Han Solo (Hoth Outfit) - TSC - Vintage

Celebrate the legendary Star Wars films that changed the universe forever, with The Saga Collection. 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. The finest re-creations of the iconic Star Wars heroes and villains are back with incredible detail and premium features to commemorate each epic tale in the Star Wars saga. And, as a tribute to the dedication of Star Wars fans everywhere, we are re-releasing elements of the original packaging that harken back to the creation of Star Wars action figures, which began over 25 years ago with the Original Trilogy. May the Force be with you!

Hasbro delivered a truly unprecedented batch of quality figures with the second wave of vintage-styled figures in The Saga Collection. Most of them focused on some of the most popular characters ever in the Star Wars universe, and since they all came with premium sculpting and super-articulation, they all were pretty much a collector’s dream. When the Han Solo (Hoth Outfit) action figure started circulating on rumor lists, it was probably one of the most exciting moments in action figure history. But interestingly, the figure came with a cap similar to 1996’s POTF2 [R/G] Han Solo (In Hoth Gear) figure. It doesn’t mimic 1980’s ESB Han Solo (Hoth Outfit) vintage Kenner figure (with the hood up). The figure also caused mild controversy with the color of the coat, and in some remarkable way, Hasbro created a new color “brue,” which contained equal hints of brown and blue, causing more intense confusion. (But if you want the real answer to Han’s coat’s correct color, check out the source materials, it is quite clear what the actual color is.) Despite having some things collectors wanted to see differently with the figure, it is quite an impressive action figure indeed. (Editor’s Note: Hasbro rereleased this vintage-styled Han Solo in the 2008 TAC Han Solo/R-3PO (3 of 6) Droid Factory set with the hood up. Also of note, the jacket was repainted in an unquestionable blue color. You may prefer this iteration of Han Solo in Hoth gear.) Despite some very few borderline insignificant issues, this Han Solo (Hoth Outfit) action figure is pretty close to being definitive. But probably the most exciting part was getting him on a vintage card back again, 27 years after this character's initial release. Han Solo (Hoth Outfit) was another figure in the 2007 Ultimate Galactic Hunt promotion to send for a set of seven exclusive coins, called the 2007 Vintage Coin Set. Each coin reflects a character part of this promotion.

Han Solo (Hoth Outfit) comes with a wonderful 22 points of articulation. If you look back on what the Star Wars action figure line brought us before this stunning action figure, we had some pretty terrible releases. All previous versions of Han Solo (Hoth Outfit) had awful action poses, inaccurate costuming, awkwardly positioned limbs that rendered the figure nearly useless. We could go on and on, but the thing to focus on is that we have a beautifully in-scale, not bulky, and good-looking action figure in the modern vintage line. Han Solo comes with a nice amount of accessories, including macrobinoculars, blaster pistol, and a combination piece, including a cap with goggles and a scarf. While this headpiece doesn’t fit on his head to well (because of his parka hood), it is nonetheless a great accessory to have. And it fits quite well if you remove the hood from his neck. The macrobinoculars strap is quite thick, but it drapes over his shoulders very well and doesn’t look out of proportion to the action figure. Hasbro cleverly managed to sculpt ball-jointed ankles into the feet of this figure, and we are amazed that it didn’t affect the natural aesthetic of how the snow boots should look. It’s the little things in life. We are so thrilled that Hasbro has crafted something as insignificant as feet so well for this incredible action figure. The texture of his coat is flawless. There is the appropriate quilting on the top section of the chest. The ranking badge is correct, and the vertical ribbing that begins at the two front pockets is evenly parallel and indented with varying degrees of imperfections. Han Solo also has a functioning holster (a basic standard today), and Hasbro positioned the gloves in a way that the figure can hold most items he needs to very well. So, besides our preference having the hood up, this Han Solo figure is a genuine surprise and is the best version of his Hoth outfit now, and one of the best Han Solo figures period in our collections.

The vintage figures from 2007 are (as we stated many times already) some of the best Hasbro action figures of all time. The Empire Strikes Back is the most popular of the Star Wars films, so any product based on this source is very special to fans and collectors. One thing collectors didn’t like about these figures was the retail price point, however. Since the standard for basic figures had become so high, we were getting super-articulated figures for $6.99 while these super-articulated figures retailed for $9.99. Granted, the "vintage-styled" line came with a clamshell protective case and premium packaging, but it still didn’t seem to warrant the upcharge for many fans. We may not be popular for saying this, but we had no problem with the price. Hasbro stated that the “vintage-styled” action figures are produced in smaller numbers than the basic figures. They’re certainly entitled to command a little extra premium. But if they did go up beyond $10 each, we would have to say that we were getting robbed. Things are changing for the basic figure line. Pack-in premiums go from bad to excellent. But the only thing hardcore fans want are faithful and updated versions of the action figures they grew up with as kids. Of course, this is not possible to satiate in the Prequel films, but anything “vintage” seems to need a “vintage throwback” to grasp the attention of the collector market. We think vintage is the vehicle to do this. Han Solo (Hoth Outfit) sets a new standard for this character in action figure form. What’s not to love about it? It has a rather static pose (read: you can put him in an action stance), perfect articulation, great accessories, and an almost perfect likeness. Good and faithful likenesses are what we clamor for with our action figures. It’s all here and more. Han Solo (Hoth Outfit) certainly has a little room for improvement, but if you can’t enjoy this figure for what it is, then maybe this isn’t the hobby for you.