Luke Skywalker (Dagobah Training) - OTC - Basic (’05 #9)

Luke Skywalker, one of the heroes of the Rebel Alliance, goes to the planet Dagobah to learn how to be a Jedi Knight. He meets the wise and mysterious Yoda, who teaches Luke how to use the Force to fight the evil Empire. Luke leaves Yoda before his training is finished, because he learns that his friends are in danger and he must go to save them.

When Kenner decided to re-launch the Star Wars basic figure line again in 1995, one of the first figures to make it to their parking lot list early on was Luke Skywalker (In Dagobah Fatigues) configuration. Sure, we received the classic Kenner Luke Skywalker (Bespin Fatigues) figure, but we really wanted to see for the very first time Luke in this outfit after Yoda’s workout sans jacket and looking dirty and sweaty (and maybe even a backpack so he could stow Yoda on his back). That all came true, but the aesthetics were far from perfect and the proportions on the figure, especially look, were terribly wonky and askew. Throughout the years, Hasbro updated Luke Skywalker, in various outfits from The Empire Strikes Back, but it wasn’t until The Original Trilogy Collection that Hasbro went all out to update Luke Skywalker in his Dagobah training outfit. And they even got a bit clever with how the figure got packaged too. It was also reissued in the "transitional wave" as Luke Skywalker (Dagobah Training) ('05 #9) as well.

Not your average action figure, the carried-forward Luke Skywalker (OTC #01) figure has awesome proportions, great aesthetics, but minimal articulation. You may not care however because in a rare move, Hasbro added interchangeable parts to give him two scene specific looks from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. Not only do you get Luke Skywalker in “training mode” (standing upright), you can also convert him to “handstand mode” to recreate the scene where he uses the Force to balance objects on Dagobah, including Yoda. What’s great about the first four figures in The Original Trilogy Collection is that they’re all interactive with each other. Now two of the four have been repackaged for the transitional line; the best two. Not only do all of their respective environmental bases connect together, figures share parts so create even more options. Specifically, the backpack along with the upper half of Yoda (Dagobah Training) ('05 #16) plugs into a hole on the harness of Luke Skywalker to recreate him carrying him around on Dagobah during his rigorous training. How cool is that?

The actual figure of Luke Skywalker is very good. Despite his shortcomings in articulation, Luke Skywalker (Dagobah Training) brings uniqueness to the line in addition to realistic poses that a more standard action figure could never bring. The likeness Hasbro captured in both portraits is quite outstanding and really look like actor Mark Hamill and his expressions. The “upside down” portrait really shows the grueling struggle Luke was experiencing while balancing and training in the Force. Hasbro mastered that expression quite well here. This version of Luke Skywalker is definitely a display piece much more than it is an action figure. Sometimes these types of figures are preferable for a change of pace. We know we appreciated the different approach. While Hasbro didn't get as clever with how this figure was packaged because it's just a carry-forward for 2005, the packaging still looks fantastic. Everyone loves figures from The Empire Strikes Back. And things get even better for collectors when they can recreate scenes from the film thanks to great interactivity.