Luke Skywalker (Bespin Outfit)
This is the Asian release and does not include the Sideshow Collectible accesory, Darth Vader’s head (With Luke’s face.)
Luke Skywalker (played by Mark Hamill) in his khaki fatigues as he appears in the film Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is THE image of Luke that is burned in my mind as “my” Luke. I love this point in his hero’s journey, the reckless youth rushing off into a destiny he is not prepared to take on.
The Kenner action figure of Luke (in Bespin Fatigues) was the centerpiece of most of my adventures for several years. So, of course I would gravitate towards a larger, nicer version as an adult.
My first 1:6th scale version of the character was the 2007 release by Sideshow Collectibles which you can read my review of here. Honestly, re-reading it is kind of embarrassing. I can’t believe I was happy with that release. At the time I really did think it was excellent, but as the years have gone on it ended up as toy fodder for the nephews and is long M.I.A.
Why? Over the course of the last five years I had started picking up the occasional Hong Kong-based Hot Toys release. It is well known around these parts they have pretty much set the standard for premium 1:6th scale releases. Their stuff really is just that much better than anything else out there. Older Sideshow Collectible pieces really stick out on the shelf next to the Hot Toys stuff and really don’t hold up. The bar has been raised and I’ve been spoiled.
Then, Hot Toys announced last year that they had acquired the rights to do some Star Wars characters in their Movie Masterpiece Series through an agreement with Sideshow Collectibles. Their first release under this current arrangement? MMS DX 07 Luke Skywalker (Bespin Outfit).
It turns out the owner of Hot Toys, like me, loves this period in Luke’s journey in the Star Wars films and wanted his chance to take a stab at doing him. Let me say right now, I completely approve.
The box is similar in style to previous MMS DX releases. It is a fairly sizable foil printed book style box that features the decor of the shaft Luke fights Vader in on Cloud City at the end of the film.
Magnets hold the lid closed. Inside you find a nice transparent card that lists a small bio about Luke Skywalker attached to the cover.
Under that you find two trays. In the first one are two figures of Luke. The first is a clean, pristine “hero” version. The other, a battle beaten and roughed up version. Accessories are neatly packed in the dense foam to keep them safe and scratch free.
The second tray houses the parts needed to build the included weather vane as well as two additional stands for the figures.
What’s in the box?
This is the second time they are including two actual finished figures in a DX set. Usually Hot Toys just includes a second head and outfit, leaving it up to you to get a second body. Here, both figures are using the True Type bodies (which feature 30 points of articulation).
Accesories
2x Belts with holsters
2x Blaster pistols
1x Ignited lightsaber
1x Unignited lightsaber
2x Closed fists
2x Open handed palms
1x Forearm with severed hand (magnetic)
1x Auto tourniquet
1x Carbon-freeze chamber themed base
1x Plain/standard base
1 Weather vane (can be ceiling hung or attached to base)
Both utility belts are identical. They are made of leather and feature a real metal hook to hang the lightsaber on. The pouches do not open up.
The P.E.R.S. feature never ceases to completely bring a Hot Toys sculpt to life. For those new to Hot Toys, P.E.R.S stands for Parallel Eye Roll System and adds the ability to take the hair mold off and gain access to a stick that lets you adjust where the figure is looking.
Let’s first look at the hero version of Luke. The head sculpt is hauntingly lifelike and is a dead on likeness of Mark Hamill. The artists at Hot Toys have outdone themselves.
The khaki pilot fatigues Luke wears through the majority of The Empire Strikes back are beautifully recreated in 1:6th scale by Hot Toys.
No detail is spared. All the pockets and seams are recreated.
The battle-damaged version of Luke is suitably banged up, weathered, and distressed from his ordeal facing Darth Vader.
The weathered figure also features an added bonus. Yep, you guessed it. Removable hand.
You can actually swap out the entire right forearm for a “battle-damage” one. This features a severed hand that can be held on by a magnet in the stump.
Of course, never one to do anything small or half-assed, Hot Toys include a 2+ foot-tall die-cast metal weather vane to hang that spare battle damaged Luke from.
Oh, and it lights-up and blinks.
Not enough? OK, you can choose to display it on the base standing.
Or you can hang it from your ceiling.
Seriously, wow.
So I think you can see the 300 dollar price tag is justified for the fit, finish, and attention to detail on the figures. Not to mention sheer audacity of the display with the weather vane.
There have been many different toys and collectibles of Luke over the years but I do think that this release by Hot Toys is the very best of them to date. I am going to give this piece a very special place in my collection.