Star Wars: Revenge Of The Sith (2005) (Obi-Wan Kenobi/Anakin Skywalker) - Skywalker Saga Commemorative Edition

Without warning, Hasbro canceled the 3.75” 5POA figure (the line for kids supposedly) and replaced it with a highly-articulated 5" line. Yes, Hasbro produced a set of figures in 3.75" 5POA scale to celebrate the nine Star Wars films that Disney and Lucasfilm consider the Skywalker Saga in series of two-packs. Much like the Commemorative DVD or Commemorative Blu-ray sets that came packed with four figures, Hasbro designed a "GOLD" celebratory line that reduced the content to two figures. Cast in gold-colored plastic and painted in a shimmery gold paint, the figures look like golden idols that Hasbro wants collectors to worship, or something. Displayed as the Skywalker Saga Commemorative Edition, the line of nine two-packs (except for the Episode IX set which has three figures) contains high-profile characters in solid gold (accessories included) and houses them in deluxe black and gold packaging. While critical of the figures, we have to admit that the packaging is truly exceptional. It may be the sole reason collectors may want to consider this line. The reverse side of the card back contains an episode-specific montage of the Star Wars film it memorializes. What's more, you can line them up together to create a stunning “holographic-like” mural that paints a beautiful picture of the Skywalker Saga as a whole, without any breaks or interruption. You can see each "uninterrupted" trilogy-specific grouping in our Photo Gallery by Prequel Trilogy, Original Trilogy, and Sequel Trilogy. Or you can see the whole collage HERE.

Wave 2 comprises all three Prequel Trilogy films. The three two-packs in this grouping include Darth Maul and Yoda (from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace), Mace Windu and Jango Fett (from Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones), and Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker (from Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith). We've noted that some of the combinations of figures don’t make any sense at all. But in the case of the Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker set, we don't think there are two characters from any other trilogy that fit as well together. They're like peanut butter and jelly. They fought side by side in the Clone Wars, and in the climax of Episode III, they're battling each other for power and defense. Hasbro picked characters (with only a couple of exceptions) that directly interact with each other in some of the most exciting moments in their respective films. Sadly, the figures aren't of the highest quality and are simply articulated. Most collectors are familiar with the base sculpts of the figures chosen for these sets. In all honesty, seeing them in solid gold plastic allows you to see the details previously unseen etched into the tooling. Interestingly, some figures look better in gold than they did properly colored. It’s a shame that their original paint jobs were so terrible to ruin them in the past.

Obi-Wan Kenobi comes with a lightsaber and is based on an old Saga Legends figure. Anakin Skywalker comes with a lightsaber accessory as well. Their poses are a little too stiff, but they do have some redeeming qualities in solid gold. Both sculpts have been in the Hasbro Star Wars line since 2013, and it's a fair assessment to state that they've overstayed their welcome in the Hasbro Star Wars line. The same is true for other figures in this exclusive lineup too. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, which all made their debut in the 2013/2014 Star Wars [Darth Vader/Revenge Of The Sith] Saga Legends lineup suffered from DREADFUL paint operations. That's been remedied here with gold deco. In all fairness, most of these figures received offensive paint jobs when first released, and all of them look better than ever thanks to their solid gold casts. Every aspect of thee figures the figures themselves, and the accessories are all cast in the same gold plastic. If you didn’t know better, you might believe for a moment or two that these figures are cast in metal. We’re not going to defend these figures’ existence. We think there are better ways to celebrate the Skywalker Saga, like giving us a long-awaited version of super-articulated Luke Skywalker action figures (and the related characters too). Hasbro is doing that to a certain degree, but they keep skipping over figures that desperately need updating. it's time to stop overlooking the obvious.