Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,171: Darth Maul (Deluxe, Cyborg, Epic Hero Series)

DARTH MAUL Cyborg Redeco - New Kids Line
Epic Hero Series Deluxe Walmart Exclusive Figure
Item No.: No. F9375
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, Armor, Spinny Lightsaber Energy
Action Feature: Lightsaber splits in two
Retail: $19.84
Availability: August 2024
Appearances: The Clone Wars
Bio: Darth Maul wields an intimidating double-bladed lightsaber and the power of the Dark Side. (Taken from the packaging)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Walmart now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Addendum: Walmart.com seems to have dropped the price by $7.  If your store has a price scanner (it doesn't) you should see if it got updated.

Commentary: I'm not going to beat around the bush here - is it possible Hasbro has been experimenting with price points to see if there's a figure that's too expensive to scalp? This Darth Maul figure is exclusive to Walmart and a wallet-shocking $19.84. One peg over, for the same price, is a two-pack of Bo-Katan and Moff Gideon with bonus weapons for the exact same price. (How people are selling them for $19.90 shipping on eBay, I don't know, I can only assume the seller somehow got them for free.) A normal Maul costs $8 or $10, so you're being charged for a 2-part spinny energy thing and an unpainted piece of clamp-on armor. It's so expensive that I want to believe that the prices were an administrative error, that someone put a wrong number on a spreadsheet because there is no way this is worth more than a typical The Vintage Collection figure and certainly isn't worth as much as 2.5 basic carded figures.

 I'm going to start the review by saying "wait for clearance or a sale." I think this is an incredibly clever figure - it takes some shortcuts that for the price are unacceptable, but in the form factor, are charming in a 1990s Kenner way. I hate what I paid for this figure, but I am delighted by the item, which I am sure is causing some of you to read this and go "so why are you so cranky?" Yeah, that also bothers me, but this is who I am after writing about toys on the internet for 29 years.

The core figure is the same as the basic Darth Maul figure from last week. They molded the limbs in pink and painted the boots and gloves to more closely resemble (but miss the mark on) Order 66 Maul figures [FOTD #2,858]. At this price - here we go again - it should be a whole new mold, the budget is there and a repaint with a new shorter "skirt" piece is insufficient for the asking price. But if this thing were $12.99, the same as other deluxe figures in the line right now? I would chuckle and say "it's probably fun enough to be worth running out to get." Heck, it's possible the pricing hike was intentional to see how popular characters sell for the holidays. Maul is at least a recognizable, and I turn gray saying this, classic part of Star Wars.

The figure's range of motion is identical to the last figure - 5 joints - but he is a little more dynamic thanks to his accessory. Similar to the spinning things we saw for some kid-focused figures in the early to mid 2010s, you get some red Lightsaber energy whooshes that spin fairly well. It's a good accessory, but compared to what you got with Boba Fett or Paz Vizsla, it's pretty slight. The blade snaps in, and you're off to the races.

The figure also includes a snap-on piece of very Kennerian, Savage Oppr-esque armor. It's about as convincing as the Quick Change Batman chests, but it does give the figure some visual heft and I appreciat that because the painted-on triple belt doesn't look terribly convincing. In many respects, the figure is representative of the line as a whole with more recycled parts and fewer new characters, and great head sculpts. It's goofy fun, and it will be interesting to see if we get other characters oddly painted to pretend it's a new and different outfit. It may not draw any new converts to the brand, but I can tell you right now that I'll have more fun playing with and complaining about this figure than almost any collector-level toy in 2024, and that's kind of concerning in a very different way.

Nothing about this seems like a 21st century toy. A retooled skirt with the belt hastily painted on? Painting sleeves and boots and not giving him the specific armor, gloves, or chest at a massive mark-up? For such a major character it's a bold strategy, Cotton. Let's see if it pays off for them. 

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Walmart. I had to say, in front of my wife the first time I saw it, "That's... an absolutely terrible price. This is going to be on clearance before Christmas. Nobody's going to buy this." as I took it to the register so I could write about it and play with it. This is a disease now, right?

