The Best of the Vintage Collection 2022

 This is my final blog post this year (Christmas is next Sunday!), and what a year it has been! Obi-Wan Kenobi and Boba Fett starred in their own series, Jazwares got in on the Star Wars license with a line that reminds me of Micro Machines. So with my blog being focused on collecting, and the Vintage Collection, I'll do my favorite figures of the year. The top new figure shouldn't be a surprise at all. There were some repacks that also came into the line, and I'll sound off on them too. I'll end with what I'm looking forward to in 2023 (only a few Kenner POTF figures left to do before getting into ROTJ!) as next year is going to be a big year for Star Wars collectibles in all scales!

BEST REPACKED FIGURES

1. Yoda (VC 218). Repacked from the Cave of Evil Target exclusive, an OT Yoda was badly needed, as he had only been on a ROTS card after being mistakenly put on a ROTJ card. He satisfies the Original 96 crowd, and it's a great modern update on the classic Kenner ESB card.

2. Anakin Skywalker (VC 244). But wait he was never in the VC?! True, he was in the 3.75 Black Series. Padawan Anakin got here thanks to the Obi-Wan series, not for AOTC 20th Anniversary. Regardless, he is an essential figure and both the figure, and card look great!

3. Obi-Wan Kenobi (VC 31). As seen in AOTC and the flashback scene in the Obi-Wan show. This was a hard to find and very expensive on the secondary market. Glad to finally get him after all these years!

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Good figures, but not on the level of the "top" figures.

1. Obi-Wan Kenobi (VC 245). Sporting the best ever head sculpt of Ewan McGregor in any scale, this was a good figure. The new ball joint hips make posing easy, and he came with a lot of accessories, a welcome addition to the VC!

2. Axe Woves (VC 228). This Target exclusive was a clever way of using a recently tooled Mandalorian figure. This time he has a removable helmet which admittedly looks wonky, but has an incredible head sculpt. Plus you should still be able to find him in stores!

THE BEST VC FIGURES OF 2022

6. Bo Katan-Kryze (VC 226). From head to toe, this was one of the best VC figures Hasbro has made in a very long time! Plus she's got a head sculpt that impressed Katee Sackoff, the actress who plays her! But more importantly, a female Mandalorian buck that got repainted for Koska Reeves and possibly again repainted for Sabine Wren.

5. Ahoska Tano (VC 222). I have yet to do a full review of this figure (waiting on the Deluxe figure to review both together), but this is a really good figure! The head sculpt looks like Rosario Dawson and the sculpted outfit is a match to what she wore in The Mandalorian show. Expect my review of this figure next year, but Ahsoka is a good figure, and one you need to buy!

4. Reva (VC 242). This is about the action figure and not the character. Reva is well sculpted, especially her head which captures the look of actress Moses Ingram perfectly, but her extra accessories score a lot of points for me as well. She's a great figure, regardless your opinion about the character.

3. Deathwatch Mandalorian (VC 219). This figure not only stands out on his own, but as a troop builder figure. Sharing a buck with Axe Woves, this figure is making Hasbro happy they tooled him. Great paint job, excellent sculpt and it's a Mandalorian so fan boys and collectors went crazy. 2022 was the year of Mandalorian troop builders (Airborne Trooper, Super Commando) but this figure started it all.

2. Tattooine Boba Fett (Deluxe). If there is any figure that gets collectors and fan boys pumped it's Boba Fett. While this Deluxe figure may not have justified the price, but Hasbro delivered the best Boba Fett figure ever made. The removable helmet isn't too bulky, the articulation is flawless as is the sculpt and the paint. The head sculpt strongly resembles actor Temuera Morrison and honestly if they make a single card figure it will be a disappointment. This Boba has flame effects on his jetpack, a removable missile with a flame effect, and extra Stormtrooper helmets. The only thing missing is a gaderffi stick!

1. Darth Vader (VC 241). When it was announced that Darth Vader would appear in the new Obi-Wan series, it was a sure bet Hasbro would release a Darth Vader figure. Many VC collectors speculated that ot would be a repack like the Black Series Obi-Wan Vader was. But no! Hasbro sculpted an all new Darth Vader from head to toe! Sporting the new ball jointed hips, new cape material and a ton of accessories! A lightsaber hilt, lit lightsaber and swappable hands he has it all! This isn't only my top VC figure of 2022, it is giving me real consideration of making a new VC Top 25 list. Even better, expect a ROTJ version next year...


WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2023:

The obvious answers are Season 3 of The Mandalorian, Ahsoka Season 1 and the 2nd season of The Bad Batch. Then there's the Yoda monthly comic series, and Marvel starting to get closer to Return of the Jedi, and of course ROTJ turning 40! Also the Jedi Survivor video game! But I'm talking collecting! But since this is Cbristmas time, I'll even show the Sixers some love. Tis the season!

2023 BLACK SERIES

The first 2 waves of Kenner card figures have been shown, and I hope we get the new R2-D2 and possibly a Throne Room Luke. We are getting Ewoks, Migs Mayfield is already out in some places but more widespread next year. How will the sealed boxes go? That's the big question as they are making the transition away from plastic packaging. Mando Luke looks as good as the SH Figuarts version, and the new figures feature a lot of what their rival SHF figures have: pinless joints, butterfly joints and clean sculpts. I'm looking forward to getting Clone Wars Maul and Aayla Secura which look to be outstanding additions to the line, as well as Mara Jade getting a well deserved Black Series figure!

2023 VINTAGE COLLECTION

For a change, Hasbro is celebrating ROTJ'S 40th Anniversary with a lot of fanfare! The Endor Bunker playset, repacks of hard to find Skiff Guards and maybe a return of a certain vile gangster (I hope!)? Hopefully like with the Obi-Wan series we get Ahsoka and Sabine Wren, and dare I say Ezra Bridger?! Cal Kestis from Jedi Survivor makes his VC debut, and Mandalorian Luke Skywalker will soon be available as well! With so many rumors about who could be coming (Jabba, Din Djarin's N-1 fighter, Grand Admiral Thrawn) it is almost impossible to know what is actually going to happen than what collectors hope will happen, but I am optimistic that the VC will have a great year as long as Hasbro puts out new stuff. We know we are getting an Admiral Piett, Endor Han is going to have some new parts and as I mentioned earlier a ROTJ Darth Vader, that may be unmasked! Are there legitimate gripes about the VC? Yes. But like Luke Skywalker in ROTJ, I'll have faith in Hasbro to do right as Luke believed Anakin Skywalker was still inside Darth Vader.

And with that, I'm signing off until January. I want to thank you for reading and sharing my weekly posts and I wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!