Star Wars "Best of" -- 3.75" Scale

Optimus Vader · 02-22-2012, 07:38 AM

I'm going to use this thread to ask for, or make recommendations, on what the best version of a figure is. There's about fifty different versions of so many characters that it's hard to keep track of them. When you consider that Hasbro mixes in new figures with really old repack figures, it can be even more confusing for those who haven't been following the line for years.

So if you have a recommendation, or are looking for one; post it here.

Optimus Vader · 02-22-2012, 07:42 AM

Two easy recommendations I have are The Phantom Menace Vintage Collection Darth Maul & Darth Sidious.

I'm looking for a Yoda recommendation. I'm assuming there isn't a version of the little guy with ball hip joints? Is there one with a decent amount of articulation or maybe one with a really good sculpt?

JustryGT · 02-22-2012, 08:19 AM

They all still have swivel hips and elbows, ball-jointed every where else on the body. You never know if they may redo Yoda some day with ball-jointed hips. My favorite so far is the 2004 Original Trilogy Collection Yoda in vintage style package. It is the Empire Strikes Back Yoda. The newer Vintage Collection Yoda has different legs and head because he is from the Attack of the Clones.

snake5289 · 02-22-2012, 09:58 AM

I really like the vintage ROTJ Luke and Han. I'd definitely like to pick up a vintage Darth Maul though. He looks awesome.

redx24 · 02-22-2012, 12:46 PM

vc darth maul rocks i love it so much i bought his speeder and ship all in one trip. also love vc slave leia. chick in a thong and metal bikini is always a win. and i dont think they have made a good yoda imho but i did enjoy the empire strikes one that came with a backpack for him to ride in.

itMFtis · 02-22-2012, 01:00 PM

Funny I was just going to post a similar topic. I just got my first SW fig today (Vintage Darth Maul) and was wondering what other figures have ball hips. I have no interest in swivel hips on my figures these days.

NoodleChow · 02-22-2012, 02:12 PM

i think the newer farmboy luke's have em. or at least the ones who probably utilize the lower half from the VOTC line. the newer Vintage clonetroopers and stormtroopers have em, Bespin Han, Bespin Luke, RotJ Luke, and AOTC Obiwan. those are the ones off the top of my head but there's prolly more. havent been collecting Star Wars stuff like i used to. but yeah i was a little disappointed that the ep1 vintage obi and quigon didn't have em. too used to the swivel hinged hips.

still hunting that vintage maul, but i'd cast my vote for him as being best of. soft goods everything, great sculpt, good accessories, up to date articulation for star wars standards aside from rocker ankles, and i imagine he can sit down on his crescent speeder thing this time around.

same for vintage jedi luke, give him the poncho and belt from other endor luke's and he's a whole new figure. i love that they gave him the hinged saber wielding wrists.

itMFtis · 02-22-2012, 02:45 PM

I'm actually not a big fan of Maul's skirt. Would have preferred a harder plastic with slits. He's a little on the short side too, at least compared to my other 3.75" figs.

Tiberius · 02-22-2012, 05:39 PM

That guy, with the lightsaber. He is pretty damn cool.

Optimus Vader · 02-22-2012, 05:48 PM

I bought two Yodas today, but one is probably getting returned. I went to two Walmarts today--the first had the 2012 Legacy figures out, so I bought Aurra Sing and Yoda. Yoda looks ok, but I prefer the soft robe over the hard plastic, which he has, but I really liked that he came with his Jedi Council chair... there's a good chance I keep the figure just for the chair. The second Walmart I went to had their Vintage Collection figures (except The Phantom Menace wave) figures on clearance for $4, so I grabbed Yoda (RoTS), Greivous, Luke (RoTJ), a Stormtrooper, and a Sandtrooper.

For anyone interested; the Luke has pretty much the full articulation treatment with ball jointed hips. The Yoda is decent, but not perfect.. fully articulated shoulders, knees, wrist swivels, thigh swivels, ankles swivel and roll a good amount, no ball jointed hips or elbows. He comes with a cool Force accessory, cane, and of course his midget saber. The two negatives are his weird hair and weak elbow joints. For $4 I'm not complaining, but we need a better Yoda.

snake5289 · 02-22-2012, 06:01 PM

The vintage ROTJ Luke is probably my favorite SW figure I own. Really well made imo with a good sculpt and articulation. I've got like 10 of those handcuff things he comes with now though.

Jason Abbadon · 02-22-2012, 11:30 PM

Ohhhh! Jedi Luke with full articulation looks great...and great as all sorts of customs!
Good for ninjas, Jedi, Sith, psychos at comic cons, Hugh Hefner in his pajamas...

flaccideagle · 02-23-2012, 05:25 AM

It only took them four years and 5+ different versions of Jedi Luke to *finally* get it right.

Anyway this is one of the best figures they've ever made, hands down.

itMFtis · 02-23-2012, 09:11 AM

Any recommendations of sites with a database and good pictorial reviews of SW figures?

I'm having slight difficulties trying to get the different lines straight in my head as well as the many different versions of each character.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Optimus Vader

Two easy recommendations I have are The Phantom Menace Vintage Collection Darth Maul & Darth Sidious.

