Darth Revan [ToyFare Fans’ Choice] - TAC - Basic (30 34)

In the days of the Old Republic, thousands of years before the rise of Darth Vader, a Jedi named Revan falls to the dark side. While chasing Mandalorian raiders with his Jedi companion Malak, Revan is consumed by destructive Sith energies on the planet Malachor V. He becomes a Sith Lord and lures Malak to the dark side as well, as his Sith apprentice.

Runner-up Darth Revan became the Fans’ Choice figure winner of 2006 (with availability in the fifth wave of TAC) by ranking second to Quinlan Vos. But true winner Quinlan Vos got knocked out of the ranking because he was already included in a Comic Packs set. Fans were disappointed because they really wanted Quinlan Vos on a basic card but fans of Knights Of The Old Republic were ecstatic that this androgynous Sith lord was finally making way into the basic figure line.... and as a winner no less! The 2006 poll hosted by Toy Fare magazine caused quite a stir of controversy but many figures that made the top of the list were already in production and many have or eventually will see production at some point. Specifically created for Knights Of The Old Republic, Darth Revan is definitely a formidable foe in the game and is as mysterious as he/she is awesome looking. And the even better news is that Darth Revan, while not as articulated as many had hoped, is still a pretty good action figure despite having one big problem. And that problem is that he has a terrible time standing unassisted. Still, the parts of him that are good are really good and the figure is still in high demand despite shipping as often as many other figures in the 30 (77-07) line.

Darth Revan functions like an articulated statue more than an action figure. And we truly wouldn’t mind this so much if it weren’t for the fact that he in very difficult to stand upright without falling forward. For some bizarre reason he is front heavy and constantly falls forward no matter how much you bend him back at the hips. The bottom portions of his clothes are not removable, but you can remove his hood and cape to reveal a rather striking Star Wars character. Behind his cool mask is a bald head and that’s pretty much it. But in all honesty, the figure looks much better with the hood on his head. It just seems to complete the figure and without it he looks a little too much like he is missing something. He comes with a lightsaber and a lightsaber hilt and this of course adds a little bit extra for collectors in the display department. Primarily black and dark red, Darth Revan does look pretty awesome, but you’re just going to have to accept that this isn’t a very mobile action figure. It’s one that will look good in your collection on an action figure stand and that’s about it. A powerful warrior, Darth Revan may not be able to exhibit these skills in his current action figure form, but we must give credit where credit is due and that all goes to incredible sculpting and inclusion of the finest of details.

Interestingly he comes in a case assortment that also includes his Sith apprentice Darth Malak. He was successful in luring Darth Malak to the dark side of the Force. In the common storyline of Jedi Knight turned Sith, Revan too was a gifted Jedi pupil who decided to turn to evil and was very successful in manipulating the Jedi council. With ties to Bastila Shan (another upcoming Fans’ Choice winner), Darth Revan has certainly gotten around in the Star Wars universe. The 30 (77-07) line really celebrated 30 years of Star Wars in style. In a year when the focus could have remained on Episode IV, all sections of the Star Wars universe received the royal treatment, especially the Expanded Universe. And with a wave of figures devoted to the EU, there really isn’t much that fans and collectors could complain about because there was something for everyone in the basic figure line. While Darth Revan may have not received the most attention as a basic figure, he is still a fine example of what excellence Hasbro brings to collectors in the basic figure line. Since demand has not been met for Darth Revan (or Darth Malak and Pre-Cyborg Grievous for that matter), expect to see Darth Revan make a return appearance eventually in the basic figure line. If Hasbro knows that a figure will make strong repeat performances at retail, you can bet they’ll make it available again.