MOTU 2026 Basic & Origins Movie Figures, Revenge of Skeletor Figure

I enjoyed the new Masters of the Universe film well enough but had little interest in collecting all the figures until I saw a few out on the pegs I liked. I rarely pick up an of the basic line movie figures from any movie franchise, but Teela and Man-At-Arms looked good and worth a try. Though they have no ankle articulation, the hinge swivel knees help with their balance and they are quite posable. Mattel has released a Battle for Eternia playset for the basic movie figures, a pretty cool 2-in 1 combination of Castle Grayskull and Snake Mountain, but these figures fit well enough in my MOTU Origins Vintage Edition Castle Grayskull.

Man-At-Arms has the added bonus of being able to stow his side arm on his thigh armor.

Below, movie Man-At-Arms with the MOTU Origins Man-At-Arms...

 

Below, movie Teela with the MOTU Origins Teela that came packed with Zoar...

I like the metallic sheen of this Father/Daughter pair- quite striking!

There are at least three concurrently running figure lines for the new movie, the one most interesting me being the Origins figures that fit in with my large collection of that 5.5" line I've been amassing since 2020. Naturally, this He-Man was what interested me most and he is fantastic! Mattel even gave him a vertical hinge joint on his wrist to properly raise his sword- I Have The POWER!

Below movie He-Man on my MOTU Origins Battle Cat...

Below, movie He-Man with some of my other favorite MOTU Origins figures: 

Wave 1 He-Man (w/alt. head), Stranger Things He-Man, and Sketchbook Series He-Man...

I'm calling this the Revenge of Skeletor figure due to the title on the card back featuring some fantastic art, reminiscent of the old mini comics. He has a build more like the basic figures in the 2026 movie line. but I'm unsure of which mini comic Mattel used as inspiration for this gold Skeletor, but he certainly is unique!

Below, Revenge of Skeletor figure atop my flocked MOTU Origins Panthor ...!

Below, Revenge of Skeletor with MOTU Origins Stranger Things Skeletor...

I'm not sure I'll venture too much further into these movie lines, but I did enjoy these figures. More Origins-styled 5.5" figures could sway me, but I'm not sure Mattel will devote too many more movie-inspired characters to that format.

More Later- Make It FUN!

Saga Legends Luke Skywalker, Disney Rebels Darth Vader, Retro Collection Emperor Palpatine

I've mostly collected 3.75" Star Wars figures that are vintage, Retro Collection, or POTF 2, but I couldn't resist this Sage Legends Jedi Luke Skywalker in all his appropriate attire for his confrontation with Emperor Palpatine. I also found the Emperor on eBay loose/uncarded- another Retro Collection figure that looks just like the figure I had in the '80s. I loved the design of Darth Vader in Star Wars: Rebels, so I decided to include him in this post as well.

Like the Retro Collection Dark Times Vader, this Star Wars Rebels Vader has red lenses...

Below, Power of the Force2 Vader, Stan Solo Vader w/removable helmet, Star Wars Rebels Vader, Retro Collection Dark Times Vader, Retro Collection Classic Vader, and 1978 Vader with repro telescoping lightsaber...

And finally, Luke removes his father's helmet to look upon his face before dying, just like in Return of the Jedi! Thanks to Stan Solo's fantastic Vader with removable helmet, we can relive that famous scene of redemption!

More Later- May the Force Be with You!

Kenner Dagobah Playset

I saved a little money piecing the Kenner Dagobah Playset together with some reproduction parts, all of which were new to me not having had it in 1981, the year of its release. I disassembled it to clean and replace the foam in the pit and admired the bowl and spoon sculpting detail on the stump inside. The 3-D printed branch with figure clasp and crates left a little to be desired, but were a much cheaper alternative to their vintage counterparts.

R2-D2 is already stuck in the foam!

I also bought a Stan Solo Jedi Training Luke to learn 

the ways of the force from my Retro Collection Yoda.

I fit Luke with a vintage training pack I found on eBay ...

It was fun to push the rock/lever down and lift the crates using The Force ...!