Do those both have swivel hips?

Optimus Vader · 02-23-2012, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by itMFtis

Do those both have swivel hips?

Maul does, but Sid does not.

trebleshot · 02-23-2012, 12:22 PM

My one and only gripe with VC Jedi Luke is he doesn't come with a cloak. But that's ok, I took the one I had from an earlier version and gave it to the VC. Otherwise, definitely agreed - best version of Jedi Luke so far.

Also recommend ROTS Anakin and Mace Windu. Haven't picked up TPM Sid and Maul yet, but they are on my list of to-gets.

JustryGT · 02-23-2012, 12:44 PM

I have been thinking of the original post about the best versions and I feel that the answer is always going to be that the latest version is the best. There are only 2 exceptions I can think of:
The latest AT-AT driver looks cool with the removable helmet but I think the proportions are wrong and the torso joint is really loose. I like the Saga driver better.
The latest vintage collection R5-D4 astromech looks the same as the previous version only now Hasbro insists upon using "build a droid" bodies that come with 2 extra holes (in case you want to make a 4 legged droid). I like the Saga collection R5-D4 better.

Optimus Vader · 02-23-2012, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trebleshot

My one and only gripe with VC Jedi Luke is he doesn't come with a cloak. But that's ok, I took the one I had from an earlier version and gave it to the VC. Otherwise, definitely agreed - best version of Jedi Luke so far.

Also recommend ROTS Anakin and Mace Windu. Haven't picked up TPM Sid and Maul yet, but they are on my list of to-gets.

The Luke figure grew on me once I busted him out of his package last night. He looks like a very retro figure in package, but he really does have some moves like Jagger. The head sculpt is dead on too.

..and a Windu suggestion was going to be my next question.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JustryGT

I have been thinking of the original post about the best versions and I feel that the answer is always going to be that the latest version is the best. There are only 2 exceptions I can think of:
The latest AT-AT driver looks cool with the removable helmet but I think the proportions are wrong and the torso joint is really loose. I like the Saga driver better.
The latest vintage collection R5-D4 astromech looks the same as the previous version only now Hasbro insists upon using "build a droid" bodies that come with 2 extra holes (in case you want to make a 4 legged droid). I like the Saga collection R5-D4 better.

You're probably right, but the exceptions you listed are good things to know. I think if you've been following the SW line for the past few years, there's not much to know, but for someone like myself who literally walked right past the SW stuff for about 5 straight years.. the constant repacks and shuffling around of accessories can be a little over-whelming. Also, I know that The Phantom Menace wave is the most current, but I have no idea what order the other waves were released in, so some might not know what the latest version is.

For example; someone might not know that the Legacy Collection (whatever the "non" VC line is called) Qui-Gon is literally the same figure as the one in the black package and is $1-$2 cheaper. I believe the robe (or lack of) is different, but that might not matter to some.

There also could be a "must have" accessory that came in one package, but not the other; those are the types of things that might help out.

NoodleChow · 02-23-2012, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Optimus Vader

For example; someone might not know that the Legacy Collection (whatever the "non" VC line is called) Qui-Gon is literally the same figure as the one in the black package and is $1-$2 cheaper. I believe the robe (or lack of) is different, but that might not matter to some.

There also could be a "must have" accessory that came in one package, but not the other; those are the types of things that might help out.

yup, that's exactly what happened when i picked up ep1 quigon and obi when they were 30% off at TRU. on one hand, slightly cheaper with stands and semi gimmicky accessories and on the other hand, no stand but decent robes. ended up going with the robes since i wanted those more.
then there's the new new wave of stuff comprised of some blast from the past figures all of which are completely dated but slightly cheaper than the better counterparts.

not to also mention the weird pack ins. target had that 3 pack a while ago that had just gone on clearance and just sold out at mine that had chewbacca, 3po and r2. the r2 in the set is the exact version i wanted for the longest time. no gimmicks, just turn the head and the 3rd leg retracts. same as that preview ROTS astromech. didn't pick it up at 10 bucks since i had no need for a lesser 3po and have 2 chewbaccas as is. but sigh... that happens too. the ideal version of something ends up in a pack that contains other stuff you have no need of nor are willing to pay certain prices on just for 1 figure.

also, weird question but can anyone tell me if the ROTS Obiwan head fits on the AOTC vintage Obiwan body? thinking of picking up the AOTC one since the body has better proportions than the ROTS and TPM figures.

flaccideagle · 02-23-2012, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoodleChow

also, weird question but can anyone tell me if the ROTS Obiwan head fits on the AOTC vintage Obiwan body? thinking of picking up the AOTC one since the body has better proportions than the ROTS and TPM figures.

If you're looking for a ROTS style Obi Wan, and can deal with regular-style hips and no soft goods, go with the 2005 ROTS "Obi Wan Pilot" figure. It's cheap and he doesn't have the child-birthin' hips the ones since 2009 have all had. It's got much better proportions in my opinion.