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,171: September 12, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,169: Darth Maul (Movie Version, Epic Hero Series)

DARTH MAUL New Kids Line
Epic Hero Series Basic Figure
Item No.: Asst. F9405 No. G0142
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber
Action Feature: Lightsaber splits in two
Retail: $7.99
Availability: July 2024
Appearances: The Phantom Menace
Bio: An agile Sith Lord, sinister Darth Maul wielded an intimidating double-bladed lightsaber and the power of the Dark Side. (Taken from the packaging)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: There are good figures. There are amazing figures. There are figures that by all measures are not very good. But Darth Maul is on the happy side of good, with a side of being priced well for a modern figure (when compared to older figures at their time of release.) You won't be blown away, but it's a good figure of a popular character a a price that's somewhere between "about right" and "hey have you seen The Vintage Collection-esque figures Spin Master is doing for Batman collectors now that cost less money?" I assume we're probably dealing with the realities of Hasbro having to pay Lucasfilm having to pay Disney, with factories specific to the House of Mouse and able to charge accordingly. This is not a bad figure. This isn't a bad figure for the price - especially if you see it for $7.99. The only thing I don't like about this figure is I have several Darth Maul figures, in this costume, that are of a similar quality and cost me a similar (or lower) price.

Darth Maul is one of those characters that came back from certain death and keeps reappearing to put out story hooks to use him again. Will we ever see his post-Solo machinations, pre-Rebels, on a show? Can we see more of what he did after the Empire caught him during Order 66? He's also one of few characters to be successfully recast, at least as his voice goes, to the point where they may as well dub over The Phantom Menace again. This is a popular character in a recognizable outfit, so the question isn't "will collectors buy him again?" but rather "are there enough fans out there that just want an $8-$10 Maul?" and the answer is probably going to be "yes." Fans love to hate him, and he should probably be kept in regular rotation as a toy.

This version is good. Obviously he's a little taller than the 3 3/4-inch scale ones, as Epic Hero Series is (for reasons I do not understand) 4-inch scale. The head is ball-jointed, allowing him to look in all directions. The horns are pointy enough, painted well, and on a head with a great facial expression. If you put your fingers on the horns, they feel sufficiently pointy and far pointier than I'd expect. The paint masks for his facial tattoos are also perfectly good, and arguably better than a lot of collector figures. He has a fantastic sneer, and I have no notes. For a kid line, this is a good noggin. For a collector line, it is also a good noggin.

The body is fine. Epic Hero Series seems to be going for limited functionality, so the "skirt" - while nicely sculpted - does get in the way of him seating. It's unlikely they're planning for this specific figure to be used with a vehicle (if they are, $50 says a new figure will be bundled with it) so all you need to be concerned with is "do the hips move enough so he can stay standing" and that's a solid "yes." The arms swivel freely, and there are no wrist joints. I wish there were, mostly because a lot of his personality (and indeed his whole deal) is swinging around a giant double-bladed lightsaber. He can hold it in either hand, and they were smart to make one of the hands posed at an angle so he look like he can fight with it. But this is not a figure that's meant to be expertly posed - you just put him on your table, and he stands. No fuss, no muss, no fighting to find a center of gravity. I'm arguably jealous that the kid line seems to function better than the collector stuff - this figure has been on my desk for weeks without face-planting.

My complaint about this figure - indeed, this is my complaint about all figures - is "where are his buddies?" Maul is cool, but action figure purchases should beget other figure purchases. This Maul has no other The Phantom Menace figures on the market to join him today, there's no retailer 3-pack with Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan, he is here by himself as either a token anniversary item (happy 25th, Episode I) or just as a cool character in the attempt to never, ever make weirdo tertiary guys ever again. I like what Hasbro did here. The figure itself doesn't have or need a lot of painted detail, so the sculpted robes and big boots all look superb. The pose is good, the lightsaber is great - but, I should note, the hilt's buttons are not painted. I don't think he's any worse off for it, bur it is worth noting previous figures did have those elements for many of the releases. It splits in half, and that's way more fun.

