Review: Star Wars Black Series Bib Fortuna, Return of the Jedi 40th Anniversary Series
- Mephitsu
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
“Die wanna wanga”
As Return of the Jedi celebrated its 40th Anniversary in 2023, Hasbro released a third set of Black Series anniversary figures from the original trilogy, carded rather than boxed, and using the original Kenner card artwork. The Return of the Jedi Anniversary series was spread over 3 waves, supplemented by further exclusive carded figures as well as a boxed pack of Jabba the Hutt.
Bib Fortuna had already been released in the mainline of the Black Series in 2022 but was revisited for the 40th Anniversary Series. Fortuna’s card back features the same image still and coloured backing panel as the original Kenner figure - and even includes the Kenner logo in its usual place. The only modern addition on the card front is the 40th Anniversary logo in the top left corner. Around the back of the card and there is a blended approach to the design with elements retained from the Kenner figures of 1983 but with the use of the modern Black Series logo as well as a checklist of the other 40th Anniversary figures, notably the other figures in this 2nd Wave of ROTJ Anniversary figures including the Stormtrooper, Paploo, Chewbacca, and Emperor Palpatine. As it was in 1983, the card cannot be opened without some level of damage, so it is aimed more at MOC collectors, although, as we will see the figure itself is a minor upgrade on the original 2022 release.
Bib Fortuna is naturally based on his scenes in Jabba’s Palace during the events of Return of the Jedi. He is wearing an overlapping layered grey robe cast in softer plastic which sits over the base of the figure itself cast in blue/turquoise coloured parts with grey inserted ‘armour’ around his midriff, and a lower softer plastic skirt that is inclusive of further armour panels. The arms extended out to fingerless gloves with painted skin tone and ywllowing nails, and a little further up the arm a pair of grey studded bracers.
The head is a strong likeness to actor Michael Carter in full make up including the twin head tails which extend from the rear of the skull and are curled around the shoulders, sitting on top of the grey-robed section. Bib Fortuna’s red eyes are evident beneath that overhanging twin-lobed brow with a thin red mouth picked out in facial printing tech application. The original figure was criticised over heavy handed blue wash on the face and lekku. This 40th Anniversary revisition dials this back considerably so that blue is a hinted hue only, and the result is a much more accurate Bib Fortuna for your display.
vs Galaxy Collection Release 2022 (right)
It is worth noting at this point that the outer grey robes are removable, and the blue/turquoise body beneath is fully coloured. It is very reflective in this shape of the original Kenner figure from 1983, often found without its robes and armour. The proportions here are a little skinny, and it does make the head look oversized, although this look is nothing more than nostalgia for collectors rather than any direct recreation of a screen-accurate look.
Bib Fortuna did not use a staff in the ROTJ scenes, but the Kenner figure did include one with a twisted shaft, and that was recently made canon in so much they featured it in Bib’s short-lived return in the end credits of The Mandalorian, Season 2. Hasbro chose not to include this in the original release of Fortuna, and despite setting a precedent by releasing a Kenner-inspired Admiral Ackbar with his Kenner baton, they have again chosen to leave the 40th Anniversary Bib without his staff for this nostalgic release. Instead, we get the same trio of cups that have done the rounds from the Cantina Bar scene in 2021 to their recent inclusion in the 2024 Momaw Nadon release. Each cup is slightly different in its design, with the largest featuring a sliver of decor where a black rim has been added. They fit into either of Bib’s hands if you do decide to use them for display.
Articulation on Fortuna is very much standard but is restricted heavily by his robes. There are 16 points in total, 8 of which are across the legs and include double-jointed knees, thanks to the parts being carried over from the Dryden Vos figure from Solo. These are limited in their movement thanks to the skirt and the outer robes. These legs also seem to be difficult to seat flat to the floor with Bib having a tendency to topple forward or backward. The arms are a standard combination of shoulder, single elbow and wrist pivot joints and work outward through a slit in the robes to be reasonably expressive, although that mainly uses the elbow and wrist with the shoulder having no where to go. The final joints at the head and torso allow some level of forward bowing motion, as seen when Bib addresses Jabba, but it is not as wide-ranging as we might like and is again held back by the robes.
While I appreciate that the 40th Anniversary releases are more around the nostalgia of the packaging than the figure itself, there are missed opportunities with this re-release of Bib that have been taken on other releases in the same programme. While the improved skin tone is a significant enhancement over the 2022 release, I’d have preferred the cups to have disappeared and for a Kenner-inspired staff to be included - as was done with Ackbar. There is also an argument still that Bib Fortuna’s robes should have featured a degree of soft goods inclusion, a hybrid solution like the recent Episode III Palpatine and something that was done to the Emperor figure in this same wave where the original plastic skirt was changed. Making a change to some level of soft goods for the outer robes would have assisted in the articulation and display of a figure who, in this current form, can do very little other than stand in a single position and move his arms around.
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About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...