Figure of the Day: Day 406: Gragra

GRAGRA Mos Espa Encounter
The Saga Collection
Item No.: Asst. 85770 No. 87088
Number: 052
Includes: Display stand, axe, gorg/chuba/whatever
Action Feature: Mouth opens
Retail: $9.99
Availability: Fall 2006
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: Selling her wares in the Mos Espa marketplace, Gragra has plenty of trouble with theft, but her one brush with greatness comes when Jar Jar Binks tries to steal a tasty morsel from her cart. Little does she know that the shiftless shoplifter will one day represent his planet in the Galactic Senate. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelves.

Commentary: Unremarkable, yet notable. Gragra is an interesting figure in the sense that somehow, it just doesn't feel appealing. As the first figure of her species and one of very, very few new aliens to be introduced in 2006, the figure just feels flat. It isn't bad-- in some senses, it's quite innovative. She has an opening mouth, for example, a little dead critter clan to hold, an axe, and decent-- but not great-- articulation. Perhaps we're spoiled as collectors, but there really isn't much for this figure to do but stand there, which she does fairly well. I put off writing about this one for quite some time after taking the pictures just because I didn't have much to say-- I have a feeling I can't be alone. The figure has a good sculpt, and that opening mouth is a very rare feature on Star Wars figures. But when a character's claim to fame is snapping at Jar Jar and then going away, even the finest sculptors are going to have a hard time making her seem like a new and exciting release.

Collector's Notes: This figure was cycled in and out of a couple of assortments at the end of 2006, meaning she wasn't given an opportunity to become peg warming poison in most markets. If you're one of those people that stuffs any weird alien into Jabba's Palace, this is a good one for you-- but seeing as she serves little purpose beyond a Mos Espa cameo, well, it's really hard to get excited about her because the figure doesn't do anything too amazing, and the character leaves me flat. Still, she's a good figure-- it's just that your purchase of her will most likely come entirely from your interest in her design as a costume and not so much anything else.

Day 406: June 16, 2007