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Revisiting The Geonosis Arena Showdown TARGET Exclusives

Posted by Paul | September 11, 2012 at 09:54 AM ET

One of the best exclusive lines ever produced by Hasbro was overlooked by many collectors. Even though most collectors were aware of them, they didn't sell nearly as fast as they should have. For the most part, TARGET was clever and unwilling to clearance them out (aside from a few different promotional prices) at their brick and mortar stores. It ended up becoming a wise decision because they eventually sold through in stores at regular price. We feel obligated to express again... years after the fact.... why the Geonosis Arena Showdown series is a must for those who collect characters based on all films. We went the extra mile for you and provided quick hit tips on each set. But the bigger bonus is that we've added all-new photo galleries for each set making the gallery size double and even quadruple in some instances. Please click through to view our commentary and links to the individual reviews on each set. See why you need these stellar two-packs.

     



     

The Legacy Collection in general brought us a fine line of Star Wars action figures. But the fact of the matter is that the Legacy Collection also brought us better exclusives. One such set of exclusives is the Geonosis Arena Showdown two-packs that were proudly picked up by TARGET and served as their exclusives for two consecutive years (2009 and 2010). This unique "good versus bad" duo pitted Jedi against Separatist and the quality of the action figures was unprecedented. These 12 sets (the total from both years) brought us never before released characters, a first time scene-specific version of R2-D2 and countless Separatist army members including Geonosian Warriors, Battle Droids, Super Battle Droids and Droidekas. Oh, and we even received updates to a Separatist leader and infamous bounty hunter.

Many of the included figures were designed from base sculpts of previously existing action figures. But no matter how you slice it, all of the figures were created with the highest of quality and some of the figures were all-new sculpts (or at the very least contained mostly all-new tooling). As awesome as this collection of 24 figures is, we have found it odd that there wasn't more excitement for the line than there was. You'll notice that not many collectors own these sets in their collection, and if they do, they've never opened them to enjoy the goodness contained inside. And quite honestly, we even had a hard time finding these sets entered in various photo archives at other Star Wars fan sites around the web. (So let's get them archived fellow colleagues!)

So Jedi Temple Archives is stepping up to the plate as our call of duty beckons us again to rave about these tremendous TARGET exclusives. We need to remind you just how awesome the Geonosis Arena Showdown sets are and one again draw your attention to their magnificence so that a fire can be created inside of you so that you'll consider them for your collection. Aside from the Separatist droids, the updated versions of Jedi have not been carried forward into any other medium in the Star Wars line. This is sad since some of the best versions of these characters are contained here. Major characters like Anakin and Obi-Wan have some of the best updates here (or potentially the best – we'll explain).

For those of you that have gotten to know me through my RDRs column, you know that for years I have been stuck in my own paradox about Attack Of The Clones. I do not like Episode II. (And quite frankly I am not here to start a debate about it.) It has some great moments, but overall I find it the grueling to watch. That being said, I love the characters in the film and the action figures Hasbro produces of them even more. I can't explain or reconcile the way I feel. Obviously all 12 Geonosis Arena Showdown sets are sourced to Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones. That's fine. Because I love these sets more than you could possibly imagine.

As part of the tribute I am paying to the Geonosis ArenaShowdown sets, I have reshot the photo galleries for all 24 figures/12 sets. Photo galleries in their respective Research Droids Reviews have been doubled and sometimes tripled and even quadrupled. It is my hope that you spend some time to unlearn what you have learned about these exclusives and see them through an overzealous opinion in the hopes that you can see what you're missing. I know my infatuation with them borders on being unhealthy, but I am unabashed in my love for them and I hope I can be infectious enough for you to consider them for your own collection.

It seems that many of you haven't forsaken these sets however and I'd like to point that out. No less than 8 of the 12 sets have made it to our TOP 100 list in our Research Droids Reviews database. So obviously there are plenty of you curious about these sets. These aren't to be missed. Hopefully this article will catch everyone up to speed who doesn't know much about them.

The Geonosis Arena Showdown sets are absolutely some of the best exclusives produced to date. It is my hope that Hasbro decides to work up a batch of another 12 sets/24 figures for me. 2012 is the perfect year to do it as we gear up for the 3D release of Attack Of The Clones (yay...). With amazing action figures already created like Barriss Offee (Jedi Padawan), Fi-Ek Sirch (Jedi Knight), the upcoming Luminara Unduli, an even newer updated Shaak Ti, Plo Koon, Saesee Tiin and Ki-Adi-Mundi, in addition to many other potential choices it seems that Hasbro could do this a few more times slowly but surely updating the 200 Jedi who were dispatched to save Obi-Wan, Anakin and Padme from the clutches of the Separatists at the Geonosis Arena. We hope you enjoy this update to a truly special collection of Star Wars action figures.