NoodleChow · 02-23-2012, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flaccideagle

If you're looking for a ROTS style Obi Wan, and can deal with regular-style hips and no soft goods, go with the 2005 ROTS "Obi Wan Pilot" figure. It's cheap and he doesn't have the child-birthin' hips the ones since 2009 have all had. It's got much better proportions in my opinion.

ah yeah, already grabbed that version multiple times along with the one with a different head, soft goods skirt, and ball hips. looking specifically to do that head swap with either of the ROTS obi heads onto the AOTC body. i dunno, it's like i bought that figure so many times that i kinda dislike the thin legs, small feet, and short arms.

TomsToyChest · 02-23-2012, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flaccideagle

If you're looking for a ROTS style Obi Wan, and can deal with regular-style hips and no soft goods, go with the 2005 ROTS "Obi Wan Pilot" figure. It's cheap and he doesn't have the child-birthin' hips the ones since 2009 have all had. It's got much better proportions in my opinion.

I agree. The 2005 Obi-Wan "pilot" was nicely done and the face on mine looks good for a figure in the 3.75" scale plus it compliments my Obi-Wan fighters nicely. I also like that the cloak on this figure helps him to stand well with no need of a base.

snake5289 · 02-23-2012, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trebleshot

My one and only gripe with VC Jedi Luke is he doesn't come with a cloak. But that's ok, I took the one I had from an earlier version and gave it to the VC. Otherwise, definitely agreed - best version of Jedi Luke so far.

Also recommend ROTS Anakin and Mace Windu. Haven't picked up TPM Sid and Maul yet, but they are on my list of to-gets.

I gave my ROTJ Luke the robe from the old Kenner ROTJ Luke. Fits pretty good.

Also I have the ROTS Anakin (my first vintage SW figure btw) and like him a lot.

trebleshot · 02-23-2012, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Optimus Vader

..and a Windu suggestion was going to be my next question.

Definitely recommended. The most accurate headsculpt of Sam I've seen in this scale. Articulation: ball-jointed shoulders, elbow and knees, ball-waist, swivel neck, wrists and ankles. Purple lightsaber.

Down sides: no newer-version wrist/ankle articulation; cloth cloak can be unruly, especially around the hood.

snake5289 · 02-23-2012, 05:16 PM

I have had zero luck when it comes to cloth robes. I can never get them to look right.

02-22-2012, 07:38 AM	#1
Optimus Vader Goodfella Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Philly Posts: 4,924	I'm going to use this thread to ask for, or make recommendations, on what the best version of a figure is. There's about fifty different versions of so many characters that it's hard to keep track of them. When you consider that Hasbro mixes in new figures with really old repack figures, it can be even more confusing for those who haven't been following the line for years. So if you have a recommendation, or are looking for one; post it here. __________________ Sales/Trade Thread - Collection Thread

02-22-2012, 07:42 AM	#2
Optimus Vader Goodfella Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Philly Posts: 4,924	Two easy recommendations I have are The Phantom Menace Vintage Collection Darth Maul & Darth Sidious. I'm looking for a Yoda recommendation. I'm assuming there isn't a version of the little guy with ball hip joints? Is there one with a decent amount of articulation or maybe one with a really good sculpt? __________________ Sales/Trade Thread - Collection Thread Last edited by Optimus Vader; 02-22-2012 at 06:07 PM..

02-22-2012, 05:39 PM	#9
Tiberius Be Superior Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Vancouver Island, Canada Posts: 9,891	That guy, with the lightsaber. He is pretty damn cool. __________________

02-22-2012, 05:48 PM	#10
Optimus Vader Goodfella Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Philly Posts: 4,924	I bought two Yodas today, but one is probably getting returned. I went to two Walmarts today--the first had the 2012 Legacy figures out, so I bought Aurra Sing and Yoda. Yoda looks ok, but I prefer the soft robe over the hard plastic, which he has, but I really liked that he came with his Jedi Council chair... there's a good chance I keep the figure just for the chair. The second Walmart I went to had their Vintage Collection figures (except The Phantom Menace wave) figures on clearance for $4, so I grabbed Yoda (RoTS), Greivous, Luke (RoTJ), a Stormtrooper, and a Sandtrooper. For anyone interested; the Luke has pretty much the full articulation treatment with ball jointed hips. The Yoda is decent, but not perfect.. fully articulated shoulders, knees, wrist swivels, thigh swivels, ankles swivel and roll a good amount, no ball jointed hips or elbows. He comes with a cool Force accessory, cane, and of course his midget saber. The two negatives are his weird hair and weak elbow joints. For $4 I'm not complaining, but we need a better Yoda. __________________ Sales/Trade Thread - Collection Thread Last edited by Optimus Vader; 02-22-2012 at 06:06 PM..

02-22-2012, 06:01 PM	#11
snake5289 I'm your Huckleberry. Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Southaven, MS Posts: 6,718	The vintage ROTJ Luke is probably my favorite SW figure I own. Really well made imo with a good sculpt and articulation. I've got like 10 of those handcuff things he comes with now though. Last edited by snake5289; 02-22-2012 at 06:12 PM..