Kenner: "Kids can pretend to bludgeon someone to death with a stick, they can even pretend to stab some repeatedly to death but I'll be damned if they pretend to shoot at each other."
I have a vintage Admiral Akbar I bought on eBay about 7 years ago. He's on my list of favorite Star Wars characters. This was an awesome video. I never thought about figures with guns before.
Most of the stick/staff weapons are bigger than most of the guns, so it's not a cost issue. It's a people with too much time on their hands love having something to complain and nit-pick about issue.
Great video. So Kenner wasn't trying to avoid guns in their RotJ figures. But I always thought those long axes carried by some of Jabba's guards actually had blasters built into them.
1982-83 was also when Hasbro started their GI Joe: A Real American Hero line, and they all had guns (well all but 1 or 2: the communications guy in series 1 didn't need one, and the medic in series 2 didn't either.) Regarding the Return of the Jedi figures, the ones that didn't come with guns, really didn't need them.
Some of the RAHs don't have guns or have bad accessories. 85 is a classic year for fans, but while some of the best figures are from this year, many of them are iffy if you ignore the cartoon, and many of the accessories are iffy. I would argue the forgotten, (soft reboot) 91 year had better figures for the main line. It was a much better year for Cobra than 86 which maybe was the best year. After 87, the figures came with much better accessories. While there were issues, RAH didn't become lame until 92 to 94, though there were some good figures in those years, like some of Ninja Force and the forgotten aliens. I imagine the DIC cartoon helped.
Alot of these characters never had guns in ROTJ. But it is funny that there weren't that many characters with guns, but ewoks were gonna BBQ our main protagonists. Guns bad. BBQ good.
Harrison Ford wanted Han killed off in Return of the Jedi. He probably wanted to go out in some heroic way? Lucas should have let the Ewoks roast and eat him!
I had a very rare Yak Face that had the axe-thing he is holding on the card picture rather than the pole that he and a few other figures came with.... but some a-hole collector stole it from me when he was looking at my collection.
most of Jabbas guard's have a staff because his followers are more tough guys and more medieval. Some have guns, like the guy who shot Luke in the hand, and even Gamorrean Guards used guns - in ROTJ the Gamorrean on the Sail Barge deck has a gun. The vibro axe is a common weapon in Jabba's retinue - more intimidating and not as expensive as a blaster. it even has stats in the good original Star Wars Role Playing Game from West End Games, from the 1980s.
General Madine and Ackbar have pointers to make you pay attention to their briefings. Smackadoo! Pay attention, there will be an exam after the briefing!
The good ROTJ figures are Luke Jedi, Han Endor, Leia Boussh, the biker scout, the emperor's royal guard, and that's it. The rest are uninteresting humans or aliens with sticks.
General Madine is a weird character, with a bizarre haircut. I know of a RUclipsr with the same hair 😂😂😂 The white stick was dumb and easily lost. The staffs that jabba's palace guards had, were changed to be vibroblades (instead of regular halberds). The blade had the ability to block a lightsaber. I think this change was made in the 90's. I think they changed it back, but I'm not sure.
@@michaelrussom6463 Madine was a lame figure. Why not do a new Vader with a removable helmet or any other like some in PothF? Only the PothF dignitary is more lame.
Awesome analysis. The Ewoks were PC commercialism, not the Viet Cong like Lucas claimed (the rebel troopers look like Nam soldiers). The Viet Cong didn't use sticks and rocks. The RothJ toys were awesome though (except Madine, a waste of a figure, though the PothF dignitary is the worst). (Squid Head and 8D8 are sweet.) I don't buy the later idea Jabba is a major crime lord, because he uses barbarian henchmen. Maybe he doesn't want blasters used against him, but then why do some random, mostly unseen henchmen have them while he uses two slow, beastial Gamorrean guards at the front gate who don't? (This is one of the huge number of problems in RothJ. How did Luke get into the palace??? The PhM showed Tatooine is backwards somehow. Lucas began going for more fantasy in RothJ. Was he copying He-Man (which was copying Star Wars)?) The released Droids figures are well armed, or at least the good guys are. The two, new, released bad guys don't have blasters, though some unreleased ones would have had them. Battle Axes are sweet. He-Man uses his ax and shield in my universe. Is Junkman outing himself as a reptilian? 🤔🤔🤔🤔 I didn't understand what Ackbar's rod is. I imagined it as a stun stick. Bib's staff is sweet. I remembered it when Junkman mentioned it. He-Man went pretty PC for accessories in 85 and 86 (and kind of 87, the bad year), the worst being the Snake Men staffs, though those were awesome years, and some characters don't need weapons. There also was an issue with recycled weapons, beginning in 84. (They should have updated the power sword in 84. There were multiple versions of He-Man and Skeletor, including reissues, and the cartoon was established.) I would argue GI Joe and maybe Transformers also went somewhat PC in 85, though it's not as obvious.
