Yoda - CW - Basic (’03 #44)

Begun the Clone Wars has!" – Jedi Master Yoda
On the remote planet of Geonosis, the growing conflict between the Republic and its foes explodes into all-out war. The Republic's Jedi Knights lead a massive Clone Army into battle on hundreds of planets. The Separatists, led by the powerful Dark Lords of the Sith, fight back with their own formidable droid armies. As this terrible conflict rips across the galaxy, Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala and Obi-Wan Kenobi are swept into the turmoil of war and the rising shadow of the dark side.

During the Clone Wars, Master Yoda takes on the role of General to lead battalions of Clone Troopers into battle against the Separatists' droid armies. Though previously used to roam the corridors of the Jedi Temple, Yoda's hoverchair has since been specially modified for combat situations. This allows the venerable Jedi Master to not only direct the Clone Troopers in tactical battles, but also to storm into the fight with speed and maneuverability, swiftly taking out the opposing battle droid armies with his lightsaber.

Sometimes you really have to hand it to Hasbro. Their development team can come up with some pretty clever Expanded Universe takes on well-established characters from the Star Wars films. They also make the new versions of these characters relevant, by introducing a new accessory or a new feature that we may have not seen previously. Yoda from the Clone Wars line is a prime example of what we’re talking about here. We have seen Yoda in the Original Trilogy and we have seen him for the first time battling with a lightsaber in Attack Of The Clones, so we have a good idea of how Yoda appears and behaves in the movies. The Clone Wars line is a fresh new look at our favorite Star Wars cast as well as an introduction to all-new characters in addition to telling a very important part of the untold Star Wars saga. We were teased with a sample of how the Jedi Knights fought against the Separatists during the Battle of Geonosis, but now we have them fighting in setting of all-out war. The Clone Wars Yoda brings familiarity to the character, but he comes with a few items that you haven’t seen until now.

Hasbro has developed a clever and articulated hoverchair accessory that duly serves as a perch for the diminutive Jedi Master as well as a means of transportation to get him from one place to another. It’s been sculpted very well and there are two foot pegs that allow you to secure the Yoda action figure to it. Four panels fold out and can be used as feet to secure its position, but you can also precariously balance the hoverchair in the folded up position as well. It’s tricky but possible. There is an amazing amount of detail etched into the sculpt of the hoverchair, even more than the Yoda figure. While Yoda is a small action figure, we are getting a nice amount of plastic in this basic figure “set” (for lack of a better term) with the hoverchair accessory and the details added to them only make it even more palatable as a purchase and all the more better as a quality action figure. The paint job to the hoverchair is relatively simple, but it’s the details sculpted into the chair that are really the impressive aspects of this accessory. You may not fully understand its purpose, but you don’t have to because it’s only meant to complement the Yoda action figure packed alongside it.

This new take on Yoda isn’t that bad either, but some are definitely going to find reasons to complain about his likeness. You may have noticed already that most of the figures in the Clone Wars line have angry expressions. Yoda is no exception either. In fact, he looks like one of the angriest in the entire lineup. It works well for him however. He refused to back down when confronting Count Dooku, so it goes without explanation that he was just as aggressive on the frontlines of war. He comes with a bandolier that looks more like a smock than anything else. It is removable, but it’s very difficult to get it over his head without quickly becoming fearful that it’s going to tear from the trying to squeeze the smaller collar opening over his bulbous head. Yoda doesn’t come with many points of articulation at all, but the paint job is better than average. Yoda also comes with his signature lightsaber and fits nicely in his left hand which has been sculpted in a gripping position to accept the lightsaber hilt like a glove. Yoda may not have the wow factor of some of the other sculpts in the Clone Wars line, but Hasbro has done a fine job in making him Clone Wars specific.