Luke Skywalker (In X-wing Fighter Gear) - Mini Busts

The Luke Skywalker (In X-wing Fighter Gear) Mini Bust was a welcomed surprise into the line. It not only brought a rather fantastic interpretation of Luke Skywalker during the Battle of Yavin, but it also indirectly introduced a line of one-sixth scaled helmets, the Star Wars Armory line, that eventually was aborted/canceled because Gentle Giant Ltd. feared it would be too much competition with an already established line. As such, Luke Skywalker (In X-wing Fighter Gear) was the very first general release Mini Bust to feature a separately sculpted helmet. (The 2004 San Diego Comic Con exclusive Luke Skywalker (Stormtrooper Disguise) preceded it by a couple of months.) But what’s most impressive was the detail Gentle Giant Ltd. gave Luke’s helmet. Not a detail was left off and the final result was a spectacular looking accessory that acted as the catalyst for new approaches Gentle Giant Ltd. would take the line in the future. Here is where it all started.

Luke Skywalker (In X-wing Fighter Gear) shines from top to bottom. The sculptors created an impressive likeness to a younger Mark Hamill. The way the hair falls on his forehead to the expressive eyes all show that they got this piece right. His flight suit is perhaps even more impressive. Wrinkles, crinkles and folds have been effortlessly etched into the body of this Mini Bust. And then experienced painters found a way to breathe realistic life into the paint job. Not a detail is off in the slightest. The outfit is bright orange, the ribbed vest is white and every last nuance of his chest box is replicated with an apparent zeal to exceed collectors’ standards. If we had to complain, we would comment that Gentle Giant may have looked at different reference materials that lead the eyes to believe his flight straps are gray instead of silver. Gentle Giant Ltd. has painted them gray which we feel isn’t the correct color. It’s not a huge issue though.

Luke’s left arm is tucked behind his back while his right arm is cupped frontwards to effortlessly hold the separately sculpted helmet. It’s a true shame that Gentle Giant Ltd. didn’t proceed with the Star Wars Armory line because these would have been popular, successful and well done. Just by what they’ve been able to accomplish with the helmet accessory here is unbelievable, we would have loved to see more of what they could do with that format. Obviously as new characters are added to the line that were part of the planned Star Wars Armory line we will be able to see what we missed. But Gentle Giant Ltd. has proven they’re on the cutting edge of digitally-scanned technology. Luke Skywalker (In X-wing Pilot Gear) proves that they are serious about making high quality collectibles for the Star Wars collector market. For this much quality, the price is extremely fair. We really can’t wait to see what else they have in store for us.