Hasbro – Dale's Toys

R5-X3

Recommended music: Arild Øren Wanvik – The Imperial Introduction (Christmas Version)

For this #StarWarsSaturday post, we’re still on a short break from The Empire Strikes Back, and taking a look at the Star Tours/Droid Factory R5-X3!

That’s right, we’re taking another week off from The Empire Strikes Back to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Episode VII, The Force Awakens. I didn’t collect as much from the sequels as I did from the prequels or the original trilogy, but I do have a few items from these films to share.

R5-X3 was an astromech droid in the Resistance about thirty years after the Battle of Endor. Its dome shows up inside an X-Wing on a couple of cards in the Star Wars: X-Wing The Force Awakens Miniatures Game. I also briefly spotted the droid in The Force Awakens, slotted into a T-70 X-Wing with an unknown pilot on D’Qar, just after the Millennium Falcon arrives. Sadly, the droid’s red body doesn’t appear in the film, which is too bad because its colors remind me of Christmas, so I added an extra one into my photo. 😄

Although R5-X3 appears only briefly, it was part of a Disney Parks-exclusive 4-pack in 2010 with R0-4LO, R2-Q2, and R4-M9. I was at the park for my 10th anniversary a few months before the movie came out, so I had no idea what role, if any, the character would play.

Since the droid only appears for a moment in the film, I’m not sure how closely the action figure’s colors match, but they are all painted cleanly, lacking the weathering typically seen in the films. It doesn’t have the usual astromech foot cables because it uses the Disney Build-A-Droid mold, but that means you can remove the dome and all three legs. Like the other droids in the set, the dome has a hole on top so you can add Mickey Mouse ears or another fun hat.

The Force Awakens turned 10 years old this week. Happy 10 years of TFA!

#ActionFigurePhotography
#TheForceAwakens10
#ToyPhotography

From the Archives: Toryn Farr

Recommended music: Tori Amos – Winter (Live)

For this #StarWarsSaturday post from the archives, we’re moving further into Echo Base during The Empire Strikes Back. From the Hasbro Star Wars The Black Series 3.75” line, it’s Toryn Farr!

Toryn Farr is one of the few female characters in The Empire Strikes Back. As the Rebel Alliance’s chief communications officer, she stays at her post until the last evacuation from Hoth, sending attack commands to the Rebels. Although the script calls her ‘Woman Controller,’ she appears in several Command Center scenes and says the memorable line, “Stand by, Ion Control… Fire.”

This Toryn Farr figure is the first time Hasbro or anyone has made the character in 1/18 scale. I think she’s also the only female character, besides Leia, from The Empire Strikes Back, to receive a figure in the 45 years since the movie came out. She was released in the 3.75” Black Series line in 2014, while The Vintage Collection was on a five-year hiatus. I consider the figure a TVC release, since it’s mostly a repaint of the Leia (Hoth Outfit) Vintage Collection figure from August of 2010, with a new head sculpt, different forearms, a higher collar, and an appropriately scaled set of headphones.

The Empire Strikes Back turned 45 years old this year! I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode V figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 45 years of ESB!

#ActionFigurePhotography
#EmpireStrikesBack45
#ESB45
#ToyPhotography

R0-4L0

Recommended music: Limp Bizkit – Rollin’ (Air Raid Vehicle)

For this #StarWarsSaturday post, we’re taking a short break from The Empire Strikes Back, and taking a look at the Star Tours/Droid Factory R0-4L0!

You might be wondering, Dale, you’ve spent all year talking about The Empire Strikes Back, and we still haven’t left Hoth! I’m taking a quick break from the ice planet to celebrate the tenth anniversary of another Star Wars film: Episode VII, The Force Awakens. I didn’t collect as much from the sequels as I did from the prequels or the Original Trilogy, but I do have a few items from these films to share from the collection.

Known as ROLO, R0-4LO was an astromech droid serving in the Resistance approximately thirty years after the Battle of Endor. R0-4LO’s dome may be visible during The Force Awakens as Jessika Pava’s astromech droid aboard her T-70 X-wing starfighter during the assault on Starkiller Base; however, I could only find the whole body of this specific black and white droid appearing very briefly on D’Qar next to an X-Wing behind Han before they leave for the attack.

