Ahsoka Tano - TVC - Basic (VC297)

This Ahsoka Tano figure is the THIRD time they’ve packed it into The Vintage Collection. So we’ll ask you and Hasbro: When is enough enough? For The Star Wars: Ahsoka version of Ahsoka Tano, Hasbro repainted the figure to give it a brighter orange skin color. Some of the details, like the head tails, have also been updated to give the figure, what we assume, a fresh appearance in the basic figure line. But a while back, Hasbro promised us how they’d approach repacks and reissues, and to date, they’ve gone back on their word. They told us that if it is the same tooling (sculpt) and coloring (paint job), they will reissue the figure under the same VC number, even if the entertainment logo, character photo, or nameplate were updated. To date, they’ve failed us with this directive multiple times. 2011’s TVC Rebel Fleet Trooper (VC52), Death Star Gunner (VC147), R2-D2 (VC25), and now Ahsoka Tano (Corvus) (VC222). It’s lazy. It isn’t very reassuring. And enough is enough. When they need to release identical action figures, Hasbro should keep the VC number and do a running change of the card art.

We’ve already raved that this version of Ahsoka Tano is the best figure of 2022 and will remain the best version of this character from here on out. It makes sense why Hasbro wants to take advantage of this tooling and get it out in as many ways as possible, but they need to do it correctly. This time, Hasbro included the lightsaber and shoto from the previous versions to have here as well. As you know, Hasbro worked in an impressive 26 points of articulation into Ahsoka Tano, and they did a fantastic job hiding many of the figure’s joints, especially in the knees. The technology afforded them is doing wonders for the figures. They are capable of producing brilliant figures on this scale. The paint operations on Ahsoka Tano are especially impressive, and this is the only area where we see Hasbro update the figure. We can’t recall a better example of Ahsoka Tano with cleaner lines and natural color tones than this release. If you take note of the deco on the horns, you’ll notice they’ve never looked better. Once again, Hasbro disappointed us when they omitted the hilts with this release, but the fully lit lightsabers look excellent.

We accept that this version of Ahsoka Tano needs consistent release in The Vintage Collection. But as mentioned earlier, they need to do it more smartly. It’s worth noting that Hasbro is again releasing new characters into the line in multiple scales closer together and, in many instances, simultaneously. It makes the support of the various lines fairer. We have this version of Ahsoka Tano in The Black Series [Phase IV] line, the Retro Collection line, and now The Vintage Collection line, multiple times in some instances. Each version has its charm, pros, and cons, but each satisfies a niche in the market. However, The Vintage Collection release is the best. Ahsoka Tano is connected to The Mandalorian and Ahsoka storylines, and we expect to see further development. And it’s also excellent to have all of the related characters Ahsoka interacts with from the shows in the line. The Vintage Collection was much more organized in its first phase. Hasbro is treating the sequencing carelessly, and to see the exact figures reissued with different numbers is frustrating. They can do better here. Much better.