Figure of the Day: Day 126: Asajj Ventress

ASAJJ VENTRESS Jedi vs. Sith
Revenge of the Sith Battle Packs Jedi vs. Sith
Item No.: Asst. 85554 No. 85667
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsabers
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99, part of a gift set
Availability: Summer 2005
Appearances: Primarily The Clone Wars

Bio: Asajj Ventress is a disciple of the dark side of the Force and a follower of Count Dooku. Full of anger and bitterness, she is skilled in lightsaber combat and a sworn enemy of the Jedi. Her powerful ability with the Force makes her a formidable enemy. (Taken from the figure's box.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' Clone Wars shelf.

Commentary: A long time ago I reviewed the first version of this Clone Wars villain, but this figure of Asajj Ventress is arguably the definitive one. Since she's modeled after the cartoon designs, a lot of fans jumped at the chance to get her. It also made a lot of people upset, as they liked the more comic book version released in 2003. Either, way, it's a good figure in its own right with two linkable lightsabers, a unique pose, and arguably significantly better presence. With her more evil looking face, better posture, and added height, she looks like a more formidable opponent than the first release which, while good, looks more like a sickly goth girl by comparison. So with her ball-jointed shoulders and neck, we can say this is a fine figure and one you should add to your collection-- if you can accept the idea of non-movie toys.

The figure doesn't break any new ground, she just refines an existing concept. When I first saw this figure, I assumed it was a repaint of the 2003 release, but Hasbro actually went out and tooled up an all-new figure when they didn't even have to. I really admire seeing Hasbro refining its better sculpts into something really great, so it's hard to say too much about this figure other than "it's good" and "buy it."

Collector's Notes: One of three new molds from the Jedi vs. Sith Battle Pack, this Asajj is the one you should want. It's still fairly priced, about $20-$30. It originally sold for $20 or more at most stores, which was a killer deal for five action figures. I'm actually surprised this item isn't more expensive and popular given how many Clone Wars fans there are, and how little product there is. You should totally get one.

Day 126: September 9, 2006