Anakin Skywalker - TSC - Basic (SAGA 025)

If The Saga Collection’s Obi-Wan Kenobi (SAGA 028) figure is a perfect 10, it might be said that wave mate Anakin Skywalker (SAGA 025) is a perfect 0. For the most part, The Saga Collection tried wherever possible to update figures for the better. But in the case of Anakin Skywalker, Hasbro took a few (actually many) steps backward and included a figure in a "return from the living dead" fashion back into the basic figure line that never should have been re-released ever again. With a horrid action feature and aesthetics that hurt your eyes, Anakin Skywalker from the original Revenge Of The Sith line gets another stab in the basic figure line, this time dressed up in Hasbro's love a little bit more this time. Anakin Skywalker is a slight repaint of 2005’s ROTS Anakin Skywalker (III 2) figure and you probably know all too well that it is strewn with issues. From the floppy arms to the awful action feature, Anakin Skywalker is a true mess and totally not acceptable for a collector-focused premium basic action figure line. There is almost nothing to like about this figure and it’s a crying shame that Hasbro didn’t use this opportunity to release the figure from 2005's ROTS Anakin Skywalker To Darth Vader Evolutions (or something comparable) figure as a basic figure for the very first time.

So it's probably more than clear already that you know we just aren’t crazy about this figure. That would be true. But we should probably question whether ot not it brings any other so-called good to the basic figure line. We would have to say yes, somewhat. And while it may sound funny, the best part of this figure is the newly added soft-goods cloak, something that was sadly lacking from the original release. It works very hard at hiding all that is wrong with this figure. And if you place this figure on his action figure stand covered in the included soft-goods robe, it doesn’t look half bad. That may be hard to believe but we're not making this up. But even after a short year, age has absolutely not been too forgiving to Anakin Skywalker. The head sculpt is rather poor and while some enhancements have been made to the paint job to make it look better, it honestly just doesn’t work any more. It is time to retire this sculpt right away. This figure should not be re-released again under any circumstance. Hasbro has literally spoiled us with the Evolutions figure so it’s hard to look at an inferior version positively any more. And it is really hard to let go of the fact that Hasbro should have included the significantly updated Anakin Skywalker figure from the Evolutions set here instead.

With Anakin Skywalker you get an interchangeable hand holding a lightsaber (remember those travesties?) but on a positive note you get a separate lightsaber hilt and a cool personalized action figure stand. These extra pieces almost make this purchase worthwhile. But again, with the limited articulation as well as the inferior articulation, Anakin Skywalker is just a figure whose sculpt should be retired at this point. This may or not interest you either. Another interesting tidbit about this figure is that Hasbro included this figure in the 2006 The Saga Collection Ultimate Galactic Hunt promotion which means you can find him with a very special vac-metallized silver display stand, complete with monogram and a pewter-styled miniature figure that is exclusive to this chase series of figures. We would like to know something however. Why in the world would they included this particular version of Anakin Skywalker as a chase figure? We understand the need for including some of the most popular characters in these types of promotions, but we think the new and superior sculpts in The Saga Collection should be the first choices made for all chase figures. But even so, this may be a figure you can undoubtedly overlook. If you’re a one of everything collector, then of course this is an obligatory purchase because it is new from many points of views.