Endor Ambush - OTC - Multipacks (Exclusive)

Celebrate the legendary Star Wars trilogy that changed the universe forever, with The Original Trilogy 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 recreations of the iconic Star Wars heroes and villains are back with incredible detail and premium features to commemorate each epic tale in the Original Trilogy: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. 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 produced various multipacks and gave them to Toys R Us as part of their exclusive program during the Star Wars “Saga” line look. There were some fantastic sets, and then there were sets that could have used a little more creativity and better character selections. The format worked well. Retailers loved it. Collectors typically loved the contents. The MSRP was fair. And they were excellent for both collectors and as gift ideas for the general public. After the Star Wars “Saga” line abruptly ended in the late Spring of 2004, many wondered if Hasbro would continue this exclusive format in The Original Trilogy Collection. Hasbro did. Out of the blue two sets were announced: Endor Ambush and Naboo Final Combat. Each continued a hefty amount of straight repacks, but there was newness here and there. Sadly, the Endor Ambush set received nothing new at all, and it contained figures that not too many people ever wanted to see again. Simply put, Endor Ambush is a collection of regurgitated The Power Of The Force “2” figures (with an exception) and dare we say it might have been better if this set was not releases at all.

Hasbro should have added something new to the set to make it more appealing to those that bought all of these figures in the past. But aside from action figure display stands, collectors aren’t going to reap any benefits by purchasing this set for their collections. The set includes slightly repainted versions of 1997’s POTF2 [FF/TKC] Han Solo (In Endor Gear), 1998’s POTF2 [FF/TKC] Ewoks: Wicket & Logray, 2002’s SW [S - P1] Endor Rebel Soldier [Version 1] (’02 #33), and 1996’s POTF2 [R] Imperial Speeder Bike (both figure and vehicle). Hasbro gave most of the figures revised names as well. The figures all have differing paint operations from their original releases. Some of the changes are more significant than others. There is certainly a nice balance of characters included in this set. Two Ewoks, two Rebels, and an Imperial trooper make a nice balanced grouping of action figures. What’s more, the inclusion of the Biker Scout’s Speeder Bike adds incredible value to a set that already contains five separate action figures. Still, while there is value, there is redundancy and not the good kind of redundancy. Why in the world did Hasbro think all of the archaic figures would make wise re-releases?

The Original Trilogy Collection was a rushed line. Hasbro had to act quickly on their feet and compile a collection of basic figures and exclusives that would benefit retail as much as it would the consumer. Thankfully they had quite a catalog of previously existing products from which they could choose re-release to make store exclusives or general marketplace items. But sometimes Hasbro missed the mark in The Original Trilogy Collection, like the Endor Ambush for example. No matter how you slice it, action figures from 1995 through 1998 do not hold up well in 2004. Hasbro could have introduced at least one new figure or heavily retooled figure in the multipack (to make a new Ewok for example) to make this set a worthwhile purchase for the longtime collectors. We fear that Endor Ambush won’t be engaging enough for collectors that have been invested in the modern collecting line since the beginning. But if new collectors are entering the fold, this may not be the worst set of figures they could buy. Either way, we think Endor Ambush was a misfire. But we’re confident that better sets will come to us in the future.