Figure of the Day: Day 450: Yoda

YODA Episode III
30th Anniversary Collection Tin Assortment
Item No.: Asst. 87356 No. 87359
Number: 3 of 6
Includes: Cloth cloak, cane, lightsaber
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.99
Availability: November 2006-present
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: The greatest swordsman ever to emerge from the Jedi ranks, Yoda was a wise and capable leader. Forced to flee Coruscant after being defeated by the Emperor, he spent his years in exile reflecting on the very nature of the Force. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' Ultarama.

Commentary: Hasbro has become quite adept at re-selling us the same figures five, six, or more times by packaging something we don't want with something we do want. Like this Yoda, which was packaged with a Mace Windu that's been in at least four other ways, an Anakin sold in the Evolutions pack, and a new repaint of the AT-RT Driver. Yoda is barely different, and falls under the "just different enough to make you mad" umbrella. The basic sculpt for the Yoda has been in multiple gift sets as well as various accessory-swap carded figures, but this one is special because it comes with the cloth cloak from the 2004 Vintage Original Trilogy Collection figure. The body has 9 points of articulation (which is good for a Yoda) and the cloak is, more or less, better than the plastic "shell" which prevents articulation on previous releases of this figure. The painting is good, the detail is good, and the accessories aren't bad-- although other releases of the figure do have more (and larger) extras. If you get this one, you really don't need all the others, but it isn't bad and Yoda fans who love variants would be well-served to get this one.

Collector's Notes: The sculpt premiered in 2005 for Revenge of the Sith, and has been repurposed as a basic Saga Collection figure, a Heroes & Villains Collection figure, a Saga Legends figure, this figure, and the Skirmish in the Senate Battle Pack. (And that's just off the top of my head, I might be forgetting one or two.) While a decent mold, I've had my fill of it-- but even still, this is arguably the best of the releases by virtue of the cloth cloak.

Day 450: July 30, 2007