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4/11/2023 Star Wars Celebration The Black Series The Vintage Collection

The Black Series

The Star Wars collecting universe was rocked by a bombshell just two days before the highly-anticipated Hasbro Star Wars action figure panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023. In a shocking announcement, Hasbro revealed that they were making a complete u-turn on their plastic-free packaging for the Star Wars Black Series basic assortment. If you want to be in the know about the history of the plastic-free packaging and read the just-released press release, check out the Incredible! Hasbro Makes A U-Turn On Black Series Packaging! article. 

The end of plastic free packaging was announced, the transition will take place from 2023 into 2024 to window-style packaging

The first Star Wars The Black Series figure announcements came from Nerdist.com one day before Hasbro's Star Wars panel where six Black Series figures from the Bad Batch were announced. All six figures, which include Omega, Hunter, Echo, Wrecker, Tech and a Clone Commando are from the second season of The Bad Batch TV series with the main protagonists carrying the subtitle "Mercenary Gear" on the packaging. Some of the figures are repaints from previous releases but most have newly sculpted parts and of course an entirely different paint application. Omega for example comes with two different head sculpts, one with the hat on and one without. Hunter now has a different belt and scarf and what looks to be a different right shin to be more accurate and there were some changes made to Wrecker as well. 

Omega is the only figure out of the six which is a general release, the others are all exclusive to Walmart. Pre-orders for Omega will begin on April 11, 2023 at 1pm ET (make sure to check Entertainment Earth!) while the other five figures will go on pre-order exclusively at Walmart on Star Wars day, May 4th, 2023 at 1pm ET (check GalacticFigures.com that day for the links). Each of those figures will cost $24.99, even Wrecker which was previously a Deluxe figure (we double checked with Hasbro's PR agency about the price for Wrecker).

If you are wondering why Crosshair is missing, they've already released two versions of him, once in his regular Clone Trooper armor and another in his Imperial outfit.

Star Wars The Black Series Bad Batch figures from season 2

The panel began with the Hasbro Star Wars team talking about the Star Wars Celebration exclusive Black Series Darth Vader figure, which will be made available through HasbroPulse.com on 4/11/2023 at 1pm ET. This was then followed up by a brief mentioning of their preschool toys for the new Disney Star Wars animated show Young Jedi Adventures and Star Wars role playing items before getting to new Star Wars action figure announcements.

The amazing looking Hasbro booth celebrating 40 years of The Return Of The Jedi

For the 40th anniversary of Return Of The Jedi Hasbro showed the third and last wave of figures in Kenner-inspired packaging. Those four figures had been previously revealed as being in the pipeline, but now we were given a first look at them and their packaging. The four figures in this wave include the Imperial Royal Guard, Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker and R2-D2. The Imperial Royal Guard is a straight rerelease of the previously available figure, Darth Vader features a new 3 piece helmet and a new Sebastian Shaw portrait, Luke Skywalker is based on the third act of the movie so he can be displayed with the lapel up or down and R2-D2 is an entirely new sculpt which after an entire decade of waiting is finally scaled appropriately.

Look at the logo on the packaging for Darth Vader and check what accessories are missing with Luke Skywalker when compared to the card art

Unfortunately due to all the accessories included with Darth Vader the Hasbro team scaled down the Return of the Jedi logo on the packaging and moved it off to the side, which breaks the visual aesthetics. Surely there could have been other ways to solve this issue even if that would have meant to hide one or two of the accessories down by the boots, right? The artwork on the packaging of the Luke Skywalker tribute is reminiscent of the original 1983 figure, which was based on Jabba's Palace. However, the fact that the tribute features the character from the third act of the movie, rather than the first act, and does not include the cloak or palace blaster that were included with the original action figure is disappointing.

The Star Wars The Black Series Force Spirits 3-pack will cost $77.99 in the United States

The Star Wars The Black Series Force Spirits 3-pack includes Anakin Skywalker, Master Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi, all single carded inside a bigger box. The set is a ShopDisney.com and HasbroPulse.com exclusive in the United States, it costs $77.99 and pre-orders will go live on April 11, 2023 at 1pm ET with an expected delivery date this Summer. Check the links on the top of this page please if you'd like to preorder it. Anakin Skywalker looks great, especially the head looks nice. Unfortunately Hasbro missed the opportunity to include the Sebastian Shaw portrait for collectors who would have preferred the original actors likeness. Obi-Wan Kenobi is a repaint of this figure which now also has the photo real print on the portrait (they've done photo real on this sculpt several times previously) and Yoda is a repaint of this figure. 