Well actually Junkman ( in a whiny nerdy know-it-all voice) Ewok 's in SW legends had guns. They would pick up fallen stormtroopers guns n use them or give them to rebels to help fight in the battle of Endor; which continued after the death Star blew up. And yes, im 99% just giving u shit here
There is actually a brief scene in ROTJ that has an Ewok with a Stormtrooper blaster. He isn't seen firing it, but he holds it aloft in celebration after they take out one of the AT-STs. Also pretty sure Hasbro made a figure of this Ewok...I think in a multi-pack. Google "Ewok with gun" for a screen shot
"Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good stick at your side, kid". - Han Solo
My thoughts exactly. I didn’t notice any gun discrepancies until someone on another channel brought this up.
As a kid you can do a lot with a stick. I remember a particularly cool one I found that was a spear and a sword and a magic staff.
I see random pics online where guys find cool sticks, "only guys will understand." Of course they look like pistols or swords. Damn fine sticks
I remember this video the first time around.
Kenner:
"Kids can pretend to bludgeon someone to death with a stick, they can even pretend to stab some repeatedly to death but I'll be damned if they pretend to shoot at each other."
🤔🤔🤔🤔
I have a vintage Admiral Akbar I bought on eBay about 7 years ago. He's on my list of favorite Star Wars characters. This was an awesome video. I never thought about figures with guns before.
Hey is that a V t shirt ? Awesome 😎
@@hediho-ry6rs Junkman outed himself as a reptilian infiltrator.
Glad I came up mostly in the 70s none of that no toy gun crap then. Loved my Lone Ranger gun. 🍻
The Ewok spears could actually hurt a kid if you poked them with it. That wasn’t the case with all those tiny, little blaster pistols.
I miss the 80s.
🤔🤔🤔🤔
Never knew how many of these figures had sticks or stick type weapons, I’m guessing it was probably to cut costs and save money.
How? The guns were already tooled?
It’s based on the movies. They didn’t have a gun in the movie. So why with a figure of them
Most of the stick/staff weapons are bigger than most of the guns, so it's not a cost issue. It's a people with too much time on their hands love having something to complain and nit-pick about issue.
Great video. So Kenner wasn't trying to avoid guns in their RotJ figures. But I always thought those long axes carried by some of Jabba's guards actually had blasters built into them.
Me too. Like a heavy duty cattle prod or something
That's how I imagined them as a kid.
These batons are most likely Swagger Sticks.
Originally used by British officers to denote rank and lead/direct troops.
1982-83 was also when Hasbro started their GI Joe: A Real American Hero line, and they all had guns (well all but 1 or 2: the communications guy in series 1 didn't need one, and the medic in series 2 didn't either.) Regarding the Return of the Jedi figures, the ones that didn't come with guns, really didn't need them.
Some of the RAHs don't have guns or have bad accessories. 85 is a classic year for fans, but while some of the best figures are from this year, many of them are iffy if you ignore the cartoon, and many of the accessories are iffy.
I would argue the forgotten, (soft reboot) 91 year had better figures for the main line. It was a much better year for Cobra than 86 which maybe was the best year. After 87, the figures came with much better accessories.
While there were issues, RAH didn't become lame until 92 to 94, though there were some good figures in those years, like some of Ninja Force and the forgotten aliens. I imagine the DIC cartoon helped.
Alot of these characters never had guns in ROTJ. But it is funny that there weren't that many characters with guns, but ewoks were gonna BBQ our main protagonists.
Guns bad.
BBQ good.
Harrison Ford wanted Han killed off in Return of the Jedi. He probably wanted to go out in some heroic way? Lucas should have let the Ewoks roast and eat him!
I had a very rare Yak Face that had the axe-thing he is holding on the card picture rather than the pole that he and a few other figures came with.... but some a-hole collector stole it from me when he was looking at my collection.
It's a sticky situation.
My stick my stick my stick is better than bacon.
Did you say, "General MADEEEENE"!? you did
We called him Phil Collins
most of Jabbas guard's have a staff because his followers are more tough guys and more medieval. Some have guns, like the guy who shot Luke in the hand, and even Gamorrean Guards used guns - in ROTJ the Gamorrean on the Sail Barge deck has a gun. The vibro axe is a common weapon in Jabba's retinue - more intimidating and not as expensive as a blaster. it even has stats in the good original Star Wars Role Playing Game from West End Games, from the 1980s.
General Madine and Ackbar have pointers to make you pay attention to their briefings. Smackadoo! Pay attention, there will be an exam after the briefing!
They could have done a few ewoks with Imperial pistols. They could figure out how to use the captured weapons
I used to take the cocktail swords from the restaurant and give them to any star wars figures who could hold them
Wicket comes with a spear that’s a weapon and papploo rode on the speeder bike that had a weapon on attached to it
Gotta admit, Dan Magnum sounds like a heck of an action hero...
