Review: Star Wars Retro Collection A New Hope Set featuring Garinden, Princess Leia, R4-M9, CZ-3, Wedge Antilles, and Captain Antilles
"May the Force be with you"
Since moving from single-carded releases to box sets of 6 carded figures in 2022, Hasbro has released Star Wars Retro Collection sets for The Acolyte, the prequel movies, and the most sought-after box sets from the Original Trilogy. The first A New Hope set included replica figures from the older Kenner figures; the subsequent Return of the Jedi box set brought with it a brand-new Kenner-era figure in Mon Mothma, and that was followed up with a third A New Hope set which introduced five new figures alongside a replica of the original Walrus Man. Now, in 2026, the fourth A New Hope box set is here, and it is the first Original Trilogy box set in the Retro Collection that contains six all-new Kenner-inspired figures.
The 2026 A New Hope Retro Collection Set landed in late Summer 2026, arriving here in the UK in early September. Like the prior sets, its outer box is a black base box with a large 1977-esque Star Wars logo across both front and back over a blue checklist panel that shows the six figures in the set in the style of the original cardback lists. Callouts on the box confirm these are part of the Retro Collection and that each of the six figures is individually carded in the set. There is no significant difference between the front and back of the box, with the front carrying the age recommendation, while the back has the smaller legal text. The two side panels carry the Star Wars logo, while the top panel of the box has inserted images of all six characters as seen in the film. Inside the box, the carded figures are interlocked and packed tightly but without any internal protection, and that does still mean some ever so minor warping in the card backs on arrival.
Each figure comes on a blister card which follows the design principles from Kenner in the 1970s with the tramline border, the Star Wars logo with Luke and his lightsaber, and even the Kenner branding on the card front rather than Hasbro. This is the first batch of figures where Hasbro has dropped the fake weathering effect, so the cards are clean and unworn. They are also meant to come unpunched in the box, although our Garinden was missing the tab and it wasn’t in the box either.
None of these figures existed in the original Kenner line-up, so each card art has been taken from the movie scenes with a coloured tab for the nameplate and the same colour used behind the figure in the blister. Over the top of the image, often obscuring it, is the Retro Collection sticker. These have been made ‘easier’ to remove this time round, so you can choose to take these off if you want to display them carded but without the large orange sticker.
The back of each card is identical, and features a coloured boxed checklist of the other figures in the set and a short bit of background text about the Retro Collection. As it was in the 70s and 80s, if you want to access the figure, you will have to do some level of damage to the card and the blister. Unlike the original Kenner figures, which were simply loose in the blister, these figures are packed sitting in an inner tray to keep them stable and presented in the pack.
We will work in the order these came out of the box for me, which means up first is Garinden, the Imperial Spy on Tatooine and seen briefly in the Mos Eisley sequence as Luke, Obi-Wan and the Droids arrange their departure with Han and Chewie. Garinden uses a similar base body design to the Tusken Raider from the Kenner line, with legs sculpted as though lower, flowing robes. The body is cast in black, with a central grey painted shirt.
The head replicates the Kubaz snout-trunk in an exaggerated lighter colour scheme than what we see on film, along with black goggles with red lenses. The costume is completed with a soft goods hooded cowl which sits over the head and covers the upper body, shaped so it sits higher around the back and then curves lower around the arms at the front. This soft goods piece can be removed, and the figure within will still pass as Garinden for display. The use of soft goods is interesting for A New Hope era figures as Kenner launched the line with Vinyl robes in the main, and customs and Stan Solo’s version of Garinden have gone down the vinyl cape route with a sculpted hood.
There are the standard five points of articulation, the same as the Kenner line, with the head more or less fixed into place by the trunk. The hands are both designed to hold the included accessories, a grey plastic blaster and a grey communicator. The blaster is not one from the original Kenner series and is the same one included with Dr Evazan in the earlier A New Hope set. The communicator is similar too, but not directly the same as the one included with the Cloud Car pilot.
Princess Leia pretty much wore the same white outfit across the events of A New Hope, which led to her Kenner figure in 1978, complete with its vinyl cape. This new Retro set creates the only other look for Leia from the film, and ties in with the prior set and its Luke Skywalker figure, focusing on the Yavin Medal Ceremony.
Like Garinden, Yavin Leia is cast so that the legs form a skirt piece for the dress, while the torso includes a sculpted silver-painted belt and a similarly designed silver necklace. The arms, head, and neck are skin-coloured, while the hair includes a tight braided design and a single braid that hangs the full length of Leia’s back. Soft goods are used, but only on the sleeves of the dress. These are fixed in at the shoulders and are shaped around the arms, and then flowing down to the floor. Unlike a full soft goods cape, these need some teasing into position so they combine with the sculpt to create the look of the flowing white dress.
