Figure of the Day: Day 955: Darth Sidious

DARTH SIDIOUS Jedi vs. Darth Sidious
The Saga Collection Battle Packs
Item No.: Asst. 87503 No. 87196
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, additional figures
Action Feature: Push Figure Down for Lightsaber Slashing Action
Retail: $19.99
Availability: 2006-present
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: Here, in a lavish Senatorial office atop one of the tallest buildings on Coruscant, the endgame of the conflict between Sith and Jedi begins. Revealed as a Dark Lord of the Sith, Chancellor Palpatine vaults across his desk with the uncanny speed of a master in the Force, his lightsaber blazing to life. Its blade carries the swift death of no less than three Jedi. Even the great Mace Windu will be fought to a standstill in this, the first battle in a conflict that will end with the extermination of the Jedi. (Taken from the figure's box.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' desk.

Commentary: This Darth Sidious has been through a few releases-- the basic body started life in 2005 as a figure with a hand that had a dedicated lightsaber, either in red or blue. The 2006 release (this one) dropped one of the swappable heads and gave the figure a removable lightsaber plus new hands. The 2007 release (Order 66) comes with the other head and a soft goods cloak. So they're all "just different enough to make you mad."

This one is actually pretty nice. The "evil" head is included, and is easily removed as the figure's first release had two different heads. The right hand also pops out for the same reason. Only articulated at the neck, shoulders, wrists, and elbows, it's essentially a statue. It's nice that he can swing his weapon, but eh, it is what it is-- a pretty good plaything, but it can't sit. Basically, the only reason you will want this figure is for it to fight your Jedi toys, otherwise it's a pretty dull plaything. It's an acceptable display piece, to say the least, as you can use it to "knight" Darth Vader. He's freaking ugly, so he'll do the trick just fine. Since there are multiple versions, and this Battle Pack comes with other figures you probably own once or twice over, I wouldn't suggest you go track this one down unless you're pretty hardcore about your Palpatine collection.

Collector's Notes: This is one of those figures that walks the line of "variant" and "new figure." This basic body has been used for three major releases, plus there's a lightsaber variant on one of those. This exact version, though, has come back a couple of times so you shouldn't have a problem getting one.

Day 955: February 10, 2009