The good ROTJ figures are Luke Jedi, Han Endor, Leia Boussh, the biker scout, the emperor's royal guard, and that's it. The rest are uninteresting humans or aliens with sticks.
General Madine is a weird character, with a bizarre haircut. I know of a RUclipsr with the same hair 😂😂😂 The white stick was dumb and easily lost. The staffs that jabba's palace guards had, were changed to be vibroblades (instead of regular halberds). The blade had the ability to block a lightsaber. I think this change was made in the 90's. I think they changed it back, but I'm not sure.
@@michaelrussom6463 Madine was a lame figure. Why not do a new Vader with a removable helmet or any other like some in PothF? Only the PothF dignitary is more lame.
Uh oh you're going to have some coming after you over this! I won't say the name but it rhymes with Stench
The Grinch?
Love the shirt!
Awesome analysis. The Ewoks were PC commercialism, not the Viet Cong like Lucas claimed (the rebel troopers look like Nam soldiers). The Viet Cong didn't use sticks and rocks. The RothJ toys were awesome though (except Madine, a waste of a figure, though the PothF dignitary is the worst). (Squid Head and 8D8 are sweet.)
I don't buy the later idea Jabba is a major crime lord, because he uses barbarian henchmen. Maybe he doesn't want blasters used against him, but then why do some random, mostly unseen henchmen have them while he uses two slow, beastial Gamorrean guards at the front gate who don't?
(This is one of the huge number of problems in RothJ. How did Luke get into the palace??? The PhM showed Tatooine is backwards somehow. Lucas began going for more fantasy in RothJ. Was he copying He-Man (which was copying Star Wars)?)
The released Droids figures are well armed, or at least the good guys are. The two, new, released bad guys don't have blasters, though some unreleased ones would have had them.
Battle Axes are sweet. He-Man uses his ax and shield in my universe. Is Junkman outing himself as a reptilian? 🤔🤔🤔🤔 I didn't understand what Ackbar's rod is. I imagined it as a stun stick. Bib's staff is sweet. I remembered it when Junkman mentioned it.
He-Man went pretty PC for accessories in 85 and 86 (and kind of 87, the bad year), the worst being the Snake Men staffs, though those were awesome years, and some characters don't need weapons. There also was an issue with recycled weapons, beginning in 84. (They should have updated the power sword in 84. There were multiple versions of He-Man and Skeletor, including reissues, and the cartoon was established.)
I would argue GI Joe and maybe Transformers also went somewhat PC in 85, though it's not as obvious.
Max Reebo
SY Snootles
Droopy McCool
Are all counted in the 100 vintage figures from the kenner line
Yep
I think it's just what they saw on the screen. After all, look at G.I Joe at the time, lots of guns. (Keep in mind this is just speculation.)
Ree yees had a giant gun.
Trying to piss of Retroblasting :D? Love you both, but i have to say you have a point here.
I wouldn’t do anything to upset him ;)
Now that I've done watching this video I'm going to go play with my stick.
Visitors: The Series. V.
@@vegasgone07-dh4lb Junkman outed himself as a communist like reptilian.
What's brown and sticky? A stick. Sorry. 🤜😫🤛 = 🤕
I have a t-shirt just like that one!
Interesting.
Retroblasting explains all of this LOL
ROTJ is my favorite cardback though
Explained it wrong I’m sure.
Who had a stick ? Im trying to figure out if General Madine was in the POTF 2 line Junkman
Well actually Junkman ( in a whiny nerdy know-it-all voice) Ewok 's in SW legends had guns. They would pick up fallen stormtroopers guns n use them or give them to rebels to help fight in the battle of Endor; which continued after the death Star blew up.
And yes, im 99% just giving u shit here
More proof the EU is stupid
There is actually a brief scene in ROTJ that has an Ewok with a Stormtrooper blaster. He isn't seen firing it, but he holds it aloft in celebration after they take out one of the AT-STs. Also pretty sure Hasbro made a figure of this Ewok...I think in a multi-pack. Google "Ewok with gun" for a screen shot
@@billrich2915 He will be the new chief.
I always hated return of the jedi anyway. That silly movie was my exit from SW for a long time.
Whether a figure had a "stick" or not did not matter to me at all. I never thought anything of it until another guy made a goofy video about "sticks."
Don’t play with your staff to much you’ll grow hair on your palms then you will look like an Ewok
Ok .. I get it, BUT ... why not include a stick AND a gun??
Cause they didn’t have a gun
@@Sammy_Boy_Smith I think a Weequay with a blaster pops out of the barge as Luke is climbing.
But who has the biggest stick?
The Emperor of course the better to poke you with it .
A crummy classic……. You just aren’t putting in much effort in this channel.