BARC Speeder Bike With Obi-Wan Kenobi - TCW [SOTDS] - Deluxe

During a battle on the planet Kiros, Obi-Wan pilots a BARC speeder that has been customized with a cannon-mounted sidecar. The Republic army is fighting to free the Togruta colony from Separatist control. As Obi-Wan races down a city street, he faces a wall of armored assault tanks (AATs). In the sidecar, the clone trooper grabs the cannon and exchanges fire with the attacking tanks.

Meh. The Deluxe/Class I BARC Speeder With Obi-Wan Kenobi set is not that enthralling. Our opinions may lie somewhere within the minority here, but after Hasbro just released the Freco Speeder with essentially the same action figure, we don't think we needed to see him again so soon. The BARC Speeder is immediately memorable (probably thanks to seeing a 1930s version of it in the Indiana Jones films) and we can't help but smile when we see the side seat next to the longer main section of the vehicle. We probably would have been able to appreciate this set much more if we hadn't just gotten the same Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Deluxe line part of the "red" phase of The Clone Wars toy line. Based on a super rare scene in an Expanded Univers tale in a The Clone Wars comics series, it's likely that fans of the television show have no idea from where this Deluxe/Class I set was inspired. Hasbro would have trouble picking a deeper Expanded Universe story to get a toy idea. That's how obscure this release is. It's cool from a certain perspective as Hasbro shows that nothing is off limits, but how well will it interact with the other products in the line?

The sidecar attaches to the BARC Speeder via a rectangular plug and can easily come off if you bump it too hard. The bike itself is very bland and not the most colorful vehicle we have seen, but there are some nice blue blocks on it. As this vehicle doesn't make a huge splash in the comic from which it came, perhaps Hasbro took liberties with this vehicle that we just cannot verify. In the comics, Obi-Wan Kenobi rides with Captain Rex. So now you know who should be copiloting this BARC speeder. The best news we can report here is that most of the bike has been cast in stronger plastics (especially when compared to 2010's TCW [SOTDS] Speeder Bike With Plo Koon Deluxe/Class I set) and it looks like this may maintain its shape a little bit better over time. In all honesty, the BARC Speeder is a great design. But it's just that Hasbro keeps releasing them and its becoming a little bit too static for our tastes. The bike sits on the ground nicely and has three wheels on the bottom of it which should allow the kiddies to really have a blast with it. But if you're looking for screen-specific aesthetics, this is not the vehicle you are looking for at all. The sidecar also has some sort of gunner station on it, but it is hard to make out in its entirety because Hasbro didn't give it too much detail at all.

Again, we are trying to find the good in this set, but in all honesty it is pretty mediocre as much as it is perplexing. Its success is its obscurity if that makes sense. Plus, we don't think anyone is too excited about another Obi-Wan Kenobi figure we already have multiple times already. The updated Obi-Wan Kenobi is not that terrible of a figure. He has lots of articulation and a soft-goods skirt which allows him to pilot his bike with relative ease. The paint job is pretty much a simple application but Hasbro has ensured for this release that they matched his hair to his beard perfectly. He comes with his blue lightsaber, but it is the darkest blue lightsaber we have yet to see in the line to date. We aren't so sure why it turned out so dark, but you'll definitely be able to tell it apart from the rest of the lightsabers you may already own. The saving grace of this set is that it nods its head to The Clone Wars comics. For that we have to say we're impressed. Hasbro certainly knows their stuff. And it's nice to see a more articulated version of the very first 2008 TCW [F/S1] Obi-Wan Kenobi (No. 2) figure. The figure has a great likeness but wasn't designed in the greatest fashion. So you have a perfect opportunity now to get another go at him.... but better obviously. But if you're looking to get wowed or impressed, keep looking because this set can best be described as obligatory for the one-of-everything collector.