Anakin Skywalker (Tatooine Attack) - SW [S - P1] - Basic (’02 #43)

Who can forget the moments in Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones when Anakin Skywalker first showed signs of succumbing to the dark side of the Force? This dangerous teetering with the dark side starts when he ventures out searching to rescue his mother from the Sand People. After having one premonition after another of her pain and suffering, he went to find her. Tragically, he couldn’t save the most beloved person in his life from death. And you saw clearly where Anakin’s vulnerabilities laid. What makes this scene especially tragic is that all of us could empathize with him and his loss. How could anyone be so bold as to tell Anakin not to hate the Sand People for destroying his life and killing the one person who meant the most to him? But if you’re a Jedi, these emotions are things you have to keep in check, or else you’ll find yourself far down the path to the dark side of the Force before you know it. Anakin’s physical demeanor changed at this point in the film, and you could see how the hatred consumed and affected him with only a few moments of realizing his mother’s predicament. It’s one of our most-favorite scenes in the film. As much as the scene gripped us, the action figure based on that version of Anakin Skywalker doesn’t capture the scene’s emotion. Hasbro’s interpretation of the action figure is suitable for an action-oriented version of Anakin Skywalker, but it doesn’t necessarily capture the emotion and anger of what transpired in these scenes. Sadly, Anakin Skywalker (Tatooine Attack) may be one of the biggest disappointments of the Star Wars “Saga” line. That may sound like an exaggeration, but it isn't.

We’re a bit surprised that Hasbro would release a violent “version” of Anakin Skywalker like this geared towards kids, but they included a gimmick that should appeal to them. Perhaps they will use this action figure for other reasons than decapitating Sand People. While not a great action figure overall, we must point out that Anakin Skywalker (Tatooine Attack) may also be one of the most falsely advertised action figures to date. If you look at the images on the figure’s card back, Anakin Skywalker (Tatooine Attack) appears to be a relatively exciting action figure. However, once you remove it from the packaging, you’ll find that it does almost nothing the packaging and call-outs claim it does. Most frustrating, however, is the figure’s inability/refusal to stand up unassisted. The packaging describes that Anakin Skywalker (Tatooine Attack) comes with a “Jedi Power Kick!” feature, but it’s not functional as we’re led to believe. We challenge anyone to get Anakin to stand up as straight as the image shows on the figure’s package because we can’t achieve it. Still, the figure has some merit and many will feel that they’re getting a bang for their buck. Hasbro did include some cool accessories to help pad this single basic figure purchase for you. You’ll receive a gaderffi, a rifle, and a Tusken Raider weapons rack that doubles as Shmi Skywalker’s prisoner rack. (Hasbro calls it a weapons rack, and it comes in three parts.) It also includes an area for general storage. Lastly, the figure comes with a lightsaber that breaks down into a hilt and blade. This particular approach with lightsabers is bittersweet. The functionality and option is awesome, but they're prone to breakage.

It’s apparent that Hasbro strove to give this figure some versatility, but it instead comes across as messy. The figure’s stature is slouched. And the inability to stand upright creates an unnatural aesthetic and certainly not capable of possessing the endurance to attack a whole nomadic tribe of Sand People. That’s nitpicking, but this action figure lacks in ways like this, and that bothers us. The on-screen character conquered the goal of wiping out an entire Sand People population in the film. Still, the action figure representation of Anakin Skywalker fails to demonstrate the anger, hatred, and emotional distress seen and felt in these gripping moments of Episode II. If you’re looking for diorama fodder, Anakin Skywalker (Tatooine Attack) is your action figure. It brings forth some beautiful background accessories that will accent your displays. But don’t expect Hasbro to update this specific version of Anakin Skywalker in a future wave of action figures. Hasbro will not look back on revisiting this version of Anakin because of its scene specificity. The figure’s expression isn’t terrible, but we don’t think it accurately captures the emotional state of Anakin we witnessed in Attack Of The Clones. Anakin Skywalker is unstoppable, and any confrontation with a Tusken Raider would lead to its demise. The “inanimate passion” that should be evident in this action figure is not here, and that’s unfortunate. Plus, collectors are completely over action features in their action figures, especially those in the Star Wars “Saga” line. Anakin Skywalker (Tatooine Attack) is a far cry from perfection. We think it is a wrong design choice, but that’s solely our opinion.