Leia has five points of articulation and comes with a Yavin medal, which she can hold and therefore present. It is the same medal accessory included with the Yavin Luke Skywalker, perhaps marginally darker and unpainted. It is a softer plastic, almost rubbery, and can be worn around the neck of any deserving figure or by Leia herself. Considering this is the second consecutive Yavin Medal Ceremony release in the Retro Collection, we might expect Hasbro to complete the set next year with a Han Solo release.
There are two new droids in this pack, starting with R4-M9. This is the first R4 series in either the Kenner or Hasbro Retro lines. The Imperial droid is cast in white with a sticker around the barrel body to depict the main panels and components in black linework and with green stripes. This same green tone is used to add stripes on the larger R4 series head and down the sides of the two legs.
R4 follows the same articulation as the original R2 and R5 figures from Kenner, with a rotating dome and legs that can rotate at the body to create static poses, or with the body pivoted to replicate movement.
The set also includes a plug in 3rd leg accessory, a similar principle to the Kenner Droid Factory set. This slots into the hole in the base of the figure to create a three-legged position - and it works really well, and can also be used on the older R2 and R5 figures.
The second droid is CZ-3, the CZ series Secretary/Comm Droid seen in the streets of Mos Eisley as Luke sells his landspeeder. This is a white-cast droid, with a sculpted skeletal design with grey trim on the torso piece. The head also features grey around the eye sockets and on the cheeks
Like the original Threepio, the arms on CZ-3 are slightly bent, with the 5 points of articulation as standard, allowing the arms, legs, and head to be rotated. CZ-3 does not come with any accessories.
The final two figures are both Rebels and both called Antilles. The first of these is Wedge Antilles, X-Wing Pilot, who is seen in the Battle of Yavin and who would go on to feature in the rest of the Original Trilogy and beyond into the Expanded Universe stories. Wedge has a similar design to the Luke X-Wing figure, with an orange flightsuit, white vest, and grey chest unit and webbing. This chest unit also features gloss black painted straps, with the same black used on Wedge’s gloves and boots.
Unlike the original Luke X-Wing, Wedge includes a fully sculpted head with painted black hair and then a removable X-Wing pilot helmet. This slots over the head snugly and includes the green trim of Wedge’s personalised helmet and yellow painted visor.
Wedge has five points of articulation, allowing him to sit in an original Kenner X-Wing or any other ship if you wish. He comes with a blue/black smuggler blaster that fits in his gripping hand on the right. The left has a tighter profile and can be used to hold his helmet.
The second Antiles is that of Captain Antiles (no relation), the Captain of the Tantive IV, who was captured and killed by Darth Vader. The Captain comes with in a tan uniform, with the upper jacket featuring an orange/brown shoulder panel, and a dark brown shirt beneath. It also carries a rank badge, painted in silver with blue dots. Paint is also applied to Captain Antilles' brown belt, with a silver buckle, and as black stripes down each leg with the boots then coloured in brown.
The Captain’s head is sculpted to accommodate the large Rebel Trooper helmet. The head part is cast in flesh with painted eyes. Onto this is fixed the white helmet, with a black raised visor. The piece is not removable. Nor is it the same head/helmet as used on the Rebel Fleet Trooper from the previous set, which is a companion piece, and also lends itself to Hasbro having a joined-up plan on certain figures/scenes through these A New Hope releases.
Captain Antilles has the same five points of articulation, and he comes with a blue Bespin blaster that fits in his clawed right hand.
The 2026 A New Hope Retro Collection set very much leans into the loudest request from collectors to treat the Retro line as an extension of the original 1978-1985 Kenner line and to bring us new characters and figures that, despite the near 40 year gap, allows us to extend our Kenner style collection around the Original Trilogy.
Rebel Fleet Trooper from the 2025 Set (far right) not included)
This set is the first to add six entirely new figures, and each of them is designed to fit in with the aesthetics of the Kenner line and the technology used at the time in terms of flat basic paint tones, simple sculpts, plain face paint, and limited articulation. Even the hands are designed to hold the weapons slightly askew, as they did in our childhood.
Selection of characters for any set like this will always be one that is discussed heavily, as everyone has their own favourite chracters or troopers. This set offers a strong mix of figures that expand on key scenes around the assault on the Tantive IV, the Mos Eisley sequences, and the final Yavin Ceremony. Leia and Captain Antilles also show some level of dovetailing with previous sets, and hints of what might be to come.
At a £60 RRP this time round (up £4 from the last release), you are paying a tenner a figure here, which still feels right. The boxing up of groups of figures also supports the carded collectors, giving the set the best chance of arriving with the cards unpunched and in good order. It is also great to see the faux damage has finally been dropped - although that will create a bit of a discrepancy in a wider carded collection.
As we move to the 50th Anniversary for A New Hope in 2027, Hasbro has promised us much more in the Retro Collection, so it will be interesting to see where this line goes next.
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About Me : As a child of the '70s and '80s 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 licenses - 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...
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