Anakin Skywalker (Naboo Pilot) - EI - Basic

Thrust into the cockpit of a Naboo starfighter, young Anakin Skywalker unwittingly finds himself in the midst of an interstellar dogfight with Trade Federation droid fighters while heading straight for the droid control ship.

By the time Episode I basic figure line had reached its end, Hasbro did their best to release core characters in the lineup while attempting to make then new or fresh again. Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi started arriving as new sculpts with soft-goods or small accessories added, but when it came to Anakin Skywalker, the choices became a little bit smaller. Besides his Padawan costume at the end of the film, Anakin Skywalker looked consistent throughout the rest of the scenes. But when he absconded with a Naboo starfighter during the Battle of Naboo, he donned a Naboo pilot’s helmet and goggles and well, the rest is Star Wars history. To recreate this scene for Star Wars collectors, Hasbro tooled the Anakin Skywalker (Naboo Pilot) figure which in all honesty doesn’t bring that much new to the table save for some neat accessories. Almost a repaint of 1999’s EI Anakin Skywalker (Tatooine) figure, we’re going to go out on a limb and suggest that there were some very small modifications made to the positioning of the limbs. But for argument’s sake, let us just call it a repaint. A little grittier and a little grimier, this version of Anakin Skywalker comes with a steering console and Naboo pilot helmet to complete his look during the Battle of Naboo.

What is so special about the flight console? Well, it was designed in a forward thinking manner, or in this case a reverse forward thinking manner. It actually snaps into the Episode I Naboo Starfighter vehicle so the figure can have something to hold onto while driving the vehicle around. It was pure Hasbro magic for the Episode I line, but sadly not too many fans realized the interactivity between this figure and the previously released vehicle. Distribution was at a standstill. Too many Episode I figures clogged the shelves and Anakin Skywalker (Naboo Pilot) and his wave mates didn’t make it out until early 2000. Then it was a rollercoaster ride finding him on pegs. He was arrived, then disappeared, then ended up $1.99 in clearance bins before disappearing into the moonlight forever. But this was a great figure and perhaps the most interesting of all Anakin Skywalker figures during the Episode I era. The included helmet also fit the figure perfectly while not appearing out of scale or misshaped to fit over Anakin’s bulbous head. As mentioned earlier, Anakin this time around has a much dirtier appearance, almost as if he just got done with a podrace instead of flying around the much more antiseptic space atmosphere. It’s not really a big deal; just an observation.

Anakin Skywalker (Naboo Pilot) definitely has an excellent sculpt. The action figure looks a whole lot like the young Jake Lloyd. The bowl hair cut is perfect. He looks concerned and very naïve, which works well here as he is taking on a big mission flying into the battle above Naboo. The paint operations bring this all to a wonderful head, and collectors are left with a surprisingly impressive little Anakin Skywalker action figure. Anakin Skywalker (Naboo Pilot) comes with six points of articulation. His outfit looks spot on and there are plenty of fine details etched into the figure that make his clothing and other outfit textures look completely realistic. But the most important aspect to remember here is like so many other figures in the Episode I line, Anakin Skywalker (Naboo Pilot) is blessed with a stunning paint job. It accentuates the fine details in the sculpt and both the base and final washes breathe an inordinate amount of life into the excellent sculpt. Anakin Skywalker (Naboo Pilot) is also perfectly scaled in our opinion too. Hasbro did a great job making him look proportionate to the rest of the figures in the line. Between the great sculpt, superb paint operations and neat accessories, collectors should have nothing to complain about when it comes to this action figure.