You don't need a new Maul figure. But if you want one, I can recommend this one highly. While he only has five joints, he makes them count and the general design of the figure is on the happy side of "good." I recommend this line to new fans because they're sturdy, solid figures in the tradition of some of Kenner's finest work. I have no reason to challenge Hasbro to try again, and this would be a great place for a new fan to try out action figures.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,169: September 5, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,130: Darth Maul (The Retro Collection)

DARTH MAUL Just The Way He Was Never Intended!
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Target 6-Pack
Item No.: No. G0370
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, plus Battle Droid, Qui-Gon Jinn, Queen Amidala, Jar Jar Binks, and Obi-Wan Kenobi
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $59.99
Availability: March 2024
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection is inspired by 1970s Star Wars figures and features original figure design and detailing! Continue your collection from the galaxy far, far away! (Stolen from the marketing copy. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: A few years ago I was pondering if Kenner-flavored prequel figures would be cool, and now we've got Darth Maul just before the 25th anniversary of The Phantom Menace He was the first one I'd want to see in this style - but Diamond Select Toys made a Jumbo 12-inch Kenner figure too... and I think they designed it better. Diamond's had sharper detailing, a better head, a vinyl cape, but had a not-so-retro lightsaber with a silver hilt. Hasbro opted to make soft details with very few painted tattoo markings, a different pose, and arms that were, sadly, too big to fit in the Sith Infiltrator vehicle we got about 18 years ago.

If there's one thing that's increasingly clear to me about Retro figures, is that they would be massively popular if these things could be released before the movie or TV show. With rough details, they would be the ultimate "sneak preview" figures. If they're off-model or generally wrong? That's OK.

Maul is a really tough nut to crack for true Kenner styling - after all, what do you emphasize? Do you pretend it's pre-1977 and give him early details like a vinyl cape or telescoping lightsaber? Or do you pretend Kenner never stopped doing Kenner-style figures, and make something that may look more like a 1990s release? This figure doesn't seem to hit any specific era with its massive 1980-style lightsaber hilt with two blades, the pre-1984 clean cut slice in the pants without any flowing fabric detail, and a head that has horns that somehow look better than the 1999 figure and facial tattoos that, I must say, don't do it for me. It's pretty close, but I don't know how Kenner would have done either the face or the make-up. It's just a lot more red and a lot less sharp angles than I expected.

In terms of functionality, it's pretty great - the aforementioned Sith Infiltrator ship from Hasbro has a few quirks and a small cockpit that was designed around jointed knees and smaller arms, so this one can sit in it - but you can't close the cockpit. He can sit, though, so break out the mini-rigs because his range of motion is excellent and he doesn't have any obstructions. They did a good job there, and he can holt the lightsaber better than most real Kenner figures. His pose is also pretty great, with a right hand slightly rotated to give him a slightly more dynamic shelf presence than most modern Hasbro incarnations of Kenner sculpts. I think they got that completely right.

He's also rather tall - Liam Neeson's a big dude and so are his figures, but Ray Park is a little short. Their Retro figures are about the same size. That seems like an OG Kenner move, were there wasn't a massive rift between the shorties and the Wookiees like we get with modern figures.

I'm less enamored with the actual robe sculpting - it seems unfinished, and is missing a certain sense of the weight or detail of an actual old figure. I would love grooves on the face for the tattoos (Klaatu had some real texture), and a chest that has some better layering. I'm not saying I could do any better, but it would be nice to have the lower torso area a smidgen more rounded so the legs swing forward more easily. It's good, but it could be just barely better - or, most fans won't notice and won't care because they will never open this one. But we will. I love how it feels as a toy - all the parts move more or less as expected and it feels like something you believe could have existed in the past.