Below, my vintage Bespin Luke Skywalker and vintage Kenner Darth Vader 

meet for battle in the mysterious dark cave on Dagobah ...

The Stan Solo Jedi Training Luke sculpt is stylized very much in the spirit of Kenner's Bespin Luke from The Empire Strikes Back. That figure from 1980 was certainly a favorite of mine- the second Luke figure from Kenner and first to come with a separate lightsaber accessory.

Still enjoying the repro telescoping lightsaber I got for my vintage Darth Vader!

Yoda and Luke can reenact their dinner scene just like they did in The Empire Strikes Back!

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3.75in. Darth Vader Figures

There was non-stop hatred poured onto Hasbro's 3.75" Star Wars Retro Collection, but it allowed me to have some of the figures from my childhood again without paying exorbitant prices for vintage figures, among those being the Retro Collection Darth Vader, pictured below on the right next to my vintage Kenner Darth Vader, which I outfitted with a reproduction telescoping red lightsaber!

 

There have been a lot of complaints in particular about this Retro Collection/Obi-Wan Kenobi "Dark Times" Darth Vader, but I personally liked him a lot. Are the eyes too red, does the cape cover too much at the neckline, is the waist-skirt molded onto the leg sculpt a little clunky? I don't know, but I'm fond of him! In spite of criticism aimed at this figure, I feel it's a decent spiritual successor to the updated features present in the line later on with Return of the Jedi, including a soft goods cape and separate lightsaber accessory like Jedi Luke came with. 

And last, but far from least, my Stan Solo Darth Vader with removable helmet. Kenner never gave us an updated Darth Vader in the years they produced 3.75" Star Wars figures- we had several Princess Leia and Han Solo figures, more of Luke Skywalker, and even R2-D2 and C-3PO got new parts, but never a new Darth Vader throughout the entire line. The fit of the helmet works seamlessly and Anakin's scarred head and simple eye treatment really mimic Kenner's style, and his cloth cape and waist-skirt really make him feel deluxe! Stan Solo has produced some of the 3.75" Star Wars figures of our dreams and Dath Vader is at the top of the list.

Before I go, some classic Kenner Star Wars goodness: my vintage Kenner Darth Vader, Imperial Commander and Death Star Droid with my vintage Kenner Star Wars Stormtroopers and Retro Collection Death Squad Commander.

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Kenner Bespin Guards, Princess Leia, Lobot, C-3PO with Removable Limbs

While picking up the Death Star Playset from Cardboard Galaxy featured in my last post, I also purchased a Bespin Hallway background for some recent Kenner Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back figures I found. Lobot is a figure from that collection I feel is essential to the celebrated sequel to Star Wars, pictured below with his boss, my Retro Collection Lando Calrissian:

The real prize of this particular haul was a vintage Bespin Princess Leia Organa, 

pictured below with my Bespin Han Solo and Luke Skywalker...

I actually had both of these Bespin Guards in the '80s, notable for Kenner's decision to release two versions of this background character from The Empire Strikes Back. Only recently have I been introduced to the idea that the forward stepping posture of the second evokes the theatrical scene featuring Bespin Guards leading Han Solo's carbonite casing down the Bespin City corridors. Brilliant!

Below, my Han Solo/Carbonite figure from Kenner's POTF 2 line...

I also found a C-3PO w/removable limbs recently (below,left), the second version of the protocol droid introduced as part of the first twelve Kenner Star Wars figures in 1978. His sculpt looks identical to the Retro Collection C-3PO figure pictured below...

C-3PO w/removable limbs included a pack for Chewbacca to carry the verbose protocol droid around Bespin in search of his copilot of the Millenium Falcon, Han Solo, betrayed by administrator of Cloud City, Lando Calrissian.

The Empire Strikes Back was quite possible my favorite of the original Star Wars trilogy, and having this grouping of figures together over 45 years later is a thrill. There's more to come here on The Empire Strikes Back at the Super-DuperToyBox, so stay tuned for that!

More Later- May the Force Be with You!