Even though R0-4LO only appears for a moment, the droid was included in a Disney Parks exclusive 4-pack in 2010. I happened to be at the parks for my own 10th anniversary a few months before the movie was released, so I didn’t realize how significant the character would be.

Just like Ric Olie from The Phantom Menace, The Force Awakens had random characters who got action figures before we ever saw them in theaters—looking at you, Constable Zuvio. 😄 Hasbro even doubled down on this obscure character by including a 12” version in a Target exclusive gift set with BB-8 and C-3PO, instead of the obvious choice of R2-D2.

The action figure is accurate to the film (no foot cables) and uses the Disney Build-A-Droid mold, allowing the dome and all three legs to be removed. Unlike the film, the dome has a hole on top so you can plug in Mickey Mouse ears or another silly hat.

The Force Awakens turns 10 years old next week. Happy 10 years of TFA!

#ActionFigurePhotography
#TheForceAwakens10
#ToyPhotography

From the Archives: (Hoth Outfit) Han Solo

Recommended music: Handsome Thing – Fuzzy Tauntaun

For this #StarWarsSaturday post from the archives, we’re staying in the backyard on Hoth. From the Hasbro Star Wars Shadow Of The Dark Side line, it’s Han Solo’s Tauntaun!

When Hasbro released “The Search For Luke Skywalker” set in 2011, this creature introduced a completely new sculpt. This version of the Tauntaun includes a removable saddle, flexible reins, and articulation at the neck, shoulders, hips, and ankles. These joints are sufficiently sturdy to allow for stable posing. The tail is not articulated; however, to be fair, I am unsure about the original film miniature’s flexibility.

The Empire Strikes Back turned 45 years old this year! I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode V figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 45 years of ESB!

#ActionFigurePhotography
#EmpireStrikesBack45
#ESB45
#ToyPhotography

Anti-Vehicle Cannon

Recommended music: Ohana Bam – Rebels

It’s another snowy #StarWarsSaturday, and we’re still on the icy plains of Hoth during The Empire Strikes Back. Today, from the Hasbro Shadow of the Dark Side line, it’s the Anti-Vehicle Cannon!

EXT. HOTH – ICE PLAIN – SNOW TRENCH AREA

Rebel troops fire the dishlike ray gun while explosions erupt around
them.

EXT. HOTH – ICE PLAIN – BATTLEFIELD

Two walkers lumber toward the Rebel base as a speeder between them
explodes in a ball of flames.

EXT. HOTH – ICE PLAIN – SNOW TRENCH

The dishlike ray gun is hit by a laser bolt and instantly explodes.

…

Other than last week’s mention, the lines above are the only times ‘ray gun’ appears in The Empire Strikes Back script. For the vintage toy line, Kenner added a Radar Laser Cannon accessory to both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi packaging. The idea came back in 1996 with The Power of the Force 2 line, where the carded Deluxe Hoth Rebel Soldier included an Anti-Vehicle Laser Cannon that could fire a missile and explode.

Hasbro brought this accessory back in 2010 with the Target-exclusive Shadow of the Dark Side Defense of Hoth multipack. The set also came with the Laser Tower, two Hoth Troopers, and a new K-3PO.

In a significant upgrade from those previous two releases, this Anti-Vehicle Cannon is actually scaled up to work with your 3.75” Hoth Troopers, so they can look directly into the periscope without needing to stand on a box or other height enhancement. However, the accessory includes a power box that can be stood on for shorter figures, a power cable to connect it to the cannon, and a firing missile. The details are also improved from previous versions with more paint hits, a swivel base, and opening doors.

The Empire Strikes Back turned 45 years old this year! I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode V figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 45 years of ESB!

#ActionFigurePhotography
#EmpireStrikesBack45
#ESB45
#ToyPhotography

From the Archives: (Hoth Outfit) Han Solo

Recommended music: Nine Inch Nails – Head Like A Hole

For this #StarWarsSaturday post from the archives, we’re staying in the backyard on Hoth. From the Hasbro Star Wars Shadow Of The Dark Side line, it’s (Hoth Outfit) Han Solo!

