Figure of the Day: Day 849: Darth Revan

DARTH REVAN Sith Lord
30th Anniversary Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87500 No. 87339
Number: #3034
Includes: Lightsaber, hilt, cape, coin
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: September 2007
Appearances: Knights of the Old Republic

Bio: In the days of the Old Republic, thousands of years before the rise of Darth Vader, a Jedi named Revan falls to the dark side. While chasing Mandalorian raiders with his Jedi companion Malak, Revan is consumed by destructive Sith energies on the planet Malachor V. He becomes a Sith Lord and lures Malak to the dark side as well, as his Sith apprentice. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy room.

Commentary: After years of waiting, does Hasbro's Darth Revan figure-- a Fan's Choice winner-- have what it takes to be awesome? I guess, sort of. After winning rounds of voting through a ToyFare Magazine-sponsored poll, fans were allowed to peek in on his development. The good news is that he's here-- he's real. The bad news is that as toys go, he isn't so great. The worse news is that it doesn't seem to matter because he sold so gosh darned well, proving that if fans are genuinely interested in the character, that character trumps quality by a huge leap.

Revan is a decent figure-- once you distance yourself from being concerned with the "action" part, that is. His arms have ball-jointed shoulders and elbows, he has normal hips and wrists, a ball-jointed head, and a normal waist. His Sith robes prevent the legs from moving much. If you look at this release as a really great tiny statue, you're going to like it a whole lot more. He can't sit or do most things you'd want a toy to do, but it seems to me the audience for this figure would be a group of older fans who will have him stand around on a desk, and the chances of him piloting an X-wing are minimal at best.

Hasbro's sculptors did a good job, as we're basically used to. The mask is there, and once you take off the hood you can see the somewhat battered human head of this character. (But not the face.) Revan's robes are pretty nicely sculpted, as part of the lower "skirt" actually extends up and acts as a sort of a belt over the chest armor. This doesn't feel like one of Hasbro's normal figures, and it wouldn't surprise me if they used it as a bit of an experimental platform for the line. There's certainly room for more paint detail, but the various ridges, textures, buckles, and other bits are all here. He doesn't disappoint, but then again, I had extremely low expectations in the first place. It's also worth noting his lightsaber's hilt does not match the hilt of the lightsaber hilt, if you catch my meaning.

Collector's Notes: This figure was pretty popular, and produced for a very brief time. If you blinked, you missed him-- and now you're going to pay accordingly. No reissue is planned at this time, but it seems to make sense to bring him back as a pre-order bonus for the KOTOR-themed MMO or something else. Sith Lords are an easy sell-- I'm sure Hasbro could sell a new one they made up monthly if they really wanted to do so. Given that this one is from a popular Xbox game, it's not at all surprising that collectors actually want this figure a great deal.

Day 849: September 15, 2008

Figure of the Day: Day 252: Ephant Mon

EPHANT MON Fan's Choice
Saga Collection 2
Item No.: Asst. 84861 No. 84812
Number: 0245
Includes: Cane, vibroblade
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $4.99
Availability: Fall 2002
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Formerly a gunrunner, Ephant Mon is a cunning and ruthless adversary. A Chevin from Vinsoth, he was saved by Jabba the Hutt and pledged his loyalty to the crime lord, eventually becoming Jabba's head of security. Heeding a warning from Luke Skywalker, he was one of the few to survive the destruction of Jabba's sailbarge at the Pit of Carkoon. (Taken from the figure's carback.)

Image: Adam's toy shelf.

Commentary: A figure many fans have demanded for years, Ephant Mon finally saw production as a Fan's Choice figure in the Fall of 2002. The figure looked expensive, and according to comments from Hasbro designers on panels since 2003, it would seem that it was. (I overheard one panelist say something to the effect of "we lost our shirt on that one.") The figure came on larger than standard packaging (for the time), was massive, heavier, and had a lot of detail and articulation you usually didn't see. Articulated jaws weren't a common feature on these figures, nor were blades you can hide in his robes, canes that combine with said blades to make a weapon, and so on and so forth. Because Hasbro went out of their way to make this figure special, it was one of the best of 2002-- but if they did anything less than the stellar job you see before you, odds are fans would still be complaining to this very day. We're a bitter bunch like that.

There's very little to dislike about this figure. He may have problems standing, but that's what his cane is for. The detail is incredible, his size seems perfect, and it seems impossible for Hasbro to do a better job. (I doubt McFarlane could do a better job.) Short of having perfectly designed soft goods (which is unlikely), this figure is as perfect as it gets. His mouth gives him added personality, and he can bite stuff. That's cool. This guy is just so big and so nasty that you're doing yourself a disservice by not picking one up, price be damned.

Collector's Notes: On the secondary market, this figure has been on an up-and-down rollercoaster over the years. At release, he shot up really quickly. Last year, he could be had (pre-shipping) for under $8. As of when I checked eBay for this feature, he's shot up yet again to about $10-$25, depending on how crazy the bidders are. There were also several for $7.50-- so those pinching their pennies can get some decent deals, but it looks like your hopes of getting it cheap are about nil. The figure shipped in one case in/around September of 2002 at one per case, and that was it-- until a number of the case showed up at Kay-Bee Toy stores a couple of years later for the bargain basement price of about three bucks. And I should also note that in my many massive toy hunts, I never once saw this figure in stores until those Kay-Bee clearance figures hit.

