General Grievous - TCW [B] - Basic (No. 6)

General Grievous is a brilliant strategist who has honed the droid army into a terrifyingly efficient fighting force. He has carried out the plans of the Separatists on planets and moons throughout the galaxy. Part living matter and part machine, Grievous is as skilled with a lightsaber as any Jedi Knight and relishes any opportunity that allows him to duel – and defeat – a Jedi.

In every Star Wars film there has been one or two iconic characters that seem to become the symbol for it. For Episode I it was Darth Maul, for Episode II it was the phase I Clone Trooper and for Episode III it was without a doubt General Grievous. And ever since his 2003 debut in the original Tartakovsky's Clone Wars micro-series, he has become one of the most essential characters of the Prequel Trilogy. We have watched quite a development of his appearance from all the sources ranging from the original animated series, Revenge Of The Sith, his pre-cyborg form seen in the comics, and now his 3D CGI form in the insanely popular The Clone Wars (and what a transition and metamorphosis he has gone through). One thing though is for certain. No matter where he shows up, you can bet he will be instantly recognizable. General Grievous, although ultimately vulnerable, is one of the most ominous Separatist characters we will probably ever see. And while Filoni and company are likely to try to equal his prowess with a new character, it is probably true that Grievous' superiority will be the most imposing adversary to battle the gallant Jedi. The artisans at Hasbro have deft hands and know how to create small masterpieces that become our action figures. General Grievous is one of these incredibly crafted figures and it is evident that they had great respect for the film version of the characters and have incorporated elements of it. In short, Hasbro did a fantastic job on The Clone Wars version of General Grievous, but it isn't definitive yet.

We should be upfront about the limited articulation of this figure. He only has a paltry six points and he really needs ankle joints to maximize his standing ability. It is not a deal breaker by any means, but rather just something he sorely needs. He doesn't have the positioning ability or play value you may expect, but we would like to remind you that this doesn't make him an inferior action figure. He has to be considered for his sculpt first and everything else second because this is where he thoroughly impresses. General Grievous is very delicately sculpted and aside from suffering a bit from a pea-sized head, he is nearly free from flaws. He is so thin in spots (a true testament to his design) and thankfully Hasbro has used a little bit more of a stiffer plastic that aids him in holding his shape rather well. There is stunning marbling running throughout his "bone" portions in the plated armor. Details like this are so impressive that we have to give Hasbro thunderous applause for spending the time to breathe life into their action figures. General Grievous is tall and in perfect scale with the other figures in The Clone Wars line. He also has a zigzag like silhouette which makes him very geometrical in stature. Grievous has a very clean look due to his sharp lines and curved angles. All of this works together like a team and he truly is an exceptional figure. Loaded with accessories, General Grievous comes with a droid blaster, two green lightsabers, two blue lightsabers, and two sets of interchangeable arms (one set of separated arms and one set of closed arms). He is perfectly "armed" (no pun intended) and is not in need of any other Separatist-specific regalia.

Due to be a mainstay in The Clone Wars television series, we can expect General Grievous to make multiple returns on the small screen which also means we will see him return time and again into the basic figure line. And Hasbro seems as if they have more than a few ways to repackage him. In need of a soft-goods cape, we hope that Hasbro will at least visit this version. And of course if Hasbro were to decide including more articulation, that would make him even better! General Grievous has been a very strong seller and his mold has been used for the Toys R Us exclusive holographic version of him. Already killing multiple birds with one stone, this sculpt is likely to see further uses down the road. And this of course is for good reason. We can assure you that even for the most articulation focused collector will find value in this action figure. He is finely engineered and for his limited articulation, he can indeed stand on his own fairly well. While we expect a cry to be heard about his limitations, we encourage you to focus on his plus points. Of course we would recommend to Hasbro to retool this figure a little bit more and add a few more bells and whistles like a soft-goods cape (hint, hint). That would make General Grievous perfect. Because only when you focus on them will you realize that he is much better that you would have realized at face value. General Grievous is a must buy and we recommend not being so hard on him. He really has much more to offer than you may realize.