Since the holiday season of 1977, the year of the original Star Wars film’s release, kids and adults alike have been scrambling to collect all the characters and vehicles released in the iconic 3 ¾-inch action figure series from that point through 1985, and then from 1995 onward via new parent toy company Hasbro.
Now Hasbro has released– under the revived Kenner label and funded through its HasLab innovative crowdsourcing platform– its biggest Star Wars item to date in the 3 ¾-inch series: Jabba’s Sail Barge AKA the Khetanna from 1983’s Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. The Sail Barge stands at over a whopping 49 inches long (that’s more than four full feet), 14 inches wide, and 17 inches tall from its base to the top of the imposing orange fabric sails, and includes exclusive action figures of both Jabba the Hutt and bounty hunter Yak Face to help populate its vast interior.
Watch Jabba’s Sail Barge Khetanna HUGE Hasbro Star Wars toy unboxing / assembly / review:
As documented in the extended video above, I spent a full afternoon unboxing, assembling, and reviewing Jabba’s Sail Barge, checking out its many details, and just simply basking in its very existence. As a lifelong Star Wars fan, I have to say how cool it is that there’s enough demand four decades out from the original trilogy to produce toys on this scale. The Khetanna is breathtaking in its scope and even more remarkable to behold when you get your eyes down to the micro level.
When it comes to Star Wars action figures accessories, I’ve always been a bigger fan of playsets than vehicles, but Jabba’s Sail Barge counts as both, and is doubly as impressive because of it. The thing is almost as big as my couch and the top deck can hold dozens of characters along with its two rail cannons and one large-size mounted main cannon (remember Leia swiveling that thing around in the movie?)
But as cool as the outside of this vessel is, with its giant sails towering over the top deck and providing shade for its passengers, I didn’t really fall in love with this massive Khetanna toy until I opened up its five side panels and saw the interior. One could get lost in the details of the cockpit alone, which seats two action figures and features displays depicting Jabba’s Palace, the Great Pit of Carkoon (home of the notorious Sarlacc monster), and the Sail Barge itself.
My favorite aspect of the Khetanna’s interior, however, has to be the jail cell. A trap door from the above deck drops down into this dingy dungeon, which I was shocked and delighted to find holds the rotting corpse of an Ithorian, who must have been long locked away and forgotten by Jabba’s Gamorrean guards. The jail door manually slides open and closed to allow human hands access into the detention area of the ship.
The next compartment over is home to the Sail Barge’s galley and armory, where alien chefs can cook up odd-looking amphibians and skiff guards can store their various weaponry. There’s also steps leading up to the deck and hatches that swing open to allow movement around the craft.
Also near the armory, a smuggler’s hatch allows for storage of illicit goods or spices Jabba might want to keep concealed. Speaking of Jabba, his chamber is in the stern section of the giant barge, and the slimy gangster hides out back there on his dais, which can slide back and forth to “scan for shady denizens,” according to the playset’s instruction manual. There’s also a bas relief portrait of the Hutt surrounded by attentive female servants (taken right out of the background of a shot from Return of the Jedi) and bronze sculptures of a Gamorrean, an Ishi Tib, and a Rancor.
As for the two 3 ¾-inch scale action figures included with the set, neither has been completely unavailable before, but the updates of Jabba the Hutt and Saelt Marae AKA Yak Face are welcome, with both featuring better articulation and more detail than previous plastic depictions of the characters. Jabba can hold his microphone amplifier that he uses to address Luke Skywalker and Yak Face is accompanied by his staff and a Power of the Force collectors’ coin.
All told, Jabba’s Sail Barge from Hasbro/Kenner is undeniably an extravagance. It cost a lot of money (roughly $500) to preorder the playset on HasLab’s crowdsourcing website and takes up an enormous amount of space. But it is also indisputably cool, and will obviously become a great conversation piece for any Star Wars fan who has it on display in their collection. I can see it selling for well upwards of a thousand dollars at comic conventions in the near future, though it is about to become available again for the European market via eBay.
I can’t say enough complimentary things about the Khetanna, so I’ll give my only real criticism: I wish there were more (or any, besides the ones on the main deck cannon) pegs on which to stand up action figures. As any toy collector knows, it can be tough getting those little guys to reliably strike a pose and not topple over from any minor nudge. It would have been nice to be able to create a thorough, authentic Jabba’s Sail Barge diorama without having to worry about the characters falling over from a nearby footstep.
Otherwise, however, this set is already a must-own for the most dedicated Star Wars fans, and will be highly sought after down the line as it becomes more rare and desirable over time. Years ago I retired from amassing 3 ¾-inch action figures from A Galaxy Far, Far Away and moved on to Hasbro’s six-inch Black Series line. But with the Khetanna in my possession, I’m going to be digging up some old toys to put inside this thing, not to mention probably getting some new ones as well.