Commander Praji (Imperial Officer: Devastator) - Militaries Of Star Wars - 1:6 Scale Figures

Ruthless and terrifying, the military forces of the Galactic Empire are the means by which Emperor Palpatine enforces and maintains his rule of terror throughout the galaxy. In the waning days of the Old Republic, the ability of the Jedi Knights to maintain peace and order among its citizens was put to the test in the face of the droid armies of the Separatist Movement. Under the direction of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, a Grand Army of the Republic was created to counter the increasing Separatist threat. Fueled by the onset of the Clone Wars, the resulting military buildup provided Palpatine with a standing army of over a million clone units that were completely loyal and unquestioning in their obedience. Revealing himself to be a Sith Lord, Palpatine used his army to wipe out the Jedi Knights and cement his position as the tyrannical leader of the newly formed Galactic Empire.

No longer comprised exclusively of clones, the Imperial Military now adds to its massive numbers through forced enlistment and volunteer recruitment through the Imperial Academy. Whether the vast ground forces of the Imperial Army garrisons or the skilled pilots of the Imperial Navy, the soldiers of the Empire are the most highly trained and well-equipped fighting force in the galaxy. Fiercely devoted to the will of Emperor Palpatine, they have earned their reputation as merciless and unflinching troops and commanders who carry out their orders with grim efficiency or face the ultimate consequence.

Although Commander Nahdonnis Praji ruled his Imperial subordinates with a staunch and heavy fist, he always remained calm and level headed. His demeanor impressed his superiors and kept his command in line. While Praji's rule was followed, he himself was less effective in carrying out his orders.

Directed by Lord Vader to personally oversee the mission to retrieve the stolen plans for the Death Star, Praji instead delegated the task to Captain Kosh. But C-3P0 and R2-D2 escaped with the plans on Tatooine, and the integral mission failed. Commander Praji was not defeated by the unsuccessful mission, however. He stood dignified before his superiors and delivered the news of his failure to Darth Vader. This businesslike professionalism appealed to Darth Vader and saved Praji from the most severe of punishments.

“The first Imperial Officer to be seen in the movie Star Wars: A New Hope, the first Imperial officer to be made into a collectible by Sideshow Collectibles and the first Imperial officer to be in the presence of a dark lord of the Sith without getting choked out.” This is the tag line collectors got as Sideshow announced this very cool figure during their 2007 Spooktacular. Imperial officer were long awaited figures in the 1:6 Scale Figures line. We got one or two from Hasbro, but the characters from Episode IV always got overlooked. Sideshow made up for this lack of product and released Commander Praji (Imperial Officer: Devastator), a very cool Imperial indeed with precision and a very good likeness. Commander Praji didn’t see widespread released and sort of came and went without too many people knowing about him. All 3000 pieces were relegated as a Domestic Exclusive and would never be available at specialty and comic shops (and only online in the secondary market). While Praji may not have the best likeness to the character in the film, it is very good. But what is probably more important than a perfect likeness is how well his outfit is made. This is a figure that has it all in this department. And Commander Praji get his first rendering as a 1:6 Scale Figure even before the famed Hasbro line gave him his due credit.

Commander Praji utilizes the Art S. Buck body type. All aspect of his uniform has been replicated with exacting standards. The boots, pants, shirt, ranking badge, detailed belt with real leather holster, officer blaster pistol, stormtrooper blaster pistol are all included here and the precisions the very artists utilized her is nothing short of brilliant. Thanks to the versatility of the Art S. Bucks body type, Praji can be posed in a multitude of ways. You can pose him with his hands behind his back, or leaning in an action stance flailing his various weapons. And the bonus here is that although his uniform is very close-fitting, it does allow for ample movement to achieve these positions. The outfit clings to his body in a good way and has a wonderful drape. It silhouettes his lean frame beautifully. Sideshow provides both a plastic molded cap as well as a fabric cap for his head and we love the flexibility here. While we are more partial to the look of the plastic cap, the fabric version has been woven very nicely. It may need some water treatment however to get it to form the way you want it to over his head. The combination of the expression on his face with the cap on is disconcerting and we love the solemn eeriness it creates. Just looking at him you’re immediately aware that havoc is impending.

Characters from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope always hold a special place for collectors and Sideshow has been very gracious to us by focusing a whole collection of 1:6 Scale Figures based on this source. 2007 was the year where most were announced for release which was celebratory in its own way since 2007 marked exactly 30 years of this precious film. When there is a landmark of this magnitude (of 30 years), usually a few collector-focused choices can squeeze there way in with satisfactory results. And while they may not have the same success without an anniversary like this, it is nice to know that Sideshow (and other licenses) take risks like this to keep the line fresh and exciting. Commander Praji should however appeal to most collectors just for the fact that he is an Imperial from Episode IV. He may not have the same excitement as the Imperial Stormtrooper or Darth Vader, but there is no denying that they just don’t look the same without Commander Praji posed right next to them. Completely sold out with the Wait List closed at Sideshow Collectibles, the aftermarket is the only place you’re going to be able to find him. We think it is worth you time to hunt him down. A figure that was reasonably and fairly priced before Sideshow’s price hike, Commander Praji provides collectors with quality and value at the same time.