VC Top 25 in 2025: Number 21

 MY 21st RANKED VC FIGURE: 

VC 298 JEDI ACADEMY LUKE SKYWALKER 

Photo credit: eBay

WHY I LIKE THIS FIGURE: It's the best post ROTJ Luke Skywalker. He is and always has been my favorite character, and this figure has barbell hips, something VC 264 Light Cruiser Luke should have had. He holds his lightsaber well in either hand, and the unlit hilt feels unnecessary since he can't store it on his belt. I've made a decent custom by trimming the loose belt wrap and using gloss black acrylic paint for the belt and boots, plus gave him some silver paint for the belt buckle. I had thought some of this figure would be used for the VC ANH Luke, but they didn't, thankfully. 

INTERESTING FACT: I almost went with the Deluxe version of this figure, but despite the nice extras this is the version I prefer. No coin flip needed. 

WHY HE'S RANKED 21st: He's a solid figure, not many paint apps are needed. But you can't re-enact the scene where he presents Grogu with Yoda's lightsaber and his Mythrill, I mean Beskar Armor from Din Djarin. He appears to wear his Light Cruiser outfit. A good figure that I had to customize in order to fit into my New Republic Era figures. If he was accurate to that scene, he would have made my Top 10. 

COLLECTOR'S CHOICE 21st RANKED FIGURE:

VC 129 DR APHRA

Photo credit: eBay 

WHY I LIKE COLLECTOR'S LIKE THIS FIGURE:

Say what you will, she's a popular Disney Canon Expanded Universe character. And she won the coin toss.  I won't tell you who she beat, but I did it blind, so no favoritism on my part. The figure is actually decent for being based off a comic book character. While she has the old ball socket hips, it's not to difficult to move them around. She holds her blaster well, but if you store her loose that blaster won't stay in the holster if you store her in a bin, so you'll need to put it in a small bag. Her card image is computer generated....but actually looks good. While the Sixer version of Aphra was used from the Jaina Solo buck, which was also used for Mara Jade I wouldn't have objected if Hasbro used this buck for Mara. But with her win in this year's March Madness, I want a new buck for Mara. I personally hope if they go back to this figure if they give her a head to swap that doesn't have the flight cap on it. Still, she's a good enough figure, and there is a passionate following for her. 

WHY SHE'S RANKED 21st: Coin toss. Plain and simple. I just used VC numbers and no names for the toss, and she came up when it mattered. Her Killer Droids came in a 3 pack (or was it 2 pack? My brain is really fried today), and there is another figure in the Collector's Choice Top 25 that she has had interactions with, and in my Countdown as well. I wouldn't say Aphra is essential to your collection, but she's a good figure to have, especially if you have figures of the characters she interacts with. 

Thanks for voting and reading!