Review: Star Wars Black Series Luke Skywalker (Endor) from Return of the Jedi, Galaxy Collection Wave 2
- Mephitsu
- 6 minutes ago
- 4 min read
"The Force is strong in my family. My father has it...I have it...and my sister has it.
In 2020, the Star Wars Black Series releases included a Return of the Jedi theme, headlined by that year's SDCC Exclusive, The Heroes of Endor set featuring new figures of Luke, Han, Leia, and Paploo from the battle of Endor. Han, Luke, and Leia went on to get single releases in the fledgling Phase 4 Galaxy Collection, included in the 2nd full wave of general releases alongside figures including Cad Bane, The Armorer, Hoth Rebel Soldier, and Phase I Clone Trooper. The Return of the Jedi figures were given a green accent colour in the new packaging, which was used on the text and side artwork. Luke Skywalker is number 04 in the ROTJ series, and the side artwork for Luke connects to Leia and Han to create the larger connective montage.
Luke is built on the older 2014 Jedi Knight Luke figure body, with the entirety of the undersuit cast in black plastic and variation provided only on the boots, which are a glossier finish. The chest section, removable on the older figure, is now fixed in place, and the belt is updated. This black belt, with a silver painted buckle, is used to hold the soft goods poncho in place and can be undone and taken off the figure, or worn without the poncho. The poncho itself is an olive green base colour with brown and green camo colouration added. It is tailored to include a thick collar and a hood which is stitched in the down position. The lower part of the Poncho is designed to be held in check by the belt, and the overall look is a good likeness to the Endor combat gear worn by Luke.
The head sculpt is new and one of the better Mark Hamill likenesses in the line, using photo-real technology to add to the realism. A removable helmet, fastened by a rubberised chin strap, allows Luke to be displayed in his full Endor look and the one he has during the speeder bike chase. The helmet carries the majority of the figures' decor with green, being,e and brown base colours along with silver ‘battle damage’ and a red and yellow insignia symbol. These removable elements do hark back to the original ethos of the Black Series and allow you multiple looks in one release.
You can pose Luke as seen on arrival to Endor and the Speeder Bike scenes, or pose him without the helmet as per the Ewok Village scenes. You can even forgo the helmet and poncho and mirror Luke as seen when he meets Vader and the Emperor. This final look is an improvement on the 2014 figure thanks to the new head, but it lacks the ability to adjust the chest panel, and the proportions are not quite right - something that has since been rectified with the newer 2023 version.
As well as the removable combat gear, Luke also features his lightsaber. This is the usual ROTJ era piece with the hilt featuring black, gold, and silver details. The neck remains slim and prone to bending, so care is needed when installing the translucent green lightsaber blade. While the saber retains a hook on the end, there is no belt fitting to match,h so there is no holstering option. The hilt fits in either hand, with the right also featuring a trigger finger which can look out of place with Luke’s pinky finger raised while holding his lightsaber. These hands appear to have been the ones used on the Jabba’s Palace release of Luke in 2019, but with this right hand painted to the gloved look.
Luke has 16 points of articulation, the legs inclusive of pinned double-joint knees. The soft goods work with the articulation rather than impeding, and Luke’s slim frame enables a good variety of posing, including the ability for two-handed light saber positions - although there is no butterfly shoulder, so these positions are limited. Luke stands well enough and holds most poses, and can also ride one of the Black Series Speeder Bikes.
The figure is identical to the one included in the Heroes of Endor set from the same year. This single releases does not scrimp on any accessories, giving collectors everything that was included in the larger SDCC set. Luke looks great with the poncho, which works well considering the limitations of soft goods and hides some of the issues with the older body underneath. The helmet is well-engineered and doesn’t look oversized or out of place, and the headsculpt is one of the best the line has produced for Mark Hamill. The power of the set is in the complementary figures of Han and Leia in the same wave, allowing a full Endor group shot now in the Black Series, bringing in the existing Chewie and the Droid figures alongside.
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About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...