Just moments after the opening scenes of The Empire Strikes Back:

EXT. HOTH – REBEL BASE ENTRANCE – DAY

A stalwart figure rides his Tauntaun up to the entrance of an enormous
ice cave.

…

While technically the next character we see in the film is the wampa who pops up to kill Luke’s tauntaun and drag Luke back to his cave, the figure face doesn’t really match the furry creature we see on screen, so I’m skipping it for now.

This Han figure is a kit-bash of the 2007 VTAC Han Solo in Hoth Outfit, combined with some new parts. Released in 2011, the figure was only available in this Search For Luke Skywalker set. The face and head are well sculpted and look good even without the hat and goggles. The hat is meant to protect Han from Hoth’s harsh weather, but it fits better when he’s not wearing the hood—though that leaves his neck exposed. The figure also has a cloth piece for the bottom of the jacket and ball-jointed hips, allowing him to sit more naturally on the tauntaun.

The Empire Strikes Back turned 45 years old this year! I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode V figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 45 years of ESB!

#ActionFigurePhotography
#EmpireStrikesBack45
#ESB45
#ToyPhotography

Laser Tower

Recommended music: Red Hot Chili Peppers – Snow (Hey Oh)

It’s a snowy #StarWarsSaturday, and we’re still on the icy plains of Hoth during The Empire Strikes Back. Today, from the Hasbro Shadow of the Dark Side line, it’s the Laser Tower!

EXT. HOTH – BATTLEFIELD

The fierce battle on the vast snow plains of Hoth rages on. The
Imperial walkers continue their slow, steady assault on the Rebel base,
firing lasers as they lumber ever onward. In the snow trench, Rebel
troops fire large bazookalike guns and dishlike ray guns as explosions
erupt around them. A gun tower is hit by a laser bolt and instantly
explodes. Another blast destroys a ray gun.

…

While laser turrets are just mentioned once in The Empire Strikes Back script, the phrase ‘gun tower’ is also mentioned once as an iconic fixture seen on the snowy battlefield of Hoth. For the vintage toy line, Kenner included a rotating turret in the ‘Turret & Probot Playset,’ with another one included in the ‘Hoth Battle’ playset during The Power of the Force 2.

Hasbro reintroduced this idea in the ‘Battle of Hoth Ultimate Battle Pack’ in 2007. Three years later, the laser turret returned with a new paint job and a new name, replacing “turret” with “tower” in the Shadow of the Dark Side line. This set also included a brand-new Anti-Vehicle Cannon, two Hoth Troopers, and what many consider the best Hasbro K-3PO figure so far.

This mold works well, and the weapon fits nicely with 1/18th scale action figures. It has a side door, an opening top hatch with a platform, and a missile-firing action feature. I prefer this new paint job to the original because the blast marks are lighter, and the yellow weathering looks more like rust than something left behind by a tauntaun.

The Empire Strikes Back turned 45 years old this year! I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode V figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 45 years of ESB!

#ActionFigurePhotography
#EmpireStrikesBack45
#ESB45
#ToyPhotography

From the Archives: Luke Skywalker in Hoth Gear

Recommended music: The Steve Miller Band – Winter Time

For this #StarWarsSaturday post from the archives, we’re staying in the backyard on Hoth. From the Hasbro Star Wars Power of the Force Collection, it’s Luke Skywalker in Hoth Gear!

Just moments after the opening scene of The Empire Strikes Back:

LUKE
(into comlink)
Echo Three to Echo Seven. Han,
old buddy, do you read me?

After a little static, a familiar voice is heard.

HAN
(over comlink)
Loud and clear, kid. What’s up?

LUKE
(into comlink)
Well, I finished my circle. I
don’t pick up any life readings.

HAN
(over comlink)
There isn’t enough life on this
ice cube to fill a space cruiser.
The sensors are placed, I’m going
back.

LUKE
(into comlink)
Right. I’ll see you shortly.
There’s a meteorite that hit the
ground near here. I want to check
it out. It won’t take long.

Luke clicks off his transmitter and reins back on his nervous lizard.
He pats the beast on the head to calm it.

