Anakin Skywalker (Hangar Duel) - SW [S - P1] - Basic (’02 #22)

The Star Wars “Saga” line has anything but a shortage of Anakin Skywalker action figures. So, why should we be surprised when Hasbro creates another all-new version of Anakin Skywalker to add to the existing collection? With each attempt, Hasbro designs Anakin Skywalker with scene-specific intention, and typically the outfits, hairstyles, and accessories make the action figure release unique in one way or another. Based on Anakin’s appearance during the final act of Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones, Hasbro produced Anakin Skywalker (Hangar Duel) – to add another version of the on-screen character in the Star Wars “Saga” line. This time, Hasbro added features and accessories exclusive to this release. During these concluding scenes, Anakin Skywalker sustains a significant physical injury: losing his right arm. Hasbro worked this plot-changing detail into the tooling so kids and collectors can recreate these memorable moments. Anakin Skywalker (Hangar Duel) comes with a fair likeness and screen-accurate accessories. While this action figure won’t be a roaring success in the eyes of hardcore collectors, Anakin Skywalker (Hangar Duel) likely will interest kids looking to recreate the four-character battle, including Count Dooku, Yoda, and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Anakin Skywalker (Hangar Duel) is a bit more articulated than previous Anakin Skywalker versions in the Star Wars “Saga” line, but the increase in articulation has to do with the included action features more than meaningful articulation. The removable right arm (which comes in two versions: magnetized attachment and plug attachment) also functions as swivel articulation, and the “rollers” on the back provide the left wrist twisting. (Uh, wouldn’t it have been a whole lot easier to include a simple swivel wrist instead?) Anakin Skywalker (Hangar Duel) comes with both a green lightsaber (with a metal hilt) and a blue lightsaber (with a plastic hilt). You can recreate the scene where Anakin utilized both lightsabers to fend off the powerful Darth Tyranus with very little success. A magnet in the right hand allows Anakin Skywalker (Hangar Duel) to hold it without issue. While we’re not crazy about magnets lodged into action figures’ hands, but we do like the aesthetics of genuine metal blades. They honestly have their own sets of issues (like lightsaber blade attachment breakages, for example), but they look fantastic and realistic overall. And they seem to complement the Anakin Skywalker (Hangar Duel) action figure quite well.

The sculpt of Anakin Skywalker (Hangar Duel) is somewhere about average for us. We still feel that Hasbro has made Anakin’s hair too light, but others argue that the hair shouldn’t be dark. We’re torn in between the two. But no matter what, we still feel the action figure interpretations of Anakin, in general, are much too blonde. The pose is also about average. Hasbro designed the figure in an action stance. It works, but it isn’t overly dramatic or possesses the inability to stand up unassisted as other action-oriented figures are guilty of often. The coloring of the Jedi outfit is right on par with where it needs to be, and the details throughout the figure are accurate and well done. Despite its annoying action feature, Anakin is not bad, and it could be far worse. Anakin Skywalker (Hangar Duel) will undoubtedly be an overproduced action figure, not just in the sheer volume of one figure but also in the number of different outfits or scene-specific types. Anakin is a major hero in the Prequel Trilogy, and Hasbro will ensure that action figures of this character are constantly in development for the Star Wars toy line. There will be better, but if you’re looking for Anakin that lens closer to definitive status, Anakin Skywalker (Hangar Duel) isn’t the figure for you.