Jawa - TVC - Basic (VC161)

Celebrate the legacy of Star Wars, the action-and-adventure-packed space saga from a galaxy far, far away, with this collection of premium, highly-detailed 3.75-inch scale figures and vehicles. (Each sold separately. Subject to availability.)

Ugh. The Vintage Collection Jawa is a bittersweet release. We’ve been eager for years to see the original vintage Kenner 12-Backs get updated in the modern The Vintage Collection line. Now we can stop living with anxiety over the Jawa. The creature is finally released in a mocked-up card back to recreate the original 1978 release, but for modern collectors. But Hasbro used a previously existing sculpt to throw into the package, and it’s a bit of a disappointment. Spiritually, 2019’s The Vintage Collection Jawa is NOT a true successor of the 1978 release. There isn’t a fully articulated Jawa body on this sculpt. A soft-goods robe doesn’t exist to cover the body. And without those two pieces in place, it’s hard to consider that this Jawa is the definitive modern replacement for the classic Kenner figure. But because this is a The Vintage Collection release that recreates the 1978 Kenner figure, we have no other better options. Hasbro took Jawa [B] from 2015’s TBS [P2] Jawas (#20) two-pack, repainted it and slapped it onto a vintage Kenner-styled package. It looks alright. Visually, it’s an impressive release, but we wanted more from it. What serves as more salt to the wound is the inclusion of only one Jawa figure. For $12.99, that’s a steep price tag for one figure of such shorter and small stature. But this is the lot of The Vintage Collection collectors today. And only one figure can be added per package in this line. So it’s the way it is.

It's quite the coincidence that both the Jawa and Princess Leia Organa (Yavin) have been packaged together in the same The Vintage Collection wave. Things have come full circle for these two figures. In The Black Series [Phase II] 3.75” line, both the Jawas two-pack and Princess Leia Organa (Yavin) figures were originally part of the same case assortment. But Princess Leia Organa (Yavin) got yanked out of the case at the last minute because Hasbro had to redevelop her soft goods properly, so the Jawas (#20) figures ended the line. And Princess Leia Organa was released as part of The Black Series [Phase III] Walmart exclusive line. Now, for The Vintage Collection, they've rejoined each other in the same wave 24 case assortment, the way it was always meant to be for this basic figure line. There have been some amazing Jawa action figures throughout the years. 1999’s POTF2 [CT/FF] Jawa And “Gonk” Droid included the line’s very first Power Droid. With 2007’s TAC Jawa & LIN Droid (30 19) set, Hasbro gave us an all-new sculpt and the first Jawa wearing a vest. Nearly two years later they significantly repainted (as well as somewhat retooled) the 2007 figure for 2009’s TLC Jawa & WED Treadwell Droid (BD 33) release. Then Hasbro went all out and gave us the first modern Jawa with soft goods with 2009’s LC Jawa & Security Droid (BD39) figure. Sadly, Hasbro doesn’t do much now to make Jawas unique or fresh to the line. We have a repainted repack for The Vintage Collection.

The Jawa comes with a holdout blaster (the small silver-gray gun) as well as the larger ionization blaster. Hasbro chose the “taller” Jawa for The Vintage Collection, the one with the ionization blaster that fits in the holster. The Jawa can hold either weapon well in its hands, but you should know the cuffs of the robes around the wrists hang a tad too low and inhibit how many options you have when placed there. The Jawa is highly detailed and has the best silhouette of any Jawa figure we’ve seen to date. The hood stands high, and the figure has received an all-new paint job keeping it fresh in the line. Our only wish is that it would have been nice if Hasbro added a final wash to them to bring out the sculpts' texture and create more screen accuracy. These are filthy and disgusting creatures. They shouldn’t look freshly laundered. The Jawa comes with a ball-socket head, ball-jointed shoulders and elbows, swivel wrists, a swivel waist, and swivel hips for articulation. Most of the Jawa's articulation is inhibited or useless, unfortunately. And with no knee or ankle joints, the “lack of articulation below the waist” makes this figure feel like it is designed poorly and doesn’t meet TVC standards. Therefore, it isn’t easy to accept it as a complete or definitive sculpt of the vintage figure. Here are some positives of The Vintage Collection Jawa. Hasbro fixed the “nameplate” with the correct font and text size. The card art is relatively nice. But the bubble is still too wide. It’s great that Hasbro knocked out the Jawa on a Star Wars card. There are only a couple more left to complete the 12-Backs run!