Figure of the Day: Day 352: Officer Cass

OFFICER CASS Bureaucrat
The Saga Collection Diamond Exclusive
Item No.: No. 87268
Number: n/a
Includes: Imperial Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $39.99
Availability: January 2007
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: As a high-level communications officer, Cass is entrusted with the most sensitive information and communications between the Death Star and Imperial command. (Taken from the figure's box.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' TV tray.

Commentary: For years, fans have begged Hasbro for more Imperial officer action figures-- and it's quite surprising to see this one. Not because "Hasbro listened," but because Hasbro would produce a character that nobody could have possibly asked for like Officer Cass. He doesn't even have a real rank-- someone had to cop out and use "officer." Other figures in the set had a little more fame-- Darth Vader and Tarkin need no introduction. Tagge and Motti had lines in the movie. Bast had a hat. Even Colonel Wulff Yularen gained fame as a CCG character in the Decipher game from a few years ago. But Cass? Well, even the picture on the back of the box is grainy, pixel-prone, and essentially "crappy." But he got a figure-- that's no small feat given that since 1977, Kenner and Hasbro combined have only made about three Imperial Officer figures with a real name, and all of those were released in 1997-2000. (That is, until the Saga Collection gave us this box as well as Moff Jerjerrod and General Veers.) But enough of that-- how's the figure?

Officer Cass is a decent release. Given that it's hard to find a good, clear picture of his rank, it's not too surprising that the figure's pin isn't exactly 100% right. It's not like any but the most anal fans will notice (and yes, this is meant as a compliment.) The figure is a mishmash of the new and the old, with an all-new head, a retooled Moff Jerjerrod torso along with the Moff's arms and Admiral Ozzel's legs. So it's new enough, basically-- I come from the school that new head + new paint = new figure. This is easily the least exciting figure in the box just because, well, he has no real character to speak of. Sure, he may have been mentioned in the novelization, but unlike other Imperials he never really got a decent backstory. For example, the vast House of Tagge, or the whole (and arguably now worthless) Maw Installation. Still, this is a good enough figure-- your Stormtroopers need someone to order them around, and this grey suited old man is as good as any other.

Collector's Notes: This is the first and probably last figure based on this character. With this gift set, Hasbro essentially said "here's your damn officers, now shut up and leave us alone." Well, maybe not quite that harsh, but you get the idea. There are a few Imperial Officials that fans know by name left to do, like Commander Praji or Lieutenant Sheckil. The latter of which, of course, was an Imperial Officer played by Jeremy "Boba Fett" Bulloch in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo from The Empire Strikes Back.

Day 352: April 23, 2007