The Internet has been abuzz with news of the Blu-ray edition
of the original Star Wars trilogy which hit stores world wide recently, so I thought I’d stick with another vintage Star Wars action figure this post. Of course, I use the term “original” trilogy with some caution – as is well known, George Lucas has continued to mess with tweak the movies with every re-release to the exasperation of many fans
. Probably the most controversial change occurred in the 1997 Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition version of the cantina scene in Episode IV: A New Hope, when Han Solo shoots and kills Greedo. In the new version, Greedo is shown as firing first as Han dodges the shot only to return fire and kill his opponent.
Han Solo with blue Bespin Blaster
Notoriety just seems to follow Han Solo around…Even genius toymakers Kenner stumbled the first time around when they issued their version of everybody’s favourite Star Wars character, giving him a tiny head, only to realise their mistake and re-sculpt a new one that was disproportionately huge and looked even less like Harrison Ford! Luckily for Kenner, however, there was a further chance to get Han Solo right with the release of The Empire Strikes Back, and with this version the results were just perfect.
Date stamped very faintly “1980” on the back of his left left and copyrighted to L.F.L. (Lucas Film Ltd) with no country of origin, this figure was released in 1981 as part of the Sears Exclusive “Cloud City Playset” alongside the rather less desirable figures Lobot, Dengar and Ugnaught, whilst carded he was found on The Empire Strikes Back 41-backs.
Wearing the stylish clothes he wore on Bespin – a dark blue jacket, white shirt and brown trousers with a yellow military stripe up the sides – he was packaged with a blue Bespin Blaster, which thankfully my figure still has making for great poseabilty. All in all an absolutely essential vintage Star Wars action figure and the definitive Han Solo!
Han Solo Bespin vintage, 9, 246, “POTF”
Reis O'Brien says
YES! This is hands-down my favorite Han figure. In fact, when I first got him for Christmas 1980, my older black-n-white New Hope Han got banished to the Darth Vader carrying case, never to be played with again.