Luke Skywalker (Tatooine Encounter) - SW [S - P3] - Basic (’03 #31)

Luke Skywalker's life began as a simple farmboy where he spent his restless childhood on the backwater desert planet of Tatooine, toiling away on his uncle Owen's moisture farm. There he learned the essentials of desert survival and droid repair as well as honing his piloting skills in Tatooine's infamous Beggar's Canyon, racing his T-16 shyhopper. Luke's life changed when his uncle purchased a pair of used droids from Jawa dealers visiting his homestead. The droids, R2-D2 and C-3PO, led Luke on an adventure, uniting him with Obi-Wan Kenobi, who taught Luke in the ways of the Jedi Knights and the Force, and gave him his father's lightsaber.

When 1999’s POTF2 [FB/CT] Luke Skywalker (With T-16 Skyhopper Model) figure was released, it was pivotal on how changed collectors’ perceived landscape of how Luke Skywalker from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope should be approached. This all-new figure was immediately embraced by the collecting community and became a staple in all collections because of its authenticity and extras. The reduced proportions and the attention to detail was like no previous Luke Skywalker figure to date, and the inclusion of hinge-jointed knees gave this Luke Skywalker an edge over all others as well. This figure not only sports completely “from the ground up” new tooling, but the included accessories that satisfied collectors and made them want to jump on and secure this figure almost as if it were their last opportunity to do so. Add to that a carbon scraper accessory and really what else could a collector possibly need? All of this goodness makes this 1999 figure a very difficult figure to disregard. And in 2003, Hasbro proved to us that it was hard for them to disregard it also. Slightly repainted, renamed and repackaged with less accessories this time around, this same sculpt gets a new chance at retail in the Star Wars “Saga” line and honestly it is holding up nicely, albeit imperfectly.

In all honesty, it can become cumbersome to keep on getting Luke Skywalker action figures over and over again. And obviously not too many of us were pleased about getting another farm boy Luke Skywalker figure. But we believe this original 1999 The Power Of The Force "2" [FlashBack/CommTech] release, now called Luke Skywalker (Tatooine Encounter), was successful in changing our opinions about such things. And maybe this is a stretch, but we imagine that you’ll eagerly anticipate its arrival into your collection in 2003. It seems like a perfect figure to refresh and keep in the basic figure line. Sometimes action figures are worth buying for the sole purpose of acquiring the accessories that come packaged with them. Sadly, those cool accessories are now gone for the most part. But the figure itself isn’t without merit. Lets talk about the Luke Skywalker figure a bit since that should be the focus here anyway. The inclusion of swivel elbows and hinge-jointed knees gives Luke Skywalker (Tatooine Encounter) a wee bit more movement, but you’re probably going to be disappointed overall because these points of articulation just cannot provide a full range of movement.

It’s hard to break new ground when you’re producing the same character over and over and over again. Sure, even better enhanced articulation would have been sublime here, but we think Hasbro was justified in re-releasing this figure. There aren’t any updates here, aside from a few slightly different paint operations. We still don’t think Hasbro has mastered the human form (especially in the hands) on this version of Luke Skywalker, so he is going to look like he is from a different time, which is exactly the case. So until we see more lifelike accuracy, this may have to be one of your “go to” figures for the time being. The likeness to Luke Skywalker (Tatooine Encounter) is just “meh” and the articulation is essentially moot, but again, it isn’t without any merit. Hasbro is looking for a way to keep essential characters in the action figure line. So by squeezing them into the numbering system, they’re able to engage collectors (who need every figure in every packaging capacity) as well as new collectors (like kids) looking to secure their own first Luke Skywalker action figure. Oh, and if you’re looking for extras, Luke Skywalker (Tatooine Encounter) comes with a clear Star Wars display stand which is a pretty neat addition by itself.