.
The Jawa had a soft goods robe after Kenner stopped doing the vinyl version. I like your ideas about the figures.
@@GQJedi yes, that’s true. I don’t know how I forgot about that, but if I recall correctly that was done as a “perceived value” type thing. To put a cloth cloak on a full size figure I would assume would have cost more. The Jawa was so small, that I think they thought a parent would look at it with the vinyl cape and think it’s not worth the same price. I had NEVER even seen a vinyl cape jawa in the wild (and it even took a long time to even find a cloth caped jawa in stores back then) so this was done early after the first 12 debuted. So it sounds like it was an update to sell more Jawas, and Kenobi wasn’t considered because it had a Vinyl cape and extending lightsaber- it had features and was full sized, the Jawa seems to be a slight course correction they wanted to do for sales. Still an updated Kenobi would have been nice. A jedi version (not in blue) with a cloth cape and not extending lightsaber (like Bespin Luke) would have been a nice addition for the Jedi collection…
I always wanted a vintage Vader with a removable helmet.
I’m very bummed we never got one.
0:49 "Darth Vader..." // Perhaps the best thing that came out of the Obi-Wan Disney+ show is the (retro) VADER figure that I always wanted back in the 80s! I sure wasn't happy with the stiff and super slim Kenner Vader that only had one usable hand... same with Luke. I don't get why Kenner didn't give us a better Luke Skywalker (Tattooine farm boy) figure with two good hands... Also R2-D2 was always missing his third leg in all the regular release versions... why?
All good questions which will stay unanswered. LOL.
The worst Kenner figure is actually the Stormtrooper. I never understood why they never made a better Stormtrooper. I hope we'll get a good Stormtrooper (that can hold his weapon properly) in the Hasbro retro line someday. !
Kenner had the reasons for each figure. Your guess is as good as mine.
I get why they didn't do a other Chewbacca. Can you imagine trying to covince your parents to buy one? "Big deal. They put little white flakes on him for snow." Or "they parted his hair different and you expect me to buy you a other one?" 😂
Haha! That’s true. Yet Klaatu got 2 versions as another subscriber pointed out. Just a shame in my opinion. Convincing the parents might have been a task but would have been worth the effort if they actually came thru.
even parted or messy hair would have been cool on the same figure sculpt. i dont need spray paint looking snow on figures. i could have done that by accident with my dads paint then.
i do remember a trip to Dolgins trying so hard to convince my mom we needed Storm Shadow but mostly the Snake Eyes with the wolf Timber version. she was right, we did have snake eyes already. i wasnt good at understanding her confusion and she wasnt getting that this was another version. a different Chewie might have slipped through our fingers.
@@camcordernonsense5264 Again, truer words have never been spoken. Sigh.
At least the new retro line has a 5poa Tarkin, Hoth xwing Luke,
Vader (from obi wan kenobi show) with handheld saber & cloth cape with sculpted crotch guard and tabbard ,
Even have a new retro style mon mothma
So I've heard. But I still won't give Hasbro my money.
I believe that figure is meant to be Captain Piett, not General Verrs.
General Veers is in fact the character. His photo is literally on the cardback.
They could have done a greedo repaint as beedo from rotj with a vinyl vest
They could have. Possibilities are endless.
Darth Vader: Should've been reissued with - at the very least - a cloth cape for the EMPIRE / JEDI lines. A 'removable helmet' version would be ideal though.
Boba Fett: Would've been enough to only change the colour of his armoured wrist gauntlets and rocket pack to green, for his appearance in EMPIRE. The existing figure (brick red and yellow-coloured wrist gauntlets) is close enough (for Kenner) to represent his more colourful costume from JEDI.
Imperial Officer: Another easy fix. Kenner could've repainted the figure to give him a grey / green uniform.
Luke Skywalker: X-Wing Pilot: Yet another easy fix. Different helmet insignias to represent the other Rebel pilots.
Chewbacca: The existing Kenner figure can be passed off as both STAR WARS and EMPIRE versions. For the JEDI (or POTF LINE) lines, a new sculpt would be essential.
Obi-Wan (Ben) Kenobi: Probably the easiest fix of the lot: just give him a Luke Skywalker: Jedi Knight cloth cloak (dyed in the appropriate brown) and he's done!
Yep. These were all easy fixes. I think Kenner ran out of time to look back and correct or alter and ultimately didn't give them enough thought. Like I said, one and done. I get their side. But as a collector, I still wish we got these versions.
Good video 👍😎
Glad you enjoyed it!
Honestly, I was just thinking about the Chewbacca figure the other day.
I think my main thing is the hair around his feet.
Think Hammerhead's feet, or Gumby's feet, only hair instead.
I know that sounds a little silly. :)
And definitely Darth Vader needed to be updated with the robe sculpt.
I also wish he weren't so TALL and skinny like Chewbacca.
It's the only retro figure I got just because of the robe sculpt and the handheld lightsaber accessory.
Beautiful figures, once again :)
Thanks for the video
Cloth cape would have been sweet for Vader. Absolutely!
