Dak Ralter - TBS [P1] - Basic (#25)

This idealistic Rebel pilot serves as the gunner for Luke Skywalker’s snowspeeder during the Battle of Hoth, facing down advancing AT-AT walkers.

One of the biggest breaking news reports Jedi Temple Archives ever revealed was the return of The Vintage Collection basic figures into the new The Black Series line. It’s a news report we’re quite proud of because there was very little confirmation at all from vendors (as well as Hasbro) and the proof wasn’t confirmed until months later. This news elated Star Wars collectors of course. After all, many figures in The Vintage Collection could stand to be constant evergreens in every basic figure line. The popularity of them, the army building potential of them and the overall amazing works of art they were made the Star Wars collecting community obsessed with them. But when we revealed that Dak Ralter was one of the first to be carried forward into The Black Series line, most of us were confused by the choice. We didn’t care if he was going for ten times his original MSRP on eBay. Why would Hasbro ignore another chance at the Gamorrean Guard (VC21), or the Emperor’s Royal Guard (VC105), or even another chance at Ponda Baba (Walrus Man) (VC70)? It seemed most collectors could come up with a list of ten figures better than Dak Ralter. Anyway, whether he needed to see retail again or not, he’s here. You may be curious to know that he’s different than The Vintage Collection figure too.

It would be presumptuous of us to claim that we had some advisement input with the redo of Dak Ralter, so we hope we don’t come across that way. But we can honestly tell you that JTA, on multiple occasions, has consistently encouraged Hasbro to cast heads in flesh color plastic and then decorate around that. It seems that so many of their figures fell short because they painted flesh color on faces and ex[posed skin. It never looked right. But Hasbro turned the tables on this practice and it’s one of the biggest improvements to this figure. We’re thrilled Hasbro revised Dak Ralter in this way. That upgrade alone makes this version the better of the two. The portrait on 2010’s TVC Dack Ralter (VC07) figure was painted flesh color which gave the action figure a very unnatural skin tone and contour in case you’ve forgotten. And this method is also very prone to chipping which was one of the greatest problems in The Legacy Collection Evolutions line (specifically the Rebel pilot sets). The figures had chipped noses before you even took them out of the package. Dak Ralter has been given a new lot in the basic figure line and without the added pancake batter was added to give him that extremely fake appearance we personally loathe. He looks great now.

He has also had other refreshments done to him as well. The flight suit has been cast in an ever so slightly duller orange color. The chest box detail is tremendously crisper and painted better. And he has received a darker color brown belt and darker gray boots when compared to The Vintage Collection figure. All of these small enhancements add up to wonderfully updated action figure. Interestingly, despite the much improved approach to the head sculpt, Hasbro did a fantastic job at recreating the same deco as far as the eyes and mouth are concerned. In other words, they made this look exactly like the original TVC Dack Ralter (VC07) figure. Oh, and if you couldn’t tell already in the review, Hasbro decided to take out the “c” in his first name since that’s been a bone of contention with Star Wars fans. We can’t discount the reason Hasbro decided to bring this particular TVC carry-forward figure into the line, but we do think there were better choices indeed. And with the severely limited size of basic figure lines anymore, it doesn’t seem that Hasbro will be getting to that many of The Vintage Collection figures any time soon. In fact, both AT-RT Driver (VC46) and Republic Trooper (The Old Republic) (VC113) have already been canceled from The Black Series wave 5. (It’s hoped that they will make it sometime in the future.)