Han Solo (Echo Base [Echo Base Outfit]) - TVC - Basic (VC03)

Celebrate the legendary Star Wars saga that changed the universe forever! 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. Iconic Star Wars heroes and villains are captured with incredible detail and premium features to commemorate each epic tale in the Star Wars saga. May the Force be with you!

Hasbro has the uncanny ability to find obscure costume variations on our most beloved Star Wars characters and translate them into unique, one-off action figures. Finding brief and obscure costume-changing moments in the Star Wars saga helps keep the basic figure line fresh and new. We love the diversity this brings to our collections. While we wait and wait and wait for the latest and most significant Han Solo action figures, it’s nice that Hasbro pacifies Star Wars collectors with an all-new take on Han Solo from The Empire Strikes Back to hold us over until the “more important” figures get released. Squeezing in a few of the “holdover” choices while they get to work on the other main characters in their main outfits is a great way to keep the line fluid and streamlined. If you recall, the 30 (77-07) line gave us an exciting and scene-specific version of Han Solo with the Han Solo With Torture Rack (30 38) figure. Sadly, this version of Han Solo comes with fly-away hair, an expression full of pain on his face, and an un-tucked shirt. No matter how you feel about the figure, it’s not a good template for a definitive 1981 TESB Han Solo (Bespin Outfit) modern figure update. But behold, Hasbro’s clever toymakers found a way to take some of the 2007 figure’s parts, other features, and new additions and create Han Solo (Echo Base). It provides collectors with a version of Han Solo, that worked on the Millennium Falcon during the “mechanic” scene. Chewbacca attempts to start up the engine, which causes a small explosion and a lot of smoke, and Han screams, “Turn it off! Turn it off!” It’s the only scene in The Empire Strikes Back where we see Han Solo wearing the “Bespin Outfit” while wearing the “Hoth Outfit” parka as outerwear. The mixed outfit gives us an “all-new” version of Han Solo that not many collectors noticed from Episode V. We’re thankful they made this figure part of The Vintage Collection basic figure line. Now, they re-released it with Photo Real updating.

Han Solo (Echo Base) is a retool of the 2008 TLC Han Solo (BD 1) figure and borrows parts from other figures. While this tooling of Han Solo is not one of our favorite incarnations of Han Solo by any means, its reinvention into The Vintage Collection brings about a new appreciation of it for us. It is important to note that the 2008 The Legacy Collection figure also has roots in the 2006 VTSC Han Solo (In Trench Coat) figure. Ha makes excellent use of their library of parts. A little changed from the basic frame of the 2006 figure to this new one. But between the new paint jobs on the figure and belt, the newly added outer coat shell, the arms from 2007’s TAC Han Solo With Torture Rack (30 38) figure, and the freshly tooled welding accessories, Han Solo (Echo Base) brings more newness to the table than it doesn’t. The figure is the textbook definition of a kit-bashed action figure. Various parts work exceptionally well together and provide a new version of Han Solo with great stature, albeit with a slightly awkward slant when standing. Han Solo looks fantastic and is an impressive visage in the line. We must never forget that Hasbro must constantly find ways to contain costs throughout the various Star Wars lines. This Han Solo (Echo Base) figure does this for them, and it’s a great way to fulfill their need. What’s great about this approach is that Hasbro made this figure look like an all-new release, like it’s an altogether brand-new action figure. We can’t think of a better way that Hasbro could have used so many older parts of previously released action figures to make something so incredible. Specifically, if you look at Han Solo’s coat, Hasbro designed it beautifully. So, even though Hasbro comprised much of this Han Solo (Echo Base) figure from “old” parts, the detail, work, and time they put into the new features is not something that collectors can ignore. Hasbro went above and beyond here. We should be rejoicing about it.

This action figure also brings up a debate that will never go away. It will likely stir up controversy on the age-old brown versus blue discussion. In this case, Hasbro cast Han Solo’s coat in a rich chocolate brown color. But they also added quite a few other elements of color to help give it a textured look and feel. Also, the lining of the coat shell is white. Frankly, the coat appears to be different than the previous colors of the parka released in the past. The jacket looks fantastic. The sloppy and unkempt aesthetic of the open parka gives the action figure personality we’ve come to love. Again, we are privileged that Hasbro considered this detail to provide us with the Han Solo (Echo Base) figure. At this point, it almost seems like a running joke that the color of his coat changes so often, but it keeps things in the line invigorated. Despite the exact shade of color, the excellence in the accessory’s sculpting forces the rather generic sculpting of Han Solo to look exceptional. When fully outfitted wearing the jacket and the welding accessories in hand, Han Solo (Echo Base) looks spectacular, and we have to say that the figure may rank high as one of your favorite figures from the first wave of The Vintage Collection. Han Solo (Echo Base) also has a brand new head sculpt. The excellent likeness to Harrison Ford is impressive. When they re-released the figure in 2019, they utilized Photo Real technology; now, this figure looks better. We have to keep in mind that we didn’t get to see Han Solo’s face while wearing this outfit all that well, so it may be the safest bet to give him the simplest expression on his face. We feel the figure’s legs are too thin and spindly. But because of the way Hasbro executed The Vintage Collection figure, the legs don’t stand out negatively. The three-quarter length of the coat covers up this issue nicely. It’s important to note that Han Solo (Echo Base) is the first The Vintage Collection figure with no “true vintage” counterpart. How is that for an oxymoron or an anachronism, for that matter?

Editor's Note: Hasbro re-released The Vintage Collection Han Solo (Echo Base [Echo Base Outfit]) (VC03) figure in March 2019 with a significant number of changes. Updates include: (1) Photo Real deco updating, (2) completely new outfit deco which includes lighter colors, (3) refreshed 2019 packaging with different graphics (4) revised nameplate

Review Status Update: The original publication date of this review is July 3, 2010. It was subsequently updated with a new Photo Gallery and revised General Analysis and republished on March 28, 2019 after Hasbro reissued the figure.