Day 252: January 13, 2007

Figure of the Day: Day 35: Ellorrs Madak

ELLORRS MADAK Fan's Choice
Power of the Jedi Collection 2
Item No.: Asst. 84455 No. 84647
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster pistol, Force File
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Summer 2001
Appearances: Primarily Star Wars: A New Hope

Bio: Like all Duros, Ellorrs Madak is a natural wanderer who is at home wherever his travels take him. Although Duros tend to be a peaceful species, the Empire's restrictive trade practices prompt Madak to leave his government job and become a freelance flight instructor and occassional smuggler. (Taken from the figure's Force File.)

Image: After a hearty meal at Wendy's, this alien was hit by a shrink ray on Adam's TV tray.

Commentary: Every few years, Hasbro makes the mistake of letting fans vote on figures, which results in months of bickering, finger-pointing, and conspiracy-theorizing. For Fan's Choice Poll #1, Amanaman was assumed to be the sure-winner, but a last-minute upset let Ellorrs Madak, the Duro, snatch victory from his yellow-and-green grasp. The resulting figure was a work of art, with amazing sculpting, a too-uncommon working holster, very good paint, and the typical 6 points of articulation. This figure has two selling points: it's a Fan's Choice figure (which is a nice little collector subset unto itself), and it's a Cantina alien. If neither of those are selling points to you, it's hard to say to get this. It sits down nicely, looks cool, and is a figure that's only been made once, never repackaged, and never revised. I very much like it, and it's one of my favorite Cantina aliens. Be careful when selecting one, though, as the paint sometimes is wonky in places.

Collector's Notes: "Worthless" is a harsh sounding word but fairly accurate as to what this toy is worth. Made in big numbers, this requested figure more or less fizzled due to overproduction and in some markets, was still easy to have into 2005. (For the record, the target lifespan of a figure at retail, max, is about 6 months.) Along with Ketwol, the Bespin Guard, and a few others, he became a staple at some Toys "R" Us and Wal-Mart stores and may even still be hanging in your neck of the woods. If so, be aware he deserves a good home and is an excellent figure, just not popular. I wouldn't part with mine, and I'm still holding out hope that someday, Baniss Keeg (the other Duro) gets his own figure too.

Day 35: June 10, 2006

Figure of the Day: Day 21: McQuarrie Concept Stormtrooper

MCQUARRIE CONCEPT STORMTROOPER Fan's Choice #4
2003 Saga Collection
Item No.: Asst. 84861 No. 84829
Number: 0334
Includes: Glow-in-the-dark lightsaber, blaster, riot shield, display base
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $4.99-$5.99
Availability: Fall 2003


Bio: The Stormtrooper is based on conceptual art from A New Hope, depicting the Empire's shock troopers in a corridor of the Death Star as they hunt down the escaping Luke, Han, Chewbacca and Princess Leia. While Stormtroopers were armed with blaster pistols or blaster rifles in the movie, this Imperial soldier is unusual because he holds a lightsaber, the weapon of the Jedi Knights. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Pictured on Adam Pawlus' computer desk in front of the G5.

Commentary: For years, fans have been begging for concept-based figures and Hasbro delivers every now and again. With special versions of Darth Maul, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Obi-Wan Kenobi having been produced, very few trilogy designs have made the transition to plastic that this Stormtrooper has undergone. A Cloud Car Pilot, an "Airspeeder" pilot, and a Rebel "Biker Scout," of sorts, have been done as well as a few "removed from the movie" type figures, but this one is unique in that it's based on a well-known and much beloved concept painting from the legendary Ralph McQuarrie.

With 8 points of articulation (basic 6 plus swivel elbows), this figure can move pretty nicely. His gun fits in his holster, his shield clips on his arm, and the lightsaber can be held with no problems in either hand. It's really quite shocking as fans generally have something to complain about with a figure, but in this case, as a toy, it performs every toy-etic function perfectly. He can even sit down unrestricted. The glow-in-the-dark weapon is unique to this figure, an experiment that Hasbro opted not to continue in future lines. While it's slightly off-model from the painting, it's quite close, and as a toy I'm a little upset I couldn't get more.

Collector's Notes: Packed at 2 per case in only 1 case (alongside less popular figures who were 1 per case in only 1 case), this figure blew off the shelves, continuing the quasi-curse of Fan's Choice figures: it's either too many or too few. As such, this figure isn't too easy to get. Like many of the better end-of-2003 line, it came and went quickly and was clearanced out as the assortments were discontinued in favor of new SKUs. As such, if you want one, prepare to cough up some decent trade fodder or a small wad of cash that will undoubtedly be greater than six bucks. It is a lovely figure, and while we do hope Hasbro reissues it so I can build a squad of them, I am not hopeful. Well worth tracking down as a collectible, nifty to get as a toy, but for those wanting to streamline their collection this is one you should probably pass on.

Day 21: May 27, 2006