Chewbacca - TBS [P3] - 3.75 Inch Figures (Exclusive)

A legendary Wookiee warrior and Han Solo's co-pilot aboard the Millennium Falcon, Chewbacca was part of a core group of Rebels who restored freedom to the galaxy.

All that rumor mongering has finally paid off for us. Although we concede we didn’t expect Walmart to be the retailer of choice for The Black Series [Phase III] 3.75” super-articulated line (because ANOTHER rumor clouded the crystal ball), the official Hasbro announcement has allowed those holding their breath with hope to finally breathe again. Admittedly, The Black Series [Phase III] 3.75” line isn’t starting off as expected. Firstly, the basic figure packaging has officially died for this format. We can no longer call them basic figures. If that isn’t “sad” enough, the first wave is a tremendous punch in the gut. How many times do collectors and fan sites NEED to remind Hasbro that an inaugural wave should ALWAYS consist of all-new product. We completely understand that repacks are a necessary part of the game in this day and age, but Hasbro has a fiduciary responsibility to ensure that these collector-focused lines start off with a huge bang. Although a repack of two TVC-quality action figures certainly isn’t the worst thing in the world, a repack of a version of 2005’s ROTS Darth Vader (Special Edition 500th Figure) couldn’t be more offensive. If Hasbro is to guarantee success in this line, they need to knock it off right away. Heck, it would have made more sense to delay this line until the first wave of all-new figures were available. They’re shooting themselves in the foot by not focusing on collectors for this line. Hopefully the main characters status of these action figures will guarantee a sell through because right now the collecting community is split on supporting the line with wave 1.

And what’s up with only three action figures in a wave? We fear that this will aid to complete bottlenecking of the line. If they keep shipping the same cases of only three figures each, there won’t be enough of a diverse selection to interest all those who want to buy super-articulated action figures. Thankfully, if there HAD to be a repack, Chewbacca is a good figure to see again. Based on the 2004 VOTC Chewbacca figure (a magnificent figure for any era of collecting), Chewbacca receives a surprising new paint job which makes the figure look better than ever. We’re honestly surprised that Hasbro didn’t sculpt a new portrait (since they just made one for The Black Series [P3] 6” line) and apply it to this figure so collectors could have our first super-articulated The Force Awakens action figure. But no, this head sculpt is specific to Return Of The Jedi, and the updated paint operations are also in agreement with this particular version of the Wookiee. For example, Hasbro removed much of the black color on the top of his head and the length of his upper arms. Now he is mostly brown in those areas and the black color has only been used to accent his fur. It looks lovely now. Even his mustache has been muted and looks not as prominent. Chewbacca has an impressive 25 points of articulation across 15 areas on the figure. But the great news here is that the joints have been tightened up quite a bit and he’s able to hold his positions much more easily. That’s wonderful news for us.

Chewbacca’s bowcaster also gets an update. It has been cast in stiffer black plastic. The rubbery gray plastic appears to be something of past history now. We think the actual color of Chewbacca’s bowcaster lies somewhere within gray and black, but we wouldn’t trade the stiffness of the plastic they used this time around for anything. It is truly a wonderful update. The rest of Chewbacca is pretty much the same as you’d expect. It’s amazing how a sculpt from 2004 has held up for over a decade as incredibly as this one does. And what is bittersweet about this is that the original 2004 version was packaged on vintage Kenner type packaging. Here we are in 2015 wishing that the same packaging was STILL in production, as this figure would have looked brilliantly with all of the updates it received for 2015. In short, The Black Series [Phase III] 3.75” line has us cautiously optimistic. It’s indeed the last chance we have for super-articulated 3.75” action figures. It’s a shame it has been relegated to becoming a Walmart exclusive. Hopefully the buyers at Walmart and Hasbro can find common ground that will allow this line to thrive and survive during these very uncertain times. The relative success (and we DO MEAN relative) of the simply articulated The Force Awakens sell through will only show Hasbro that five points of articulation is not what hardcore collectors think it is. And if this trend keeps up the inevitable death of 3.75” super-articulated figures may come sooner than we realize. Let’s wish and hope for the very best in this line.