Darth Vader [1995, POTF2]

...With Lightsaber and Removable Cape!

Pardon the exclamation marks on all of these, but they are on the package so what can I do?

Darth Vader is certainly a more robust figure than the original series. While his height has not been improved to be more to scale with the rest of the figures, he certainly seems more muscular (despite wearing a survival suit). Muscular was the trend with this new batch, though.

Like the Luke and Ben figures, Darth was originally packaged with a longer saber at first, which shrunk in later shipments when Kenner said "OMG! Look at the size of that thing!" The bio card on the back gives a fleeting mention to a confrontation with Obi-Wan, but no mention of Darth's exact injuries. However, I swear there was an earlier card that mentioned a "molten pit," but I can't seem to find mention of it anywhere. Maybe just my imagination.

Five reasons you should get this figure:
1. Dark Lord of the Sith! Hell yes you're getting this figure!

2. Last words on the bio card are "down the thermal exhaust port." Oh, yeah.

3. There's no Darth TIE fighter on the back of this card, but you know it's a-comin!

4. Fight Luke! Fight Obi-Wan! Fight fashion!

5. Obi-Wan needs a comeuppance, what with all the limb-slashing and whatnot.

Backstory:

Pretty well played out in the prequel trilogy, comics, books, video games, comic strips, yeah. To read his entire story, check out the Wookieepedia entry.

C-3PO [1995, POTF2]

...with Realistic metalized Body!

While the new C-3PO does not have the grey half-leg, he does sport a rather shiny exterior, and is not overly muscular like others in this new line. Of course, had he been overly muscular to begin with, Anthony Daniels would have had a much better time fitting into the suit.

C-3PO does not come with any accessories, as might be expected. He has no major variations (except maybe on the card itself). His bio card starts with the events in Star Wars, Episode IV, but does not conflict with info from the prequels, simply because it does not mention his history that far back.

Five reasons you should get this figure:
1. Foil a daylight robbery - "Ah, my eyes! So shiny!"

2. Now with rotating waist you can finally re-enact that famous console-touching scene!

3. A new generation of C-3PO to wear the shine off of!

4. The on figure you don't feel very guilty beating on.

5. Always the easiest to find, in stores and at home.

Backstory:

While his bio card simply starts at his service on the Tantive IV, the prequels have fleshed this out to his improbable creation by Anakin Skywalker, and his kidnapping from the Lars farm to Geonosis and convenient memory wipe. His full story can be seen here on Wookieepedia.

Bossk [POTF2]

...with BLASTER RIFLE AND PISTOL.

In the green-packed waves of POTF2 figures, Kenner started blazing through the bounty hunters, and everyone's favorite Wookiee scalper was no exception. He includes his standard weapon and an additional blaster, which, being a bounty hunter, is just fine and not just due to Kenner's zeal for extra weapons in this line.

The figure itself is pretty well detailed, but could be a little taller, to be in scale with other human figures.

Five reasons to own this figure:

1. No one wears rolled-up sleeves in the SW universe like Bossk.

2. Can repeatedly use the phrase, "Like a Bossk!"

3. Own one of the few characters that is shown in Clone Wars and the main Trilogy. Wait - did I say few? I meant every-character-they-could-legitimately-say-lives-that-long.

4. Re-create his thrilling battle against other bounty hunters to get Solo! You don't know about that? Shut down the computer and pick up a book you troglodyte!

5. Perfect for that terrarium.

Backstory:

Bossk is a Trandoshan, who when born, ate his hatchmates. Quite the beginning. He went on to hunt Wookiees for the Empire (and sport) become a bounty hunter, and lead the Bounty Hunter's Guild (while fractioning it). He clashed and worked with other bounty hunters from time to time, including Zuckuss and Boba Fett. His last appearance was in a jail on a space station being attacked by the Yuuzhan Vong (a later antagonizing race). No word on if he survived.


Want more? His Wookieepedia article

Chewbacca [1995, POTF2]

...With Bowcaster and Heavy Blaster Rifle!

Chewbacca is a decent figure, and an improvement on the original, but where is the scale! In the movies he towers over humans. In the figure line he is more or less the same size.

Chewbacca looks a bit like Bigfoot in this new version, but if you look at the beefed-up versions of Han and Luke, you can see what they were doing in the chest region there.

Chewy also has a bio card, as all the first wave of figures did in the return, and it covers the events in Star Wars: A New Hope, and a tiny bit about being rescued by Han and oweing a life-debt. Nothing, however, about his treetop home, growling kids and wife, or Life Day.

Five reasons why you should buy this figure:
1. Look at the back of the card - the Millennium Falcon needs a co-pilot.

2. Recreate all the exciting scenes from the Star Wars Holiday Special - like the first 20 minutes of nothing but Wookiee utterances!

3. Those droids aren't going to pull their own arms off.

4. Large gun!

5. Bowcaster! Pew! Pew!

Backstory:

Wookiees are longer-lived than humans, so expect Chewbacca to surface even more than he already has during the Clone Wars. For his full story, check out his Wookieepedia entry. Want to know about bowcasters? There's an entry for that too!