Figure of the Day: Day 53: The Emperor

THE EMPEROR Throne Room
Saga Collection Collection 2
Item No.: Asst. 84861 No. 84820
Number: 0330
Includes: Cane, two lightning effects
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $4.99-$5.99
Availability: Summer 2003
Appearances: Primarily Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

Bio: The Emperor was the supreme ruler of the most pwoerful tyrannical regime the galaxy had ever witnessed. He was a scheming ruler, planning events far in the future, using the Force to foresee the results. He tried to turn Luke Skywalker to the dark side of the Force, even at the expense of sacrificing Darth Vader. Luke refused the power offered to him by the Emperor, so he attacked Luke with deadly Force lightning. Luke almost died in the assault, but his father returned to the lights side of the Force and hurtled the Emperor into the Death Star's reactor core. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Yet again appearing on a TV tray, the Senate Pod is not included.

Commentary: Surprisingly, the name of this figure is in fact just The Emperor, making it one of very few figures that doesn't refer to Palpatine by name since the first modern figure in 1997. But I digress. This is a figure that not only do people dislike, but they actively hate. The oversized hood and the bulk of his cloak are all one piece, and it's very difficult to pose things so that they look decent. His hands aren't very good at holding his cane, but the energy bolts snap right on with no problems. The figure has a quasi-ball joint at his waist, a worthless neck joint, ball jointed shoulders, and articulated wrists. All other joints are rendered meaningless by the costume.

As a figure that can hunch over, or rear up and spread out to look creepy and all-powerful and evil, this isn't a bad figure. But due to its almost greenish tinted face, iffy articulation, awful hood, and the fact that several superior versions of this character have been made, fans were left scratching their heads as to why this figure came into being. If anything, it feels like this figure was inspired by the Unleashed Darth Sidious action figure, as it's a bit more stylized than normal and as such, it's a little harder to swallow.

Collector's Notes: Fans wanting this figure can find it cheap on eBay, or wait for the reissue at the end of the summer. This figure has never been repainted, although fans are generally worried that the 2006 reissue will be a weak seller. It's not a horrible figure, it's just that Hasbro seems to constantly make new and better versions, so it seems somewhat worthless. For the price, though, you can do worse. Although we can't name a worse figure based on the Emperor.

Day 53: June 28, 2006