Luke Skywalker (Imperial Light Cruiser) - TBS [P4] - Six Inch Figures (TM30)

When The Mandalorian embarks on a mission to save Grogu from Moff Gideon, he receives unexpected help in the form of Luke Skywalker.

Sorry fans of The Black Series 6-inch line, but Hasbro treated The Vintage Collection Luke Skywalker (Imperial Light Cruiser) (VC264) figure’s likeness better than they did on yours. Something went awry when they developed the all-new Luke Skywalker (Imperial Light Cruiser) 6-inch figure based on the character from The Mandalorian. The facial details don’t resemble the “deep fake” version of Luke Skywalker seen in The Mandalorian, nor does it resemble Mark Hamill from the Original Trilogy. Maybe it can’t be described as a “terrible” likeness, but it’s off, and we feel more work was needed before Hasbro approved it. Despite the figure’s likeness, the rest of the figure will charm you. The design and sculpting here are excellent and capture the athletic frame and agile body type of Luke Skywalker. Outfitted in the character’s black Jedi gear, complete with tunic, the figure brings a slightly new flavor of the classic “Jedi Knight” Luke Skywalker to the modern Star Wars era. This version of Luke Skywalker is from The Mandalorian. Luke arrives just in time to save Grogu from Moff Gideon. And that’s the inspiration for this action figure.

Luke Skywalker (Imperial Light Cruiser) comes in the embarrassing “woke” packaging. This experiment failed almost instantly, thank goodness. So, Hasbro can check off this virtue-signaling from their repertoire and move on with much more critical things instead. The boastfulness of the label bragging about how this figure's packaging is “plastic-free” and the piousness of this business decision deservedly cost them irreparable financial damage. We’re glad they moved forward and are getting back to normal. The figure is rolled up in toilet paper in the corner of the box, and its lightsaber accessory comes separately packaged in a toilet paper bag. 75% of the box is empty space, and it looks terrible and feels cheap without the support of the plastic tray inside of it. Once you unroll the figure from the toilet paper, you find a shrouded or cocooned Luke Skywalker (Imperial Light Cruiser) action figure. The soft-goods cloak is gorgeous and hugs the figure closely and creates a beautiful silhouette. And we should note that the lightsaber breaks down into a hilt and blade, so you have some options for posing this figure in your collection.

Like The Vintage Collection version, it’s lovely to see Luke Skywalker from the “Return Of The Jedi” era of the timeline come with dirty blonde/brownish hair. That’s what this figure has. But they also carefully considered how to apply the details in the face with the Photo Real applications. We feel the intent was good here, but something got lost in translation with the likeness. The dark colors work well for this release. Luke Skywalker (Imperial Light Cruiser) is immediately reminiscent of 1983’s ROTJ Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight Outfit) figure, including the black-gloved right hand! 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; we only wish they had mastered the likeness. We love that the hilt hangs on the hook on the belt. No matter how you feel about this figure’s likeness, it will do well in retail. Luke Skywalker is always a hit with Star Wars fans, and this is a version before Rian Johnson castrated him.