LUKE
Hey, steady girl. What’s the
matter? You smell something?

…

This POTF2 version of Luke doesn’t have elbow joints, so he can’t actually bring his wrist comlink up to his mouth. The hips and knees swivel, but they don’t bend enough for him to sit well in the saddle. The hat and goggles are fixed in place. On the bright side, his face looks pretty good, and he can hold the reins and his blaster. However, he can’t hold the electrobinoculars shown in the pictures, since they were released later. 😄

The Empire Strikes Back turned 45 years old this year! I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode V figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 45 years of ESB!

#ActionFigurePhotography
#EmpireStrikesBack45
#ESB45
#ToyPhotography

Laser Turret (Hoth Battle Playset)

Recommended music: Tool – Forty Six & 2

For this #StarWarsSaturday, we’re on the icy plains of Hoth during The Empire Strikes Back. From The Power of the Force Collection, it’s the Laser Turret!

EXT. HOTH – ICE PLAIN – POWER GENERATORS

Near the base power generators, troops rush to set up their heavy battle equipment. Buzzing loudly, the generators send along, sparking fingers of energy into the bitter Hoth wind.
…

While I have previously mentioned the underscaled power generators, a rotating laser turret was also included with the ‘Hoth Battle’ playset during The Power of the Force 2, a call-back to the vintage Kenner Empire Strikes Back line. Though the turret also appears to be too small, it works to add variety to your Hoth diorama. The part of the playset that is most accurately sized for 1/18th-scale action figures is the included trench. The turret has both a side door and a top hatch for simple features, and a slider that extends a fake flame in place of a projectile-firing action feature.

I have to believe the $15 retail for this set seemed like a great value when it was released in 1997, but I’m sure glad Hasbro has continued to put out updated versions of these scene accessories over the years that are more accurately scaled. Now, it would be nice for them to make new playsets, or at least diorama pieces of some Echo Base interior scenes.

The Empire Strikes Back turned 45 years old this year! I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode V figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 45 years of ESB!

#ActionFigurePhotography
#EmpireStrikesBack45
#ESB45
#ToyPhotography

From the Archives: Luke Skywalker’s Tauntaun

Recommended music: TAUNTAUN – For The Lost (Skip to track 7 below)

For this #StarWarsSaturday post from the archives, I originally ventured out to my snowy backyard to bring you this beast. From the Hasbro Star Wars Power of the Force 2 Collection, it’s Luke Skywalker’s Tauntaun!

Just moments after the opening scene of The Empire Strikes Back:

EXT. PLAIN OF HOTH – DAY

A small figure gallops across the windswept ice slope. The bundled
rider is mounted on a large gray snow lizard, a Tauntaun. Curving
plumes of snow rise from beneath the speeding paws of the two-legged
beast.

The rider gallops up a slope and reins his lizard to a stop. Pulling
off his protective goggles, Luke Skywalker notices something in the
sky. He takes a pair of electrobinoculars from his utility belt and ,
through them, sees smoke rising from where the probe robot has crashed.

The wind whips at Luke’s fur-lined cap, and he activates a comlink
transmitter. His Tauntaun shifts and moans nervously beneath him.

…

This creature received an update here for the first time since 1980, with not only an upgrade in sculpt and paint but also an action feature: a press of his saddlebag would result in “realistic running action.”

I always liked this shot in the film. It resembled Ralph McQuarrie’s “winterized lizard” concept and showed off the detail on set. This went beyond just the miniature used in the preceding shots of the tauntaun. Luke’s tauntaun with the broken horn received another update about 15 years later, but I skipped that release in favor of tauntauns with two full-size horns. 😛

Laser Turret (Battle of Hoth)

Recommended music: Angus McSix – Laser-Shooting Dinosaur

For this #StarWarsSaturday, we’re on the icy plains of Hoth during The Empire Strikes Back. From The 30th Anniversary Collection, it’s the Laser Turret!

EXT. HOTH – ICE PLAIN – SNOW TRENCH – DAY

Rebel troops carry heavy bazooka-type weapons and position them along the snow trench. Men hurriedly respond to their officers’ yelled orders and brace themselves against the rhythmic gusts of bitter-cold wind.