I agree whit you Kenner couldt do another version from the same caracter. A missed opertunity
A few missed opportunities. A kid…err…adult can dream. Haha
Me personally I would have replaced the Power Of The Force Anakin Skywalker with an updated Darth Vader, removable helmet, cloth cape, hand held lightsaber
Same. I would’ve swapped out Anakin in a heartbeat for Removable Helmet Vader like you described.
I would have liked to see a removable helmet Darth Vader, that said I do agree with you that Anakin is a separate entity altogether.
Luckily, Stan Solo is in the process of making that version of Darth Vader. I can't wait!
Empire- they added the grey to the custom. Variant #2.
Not sure I follow. Are you referring to the grey haired Ben Kenobi variant?
Since these figures at the time were solely aimed at kids I can see why they didn't make other variations of figures with only slight differences.. but no decent carbon freeze chamber/Bespin playset? I know Kenner made cardboard ones, but they could've done better.
YES!!! A full scale plastic Carbon Freeze Chamber would have been EPIC!
@@GQJedi Have you seen the Carbon Freeze Chamber ornament Hallmark released? That's EXACTLY what I wanted in a 3.75 scale playset.
I have not. I'll have to google that badboy and check it out.
how odd kenner started to spit out more versions of characters (han in carbonite and stormtrooper luke i.e.) and on the screen momentaries (imperial dignitary i.e.) towards the end. the break between Empire and Return had steady trickles of Empire. i wish they would have kept producing some more star wars as they produced more Empire. even if up to Return only. im guessing squeezing Empire characters and getting ready to produce Return of the Jedi figures squeezed their plans? playsets! more playsets. seems even before Return we could have gotten a carbonite freezing chamber playset.
I wish Kenner had made many more figures. Who knows what we would have gotten had they not discontinued the line in 1985?! Such a bloody shame.
They did give us force ghost obi won but not til like ‘97
True. But that’s modern.
Dude, you sound like the actor Woody Harrelson.
Really? That's a new one I've never heard before. Personally, I love Woody.
Don't 4get a vintage kenner sandtrooper
We got 3 different Stormtroopers thru the trilogy. So I can let that slide. But if were making a big wish list, he would definitely be on it.
Speaking as someone whose formative childhood was between the years of 1989-1995, and remembering what life was like with zero Star Wars toys on shelves? I'll take junk over nothing. Probably why the toy companies can get away with so much but... hey I can say personally being part of the problem ain't so bad once you can tune out all the screeching purists ;)
Not sure about the purists you speak of but Kenner delivered the goods. Still, I had to point out some great additions to the line that could have happened since we got so many background characters.
I disagree with you totally. Vader and especially Ben, did not need any other figures. One of the things I loathe about modern figures is the 200 versions of a character with only a slight variation. More original figures, like Tarkin and Imperials, yes defintely.
The only Kenner figures I was disappointed with as kid was the Jedi ones because so many characters did not have guns. Basically any alien figure could be a bounty hunter if he had a gun.
I speak for myself. These are my opinions. You are entitled to yours.
OMG! Cheese should have come with this whine!
You’re adolescent comment speaks volumes about your inability to hear someone’s opinion.
did general veers die in the battle? 😃
I believe so when the AT-AT went down.
I may be misremembering this, but in the novel a snowspeeder crashed into the “face” of the walker, killing everyone in it. It may have been cut from the film.
@rumblehat4357 Now that I think about it, Gen Veers did survive. His walker didn’t blow up on screen.
@@GQJedi I just looked it up. In the novel, Hobbie’s smoking snowspeeder crashed into the cockpit of Veers’ walker. Not on screen, so I guess it depends on which canon people prefer.
i also read that he died, but i wouldn't be surprised if he gets a comback sorry my english.hmm
I personally dislike modern ultradetsil figures...they are no longer toys but silly collectables straight away and in the end..because more simple..more durable. Modern figures.not.going to last 40 years. Thats for sure.
They sure don’t make ‘em like they used to. You’re correct.
Chewie got a medal at the end of rise of skywalker…which is an amazing movie…come on..tell me you didn’t cry when chewie got the medal…people want to hate on that movie and it was quite epic.it defiantly has a great pace and action,and Landon in the falcon..come on that movie was great
I think it's a bummer that Chewie was neglected. He should have gotten a medal back in 1977.
I was 5 when Star Wars hit theaters. I was only 5 but the Kenner figures disappointed the hell out of me. But what could I do? It's all we got. I bought them all & played with them but I never really liked them much. R2-D2 & R5-D4 were friggin horrible. X-Wing Pilot Luke looked like a Playskool figure with his stupid black dot eyes. I HATED the 5POA & how they couldn't sit in the vehicles properly, especially the Speeder Bikes. The TIE Fighter, my favorite ship, pissed me off with it's tiny solar panel wings & being molded in bright white. And Darth Vader's TIE was all wrong. I remember the model looked right but the toy was shit. And the AT-AT was horribly out of proportion & way too small. And the Wampa had no feet. WTF? I sold my whole collection & never regretted it. I don't miss them at all.
Can't say that I agree. But you had to do what was best for you. Good on ya.