As a bundle I assume this set is going to be destined for a sale unless the run was particularly low - that's no criticism of the set, I just don't think people going to Target are going to see a weird block box with no visible figures and drop $60 unless they are big believers in the format. I bought it at full price because I want to see more of these, and Hasbro's not making too many figures per year and the prices are generally on the fair side. Collector's Notes: I got my set from Target. It was in a pile of stuff on the "Collectibles" shelves without any real indication as to where it should have been.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,130: May 2, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,998: Darth Maul (The Black Series)

DARTH MAUL Cyborg
The Black Series 2020 Line Look Yellow The Clone Wars Packaging
Item No.: Asst. E8908 No. F4356
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #11 - The Clone Wars
Includes: Two-piece lightsaber hilt with two removable blades
Action Feature: Connecting lightsaber parts
Retail: $24.99
Availability: December 2022
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: A deadly, agile Sith Lord, Darth Maul was a formidable warrior and scheming mastermind. He wielded an intimidating double-bladed lightsaber and fought with a menacing ferocity (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: This is a real good 6-inch figure too. Darth Maul has no nomenclature on-pack to identify him as "Cyborg" or "Mandalore" or other outfit-specifc wording, but it's good. With this line in particular I get cranky if anything is under a pretty high bar lately, and Maul hits the high marks. The character made the jump from live-action character to reborn animated cyborg to live-action-ish action figure surprisingly well! There were plenty of places Hasbro could have cheaped out, and they didn't seem to here. It's the rare $25 figure where you can fuss with it and go "OK yeah this is worth it." This is a figure with personality to spare!

The lightsaber is made of his old weapon and new parts, and you can pop the halves together. He has no problems holding it, and the design is much like the character - part of it is what you remember, and part of it was cobbled together parts from his Jedi-related on-the-job injuries. There are some nice painted details on the silver hilt, and while there could be more it's not like I'd notice at that size. I got some black grip spots and red buttons, I'm happy. The "old half" has a little peg on it that fits in a slot on his belt quite nicely. The other half has a protrusion but I don't think it goes anywhere in particular.

Maul turned out great, starting with a new head with pointier spikes and a fantastic sneer on his mug! The eyes and horns are mostly painted very well, and his squint is just dynamite. I'd probably have been happy re-rebuying a regular Maul again if it had this much personality in his face, and thankfully, I was not asked to do this. He has a bare, partially painted chest set inside a plastic vest covering up the unpainted spots. Economical! He's ripped and the costume is no slouch either, with cyborg buttons on his belt painted in blue and yellow, evoking the look of Darth Vader. The shoulder armor is connected to the arms, so he has no problems moving and looking pretty good in any pose, with an easy-to-find center of gravity.

I love the gloves and their silver painted straps, I dig the robot legs, and the dangling part of his vest just looks awesome and won't get in the way of most poses. The elbows and wrists have a great range of movement, and much like the 3 3/4-inch version of this same outfit it's an exceptionally nicely-sculpted figure. I should also note that the multi-part neck is great, jointed in just the right places to let you change his mood based on how he tilts his head. Now I have to sit back and wait and hope they do Old Man Maul from Rebels in this format down the road, but if they never do? I'm happy with this figure. This is the best Maul in this size and one of the best Maul toys period. Snag it if you see it at retail... maybe even a few bucks higher.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,998: January 26, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,858: Darth Maul (Mandalore, The Vintage Collection)

DARTH MAUL (Mandalore)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. E7763 No. F1892
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #201
Includes: 2 lightsabers
Action Feature: Lightsabers can connect
Retail: $13.99
Availability: July 2021
Appearances: The Clone Wars
Bio: Darth Maul orchestrated the siege of Mandalore as a means to draw Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi to him with plans to kill Skywalker, depriving Darth Sidious of his new apprentice (Taken from marketing copy. There is no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: While Hasbro gives us precious few 100% new The Vintage Collection figures, they're largely all excellent. Darth Maul (Mandalore) is new parts. He's also the second figure of Maul in this costume - we got a 5-jointed one during the Mission Series 2-pack line, which involved 5-jointed figures, in two packs, for $10 each. And you monsters didn't support them nearly as well, thus giving the market the impression that what you only wanted was vintage, so this is the line we have today - and it's good when it hits right. On the bright side this is one of Hasbro's best figures!