Other troops load power packs into a gun turret and swing its guns into position.

…

While only getting that lone mention in the script, the laser turrets are an iconic fixture on the snowy landscape during the Battle of Hoth. In the vintage Kenner toy line, a rotating turret was included in the ‘Turret & Probot Playset,’ with another one included in the ‘Hoth Battle’ playset during The Power of the Force 2.

Hasbro included this laser turret in the ‘Battle of Hoth Ultimate Battle Pack’ in 2007. The Target exclusive set also came with eight figures and an AT-ST, all for just $49. While the action figures and AT-ST were all either kitbashes of previous figures or slight repaints, the laser turret is all-new.

While similar to the POTF2 version from a decade earlier, it is scaled up and much more accurate to the weapon seen on-screen. Not only is it large enough for a figure to stand on the platform for the opening top hatch, but other troops can also use the opening door to stand inside at the same time. The inclusion of a firing projectile is a nice play feature, and the slightly damaged and worn paint deco is a great look.

From the Archives: Probe Droid

Recommended music: Jango Kett – Probe Droid

For this #StarWarsSaturday post from the archives, I originally ventured out to my backyard, amidst temperatures in the low teens and snow falling, to bring you this figure. From the Hasbro Star Wars The Legacy Collection, it’s the Probe Droid!

From the opening scene of The Empire Strikes Back, the viewer immediately knows they’re in for something visually different from the original Star Wars after the crawl:

EXT. GALAXY – PLANET HOTH

A Star Destroyer moves through space, releasing Imperial probe robots
from its underside.

One of these probes zooms toward the planet Hoth and lands on its ice-
covered surface. An explosion marks the point of
impact.

EXT. HOTH – METEORITE CRATER – SNOW PLAIN – DAY

A weird mechanical sound rises above the whining of the wind. A
strange probe robot, with several extended sensors, emerges from the
smoke-shrouded crater. The ominous mechanical probe floats across the
snow plain and disappears into the distance.

…

This silver repaint with snow highlights is a big upgrade for the sculpt originally used for the POTF2 Probe Droid back in 1997. The droid was available in the “Hoth Recon Patrol” 5-pack, which also included Han, Chewbacca, K-3PO, and R5-M2. It has some action figures for a projectile launch, a head that pops off, and movable limbs. There has been a newer 3.75” probot released a few years ago in a 2-pack with Darth Vader, but the style and black paint job don’t seem to match The Empire Strikes Back like this one.

The Empire Strikes Back turned 45 years old this year! I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode V figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 45 years of ESB!

#ActionFigurePhotography
#EmpireStrikesBack45
#ESB45
#ToyPhotography

Luke Skywalker’s Snowspeeder

Recommended music: REO Speedwagon – Time for Me To Fly

For this #StarWarsSaturday, we’re still flying above the icy plains of Hoth during The Empire Strikes Back. From the Shadow Of The Dark Side line, it’s Luke Skywalker’s Snowspeeder!

EXT. HOTH – ICE PLAIN – BATTLEFIELD

The cannons mounted on the walker head fire at the speeders. Other
walkers loom in the background. Two speeders race away past two of the
enormous walkers and bank to the right.

INT. LUKE’S SNOWSPEEDER, ROGUE LEADER – COCKPIT

LUKE
All right, I’m coming in.

He turns his speeder and heads directly at one of the walkers, flying
toward its towering legs. The horizon twists as the speeder banks
between the legs.

LUKE
(into comlink)
Hobbie, you still with me?

…

The Star Wars Shadow Of The Dark Side toy line made it’s debut on store shelves in August of 2010, in tandem with the start of The Vintage Collection. Though this line lasted only three years, it featured some excellent new releases, including Luke’s Snowspeeder.

Luke previously came with a snowspeeder in 2002 as part of the Power of the Jedi line. That release still used the mold from the Power of the Force 2 release from 1995, with the electronics removed, and has an oversized cockpit so your figures appear loose inside. Also, the POTJ version had a weathered paint job that I never really cared for.

