Image: Hasbro
Retro toys are a funny thing. When The Phantom Menace hit theaters, it did so alongside the firepower of a fully armed and operational action figure line that represented a huge generational leap from the Star Wars toys that changed the movie industry two decades prior. And yet now in the present, nearly 25 years removed, Hasbro is imagining a world where that revamp didn’t exactly happen.
That’s because while time marches on—Phantom Menace and its toys are older to us now than the classic Star Wars Kenner figures of the late ‘70s were at the time of its release—our idea of what counts for the retro aesthetic doesn’t quite so much. Hence, Hasbro’s latest Star Wars retro collection bundle, celebrating the prequel movie’s big anniversary, taking its heroes and villains back to that classic ‘70s-style aesthetic. Take a first look at it below, exclusively here on io9!
Image: Hasbro
The new box set bundles six 3.75″ figures inspired by the movie—Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn, Queen Amidala and Jar Jar Binks, and Darth Maul and a Battle Droid—and each figure but Padmé gets their own movie-inspired accessory, as well as coming on a card back inspired by the classic Kenner Star Wars toys.
The Retro Collection Phantom Menace multipack will cost $60, and is set to release in Spring 2024. Alas, no Commtech chip nostalgia included, which will remain forever priceless. Click through to see more pictures!