I would love to say this is the best Vintage Maul ever, but unfortunately Hasbro made a remarkable one back in 2012 complete with robes, a plastic hood, and macrobinoculars - and it was cheaper. What a difference a decade can make! Of course, this new one is no slouch with better paints, better articulation, and of course robot legs. He has thigh swivels, bend-and-swivel wrists and hips, and his vest is a separately molded piece of plastic. Wow! The face paint is vibrant and expressive, arguably the very best we've seen so far in this size. The horns are painted well, the chest is done perfectly, the belt looks good, the robes don't get in the way of his leg movement, and the gloves seem excellent too. He's not too skinny and he's not too bulky.

With 27 points of articulation, The Black Series fans will no doubt be jealous of this 3 3/4-inch release complete with two-part lightsaber. It's amazing just how far Hasbro has come (and equally amazing how old the reissued figures look) when you pick up Maul and see more articulation than ever without visible pins. Remember pins? Action figures used to be lousy with pins. Getting him to balance may take a tiny bit of effort - the hips on mine were a little weird - but you can swing arms forward and help him balance without too much fuss.

You have to get this one. I don't care if you don't like the prequels or cartoons, this is a superb figure and it was done nicely. I hope Hasbro follows him up with the Solo Maul in a few years, just to see if they can push toy tech further. It's wonderful to see Hasbro find ways to make a $14 figure look impressive despite having fewer accessories, and with rampant inflation in the toy business I have to say I'm a little surprised that this is better than just about any other Hasbro Darth Maul I've seen so far. I hope we see more The Clone Wars figures in this style, because now that Hasbro can make utterly stunning little masterpieces, why stop here?

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,858: September 23, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,830: Darth Maul (Sith Apprentice, The Black Series 6-Inch)

DARTH MAUL (Sith Apprentice)
The Black Series Publishing - Shared Exclusive
Item No.: No. F2814
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.99
Availability: May 2021
Appearances: Dark Horse Comics

Bio: Darth Sidious' apprentice and enforcer Darth Maul has cut his way through the ranks of the galactic crime syndicate Black Sun to take on the pinnacle of their organization. (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: Seemingly the most popular of the batch by far, Darth Maul (Sith Apprentice) is a figure that keeps getting revisited - Hasbro did a deluxe one for Power of the Jedi and a super-articulated one in its Evolutions packs. It sells! You can count on it. They should probably take the 3 3/4-inch one and slap it on a Vintage card. It'll sell. This 2021 release is nowhere near that simple - it shares a few parts with the 2013 figure, but so much of it is new!

This is one of those figures you could probably hand someone to get them started buying the line. They'd probably roll their eyes over topless Darth Maul, packaged in a quasi-hardcover book box - but the joints are incredible, the personality is strong, and the paint job is really good too. I'm not going to waste time nitpicking the body art design, because it's certainly good enough and the superior construction is worth praising until this one is one-upped some day. I would recommend buying this one, and buying extras as gifts for any collector-curious friends you may have. It's right up there with this year's Asajj Ventress as one of the very best. Do not miss it. Do not dawdle. Just go buy it if you can find it for a fair price.

Hasbro used 2013 Maul's legs, but even those are retooled - unlike many other figures, they show new copyright information and new SKUs or other numbers stamped on them. They still feature the same double-jointed knees as the original, and are effectively the same parts. Despite the differences, they're functionally the same and you're not going to find a lot to fawn over here as being new. The Lightsaber is also reused, but painted silver - and it's tighter. At first I wasn't sure if it was glued together or not, but it is possible to split it apart. It's a very good accessory.

