Rabé (Queen’s Chambers) - [P] OTC - Basic (’05 #5)

Rabé is one of Padmé Amidala's handmaidens, loyal aides who also serve as her bodyguards. One of her duties is to act as a decoy, impersonating Padmé in vulnerable situations. Very patient for one so young, Rabé is a soothing influence on the queen in difficult times and helps Padmé prepare her elaborate hairstyles.

Fans who grew up with the Original Trilogy absolutely loved the idea of receiving a Luke Skywalker (In Stormtrooper Disguise) or Princess Leia Organa (In Boushh Disguise) action figure – just for the removable helmet alone. But George Lucas took disguises to a whole new level in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. In fact, it’s been such an obviously over the top part of the film that it’s been cleverly spoofed on British UK comedy shows hilariously like French and Saunders. (Editor’s Note: You should really check some of them out as they’re hysterical, like THIS ONE.) Queen Amidala went from actual Queen to decoy countless times in The Phantom Menace that unless you were watching with eagle eyes, you may have missed some of the switches. In this regard, Episode I kept fans on their toes. And since we pretty much want every character we see in the films, Hasbro did a fine job bringing various Queen Amidala iterations and her handmaiden counterparts in action figure form. It took a while however to bring one of the most visually colorful outfits into the line, and Hasbro decided to pick a random name to call it by – something we still don’t understand to this day.

Collectors can now welcome Rabé into their collections, but perhaps it’s more important to note that this action figure could also be Sabé, Eirtaé, Tané, Saché, Fé, Dané or even Queen Amidala herself. At this scale and with as much of her face obscured by the hood, it’s impossible to state who this action figure actually is but for the name Hasbro gave it. The handmaidens are first chosen for the likeness and proportions they share with the Queen and then they undergo rigorous training and serve as her protectors. If you buy multiples of the Rabé (Queen’s Chambers) action figure, you should have no problem making each one a specific handmaiden. That’s our call at least. Heck, we have even chosen one to be Queen Amidala for our collection. Visually, Rabé (Queen’s Chambers) looks fantastic. And maybe that’s all it needs to be. Obviously a handmaiden will never be the centerpiece of any Episode I display, so this action figure, which is more statuary than figure by our assessment, may be all we need for these characters. Limited to only four points of articulation, Rabé (Queen’s Chambers) succeeds on appearance much more than she does on functionality.

We must give credit where credit is due. And that credit goes to the paint job. Hasbro has utilized an iridescent type of application here. The faux “mother of pearl” appearance is very eye catching and is employed with grace – which is very fitting for a Queen’s handmaiden. Their outfits are comprised of the higher wavelengths of the monochromatic color spectroscopy. All that means is that the outfits are red, orange and yellow. The pearliest portions can be found on the tops of her gown and it seems by our four samples that each application of paint is like a snowflake – each one is unique. And if you “pretend” hard enough, each face has a slightly different paint application by how much makeup she does or doesn’t have. In a nutshell, there is definitely some versatility in multiple purchases of this action figure. We’re glad we have multiples and we bet you’ll prefer that as opposed to a singular purchase too. Rabé (Queen’s Chambers) also comes with a Naboo blaster pistol. We can’t recall seeing them use these blasters in this outfit in Episode I, but it’s quite possible we suppose as there was a lot of action on Naboo while trying to flee the Separatists. Rabé is a solid yet simple action figure. We hope this particular outfit gets a revisiting in the near future.