Cad Bane’s Xanadu Blood - TCW [SOTDS] - Vehicles

The ruthless bounty hunter Cad Bane flies a customized starfighter to track and capture his prey. The fighter is armed with laser cannons that Bane fires with deadly precision. His unsavory work for Count Dooku during the Clone Wars has him flying his starfighter to many planets throughout the galaxy.

Xanadu is more than a province of pleasure or a really catchy Olivia Newton-John song but terrible film. (Please don't ask us who Olivia Newton-John is or we'll cry.) For Star Wars fans add the word "blood" after Xanadu and it’s the sleek and fast vehicle of the notorious Cad Bane which made its debut in the second season of the hugely popular The Clone Wars television series. It’s important to note that right off the bat that you shouldn’t expect anything particularly “new” with his vehicle because it’s just a rework of the 2009 TCW [B] MagnaGuard Fighter vehicle. So the design isn’t new, just the paint job is. A great vehicle of course with a cool design, it now comes to us weathered and in green for the untrustworthy bounty hunter instead of the sparkly and shiny purple version for the MagnaGuard droids. It’s important to note that Hasbro really went out of their way to make the collector feel they were getting something more new than repeated and it absolutely has one of the best paint jobs on a vehicle not seen for a very long time until now.

The vehicle has a stunning paint job. Completed with a brushed worn look, the vehicle has been accented with red “V” shapes and yellow “hash” marks. And within these accents are additional wear and tear and scratching. The hydraulic piping along the front of the wings is colored in a metallic baby blue and the firing missile projectiles have been cast in a similar color to apparently blend in better with the vehicle. The canopy “glass” is cast in a translucent indigo. It is possible to see Cad Bane inside of the cockpit when closed, but it is a little too dark in our opinion. The dash has been decorated with red and black details and the “nose” of the vehicle is in a sparkling silver color. The moveable rear thrusters also have yellow details and the complementary silver “mohawk” adds so much personality to the vehicle. Cad Bane is a key main character in The Clone Wars series and it was smart for Hasbro to make his vehicle a priority. (Thank goodness they only needed to repaint an already established vehicle mold to deliver it to us!)

Cad Bane’s Xanadu Blood may not seem like much but it has it where it counts and there are enough play features included to make the kids happy as well. A stunning paint job for collectors and decent play values for kids should make this vehicle a hit all around. Just like the MagnaGuard Fighter, Cad Bane’s Xanadu Blood has opening canopies to store various accessories in them. And the vehicle also has retractable landing gear which has always been a staple in the mid size vehicle assortment (for the most part). The front wing missiles (the non-removable ones) are a bit too rubbery and have become slightly distorted from the packaging, but they look good if you can bend them back into shape. And lastly, the firing projectiles are fun for kids of any age. Just don’t poke your eyes out. Cad Bane’s Xanadu Blood was a pleasant surprise for the vehicle assortment. You can bet that Hasbro will be repainting vehicles in this line, but when we get a “new” one out of this process, it makes it all worth the while!