Luke Skywalker (Imperial Light Cruiser) - TVC - Basic (VC264)

Wow. Luke Skywalker as a Jedi appears in Disney Star Wars’ The Mandalorian series? Did they decide to reprise the version of Luke Skywalker with the highest level of toxic masculinity for an emasculated and sad imitation of George Lucas’ Star Wars? Don’t worry; we’ll move along. The Luke Skywalker (Imperial Light Cruiser) might be the biggest surprise for The Vintage Collection. Hasbro took 2020’s TVC Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight) (VC175) and gave it a lot of new parts, including a revised head, new arms, a new belt, and new legs (including the super-smooth “rocker” ankles. But most importantly, they aced the paint operations on this release, and the figure looks incredible. It’s lovely to see Luke Skywalker from the “Return Of The Jedi” era with dirty blonde/brownish hair. And that’s what this figure has. But they also carefully considered how to apply the details in the face; admittedly, the action figure looks gorgeous. Where there were gray elements on the VC175 version, Hasbro opted for a jet-black color palette on this new release, including the black cloak. But the dark colors work well for this release, and Luke Skywalker (Imperial Light Cruiser) is immediately reminiscent of 1983’s ROTJ Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight Outfit) figure. It even comes with a black glove on the right hand!

The new parts look fantastic here, and it was advantageous for Hasbro to redo some of the proportions of the action figure to improve aesthetics and reduce lankiness. For example, Hasbro lengthened the upper arms and then reduced the forearms. The result is a natural-looking human form. You’ll be impressed once you see how this change affects the figure for the better. Also important are the updated legs. The thighs have a little more bulk or “meat” on them, giving the figure a distinctly manly stature. Then the incorporation of “rocker” ankles allows you to pose the figure in various ways you couldn’t do previously. Compared side by side, you’ll see how much more realistic Luke Skywalker (Imperial Light Cruiser) looks next to Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight). It almost makes us regret stocking up on many units of the VC175 version. Hasbro perfectly weaved the soft-goods cape for the figure’s frame. The hood stays in place, and you can pull it back or down, and the drape is perfect and doesn’t hang too low to trip the figure. Once again, Hasbro made tremendous strides with this version of Luke Skywalker. They kept the likeness faithful to Mark Hamill and not the CGI version from the series. So, there is a great deal to be thankful for here.

Luke Skywalker (Imperial Light Cruiser) has an excellent selection of accessories. In addition to the soft-goods cloak, Hasbro also included a lightsaber, a hilt with a plug that attaches to the left side of the figure via insertion into a hole, and the skiff guard blaster used during the character’s visit to Jabba’s palace. The figure comes with the same hands as the VC175 figure, so all the repeated accessories work well here. But because of the enhanced tooling and updated articulation, collectors will undoubtedly experience more enjoyment with Luke Skywalker than with past releases. This new release is so excellent that we’d love to see Hasbro convert it into a true “Jedi Knight” from Return Of The Jedi and re-release it. This figure is superior. There is no way around this fact. Part of the general marketplace basic figure line, Luke Skywalker (Imperial Light Cruiser) comes packed with the first two characters in the Andor Disney+ series. It’s a wave that focuses strongly on Disney Star Wars, but we have to admit that this figure impressed us more than we anticipated. Fans of Luke Skywalker will undoubtedly admire this action figure. And if you love The Mandalorian, here is another character to add to your growing ranks. It’s a shame this is how we get updated OT characters, but it’s better than not getting them otherwise.