Yoda - OTC - Vintage

Celebrate the legendary Star Wars trilogy that changed the universe forever, with The Original Trilogy Collection. This collection brings to life the incredible story of good versus evil that captured our imagination and took us to a galaxy far, far away. The finest recreations of the iconic Star Wars heroes and villains are back with incredible detail and premium features to commemorate each epic tale in the Original Trilogy: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. And, as a tribute to the dedication of Star Wars fans everywhere, we are re-releasing elements of the original packaging that harken back to the creation of Star Wars action figures, which began over 25 years ago with the Original Trilogy. May the Force be with you!

Strong with the Force is this one. Star Wars collectors waited a LONG time to see a significantly upgraded Yoda action figure in the Star Wars toy line that is from the Original Trilogy. Thanks to The Original Trilogy Collection “vintage-styled” line, we now have our wishes fulfilled. It’s difficult to process that it took Hasbro nearly a full decade from the launch of the modern classic line to get an acceptable Yoda action figure with soft-goods and a snake accessory? Part of the “Vintage” Original Trilogy Collection, this line brings the best versions of classic Star Wars figures to life in action figure form, and fans respond well to all of them. Yoda imitates the spirit of the 1980 ESB Yoda action figure, but it also is in the same packaging. The replicated “vintage-styled” packaging possesses the same elements that made the 1980 Kenner action figure special for us when we were kids, and the approach is brilliant. Yoda includes a soft-goods cloak (with tatters and tears), a flute with soft-goods string to hang around its neck, a removable belt, and cane (gimer stick), along with the snake as mentioned earlier. The accessories are the epitome of excellence. And if nothing else, these accouterments prove that Hasbro wants to bring about all-new action figures that pay incredibly tight homage to the spirit of the classic Kenner line. They appear to want to keep it alive as long as possible. Yoda isn’t perfect. And you may find more fault with the figure than we did. But there is no denying that Hasbro has developed a better-than-average version of beloved character while ensuring the figure comes with all of the stuff you had as a kid (and more). 2004 is a wonderful time to be a Star Wars fan!

As previously touched upon, Yoda comes with enhanced articulation that rivals all other previous modern versions of Yoda released throughout the years. Specifically, Yoda comes with two articulated legs (hips), which have not seen articulation since the original 1980 ESB Yoda figure. Yoda also proudly sports a ball-socket head, two ball-jointed shoulders, two “extreme” angle-cut swivel elbows, two swivel wrists, and a swivel waist. All of these points of articulation make a significant impact on what Yoda can do. They work together decently to showcase a tremendous upgrade for a character that Hasbro so often approaches quite simply, in all honesty. Let’s discuss the accessories a bit more. We feel they’re all fantastic. The soft-goods cloak is a bit bulky, but Hasbro gorgeously decorated it to feel believable that the character lives in Dagobah’s swampy terrain. Full of dirt and stains, it’s evident a lot of thought went into how to approach the cloak with screen authenticity. The removable necklace with flute is a nice touch. We’re thankful Hasbro paid attention to this detail for this release. The walking stick/cane is a lovely accessory as well, but it doesn’t fit well in either of Yoda’s hands. It won’t stay easily as the grip is too wide to accompany it. We’re disappointed not to see an orange or brown snake present here, but Hasbro did decide to include a yellow version (with brown stripes) instead. Perhaps this suggests that Hasbro wanted to freshen things up a bit for this figure. While we appreciate the effort, the snake is exceptionally rigid and stuck in a single position. It would have been nice to have the ability to wrap it around Yoda’s neck like the 1980 snakes.

Yoda’s likeness is borderline controversial. Fans and collectors will argue on how screen-accurate the head sculpt is or isn’t. The overall silhouette of the character is Yoda, but if you look closely at his facial features, something seems a bit off. We believe the issue surrounds the shape of the head. It’s a bit bumpy and lacks symmetry, and it interrupts the figure’s aesthetics. Also, Yoda looks a little bit plump or swollen (In the head), which gives it an odd presence. Yoda’s eyes are too squinted as well. Yoda appears angry. In the movie, Yoda has a court jester-like personality, and ultimately displayed meekness. With all of these factors, we feel that Yoda’s likeness needs a bit of revising. The not-so-great resemblance is tragic because the rest of Yoda’s body is in total proportion with the character, and expertly sculpted. Despite some issues with the cane, Yoda can hold other accessories and the cloak that we’ve discussed at length pairs nicely with the non-removable brown soft-goods skirt. Overall, Yoda’s paint job is excellent on both the plastic as well as the soft-goods. And if you’re clever, you can remove the belt and wrap it around the outer robe to recreate the style of the 1980 figure. It will also help with some of the cloak’s bulkiness. If Hasbro could perfect some of this figure’s issues, it would be amazing. You may be sick and tired of us saying this by now, but the best part about the “vintage-styled” figures is the packaging. It brings back so many incredible memories, and we’re sure you can relate to it as strongly as we do. Yoda isn’t the best action figure in this assortment, but the packaging rescues the figure. So if you’re not an opener, this is one to secure!