Yarael Poof - TSC - Basic (SAGA 069)

If you asked us back in 1999 what figure we wanted to see the most from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, we would have instantly chosen Yarael Poof. That dream didn’t become a reality until he was released in the “Screen Scene” assortment in 2003 four years later, but he was an impressive figure for the time and ended up being well worth the wait. Back then, super-articulation wasn’t mandatory for Star Wars figures and collectors were less snobbish. So Yarael Poof made many a collector happy with its excellent sculpt and proportions, despite its limited and awkward articulation. Hasbro must have been proud of this figure and as a result felt that it was necessary to rerelease him. We have to say it couldn’t have been more fitting for The Saga Collection. Episode I and Episode II didn’t get as broad of a representation as the other films in The Saga Collection, so the inclusion of Yarael Poof in one of the Repack & Repaint waves was very welcoming. There isn’t really anything new to appreciate here, but seeing him single carded for the first time ever is certainly heartwarming for fans of all things Episode I, especially for such a cool Jedi character as Yarael Poof.

Yarael Poof is an extremely slight repaint of the figure from 2003's SW Jedi High Council (Featuring Yarael Poof, Depa Billaba & Yaddle) (2 of 2) Screen Scene set. The soft-goods also look to be cut from a different fabric, but most of the colors have been carried forward with little to no alterations. The figure looked great in 2003 and it looks just as good here, but maybe a smidgen better. For this release, Hasbro has included a lightsaber. Interestingly and in an odd move, Hasbro dusts off the lightsaber from the 2003 SW McQuarrie Concept Stormtrooper ('03 #34) figure and packs it in with Yarael Poof. We of course never see Poof wield this in Episode I, but we suppose it was nice of Hasbro to give us easy back-up in case we lose the one that came with the much-harder-to-find McQuarrie Concept Stromtrooper. And it looks just as good with Poof. Unbelievably, Yarael Poof comes with 10 points of articulation. You would think that this is an impressive amount for a 2003 sculpt. It is and it isn’t. The problem is that Yarael Poof doesn’t have separately jointed hips. This renders all articulation below the waist useless. (And we challenge you to pose him upright without any leaning. It's nearly impossible!) This “hinged seat” joint is perfect for getting him to sit in a Jedi Council chair, but don’t expect to have him battling in a lightsaber duel with much "believability".

His lack in articulation is a shame because Hasbro truly scores high marks for the incredible sculpt. The head sculpt isn't 100% perfect to the puppet in the film, but the stunning paint job proves just how much time and effort went into making this Jedi look screen accurate despite some very insignificant detail discrepancies. Although it’s evident that the head is attached via some swivel joint, it doesn’t move since the bottom of the neck is deeply rooted into the upper torso of the figure. Besides, this figure really doesn’t need to turn his head. His large hands look amazing and almost as if they have been inspired from the Ithorian species and they move by way of swivel joints too. His right hand manages to hold the included lightsaber very well, but if you move the figure around too much, it will fall out of it. The ball-hinged knees are perfect for sitting him in his Jedi Council chair, but they won’t assist you in posing him in some cool action stances. Yarael Poof may serve your collection best as a carded addition, but if you’re anything like us, you have him open and displayed on his stand. (Sadly, he comes with a Return Of The Jedi stand. Oh well.) It would be a dream for Hasbro to sculpt him from scratch and make him even more accurate, but we will consider it a dream as we don’t see it becoming a reality any time soon.