Luke Skywalker (In Stormtrooper Disguise) - POTF2 [R/G] - Basic

HEIGHT: 1.72 Meters
STATUS: Jedi In Training, Rebel Pilot
CLASSIFICATION: Human
AFFILIATION: Rebel Alliance
WEAPON OF CHOICE: Lightsaber, Blaster

In 1985, Luke Skywalker (In Stormtrooper Disguise) may have been one of the greatest long-awaited action figures up to that point. Star Wars fans were thrilled to see Kenner “going back” to previous films to develop new action figures for the line. Sadly, this effort was short-lived and The Power Of The Force line would go dormant for almost a perfect decade. As the years progressed forward, the 1985 POTF Luke Skywalker (Imperial Stormtrooper Outfit) action figure gained some notoriety. It quickly skyrocketed in value on the aftermarket and, is to date, the most valuable 1985 American vintage Kenner action figure. (Yak Face often commands higher prices, but the figure was never formally available in America.) With a removable helmet and an E-11 blaster, the perfectly accessorized Luke Skywalker (Imperial Stormtrooper Outfit) became the action figure everyone wanted. When the line re-launched in 1995, Kenner knew that they’d have to make plenty of the 1985 figure for the modern era, and Luke Skywalker (In Stormtrooper Disguise) was one of the first characters on the shortlist to be made.

Luke Skywalker (In Stormtrooper Disguise) isn’t half bad. He has a couple of issues, but Kenner did a fairly remarkable job on him. Sure, the figure still has hulky proportions, but his stature is a bit more streamlined than any of the other human characters in the line, and we feel he turned out a whole lot better. There is one glaring issue, however. Luke is supposed to be a little short for a stormtrooper. Sadly, the figure looks much larger than the Han Solo [Disguised As A Stormtrooper] exclusive mail-away figure from the same line. Unfortunately, the figure's size has a great deal to do with its posture. Whether standing straight up and down while others crouch in action poses affects how action figures look next to each other. But visually, it messes with the proper scale your eyes see, and things look out of whack. Luke Skywalker (In Stormtrooper Disguise), by comparison, looks like a “giant” compared to Han Solo [Disguised As A Stormtrooper]. It is certainly a setback, but we think the update made to Luke Skywalker (In Stormtrooper Disguise) works for the better, and the supposed extra height ultimately isn’t the end of the world. We wish Kenner got it right for these two characters.

Luke Skywalker (In Stormtrooper Disguise) comes with a removable stormtrooper helmet. We’re still impressed that Kenner has managed to mold a scaled helmet that doesn’t look too big or a human head for Luke Skywalker that doesn’t appear too small or pea-sized. Also included is an E-11 blaster. Thanks to this figure's accessories, it's a direct modern update to the classic 1985 POTF Luke Skywalker (Imperial Stormtrooper Outfit) vintage Kenner figure. The head sculpt doesn’t favor the character all that much, but it’s a standard head sculpt that we’ve come to accept for all Luke Skywalker action figures. It’s a shame that Kenner does this because Luke’s appearance changes dramatically throughout the Original Trilogy. All in all, Luke Skywalker (In Stormtrooper Disguise) is going to hold a special place in collectors’ hearts for years to come. Kenner will certainly produce better and more accurate versions, but this one feels “right” for now. It will be great if Kenner keeps knocking out the original Kenner figures into modern counterparts. That is what the mature collectors want to see: modern interpretations of our favorite action figures from the 70s and 80s.