This upgraded SOTDS version is an all-new mold, with a more accurate size for your 1/18 scale battles. Hasbro also added in landing gear and flaps that can be adjusted manually, and included two harpoon and laser cannon options (one of each actually shoots). The paint deco is “clean,” which gives you the option to weather it as desired, but the ship looks fine to me without any painted-on damage if it’s going to be flying around Hoth.

The Empire Strikes Back turned 45 years old this year! I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode V figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 45 years of ESB!

#ActionFigurePhotography
#EmpireStrikesBack45
#ESB45
#ToyPhotography

From the Archives: Teek

Recommended music: Tekno Dred Alliance- Endorphia

For this #StarWarsSaturday post from the archives, we’re taking a look at The Disney Collection Teek!

I considered starting 2025 off with a random droid, like last year. I also thought about diving right into figures from the films celebrating big anniversaries this year (there are a lot). However, I decided to go with a completely different character from a less popular film that is also celebrating an anniversary.

Teek was featured in the 1985 TV movie “The Battle For Endor,” which had no toyline attached, but fortunately returned and was seen boarding the Starspeeder 3000 in the pre-boarding video for the Star Tours attraction at several Disney parks starting in the late 1980s.

It was this appearance that garnered his inclusion in a Disney Parks exclusive Boarding Party 5-pack in 2010. I would not expect a release based on the character’s scraggly-looking cameo in Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.

While it was great to finally get this character in figure form, and the paint apps were adequate, the design was a bit lacking, as his skirt piece should have been a full-on apron, as worn in both of his appearances. Also, he stands well enough, but the 10 points of articulation still aren’t sufficient for this blurry speedster, as elbows and ball-jointed ankles would have made a big difference.

The Battle for Endor turns 40 years old this year. Happy 40 years of The Battle For Endor!

#ActionFigurePhotography
#BattleForEndor40
#ToyPhotography

Luke Skywalker (Battle of Hoth)

Recommended music: David Bowie – Heroes

For this #StarWarsSaturday, we’re flying above the icy plains of Hoth during The Empire Strikes Back. From The 30th Anniversary Collection, it’s Luke Skywalker!

Rebel troops aim their weapons at the horizon, awaiting Imperial troops, while a dozen snowspeeders fly through the sky…

INT. LUKE’S SNOWSPEEDER, ROGUE LEADER – COCKPIT

LUKE
(into comlink)
Echo station Five-Seven. We’re
on our way.

EXT. HOTH – ICE PLAIN – BATTLEFIELD

The fleet of snowspeeders races above the ice field at full throttle.
They accelerate away from the base and head toward the distant walkers.

INT. LUKE’S SNOWSPEEDER, ROGUE LEADER – COCKPIT

LUKE
(into comlink)
All right, boys, keep tight now.

DACK
Luke, I have no approach vector.
I’m not set.

LUKE
Steady, Dack. Attack pattern
delta. Go now!

…

Hasbro included this ‘Battle of Hoth’ Luke figure in an ‘Ultimate Battle Pack’ in 2007. The Target exclusive set came with eight figures, a laser turret, and an AT-ST, all for $49. This seems like an incredible value when looking at today’s new toy prices. The Luke figure is a kit-bash using the body from the 2006 The Saga Collection Zev Senesca, and the head from the VOTC Luke that came out in 2004. The helmet is easy to remove from the reused head on the ball-jointed neck.

The chest box, harness, and cable are not removable, and the figure sports just nine points of articulation. However, Luke fits just fine in his snowspeeder, which was released three years later. This Hoth Luke also received updates in 2009, 2011, and 2012, which added more articulation and a flight cap, but I like this one best due to the detailed weathering on the helmet and flightsuit. The dirtied-up look fits very closely with what we see in the film. Also, this Luke came with something else the later editions missed – Obi-Wan’s lightsaber. I’m not sure why Hasbro didn’t pack in Luke’s weapon as seen in the film, but it’s a funny add-on.

The Empire Strikes Back turned 45 years old this year! I “figure” there’ll be a new Episode V figure to share here for the rest of the year. Happy 45 years of ESB!

#ActionFigurePhotography
#EmpireStrikesBack45
#ESB45
#ToyPhotography