30 (77-07) Redux - Wave 9 - With Intro By Dan Curto

We have always felt that the 30 (77-07) is one of the greatest collections of figures Hasbro has done to date. While not all of them were made in the expected super-articulated fashion that’s become standard today, many of the figures brought into the line are nonetheless done so well from the start that they will likely never see an update again. We will be releasing updates to this very cherished line wave by wave. We have updated our Visual Guides and we’ve processed all-new expanded galleries and a new “stats box” that mimics the card backs of the figures in the line in our Research Droids Reviews. We could tell you how we feel about this final wave of 2007, but we thought it best explained by Dan Curto, who played a key role in the selection process for this wave....

When The Force Unleashed video game release was delayed in 2007, Hasbro decided to pull out a wave of 7 action figures that were based on characters that appeared in the game. This opened up the door for a new "repaint wave" to be added to the line. I was invited to participate in a weekend brainstorming session held over Easter weekend, and I worked directly with Hasbro to select the 7 replacement figures...

Click through to read his full report (featuring a little history on this wave), including some of the figures that didn't make the cut!

Having already worked with them on a fan-driven bracket-style tournament for what became the Saga Legends Fans' Choice Figures, we already had some ideas in mind based on comments from the fans (yes, Hasbro really does listen!) and obviously they had their own ideas, and of course I had some ideas of my own!

There were certain criteria that needed to be met: the figure had to be 100% repaints, could not be characters that were already in the works, and could not be tools that were already being used for other releases.

Amid a flurry of emails back and forth, with lots of characters suggested from across the saga, we finally settled on the 7 figures in this wave. I was able to bend the rules a bit with the Rebel Vanguard Trooper, suggesting a kit-bash "recipe" for the character. Thankfully, Hasbro liked the idea and ran with it.

At one point, I almost had Hasbro make an official figure of Badoo Bok (my fan-fiction Rodian Jedi character), but the head did not fit onto any Jedi body at the time. Still, the idea was solid, and Hasbro eventually added a generic "Rodian Jedi" to the Geonosis Arena sets.

Other characters that were suggested during this brainstorming session are: Han & Luke in Stormtrooper disguise (at the time they were only in the comic colors), an SA Coruscant Clone Trooper, a black-suited Imperial Officer, a gray-suited Death Squad Commando, a solid Ben Kenobi (a repaint of the OTC spirit figure), a grey R1-G4, R2-D2 (using the R4-G9 body), R5-A2, R2-A5, TC-4, a Clone Pilot from the Clone Wars cartoon, a Dug 2-pack, the Twi'lek masseuses, Sharad Hett, and a proper version of Quinlan Vos.  

Some of these ended up getting made later on, some ended up back in the parking lot, and some may in fact still be in the works for the future! Stay tuned! ;)

–Dan Curto

30 (77-07) Wave 9

Be sure to check out both highly detailed resources (you can click either banner below to be taken to that respective source). Both RDR and VG links have corresponding link-backs to each other. Between our Visual Guides and our Research Droids Reviews, you won't find a more comprehensive look at each figure anywhere else!

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