Figure of the Day: Day 424: General Grievous

GENERAL GRIEVOUS Four Lightsaber Attack
Revenge of the Sith Collection 1
Item No.: Asst. 85173 No. 85277
Number: III-09
Includes: Blaster, 4 lightsabers
Action Feature: Push down on head for sword attack action
Retail: $5.24-$6.99
Availability: March 2005-Present
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: General Grievous is the supreme commander of the droid armies and a brilliant military leader. He hunts Jedi for sport and wears their lightsabers as trophies on his belt. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' TV tray, stepping out of a vintage AST-5 Mini-Rig vehicle from Kenner.

Commentary: There were so many General Grievous figures released in rapid succession it's hard to keep track of them all, and all of them are, according to most fans, a little off from the film. This version is one of the overall better figures because it doesn't have a cape to fall off, doesn't fall apart, and is loaded with weapons. The lightsaber slashing attack works well, the figure has decent articulation, he can stand up, and he was more or less very well sculpted. He can sit, he can stand, he can crouch, he's definitely one of the better of the three "basic" Grievous molds that have been in circulation since 2005. He isn't perfect, as he's a little short, but he does look really good and is fun to play with. This figure feels like it was designed as a fun toy for kids first, which is important and I believe what makes it as good as it is-- I'm glad the figure is in circulation still because it functions well, unlike the Exploding Grievous from 2005-2006 which is just more or less a sad figure. Until Hasbro creates an all-new sculpt General Grievous, I would say this is probably one that you're going to make sure you have in your toy box. (Although if you just want a good Grievous to keep on an awesome cardback, the 2006 The Saga Collection release is still my favorite.)

Collector's Notes: This figure was first released in 2005 for Revenge of the Sith where it was arguably the best Grievous in the normal basic line. It was repackaged later in 2006 for the Episode III Heroes & Villains Collection, and again in 2007 in Saga Legends, each time with no real changes to the figure. However, it's worth noting the 2006 version had a little red holographic mini-figure (as far as I know, no blue ones got out) while the 2007 one has a coin. So if you're going to buy this one still, and you should, pick the second or third release if you're going to open it. (Or keep it packaged.) The first release offers the least interesting packaging and no bonus, so basically whatever you do, buy something else. This figure is worth picking up for many fans because of the many weapons it includes-- Hasbro may never release a Lightsaber accessory pack, but if you can get a good deal on this figure, that's like four more lightsabers than you had yesterday.

Day 424: July 4, 2007