Figure Of The Day: Day 75: Royal Guard

ROYAL GUARD Coruscant Sentry
Saga Collection Collection 2, Death Star Throne Room Battle Pack
Item No.: Asst. 84861 No. 84831; Asst. 85837 No. 85839
Number: 0219
Includes: Force pike, energy blast
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $4.99-$29.99
Availability: April 2002; Fall 2005
Appearances: Primarily Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith, and Return of the Jedi

Bio: Imperial Royal Guards are so highly trained in deadly arts that their chosen weapon is not a blaster but a vibro-active force pike, which they use with lightning swiftness to inflict precise and lethal wounds. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' old computer desk. He's standing on a P&P Products display stand.

Commentary: Few figures have caused as much ire as the Royal Guard. In 1983, Kenner released a nearly perfect version of the figure, and in 1997, they released a giant bowling pin remake. (Not so good.) This is the second modern attempt, and #3, released in 2005, was considered to be the best modern one. But we're talking about the 2002 release here, which has 8 points of articulation (about half of which are meaningful) with a force pike and an energy accessory. You can't get a lot of poses out of this guy, but he does look really good just standing there. By no means perfect, it's a cheap figure that is excellent for dioramas, and so far, little else. It can't sit or really move around all that much but at least it makes a nice display piece.

Collector's Notes: Originally released in 2002, it was repackaged in the 2005 Death Star Throne Room Battlepack without the nifty energy bolt. You should get the carded version as it has more accessories and is otherwise the same. This is the best modern Royal Guard with a Force Pike. The best Royal Guard in terms of overall sculpt and articulation is the Revenge of the Sith one, but he doesn't have the exciting pool cue we've all come to love.

Day 75: July 20, 2006