EMPEROR PALPATINE 1980 EditionThe Legacy Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87535 No. 87572
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #BD39
Includes: Lightsaber, cane
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: April 2009
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back
Bio: The Emperor contacts Darth Vader during the Sith Lord's pursuit of the Millennium Falcon. Palpatine warns Vader of a disturbance in the Force caused by the son of Anakin Skywalker. The Emperor commands Vader to turn the young Jedi to the dark side. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)
Image: Adam's desk.
Commentary: While requested by some fans, it's tough to think that a lot of adult collectors were sitting around going "Hey, you know what I wish we could get? That weird Emperor Palpatine from The Empire Strikes Back before they cast Ian McDiarmid." Hasbro, never one to miss out on a good opportunity, crafted the figure by sculpting a new head and grafting it onto the generally well-received "Evolutions" body from 2005. It basically works great, considering the original as-seen-on-screen character was a floating clear blue-tinted head in a hood.
So new head, super-articulated body... good right? Pretty much. The lightsaber was of course a bonus from Revenge of the Sith, and the head itself seems to be a hybrid of the Ian McDiarmid head and the weird effects one. The end result is pretty good, and the plastic sculpted hood looks significantly better than the cloth one previous incarnations of Palpatine has sported from 2005 until the present. If you don't have any super-articulated Emperor figures, this one is as good as (or better than) any-- the fact that it's inspired by a weird, now-excised design is a plus, and he just looks more freakish than I'm used to. I'd say go for it, consider the build-a-droid piece to be a delightful bonus.
Collector's Notes: This figure was one of the easier ones to find from his wave by virtue of him not being wildly popular-- they were all made in pretty much the same number. You might even be able to find this one still if you live near the right Wal-Mart or drug store. He is unlikely to be reissued, so get him if you can for cheap, as odds are he won't be going for much any time soon.
--Adam Pawlus
Day 1,257: April 8, 2010
Oddly enough, I only saw this guy once and I saw the rest of the wave many times!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a strange choice of figure to release. I was just commenting to my friend the other day how even though it’s based on the original “chimpanzee” eyes Emperor it still comes with a walking stick and lightsaber lol. Great breakdown, Adam!
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