Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,099: Marrok (The Black Series)

MARROK Nobody expects the Imperial inquisition
The Black Series 2023 Window Box Line Look Ahsoka Packaging
Item No.: Asst. E8908 No. F7111
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #08 - Star Wars: Ahsoka
Includes: Lightsaber, cape
Action Feature: Lightsaber has removable blades
Retail: $24.99
Availability: October 2023
Appearances: Star Wars: Ahsoka

Bio: Set after the fall of the Empire, Ahsoka follows former Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy. (Taken from the box packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

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Commentary: You can't trust a man what's made of gas, and Marrok is no exception. Maybe he's a man in armor who was powered by magic and exploded! Or maybe he was some sort of enchanted armor with no man. What we know is we didn't see much, a refreshing and odd mystery in an era of Star Wars where we're used to things being over-explained. The figure made it to shelves pretty quickly after the Ahsoka show aired and odds are we won't be seeing this ex-Inquisitor again. He has a familiar half-blade lightsaber that looks like the one Reva carried, he has a cloth cape, and he looks sort of like a classic knight in armor. The name Marrok also calls back to a knight of Arthurian tale with a warwilf connection. Dave Filoni strikes again.

To my eye, the character comes off as a spooky, rusty set of ghost armor like you saw on Scooby-Doo cartoons. Pop culture junkies more or less knew his deal without a word, just because the design is familiar enough that we almost instinctually know what the deal is here... despite not knowing it at all. The figure meets the typical milestones for a 6-inch figure, with a peg on his hilt to store behind his neck and the normal articulation. After smooth joints on many figures, this one is very stuff - you can feel a hard push with each stage of movement on his knees. I'm not crazy about it. But he is sturdy, he stands well, and he poses nicely. You can't complain about the range of movement on his elbows, but you can complain his hands are incredibly stiff and that this makes it difficult for him to hold his lightsaber, particularly with that obtrusive peg poking out the middle. It's just unpleasant accessory/figure interaction.

In terms of sculpting, the figure looks like what you saw on screen. The suit has some pointy shoulders, some Vader-esque armor lights, and has some nice dirt and rust. It looks like something that belongs in a museum. Given Hasbro probably had about zero idea what his deal was, this format captured his general vibe pretty well. He's just a quiet thug with a nice cape that hangs over his shoulder, in the background, and generally doesn't make a big fuss about things. A figure like this can be hard to nitpick in terms of sculpt given the lack of really good photos of the real costume, but it seems to match publicity photos well. The armored parts do seem a little light, and the plastic doesn't quite seem to have a hard metal look. The lighter gray seems to let a little light in, which sadly makes it look more like an action figure than a little replica.

If you liked the Fifth Brother, he's very much like that. He gets the job done, the peg on his lightsaber is just awful, the colors are mostly there, and he's a neat Imperial bad guy. Like so many figures, Hasbro did a good job with the expected level of articulation, but there's nothing here that takes it to the next level. Fans of this format should mostly enjoy how this figure was done, and the material used for the cape seems very good for the size. I'm also happy for fans of this particular costume - if Hasbro didn't have it out before we all saw the show, I assume he'd probably never be made as an action figure. This is why it's sometimes important to have stuff out before the series or movie, otherwise we'd never get a Zuvio.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,099: January 16, 2024