The Star Wars The Black Series Jabba The Hutt Rerelease

A Black Series Jabba The Hutt in Kenner style packaging? Yes please! This set was originally released in 2014, but now Hasbro swapped out the older less articulated Salacious Crumb with this one. Unfortunately waiting 8 years for a rerelease wasn't long enough apparently because Hasbro still doesn't include the dais for Jabba to sit on. This set is exclusive to ShopDisney.com and HasbroPulse.com, it'll cost $89.99 and it goes on preorder on April 11, 2023 at 1pm ET. It's supposed to ship this Fall.

Cad Bane had been previously pipeline revealed, but now we were treated to a first look, and he looks great! This figure is a main line release, it's $24.99 and preorders open up on April 11, 2023 at 1pm ET. Cad Bane won't ship until Spring 2024.

The Black Series Cad Bane figure will be out in Spring 2024

Not shown at the panel, but hidden in a photo gallery on StarWars.com were two other Star Wars Black Series figures! One is Dok Ondar from Disney's Galaxy's Edge and the other is Darth Maul (Old Master) from Star Wars Rebels! Dok Ondar will be a ShopDisney exclusive and Darth Maul will be a GameStop exclusive. Pricing and availability is currently unknown but they are expected to be out later this year.

Two figures which were not shown during Hasbro's panel, but were included in a photo gallery on the official StarWars.com website

Star Wars The Black Series Holiday Edition figures are back for the 2023 Holiday Season! This will be the third wave of X-mas themed figures in the 6" line and hey, in a few years from now you'll have 50 of them on display for the festive season ... Even though the Star Wars team didn't show any figures, the snowflakes in the Hasbro slide gave the characters away. You can look forward to following figures (all repaints of existing figures):

• Mandalorian & Anzellan
• Jawa & Kawakian Monkey Lizard
• Ewok & Porgs
• K2 Security Droid & BD Droid
• Purge Trooper & MSE Droid
• Snowtrooper & Interigation Droid

The snowflakes in the Hasbro slide gave the characters for the 2023 Holiday Edition figures away

Last but not least Hasbro showed what figures are currently in development and will be released in 2024, the figures included:

• General Grievous (Battle Damaged, Star Wars Battlefront II, GameStop exclusive
• Pre Vizla (Clone Wars, main line)
• Obi-Wan Kenobi (Kenobi TV series, Walmart exclusive)
• Darth Vader (battle damaged, Kenobi TV Series, Target exclusive)
• Qui-Gon Jin (Force Spirit, Walmart exclusive)
• Commander Appo (Kenobi TV series, Target exclusive)

Pipeline reveals for Star Wars: The Black Series, expect those figures to be released some time in 2024.

The Vintage Collection

For the 3 3/4" Vintage Collection Hasbro showed Moff Jerjerrod ($16.99) and Nien Nunb (rerelease with updated color on the vest, $16.99), both are main line releases. Hasbro also showed a Skiff Guard 4-pack with Velken Tezeri (character debut), Taym Dren-Garen (character debut), Ree-Yees (re-release but different card) and Tessek (new sculpt). This set is a ShopDisney.com/HasbroPulse.com exclusive, it'll cost $72.99 and it's expected to ship this Summer. Pre-orders go live on April 11, 2023 at 1pm ET.

The team also showed Krrsantan from the Book Of Boba Fett which will be released in the deluxe assortment, he will be released in the Fall of this year and cost $27.99, it's a mainline release.

Star Wars The Vintage Collection figures

Star Wars The Vintage Collection Skiff Guard 4-pack, $72.99, ShopDisney.com/HasbroPulse.com exclusive

The previously announced N-1 Naboo Starfighter was shown in more detail and it looks great! The vehicle will come with a new Grogu and Mandalorian figure. Mando will be single carded and be part of the main numbering as VC292. The vehicle will cost $129.99 and it's a general release, check the links on the top of this page if you want to preorder it on April 11, 2023 at 1pm ET.

The Vintage Collection N-1 Naboo Starfighter

Hasbro also mentioned that the Grand Inquisitor, a newly sculpted Darth Revan, Pre Vizla, Director Krennic and Admiral Thrawn from Star Wars Rebels are in development currently and will be released in 2024.

Pictured here are characters which will come to the 3 3/4" Vintage Collection in 2024.

Last but not least it was teased that another Vintage Collection HasLab project would be made available this year! What could it be?

There were no new figures announced for the Star Wars The Retro Collection, but it was mentioned that the second Retro Collection 6-pack with figures from ANH will go on pre-order at ShopDisney on Star Wars day, May 4, 2023 at 1pm ET!

Star Wars The Retro Collection Set #2 for ANH

And that's it, thank you for reading! Keep an eye out for the new Galactic Figure Talk podcast with commentary about all the reveals, plus some thoughts about the Lucasfilm Showcase panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023!