Tusken Raider (Female With Tusken Child) - SW [S - P1] - Basic (’02 #08)

Wait! Are there female Tusken Raiders with different outfits than their male counterparts? How did we miss this detail? And they have children? What were we thinking? Star Wars is often male-dominated when it comes to introducing new species to the viewers. This approach isn’t necessarily wrong, but sometimes it can shock the system when we discover that female counterparts look incredibly different, almost like male and female birds in the wild. George Lucas took the time to develop the female Tusken Raider species in Attack Of The Clones. And although they don’t get much screen time, it helps to understand this nomadic species better. The Tusken Raiders are migratory species in the desert land. And to help emphasize this character trait, George Lucas focused on developing a Native American/Muslim type of family setting for them. To do this successfully, the spouse (the female) and their children became necessary additions to this design. Labeled as Tusken Raider (Female With Tusken Child) on the packaging, collectors received two beautifully sculpted figures to complete the Tusken Raider family for the first time. In the film, the Tusken Raiders set up shop in a society that resembled the Native Americans. They had a unique tepee style, and they traveled in great numbers. As evidenced by this action figure, it’s clear that the Tusken Raiders run a male-dominated society, similar in the beliefs of Muslim culture (where the woman are covered from head to toe and the men don’t follow the same rules). Both male and female Tusken Raiders are covered with masks and robes, and it appears that it’s more of an issue of modesty and protection from the sun than anything else.

Tusken Raider (Female With Tusken Child) is a beautifully designed action figure set. You will not get a lot of articulation with this release, but its strength lies within the tooling. Other than two swivel forearms, two swivel feet, and a swivel torso, Tusken Raider (Female With Tusken Child) has no additional articulation. The ornate gold jewelry glistens, and the robes are dirty with Tatooine sand. You’ll find yourself pleased with the deco here. Despite being considered an accessory here, the Tusken Child is a fine addition, and its inclusion doesn’t make this set a true two-pack. The Tusken Child, or uli-ah, comes with two swivel shoulders, and that’s it. It’s nicely tooled but has a lean forward, which we find to be problematic. Although technically an accessory here, Hasbro added excessive detail here, and it interacts flawlessly with its mother. The uli-ah fits perfectly inside the Tusken Raider’s “papoose,” like a glove for lack of a better term. It’s a fantastic feature that the child is removable and can stand independently without any aid. If Hasbro were ever to make a Tusken Raider camp playset, we would all likely want loads of the Tusken Raider (Female With Tusken Child) to buy to help populate the colony. The female Tusken Raider also comes with the classic gaderffi or gaffi stick, and the figure holds it well in the hands. You don’t get a wide range of motion in the arms, but at least they’re functional in terms of the accessory. Tusken Raider (Female With Tusken Child) stands unassisted and feels weighty compared to the other action figures in the Star Wars “Saga” line. No matter the figure, Hasbro always tries to incorporate something that gives their action figures quality and value.

Some may find it hard to believe that the Tusken Raiders have generic family setups. After we saw them attack Luke Skywalker and C-3PO in A New Hope, it’s a little bit unimaginable that they rear young children and have “spouses.” We suppose it isn’t much different than American society and does our culture vary that much from the Tusken Raiders as far as the family structure is concerned? Whatever your take on their views as a people, know that Hasbro designed the rest of the family members beautifully, as evidenced by this pair of action figures. It would help if you chose to understand that Hasbro developed and created a simple action figure that is highly detailed despite what you may see as a limited action figure. Tusken Raider (Female With Tusken Child) may not pivot or contort into any dynamic poses, but the figure fits into the line perfectly and is a beautiful addition. They’ll mostly function as background fodder in your displays and dioramas, but they’re figures that are necessary to include. Upon reflection, it’s sad that Anakin killed all of them in his anger after his mother’s death. However, it was a pivotal plot line to start his path to the dark side. At the same time, we wish we better understood the Tusken Raider’s savageness that allowed them to hold Shmi Skywalker captive (until her death) as they did. It may have explained their internal behavior a bit more. George Lucas didn’t touch on these topics and let the audiences come to their understanding instead. No matter your point of view, it’s difficult to process that a species that hurts, maims, and kills also raises children. Maybe it’s not so difficult to believe after all.