Return of the Jedi featured some of my favorite alternate outfits in the Original Trilogy. For whatever reason, I loved Luke’s Endor gear with the poncho over his all-black Jedi attire. It showed that Luke may have evolved to become a Jedi, but he was still very much a part of the Rebel Alliance.
Packaging: I really love this new style of packaging for the Black Series line. It’s so much more interesting than the classic setup. Let’s assume that the Empire wave featured the blue accent color for Luke’s blue lightsaber so it makes sense then that the Return accent is green.
That’s nice symmetry. The artwork on the side is also very attractive with a great likeness of Mark Hamill’s Luke. I like the storytelling approach on the bios as it sets the stage for the respective looks for the figure at the respective point in the trilogy.
Likeness: I don’t think the likeness is as great as the Empire Strikes Back Snowspeeder Luke figure. Granted, that one didn’t feature hair sculpt and this one looks better with the helmet on. It’s an OK likeness, but it doesn’t scream Mark Hamill to me. I was torn on how to break Luke down. The poncho and helmet is what makes this the Endor look so I’ll tackle it all here.
Hasbro did a great job pulling off how the poncho hangs off Luke. The collar is draped over the shoulders properly and the sleeves are shorter revealing his Jedi attire. The helmet is scaled properly and fits snugly thanks to the chin strap. Luke doesn’t get alternate hands so the clutching ones to hold the lightsaber with both hands was the right call.
There is the option to have a stand-in Jedi Luke if you remove the poncho. This look isn’t completely accurate since the Jedi attire also had a belt with the silver buckle and a hook for the lightsaber. It works well enough in a pinch though I suspect we’ll be seeing another Jedi Luke in the very near future with at least one new accessory.
Paint: As far as the figure itself, Luke doesn’t require the most intricate paintjob since he’s in all black. Hasbro did add a glossy coat to the boots so they stand out from the rest of the outfit. The face printing technique ensures that the paintwork is sharper than the traditional technique.
Luke’s helmet has some slight wear, which allows for some creativity in wondering when he’s used this attire before.
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Scale: Luke is the shortest guy in the Original Trilogy and should be looking up at Han Solo while standing slightly taller than Leia. Hasbro hasn’t had a lot of trouble keeping the scale consistent with the Big Three and this is the case here as well.
Articulation: Luke doesn’t have a bicep swivel, but the range in the shoulders really allows for some great movement to the point its absence isn’t pronounced as it is for other figures. This is especially helpful with the poncho as it doesn’t prevent any movement and it never feels in the way.
While the Jedi Luke figure is an option, this should primarily be viewed as an Endor Luke that fits well with Speeder bikes and hanging in the Endor forest with the rest of his friends.
I will probably add a few more pictures to this one after I knock out the other Endor heroes and finally dust off my speeder bikes that have been awaiting great SWB versions of Luke and Leia to place on them.
Luke Skywalker has:
- neck
- ball-jointed shoulders
- elbow
- wrist
- wrist hinge
- torso
- hips
- thighs
- knees (double jointed)
- ankles
Accessories: One more note on the poncho. It’s rigged up in a way that the belt attaches from the back allowing it to be easily removed without losing its shape.
That was some very smart engineering. Overall this is a very classy take on this outfit. Some other versions of this attire haven’t worked well and soft goods can be tricky at this scale, but Hasbro did an excellent job in this case.
I also appreciate being able to take the helmet off so I can re-enact that awesome ROTJ scene when an exhausted Luke removes it after dispatching another Scout Trooper.
Not surprisingly, Luke also comes with his new green lightsaber. I wish there was a hook to place the saber on the outside of the poncho.
Worth it? I got Luke for $20. There’s been a few sales already at some places so you could get him for $18.27 now — not a bad deal for a new figure.
Rating: 9.5 out of 10
With a better Luke headsculpt and the missing details to make this a true 2 in 1 figure, this would be a SWB Figure of the Year candidate. It’s still a really nice figure and a necessary addition for a true Endor collection.
Where to get it? GameStop and Target are the only retailers that seems to carry new figures in stores. I’ve seen all of the Endor wave over my last few visits. Amazon has him in and out of stock as well. Entertainment Earth has him up for pre-order with a November(?) release.
