In this episode of Those Old Fossils, Palitoy Pete, Martin, Dan and Jez are joined by Mark Andrews from Variant Villains turn their attention to two 1984 releases from the vintage Return of the Jedi line — the mighty Rancor and the Rancor Keeper.

The Rancor is one of the most distinctive and visually impressive creatures in the vintage Star Wars range, and the team explore why it has remained a popular piece for collectors more than forty years later. From childhood memories and play value to loose and boxed collecting, this episode is a celebration of one of Kenner’s most memorable creature releases.

Naturally, the conversation also turns to the Rancor Keeper. While the character is an essential part of Jabba’s palace, the figure itself has never exactly enjoyed the same legendary status as the beast it serves. The Fossils discuss whether this chunky fella deserves a little more appreciation than it usually receives.

Ron Salvatore from the SWCA returns with another fascinating segment, sharing his insights into the history and significance of both releases within the wider world of vintage Star Wars collecting.

Whether you’re a lifelong Rancor fan, or simply enjoy hearing vintage Star Wars enthusiasts debate the highs and lows of the Kenner line, this episode is packed with nostalgia, collecting chat, expert insight, and plenty of good-humoured Fossils discussion.

Following on from last years Committee on the First 12 action figures, the Committee returns to debate the final wave of vintage Star Wars action figures- the legendary Last 17.

Stuart, Martin, Dan, Pete and Jez each pick their top ten from Kenner’s 1985 wave of Star Wars figures, discussing the strengths and weaknesses of every contender before Stuart reveals the official Generation Skywalker ranking.

Listen to the full debate and countdown.

Generation Skywalker returns with a deep dive into one of the most nostalgic Star Wars toy lines of the modern era – Hasbro’s Retro Collection!

Join Stuart and Dan as they look back at the entire Retro Collection range of 115 figures and counting, from its debut in 2019 through to the latest wave in 2026. Inspired by the vintage Kenner line, the Retro Collection has both delighted and frustrated collectors with vintage-style figures and card backs with a healthy dose of nostalgia—that hasn’t always hit the mark.

In this episode, we discuss the evolution of the line from its beginnings to today. Our favourite waves, figures and card backs. The releases we think Hasbro absolutely nailed as well as the figures, design choices and decisions that left us scratching our head. Plus where we’d love to see the line go next.

We also dip into the Generation Skywalker archives to revisit a segment from Craig Spivey, who takes a very dim view of the Retro Collection card backs. Craig tears into their terrible design, the awful faux wear, the nasty big red sticker and the incredible amount of unnecessary text crammed on to the reverse of the card back- in 26 different languages.

Whether you’ve been collecting since Wave 1 or are just discovering the Retro Collection, this episode is packed with nostalgia, opinions and plenty of Star Wars collecting chat.