Review: Star Wars Retro Collection Grand Moff Tarkin from A New Hope

"We will then crush the Rebellion with one swift stroke!"

In 2019, Hasbro returned to the original Star Wars Kenner line of figures from the 1970s and 80s, reproducing a number of the original figures in what they badged the Retro Collection. The figures imitated the Kenner originals in both design, colour, and cardback, and in the main were like-for-like releases. One of the most interesting concepts of the first batch of releases was that of a Grand Moff Tarkin figure, a character never made by Kenner but now brought into the line as a Kenner-Inspired Design, and so would kick off what feels like the natural extension, after some 34 years, of the original Kenner line, a line that would dive head long into new Star Wars properties like The Mandalorian, Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka, with new homage figures.

I am very late into the Retro Collection, but as I come close to concluding a run of original Kenner figures, I wanted to look at expanding beyond the original 70s and 80s figures with the new Original Trilogy Retro Releases. Interestingly, I have had the Tarkin figure for a number of years. I bought it at the time for the board game rather than the figure. 

The board game, Escape from the Death Star, is also an homage to an original 1977 Parker Brothers release and recreates the full experience in terms of the game board, pieces and gameplay. The Grand Moff Tarkin figure was only available as a pack-in with the game. He is fully carded and then slotted into the game box with the blister visible through a cutout on the main box. 

Tarkin’s card, like all Retro Collection releases, is based on the original Kenner designs but with faux weathering printed into the design. It is also overlaid with a large orange ‘Retro Collection’ sticker to differentiate it from the original Kenner releases. As Tarkin never had a corresponding Kenner figure, the Hasbro team have used appropriate artwork from A New Hope and assigned the Grand Moff a cool blue backing colour. 

The back of the card is a bit flat, coming only with an overview of the Retro Collection and an image of the original A New Hope standee cards rather than figures. I would have liked to see Hasbro lean into the checklist design we saw on the Kenner cards, giving collectors of the line a clear look at the other figures released. 

As a carded figure, there is no going back if you choose to open Tarkin, another throwback to the Kenner figures. In hand, he follows the base principles used by Kenner with a main two part torso that connects front to back with the neck, shoulder, and hips being secured between the two halves and therefore creating the basic 5 point articulation. Colours are crisp but limited with a grey for Tarkin’s uniform, black belt with silver buckle, and black for his boots. We do also get a painted Grand Moff Imperial rank badge in blue and red to the left of his chest. The head is very much in keeping with the likenesses of the 1970s, but is discernible as Peter Cushing. 

Tarkin comes with an Imperial Blaster, again almost identical to the original Kenner accessory and included not to replicate the onscreen scenes, but to present play and imaginative options for Tarkin as was often the case with Kenner releases. 

The Retro Collection releases do not quite hold the same nostalgia as the original releases, as they come with the memories of childhood for most of us. But they do extend the Kenner collection into a brand new era. At the time of release, Tarkin teased the possibility of further unreleased Original Trilogy character,s and as we have seen, that has been realised to a certain degree with figures of Snowspeeder Luke from Empire, Mon Mothma from Jedi, and the newest New Hope releases, including Luke from Yavin, a Rebel Fleet Trooper, Doctor Evazan and a Sandtrooper

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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...

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