The rest of him is new - and I was surprised. I'd love to know if there are plans for those new parts, because shirtless Kylo Ren seems like a great exclusive even if it is kind of a gag idea. Hasbro's new Darth Maul torso has a great ab-crunch joint, the new-style arms with superior cuts in the elbows and the extra joints in the shoulders, and great hands that have zero problems gripping the lightsaber. It absolutely could be used and reused again on other releases, and you'd like it. It's just that good. The paint job may not be as exciting, as I have heard complaints that Darth Maul's hands (on the figure) lacked the ink he seems to sport in the comics. Given that his face's marks are never really consistent from figure to figure, I assume any comic or cartoon art is also subject to artistic interpretation so I don't poo-poo the figure for not being 100% perfect to the other interpretations. There's no movie for it to perfectly match, and 2D art tends to evolve over time. It may not be exactly what you want, but it's good enough. And it's selling well.

The "skirt" pieces are new, but seem to draw inspiration from the 2013 model. Everything is different, but there's still a hole to hang the lightsaber hilt. The cloth elements are gone, with the sides being more open and the front being covered by a hanging plastic piece. The folds are also different from the 2013 figure, so it doesn't look like they just altered an existing digital sculpt - they did a lot of work here.

Of course, the real work comes in the all-new head, with much-improved head spike deco, gritty teeth, more determined eyes, and more consistent coloring in his facial markings. I am not necessarily saying it's perfect - my sample had some red on the horns - but for the asking price, it's some of the very best Hasbro has ever given us. I love the angry face, the extra neck articulation is a real bonus too. These 6-inch figures usually have wonderful sculpts, but rarely a lot of personality. Darth Maul makes up from eight years of figures that are just trying to look their best on picture day with the most determined head the line has given us so far, and Hasbro deserves credit for giving us a figure that looks like he has something to say.

At this point I'm just a broken record, but I'd say it's worth your while to snap this one up before it goes off the market. It's a good figure and the kind of thing new fans will discover down the road and go "Dang, I wish I didn't miss that." Just go get one for $25 if you can find one for sale. Or buy two, so you have one to trade later. Someone who isn't you will be glad that you did.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,830: June 22, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,480: Darth Maul (Solo: A Star Wars Story Line Look)

DARTH MAUL with Qui-Gon Jinn
Solo: A Star Wars Story Force Link 2.0 Two-Pack
Item No.: Asst. E0324  No. E1687
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, split lightsaber, bracelet, stand, droid, cloak, 2 figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: April 2018
Appearances: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

Bio: Maul was a Dathomirian Zabrak male who lived during the waning days of the Galactic Republic and the reign of the Galactic Empire.  (Taken from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  There have been no shortage of Darth Maul action figures since 1999.  We tend to get a new one every year or two, often with new features or functions thanks to his appearances on the cartoons.   While we got a super-articulated figure loaded with joints and accessories in 2012, this one is probably better just in terms of how it looks.  You can't do crazy fight poses, but it offers a surprisingly good amount of play with little filler.

First thing is first - the Sith Probe Droid is awesome, and its stand is not.  Hasbro and Lucasfilm can't keep their logos straight, as the base features a "Legends" logo from an ancient Sith Empire and not the Sith symbol used in the actual movies.  This sort of thing happened a lot with Republic and Empire logos, and it's not unique to Star Wars - this Transformers sign got approved with minimal research.  The stand won't make or break the figure, but it's always a little painful to see this kind of thing get approved when you've got scores of people at the company crowing about what big fans they all are at conventions.  This sort of thing shouldn't happen - but it's functional, and the droid is cool.

Darth Maul has 7 points of articulation and the most clever cloak I've seen on a Maul yet.  It's a tight fit and splits down the middle, sliding over the arms and closing tightly enough to look like it's zipped up.  Hasbro did a killer job here - the elbows on the figure can rotate so he can be posed while wearing the rubbery accessory, too.   It fits his head perfectly, and doesn't hang strangely like the cloth ones often do.   I love the snap-on droid controller bracelet, the lightsaber splits down the middle, and it's almost the best Darth Maul you could ever hope to get.  Someone will prove me wrong some day, but for now this is one of the best tricked-out Mauls since the accessory pack in 1999 plussed up that first Jedi Duel version.

