Action Figure Overview: Star Wars - Ugnaught (Kenner, 1981)

Star Wars Ugnaught action figure (Kenner, 1981)

The original 12 Kenner Star Wars figures from the 1970s changed the toy industry.  They were awesome and I still like every single one.  But the problem with having a popular toy line based on a movie is there are only so many characters from the movie that can be released.  After action figures had been made of the main characters, Kenner started looking at alternate costumes and background characters.  In my opinion, there really wasn't a single bad action figure from the first Star Wars movie, but we weren't as lucky with Empire Strikes Back.

In Star Wars Lore, the Ugnaughts species 
were scattered across the universe.

We did get some great figures in later waves. The extremely cool Imperial Tie Fighter Pilot was the last action figure from The Empire Strikes Back a couple of years after the first wave came out.  Also, the two bounty hunters, 4-LOM and Zuckuss were only in the movie for a few seconds and didn't really do anything, so they weren't at the top of Kenner's list, but when they finally did come out, they made great action figures!  On the other hand, my Ugnaught action figure didn't see much action.

Ugnaught on his way to work

As a kid, the Ugnaughts just seemed like very short, grumpy old men busily going about their daily work while the fate of the universe was being shaped around them.  I wanted all of the Star Wars figures back then and, although I didn't have them all, I did have an Ugnaught.  I'm not sure why I chose him over my other options, but maybe he was a gift or maybe there weren't any better figures the day that I got him.  Regardless, he hung around with my Star Wars figures, but mostly just stood in the background and didn't do much of anything.


My childhood Ugnaught
complete with hole in apron from dog bite!

The Ugnaught action figure came with a white toolkit accessory.  I used to think of it as a lunchbox.  I'm pretty sure that I referred to it as a lunchbox as soon as I got the figure.  Although the guns and lightsabers were obviously cooler accessories, this unique piece was a welcome accessory for my Star Wars figures because there could be anything in there!  Maybe it was a bomb, maybe it was secret documents that Han Solo had to steel from the Empire, maybe it was Luke's lunch.

Ugnaught with his tool kit / lunchbox

With The Mandalorian TV show featuring a likable Ugnaught character named "Kuiil," I wonder if people will start picking up the old figures to make customs?  So far, it seems like you can still find the vintage figures easily for under $10, but Kuiil has certainly made me re-think the desirability of Ugnaught action figures when I see them available for sale.

Did you have an Ugnaught action figure as a kid?  If so, what did you think of him?  Tell me in the comments below!

Also, If you collect toys, you should know about Toylanta, the best toy show in the Southeastern United States held annually in Georgia.  Visit Toylanta.com for more information.


CLICK HERE to check out the WeHadThat YouTube channel!


Comments

  1. dj BCDecember 26, 2020 at 7:19 PM

    Cool photos man! I never had one, but Mando customs are a great idea.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We Had ThatJanuary 11, 2021 at 10:23 PM

      I'd like to see a collection of vintage figures used to make custom figures from The Mandalorian!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MOTU Eternia Minis Review and Package Codes series 1 & 2 (Mattel, 2020)

Image
Masters of the Universe "Eternia Minis" (Mattel, 2020) Way back in 2014, Mattel released a series of Masters of the Universe mini figures.  They were sold in 2-packs and each pair came with a different piece of Castle Grayskull so if you bought all 6 packs, you could put together the castle!  I thought they were great, but they didn't sell all that well and ended up on clearance.  Fast forward to 2020, Mattel is trying again and this time, it seems like they're a hit! Original Masters of the Universe Minis 2-Packs from 2014 I'm glad they're back!  Even though those 2-packs offered my favorite figures, it's nice to be able to add more characters to my collection!  Also, although the 2014 figures may be better in the eyes of some collectors, I actually really like the bright colors of the new figures.  Sure, maybe the paint applications on the 2014 figures was a little better than on the new ones and many of the 2014 figures came with 2 accessories rather th
Read more

Action Figure Overview: Steel Monsters - Metal Face (Tonka, 1986)

Image
Steel Monsters: Metal Face (Tonka, 1986) With the release of Kenner's Star Wars figures in the late 1970s, the 3 3/4" action figures format became the industry standard for several years.  By 1986, it seemed like that was changing more and more.  Masters of the Universe had already had a hugely successful run with their larger scale figures and Kenner was wrapping up their awesome Super Powers line of slightly larger than 3 3/4" figures of our favorite DC characters that started in 1984.  Kenner was also on their second wave of the M.A.S.K. line of 2" figures.  Even though GI Joe was still one of the top toy lines in 1986 with their highly articulated 3 3/4" line of Real American Heroes, we were seeing a lot of other lines that featured taller figures such as Rambo, Inhumanoids, Chuck Noris Karate Kommandos, The Karate Kid, Sectaurs, and Marshall Bravestarr.  So it seemed a little behind-the-times when Tonka released the 3 3/4" Steel Monsters figures with 5
Read more

Phantom Starkiller: History and Future of The Cosmic Ghoul Warrior!

Image
Phantom Starkiller: The Cosmic Ghoul Warrior! Near the end of 2019, I picked up a few random Super7 ReAction figures which included an awesome yet mysterious green, skeletal creature.  After some quick research, I learned that he was called Phantom Starkiller!  At the time, I didn't look up much more than the name, but I did notice that there were several color variations of the figure.  Over the last few months, I had become more curious about this random mystery guy, so last week, I really started digging in and researching the history of this dude.  It turns out that the character first came into existence back in 2013 as a very limited run (25 pieces) custom figure created by Peter Goral under his "Killer Bootlegs" company. Phantom Starkiller (Super7 - 3rd Edition "Lich Green" 2019) In July of 2013, Killer Bootlegs released a San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) limited edition run of 25 "Phantom Starkiller: The Cosmic Space Ghoul Warrior" 3.75" action
Read more