Anakin Skywalker - TCW [SOTDS] - Basic (CW45)

Anakin continues to use daring battle tactics to outmaneuver the Separatists. The Jedi General is famous for his unusual combat techniques. While his methods may surprise other generals, who prefer more conventional strategies, it cannot be denied that Anakin's plans often lead to victories that the Republic desperately needs.

It was inevitable at some point in The Clone Wars that viewers would begin to see some transitioning to things styled as what we consider to be Episode III specific. Season 3 of The Clone Wars brought us our first taste of the phase II clone trooper armor and Hasbro quickly created 2010's TCW [SOTDS] ARC Troopers Battle Packs set which showcased two unique ones, although the paint jobs weren’t completely accurate. So the same goes for the clones’ generals and leader. Ahsoka (CW44), Obi-Wan Kenobi (CW40) and now Anakin Skywalker have all been updated in the basic figure line to represent their current look in the television show. And for Obi-Wan and Anakin, this means a look that mirrors their appearance in Revenge Of The Sith. If you’re a fan of things in the Expanded Universe (including The Clone Wars television show), you know one of the coolest things is when you’re able to connect the dots from the EU source to the film. (Editor’s Note: Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars Volume 2 was full of connecting the dots. In fact, Volume 2 brought us right to the opening crawl of Revenge Of The Sith.) And now we’re able to connect the dots for the two main characters in Episode III. Anakin Skywalker is a good update to The Clone Wars basic figure line. But we know right off the bat that some collectors may take exception with this head sculpt. It appears as if Hasbro has over-thought the evolution of Anakin and given him an all-new appearance instead of just focusing on the outfit change.

Anakin Skywalker comes with 18 points of articulation. It’s certainly a decent amount of points, but at this stage of the game we think it’s time that he get the super-articulated status he deserves. His outfit is a spitting image of what you saw in Episode III except for the cloak and the coloring is nearly perfect as far as we’re concerned. His leather tabard is as long as his skirt and the brown boots retain a similar color and design to the realistically styled figure. His forearm/hands are posed intensely and have been designed well enough to hold his lightsaber. So everything is in place as far as the body is concerned, but what about that portrait? Well, we actually like it. From head on it may appear a little askew to you. But at an angle, we don’t think it looks half bad. His bangs fall to the left and his scare from Asajj Ventress is looking just as good as before and the flesh tone is right on the money. His blue eyes look a little bit blurred but they’re not sloppily painted. We think overall the figure will get some flack because of the stark contrast in look it has from previous efforts. Again, we don’t think that Anakin Skywalker has a bad head sculpt, but it may take some adjustment to get used to it. Or you may just be of the opinion that this is a bad head sculpt. Hasbro is always at risk for upsetting fans when they mess with what has been established. But we too have to be amenable to change.

Anakin Skywalker comes with an additional right forearm attachment which is gloveless to show the cybernetics of the hand. It’s delicately crafted and has quite a bit of detail for such a small figure. It’s pretty much everything we have seen before but just in an animated style. This also makes an effective tie in to the Prequel Trilogy films and marks the first time we see Anakin’s cybernetics in the animated The Clone Wars line. He also comes with his lit blue lightsaber and not much new exists there. It should be expected that we’ll receive a new take on the core heroes in The Clone Wars each year. And if there are new outfits being worn by them, well, it’s just part of the spirit of collecting that Hasbro makes these various outfits for us to enjoy as action figure. Anakin Skywalker is perhaps one of the best versions of him to date. Whether you like the head sculpt or not, you have to admit that it is pretty neat to get him dressed in his Episode III clothing (or a slight derivation of that). A nice addition to the third phase of The Clone Wars line (also known as the “Shadow Of The Dark Side” phase of the line), Anakin Skywalker really does bring something new to the table as far as an action figure is concerned. And if you’re looking to only collect animated versions of characters that actually appear in the films, then this is another one for your collection.