Following his appearance at the end of the 2nd season of The Mandalorian, the de-aged Mark Hamill Luke Skywalker went on to have a larger part in the Book of Boba Fett where he was training Grogu in the ways of the Jedi. These scenes have been captured by Hasbro in the Deluxe Luke Skywalker & Grogu Black Series set, released in July 2023. The set is part of the Galaxy Collection and is part of the Book of Boba Fett set, number 07 to be precise, and uses the deep green accent colour against the black box and on the side artwork. The set is plastic-free so has no window, and instead, the figures and accessories are wrapped up inside a cardboard sleeve in wax paper - with many of the smaller and the more delicate items secured inside a second brown box internally.
Luke is a brand new figure with no obvious re-use from the recently released Mandalorian (Imperial Cruiser) version with the exception of possibly the hands. Cast all in black, Luke’s outfit is the more loose-fitting tunic, tied with a sash, we see him wearing at his new Jedi Academy on Ossus. The trousers remain fitted and the boots - now ridged - are knee-high. The body does not carry a single paint application and while that works to a degree, some variation in black tones or finish would have been beneficial with the sash belt or the boots.
The head sculpt is new also and specifically based on the de-aged Mark Hamill technology used for The Book of Boba Fett scenes and as played in person by Scott Lang. This likeness works well enough and it is recognisable as Luke, although it looks younger than the other Lukes we already have from the Original Trilogy and has a 'body double' vibe. The preceding 'Imperial Cruiser' Luke from The Mandalorian was perhaps the better option to simply carry forward into this release. The photo-real printing adds eye details, but not much else, while the hair thankfully gets more definition with the use of a brown wash to add depth.
Luke comes with his lightsaber, a reworked version now of the Return of the Jedi hilt with a more robust finish that keeps the top emitter from breaking. The translucent green blade is removable and the hilt itself has arguably more paint apps than the figure's body with silver, gold, and black elements. Luke can wield his saber supported by 19 points of articulation - all pinless - including the butterfly shoulder joints tucked away under the tunic as well as the dual joint neck which provides some wider movement for the head.
Luke can also train with his saber using a training remote that has seemingly been taken directly from the 2019 ‘Skywalker Strikes' exclusive release. This time it is painted with a more cream finish and red for the laser bolt emitters. The clear stand includes a ball-jointed base and therefore you can articulate the training remote using the stand. The bolt effects seen in the 2019 release do not carry forward and are missing in this set.
This is the 7th release of Grogu in the Star Wars Black Series, and thankfully this version gives us an updated upright body for him while using the existing head. The body is cast in beige and has no paint apps relying on a textured variation between the neck of the robes and the rest of the body for definition. Hands and head are cast in green with the head having the black eyes painted on and some flesh tone added in the ears and on the cheeks. Articulation remains very rudimentary with some movement at the neck, shoulders, and hands. This Grogu release returns to the sculpted cast feet plugged into the base of the robes as seen on the first-ever release. These feet are not articulated, but do play a part in the set's wider display options as we will see later as we look at the included accessory and environment pieces.
The main element of these environment and accessory pieces is a cast moss-covered rock. The piece is cast in the base stone finish with green moss painted on top. It includes two sockets which you then utilise with other parts from the set. The first of these is a clear stand with two ball joints at either end. The larger of these two joints slot into the larger of the sockets on the rock - and be careful here as the fit is tight and the main body of the clear piece is easy to bend and therefore very likely to break. Once inserted the smaller end can go into the hole on Grogu’s foot recreating the Force Jumps we see Grogu undertake on Ossus.
If you want to add more jeopardy to Grogu’s jumps there is also a translucent orange laser bolt that fits into the smaller hole on the rock. The training remote can then connect to the top of this rod to simulate it taking a shot at Grogu, and Grogu Force jumping to safety. All of this is quite fun once the fiddly set-up is complete, and the overall look works well enough for those who are partial to dynamic action poses. The environment is rounded out with the inclusion of the frog piece from the first Grogu release.
For those wanting a less dynamic look for Grogu, there are other accessories for you to use. The first of these is the wooden box with an opening lid, inside of which fits a tiny lightsaber hilt. While in the show this is meant to be Master Yoda’s lightsaber, the accessory is a new piece and very much smaller than the one packed with Black Series Yoda and scaled specifically for Grogu. While a removable blade is not possible at this small size, a second extended lightsaber is included as well. Both of the versions can be held by Grogu thanks to a reworked left hand which has an element of grip, although it is less than secure. This ‘choice’ by Grogu as seen in the episode is replicated in the set as alongside the box and the lightsaber is the wrapped Beskar armour piece gifted by The Mandalorian.
The final accessory allows both Luke and Grogu to be displayed together by way of a training backpack. The backpack is the exact same accessory included in the 2020 Jedi Training Luke release for the Empire 40th Anniversary, without the silver painted clasps and buckles and cast in a different colour of soft grey plastic. The backpack comes with an opening clasp on one side to allow it to fit over Luke's head and be secured on his shoulders. This clasp is an absolute nightmare to get closed once on the figure as there is nothing solid to push against. I had to use the end of a small knife to create enough pressure. Once on, the backpack sits nearly on Luke and Grogu pops easily inside - with a removable floor plate that keeps Grogu’s head above the level of the bag. Even with Grogu on board, the Luke figure remains perfectly able to stand and be posed despite the additional load. For those torn about how to display Grogu in this set, I am pleased to confirm any of the other standing Grogu figures will fit into the bag, leaving the specific version from this set free to be posed Force Jumping over his rock.
The Book of Boba Fett Deluxe release of Luke Skywalker and Grogu does a fantastic job of recreating the scenes from Chapter 6, ‘From the Desert Comes a Stranger’ with parts and accessories to display Grogu and Luke training with the Training Remote or with Grogu in Luke’s Backpack, and another set to match the choice Grogu is given by Luke over training to be a Jedi, or returning to be a Mandalorian. All of the parts work fine, although due to the sizes involved with anything Grogu-related there are a few fiddly connections to make and when you look at the set as a whole there are a number of re-uses from prior releases including the training Remote, backpack, frog, and Luke's lightsaber.
Considering Hasbro has already released Grogu and his pram as a full-price single figure, the £44.99 price point of this set is not the worst value for money with everything you get included - notably the brand-new episode-specific Luke Skywalker figure. The set also escaped being branded as exclusive and does form part of the wider Galaxy Collection for Book of Boba Fett as #07, albeit well out in terms of number order - skipping past releases 3 through 6 which we assume are the trio of figures due in early 2024.
Keep Track of all the Star Wars Black Series figures from Hasbro at our comprehensive
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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...