Lott Dod (Neimoidian Senator) - SW [S - P1] - Basic (’02 #51)

Star Wars fans enjoy Neimoidian species, but Hasbro's been timid about releasing them into the basic figure lineup. In 1999, in the Episode I line, we received two. But it took until 2002 that we received the third Neimodian Star Wars character and part of the Star Wars "Saga" basic figure line. Perhaps a diminished release schedule of these characters is a good thing. Otherwise, we might grow weary of so many Neiomoidians in our collections. With a couple of few here and there, all of us will savor the releases for a bit longer and perhaps enjoy them a little bit more in the films. For the Star Wars "Saga" line, Hasbro treated collectors to Lott Dod (Neimoidian Senator), a signature character from The Phantom Menace and part of the senate scenes. The figure is excellent and is without any action features. Hasbro designed Lott Dod with collectors in mind. And they added a fair share of accessories to make the figure as enjoyable as possible. We don't believe that Lott Dod will be the most sought-after action figure of all time, but while we admit that it functions best as background fodder, it's a figure that should make Hasbro proud. Hasbro filled the Star Wars "Saga" line with beautifully tooled action figures. Despite limited articulation, the action figures are like little masterpieces.

Lott Dod (Neimoidian Senator) comes with a surprising amount of layering. The upper robes are entirely removable, and underneath is an alien being with horizontally ribbed and skintight inner robes or "dress" (for lack of a better word). OK, so maybe it's only one layer, but it befits the character well, and we love the way Hasbro approached this action figure. When fully disassembled, you'll quickly see that the figure comes with six points of articulation. The articulation points include a swivel head, two swivel shoulders, a swivel waist, and two swivel feet (which have inhibited because they're in a recessed part of the tooling). Perhaps the most interesting accessory, however, is the senatorial miter. It fits like a glove on the figure's head and is reminiscent of something an Imperial Dignitary would wear. As a posing tip, make sure the "tail" of the miter is facing the back and not the front. It gives Lott Dod a wealth of personality that is sorely missing without it. It sits high on the head and provides the figure with false height and stature. The Neimodians are a wimpy and cowardly species that act as mere pawns to Darth Sidious and his plans. They're expendable players of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Maybe that detail makes the characters an engaging part of the plot in The Phantom Menace.

Interestingly, Lott Dod (Neimoidian Senator) comes with the same Darth Sidious hologram that 2002's SW [S - P1] Count Dooku (Dark Lord) ('02 #27) figure. We're a bit surprised that Hasbro reused this accessory in the same collection; then again, Hasbro has done similar things like this in the past as well. We don't recall the scene where Lott Dod (Neimoidian Senator) communicates with the holographic image of Darth Sidious, but perhaps that's not the point here, and its inclusion is to emphasize the conspiracy between the two parties. Altogether, Lott Dod (Neimoidian Senator) passes our discriminating standards. It's unlikely Hasbro will revisit this action figure in our lifetime, but anything is possible. Fans of Separatists exist, but they may not be enough to keep the ball rolling with additional characters in the Star Wars toy line. With that, we believe Hasbro will continue to roll out more alien characters like this in the 3.75" action figure line. We'll have to baste in what they do release for us from here on out. The Star Wars "Saga" is becoming a hodgepodge of a line now. While this collection of figures started strong with characters from Attack Of The Clones, the direction is changing a bit, and they're showing collectors that any Star Wars source is fair game now. We hope they keep that mix going strong.