The core figure itself has a great sculpt with a sharp design for the head.  Everything seems to fit in place, and he can hold the lightsaber with both hands out in front of him - a rare feat.      There's not a lot you can do to improve on the design, so subtle things like painting all the horns and adding texture to the robes goes a long way to making a ho-hum core character remake into something essential.  Obviously you don't need another Darth Maul, but if you're getting this set for Qui-Gon this is a fantastic Maul to get.  He can swing his legs forward, the arms move nicely, and everything looks good - short of the lack of a waist joint, this feels like the kind of improvement I would have expected from Hasbro at this point in the toy line's life.  Except for the droid stand. I don't think any of us could have seen that coming.

Force Link 2.0 Notes: After a firmware update, a soundalike says:  "I challenge you - one warrior to another."  "At last we will have our revenge."     "I have been waiting for you."    "Grrr."  "I will make you share my pain."    "You will not stand in my way. "  The droid has no chip.  I'm honestly quite disappointed that he and a bevy of others have sound-alikes, and not even quotes from the movie.  After the firmware update, at least it generally works.  Any app functionality does not seem to work with my iPad at this time - it crashes.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,480: May 9, 2018

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,364: Darth Maul (The Force Awakens 6-Inch Value Figures)

DARTH MAUL Titan Guardians-Esque
The Force Awakens "Dollar Store" 6-Inch Figure
Item No.: Asst. B3946 No. B9892
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 2 hilts, 2 blades
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.00
Availability: December 2016
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio:  A powerful and ferocious Sith Lord warrior trained by Darth Sidious, Darth Maul wields an intimidating double-sided lightsaber.. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Commentary:  It's kind of amazing that the biggest legacy of The Phantom Menace is the character with the least dialogue.   Darth Maul is pretty much the only aspect of that movie to survive mostly unscathed, which is impressive given his bisection at the film's climax.   He looked cool, and dammit he needed to - the Jedi heroes were largely bores, everybody seemed to wear gowns, long coats, and robes, and the movie's centerpiece was a race that gives new meaning to "show-stopping."   Fans latched on to Maul, and naturally he had to go - but he's been resurrected a few times, becoming the prequel era's Boba Fett.  Maul even came back in The Clone Wars giving him an arc that brought him in to Rebels - but most of the toys still center around The Phantom Menace, including this "value" 6-inch action figure.  It's basically the same size and proportions as The Black Series release with less articulation, no soft goods, and a preposterously cheaper price point.  Seriously, $6.  $6!

It'll be a great stand-in for your 6-inch figure shelf if you missed the 2013 super-articulated Maul - or if you want to display that figure with his full robes and hooded head, and want an alternate costume version hanging around.   As far as I can tell this sculpt isn't the same as the other ones, which is nifty given how many figures seem to be derived from the same digital sculpts these days.  The figure has a decent Ray Park head and amazing robe textures, plus slick black boots.   Courtesy of his oh-so-black duds, glossy black paint has been added to his boots, gloves, and belt to add some level of contrast in a sea of darkness.  The arms, neck, and waist rotate freely and both hands have no problems gripping his lightsaber - combined, or halved.  I love how he stands with no problems, making him an ideal desk figure.

Maul has the fanciest weapon of the format - the lightsaber is completely unpainted but splits in two with removable blades.  This is fancy - fancier than many of the 1999 Maul figures, at a fraction of the price.  The only place he comes up short is deco.  The heads of every sample I see have a little red "ding" on his nose which looks weird, and I'll probably touch up with a black marker after this review.  The horns are only partially painted - the front ones are, but the ones on the back of his head were left unpainted to keep costs down.  The lightsaber's hilt is also completely grey, which was unusual for Hasbro.  Maul figures usually have red or black buttons and switches on the hilt to add some color to the otherwise bland silver pole.  This one isn't silver, but grey.  You might want to paint it.

