Figure of the Day: Day 369: Commander Thire

COMMANDER THIRE Order 66
30th Anniversary Collection Target Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. 87357 No. 87358
Number: 1 of 6
Includes: Pistols, helmet, blaster (and Emperor Palpatine)
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: March 2007
Appearances: n/a

Bio: Emperor Palpatine is accompanied by the elite shock troopers, led by Commander Thire. The Emperor wields great power and seeks only those who are exceptionally loyal and strong for this elite unit. (Taken from the figure's box.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' TV tray.

Commentary: Let's get this out of the way: this is not how Commander Thire looked in the movie. In the movie, he was basically just a regular Shock Trooper, so that's why I'm glad they did something different for the figure that would go by the name Thire. You can go on calling a plain Shock Trooper "Thire" if you want, but for those seeking a little more variety in their clones (hah), this is a great one. Mostly. As you can see in the picture, the helmet doesn't quite fit perfectly-- this was a problem with the Evolutions mold on which this was based. The waistcoat features twin pistols and the gun is the new, thinner variety. In other words, this is basically a redeco of the Star Corps Trooper from those sets in 2005.

The articulation is good, but it's usually an empty gesture when Hasbro makes a figure basically super-articulated but includes an accessory or two (in this case, the waistcoat) that prevents the legs from moving. So if you cut off the coat, you can make use of the hips and knees to their fullest potential-- otherwise, they're blocked by the belt. It's a decent figure, especially with the helmet off, but be aware that those seeking perfection will not find it here. Again: it can't sit, and the helmet doesn't fit perfectly. Just keep that in mind before you spend $10 or whatever it goes for in your neck of the woods.

Collector's Notes: This was one of the less popular sets in the Order 66 2-packs, at least so far. The ones related to the 501st Legion tended to sell out first, with this set and the Obi-Wan/AT-RT set being the two slower sellers-- at least in some stores. Your mileage may vary. As it's a unique figure that looks decent, I still think it's worth getting-- it just isn't as good as it could be.

Day 369: May 10, 2007