30th Anniversary Collection

TACBASIC

Romba & Graak

Info and Stats
Number:  
30-43
Year:  
2007
MSRP:  
$6.99
Definitive Status:  
Close
 
This figure has room for improvement and/or has a few minor flaws, but is close to definitive and worthy of display.
Grade:  
8/10 Bantha Skulls
 
* Bantha Skull is compensated for any purchases made through these Ebay links.
* Bantha Skull is compensated for any purchases made through these Ebay links.
Review by: Bret&Chris
Review date: 11/05/2019

Original Review by Chris: 11/15/14

Between vintage Kenner mix-ups, shifting official designations, and the Decipher CCG, I completely give up with worrying about Ewok identification.  Romba was one of the fabled “last seventeen” from the vintage Kenner POTF line in 1985.  The last seventeen are some of the most collectible and most sought after figures among collectors, so releasing a modern analog always generates a little buzz.  Unlike other vintage and modern Ewok pairs, such as Warok, both figures represent the same on-screen Ewok.  In between the two releases, Decipher had changed Romba to an Ewok with a purple cowl, but Leeland Chee reversed this decision thereby bringing balance to obsessive compulsive nerds. 

Graak does not offer the same promise of consistency, and I honestly have no idea what the true character is.  Graak is identified on Wookieepedia as a striped Ewok in the hunting party that captured our heroes when Chewbacca got all rumbly in the tumbly. He carries a bow as weapon.  Decipher identified Graak as a striped Ewok carrying a tomahawk style weapon.  These two Ewoks look identical to me, but I’m clearly an idiot since they are apparently distinct characters.  Accessories must be genetic since it’s obvious that the same character could not be using two different weapons at different points in the film.  Regardless, neither of these is the Ewok we received in this 2-pack.  It appears Hasbro confused Graak with Lumat for this release.  I guess we still need a Graak figure.  I don’t know.  I’m confused.  My nose is bleeding and I need a nap.

The two figures represent new Ewok body types.  Ewoks are in the one figure category where I am extremely forgiving when it comes to a lack of articulation.  Merely introducing even a small ball joint for knees would likely elongate the limb to be too long for the character.  Some later Ewok figures that used a taller body type were able to incorporate ball jointed elbows without disrupting the aesthetic, but this is on a case by case basis.  For the limbs, these figures have ball jointed shoulders and ankles with swivel wrists and hips.  Knees and elbows are not in the cards and I’m not sure Hasbro could have effectively incorporated them into the tiny form factor.  This means the interaction with the accessories is limited.  There is no way Graak could hold the bow in one hand and draw back the string with the other.  Romba can only hold the spear across its body and can’t point it at an enemy. 

The fact that there are two figures in the package alone mitigates the understandable lack of articulation, but there are other factors that benefit these figures.  Romba has a working removable knife sheath attached to the figure’s belt.  Executing this feature on such a tiny accessory is impressive.  Graak features a working quiver attached to the cowl complex.  The figure comes with three arrows that neatly tuck into the quiver.  Since the figure can’t draw back on the bow, Hasbro could have easily made this a static sculpted component,  All of these factors converge on a score of 8 out of 10 for this two-pack. The secondary market supply on these figures is quickly drying up, so if you are still in need of these two little guys, don’t delay.

Updated review by Bret, 11/5/19.

I’m glad Chris covered the Ewok naming confusion, because I have neither the time, nor the inclination, to explain it.  Also, I don’t understand most of it myself.  I just went by Wookieepedia, and the best I could come up with is that Romba was the one who cried when Nanta (“Corpsey”) died, and Graak, carrying a spear, and not a bow) was present when the heroes were netted.

Beyond that, we get a two pack of very well articulated and accessorized little Ewoks, so there’s almost nothing to complain about.  Hasbro went Endor happy from like 2010-2012, when we got tons of figures, multi-packs, exclusives, and vehicles from both the Forest moon as well as the orbital battle.  Endor is probably one of the top most fleshed out Scene Its out there.  This two-pack is a winner.

* Bantha Skull is compensated for any purchases made through these Ebay links.
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