I got my money's worth - it's a nice figure for the price, offering a worthwhile size and just enough detail to not be terrible.  The plastic quality feels like a plussed up McDonalds toy, but I'm fine not having to necessarily eat the food.  (More time to go to Lenny's.)   Based on the Disney-era figures, I assume we'll likely never see a figure from The Phantom Menace for Maul to fight.  If we do, it'd probably be Qui-Gon Jinn but I sincerely doubt it'd be soon or ever.  If you stumble on this one at $6 or $7, get it - I've seen so few since its release last year that I don't know if we'll see a ton more.   Maybe you're luckier than I am, but I rarely see these up for sale on eBay or Amazon either.  It's one of those weird little Hasbro figure items that you don't know and don't care that you don't have.

Collector's Notes: I got mine at a Big Lots last year - she shipped with Rey.  I've seen these figures maybe one or two more times since - they don't seem to be particularly easy to find, but the assortments of this kind of figure hit Dollar General, Family Dollar, and Big Lots in my neck of the woods.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,364: April 27, 2017

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,316: Darth Maul (Rebels, Rogue One Line Look)

DARTH MAUL vs. Seventh Sister Inquisitor
Rogue One   Two Pack Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. B7073 No. B9854
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 2 figures, 2 lightsabers, rocket launcher, hood, 2 rockets, mini probe droid, mask
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: October 2016
Appearances: Star Wars Rebels

Bio: Driven by revenge against the Sith and consumed by a personal obsession to turn Ezra Bridger to the dark side, Darth Maul faces off against the Seventh Sister Inquisitor, a cunning mastermind who uses a group of mimic droids to track down the Rebels and capture the Jedi.  (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: After his two-pack companion figure, Darth Maul looks good by comparison.   Perfection is a request I don't think any of us expect from Hasbro, but there are certain minimal considerations that would be helpful when getting a new figure.  I love the sculpt, the deco, the design.  Hasbro did another good job giving me a figure that looks good.  It can stand... just not with his ridiculously unbalanced backpack rocket launcher.   Two big rockets, springs, and switches all on his right-hand side are going to throw his spine out of alignment, and it's going to mean you'll need some sort of aftermarket display stand to keep him upright.

This is a good toy of a figure from the TV show.  He's sculpted nicely, with good paint and enough details that you won't feel that you got shorted. He's got gloves!  A bandolier!  A removable hood that actually fits well!  Hasbro did a good job with the figure itself, and even the eyes look pretty good given how much paint is going on in there.   Without considering accessory compatibility, Hasbro really knocked this one out of the park.

Holding his lightsaber is a little tricky, as the accessory's durometer doesn't mesh super well with that of his fist.  (Stiff tight fist with thin/flimsy bendy accessory equals frowny face.)   You can get it in there if you glide it down blade-first, and the hilt seems very thin where it touches the red bits.  It's also striking to note that Hasbro continues to leave off the flared base, which were basically standard issue since late 2001.  Except on Qui-Gon Jinn.  Look it up.  I love how perfectly the rubbery hood fits, and he has no problems wearing his backpack.  Standing with it, that's a challenge.  But he can absolutely wear it, no question.

I will say the backpack rocket launcher mechanism is clever and works - I've seen similar things in Playmobil.  There's a groove on the backpack that actually easily glides when you move his arm on the controls.  It's almost magical - but since you're not going to be able to have Maul standing when you do it, it's functionally not particularly valuable.   You could just aim the rockets.  I'll say I'm really amazed that Hasbro pulled it off, though, as it is sort of magical seeing it actually work.  The rubber-tipped rockets launch a good distance, and have some weight to them as they fly across a table or small room.

Of this set, Maul is the clear winner.  I really dislike the decision to give him a weapon which prevents standing, but at least it looks neat.   And at least the mechanisms all function.  It doesn't look like Hasbro left anything on the table here, so know that you can buy it and you can enjoy what I assume will be the best/only season 2 Rebels Maul that we'll ever see in action figure form.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,316: November 30, 2016