Darth Maul - Premium Format Figures

Darth Sidious is an unparalleled mastermind. By subtle arts and quiet maneuvering, the Sith Lord has engineered a crisis of confidence between the Republic's governing body, the Galactic Senate, and the galaxy's corporate giants. Spurred to rash action by their secret benefactor, Trade Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray and his Neimoidian associates have blockaded the peaceful world of Naboo in order to force a resolution to the taxation issue that threatens their continued profitability.

Emboldened by their alliance with the secretive Sith Lord, the Neimoidians are unaware that they are pawns in the opening move of a much larger game being played by the hooded villain. But when the skittish aliens begin to loose their nerve and fumble the operation, Darth Sidious unleashes another of his hidden weapons, one far more dangerous and efficient - one that will not fail him.

Trained in secret as a merciless killing machine, the diabolical Darth Maul is the perfect counterpart to his Lord's subtlety. Where Darth Sidious is shadowy and elusive, his scarlet and pitch-tattooed apprentice is a vivid manifestation of Sith rage. Sharpened horns curve, scythe-like, from the skin of his shaved head and the fiery red thrumming of his double-bladed lightsaber is matched only by the blazing intensity of his venomous stare. Armed with a deadly array of weapons and sophisticated tracking equipment, the Sith hunter is dispatched by Lord Sidious to track down Naboo's errant Queen Amidala and force her to submit to the Federation's demands. That two Jedi will stand in the killer's way only spurs Maul's eagerness and fuels his determination. With death and fire, the Sith will at last reveal themselves to the Jedi!

Sometimes the exclusive accessory that Sideshow Collectibles pairs with their Premium Format figures ends up really making the figure all that much better. If they’re not updating the outfit and/or sculpt (like they did for both Luke Skywalker and Han Solo), they’re including some rather impressive accessories that make their signature work even better. Darth Maul was an inevitable choice for the Premium Format Figures Star Wars line. Actually, we’re surprised it took as long as it did for him to get announced and released. The final result is a solid collectible for your collection. And we love the Sith Probe Droid exclusive accessory (and stand) that came with him. But we truly wonder if an action pose suits Darth Maul in the Premium Format line. We think that these types of poses are best represented in the Diorama line where a lot more artistic interpretation can be executed. Don’t get us wrong because we love the Darth Maul Premium Format figure, but we would have preferred to see a little less “action” included. It is our opinion that the Premium Format Figures look best is erect and static poses, with very few exceptions. You may be of a different opinion/

Another feature we’re not so crazy about is the LED light-up lightsaber detail. We obviously don’t speak for everyone because many collectors are disappointed when electronics are not included in this line. But until Sideshow Collectibles can work more realistic lightsaber accessories into the Premium Format Figures line, we would rather them just sculpt hilts without a lit blade. (Gentle Giant Ltd.’s chrome Darth Vader statue had an amazing lightsaber light-up function. We would encourage Sideshow Collectibles to explore this route.) So you now know what we don’t like about this figure. Let us tell you what we do like. Darth Maul has a brilliant head sculpt. The painted details are flawless and we’re actually amazed by how clean all of the various lines (from thick to thin) are painted on the figure. He’s beautifully in scale with the rest of the Premium Format Figures and this is still easy to determine despite his crouched pose. The double-bladed lightsaber is awesomely drawn behind his back and his left arm and hand is up in defense mode ready to wave off and interfering Jedi with a Force push.

The clothing is well-tailored and Sideshow has incorporated various wiring into various sections to recreate flowing robes in the midst of battle. (This is a great feature since he is in an action stance. You’ll definitely want to utilize those sewn in wires.) One aspect of this piece that totally enthralls us is the stunning base. It’s an even circle, a section of the floor in the Naboo hangar. It is stunningly sculpted and has natural wear and tear yet looks shiny and polished. Darth Maul plugs into it perfectly and he snaps into place snugly so we don’t think he’ll go flying so easily if you decide to move it. And Darth Maul has correct posture when assembled on his base. The engineers at Sideshow have ensured that Darth Maul was well-balanced before signing off on the prototype. Some collectors have commented on why the Sith Probe Droid has a sandy Tatooine base because it conflicts with the Darth Maul base. Well, Sideshow is correct, the Sith Probe Droids were on Tatooine and Darth Maul (in this pose) is from Naboo. Besides, we think both pieces look great on their respective bases.