As usual, you can click ANY THUMBNAIL below to be taken to the corresponding review of that particular Geonosis Arena Showdown set as well as a full newly shot photo gallery! A neat final picture showing who succeeded and who succombed in the battle has also been added. We hope you enjoy our recapped look at the Geonosis Arena Showdown sets. Please feel free to leave your comments below!

Geonosis Arena Showdown (2009 Edition)

Coleman Trebor/Jango Fett (1 of 6)

What you need to know:

  • Coleman Trebor is essentially an all-new figure even though he borrows parts from the Evolutions Qui-Gon Jinn figure. Believe it ot not, Hasbro gave him an all-new head sculpt and newly sculpted hands. To date, Hasbro has yet to release this updated version of Coleman Trebor as a basic figure.

  • Jango Fett is a major repaint of the Evolutions Jango Fett figure.

Kit Fisto/Geonosian Warrior (2 of 6)

What you need to know:

  • This version of Kit Fisto is the closest super-articulated version of his Episode II appearance available. Yes, he seems more like a hybrid of both his Episode II and Episode III likenesses (especially with the pink circles around his eyes), but his eyes are small enough here to source him from Attack Of The Clones.

  • Geonosian Warrior is not just a repaint of 2006's TSC Sun Fac (SAGA 016) figure. Hasbro actually added ball-jointed knees to the sculpt making this figure more articulated than ever. Super-articulated in fact! The paint job is excellent as well.

Mace Windu/Battle Droid Commander (3 of 6)

What you need to know:

  • Mace Windu is actaully a repaint of 2007's TAC Mace Windu (No. 06) figure. This is not a simple repack.

  • The all-new sculpt of the Battle Droid Commander is actually moot at this point, so you don't need this version anymore. At the time it was an all-new figure with incredible articulation. But the Battle Droid Commander came with extra big photoreceptors that actually looked pretty bad. Hasbro tweaked these on the 2010 SW [SOTDS] Saga Legends line releases and again for the 2010 Edition of the Geonosis Arena Showdown sets so those are the better versions to attain for your collection.

Joclad Danva/Battle Droid (4 of 6)

What you need to know:

  • This is the very first release of Joclad Danva and it's a good bet that he will NEVER see single carded release ever in the basic figure line. If it weren't for the Geonosis Arena Showdown exclusives, it's a good bet that Hasbro would have never bothered making him. He only comes with a new head sculpt (and subsequently repainted), but he is an awesome Jedi and a necessary addition for your collection!

  • Ditto for the regular Battle Droid figure in the 2009 Geonosis Arena Showdown collection! Hasbro did the complete diametric opposite to this figures "eyes" that they did for the corresponding Battle Droid Commander. The Battle Droid's eyes are so small that they're invisible. (Actually, Hasbro just forgot to add them on for this release. Too bad, so sad.) The good news is that you've had plenty of opportunity to get plenty of this droid in various other ways.

Roth-Del Masona/Super Battle Droid (5 of 6)

What you need to know:

  • One of the fortunate survivors at the Battle of Geonosis, Roth-Del Masona is another figure that would have never seen the light of day were it not for the Geonosis Arena Showdown two-packs. He looks authentic to his onscreen character and utilizes the body of 2007's TAC Mace Windu (No. 06) figure, so you know this is a quality figure.

  • In 2008, Hasbro updated 2007's TAC Super Battle Droid (No. 08) figure in the TAC Battle On Mygeeto Battle Packs set. They filled in the holes on the chest (that were intentionally put there for flame attachments) to create a smooth contour for future Super Battle Droid figures. The first version of this newly "smooth chested" SBD (in movie colors) appeared in the 2008 The Legacy Collection Saga Legends line. Now Hasbro has repainted that figure once again for the Geonosis Arena Showdown sets.

Yoda/Droideka (6 of 6)

What you need to know:

  • Yoda is a drastic repaint of 2007's TAC Yoda & Kybuck (No. 32) figure. He also comes with a new soft-goods cloak.

  • Droideka is a slight repaint of 2007's TAC Destroyer Droid (No. 59) figure.

 

Geonosis Arena Showdown (2010 Edition)

Obi-Wan Kenobi/Super Battle Droid (1 of 6)

What you need to know:

  • Obi-Wan Kenobi, while not painted too nicely, is actually a kit-bashed figure. He comes with an all-new head sculpt (that if it was painted nicely would probably be the best head sculpt Hasbro has ever done for this character) and the body of 2009's TLC Obi-Wan Kenobi (BD 44) figure. Let's hope Hasbro revisits this portrait in the future.

  • Super Battle Droid is a retool of the revised 2008 TLC Super Battle Droid (SL 10) Saga Legends figure! Hasbro gave this figure ball-jointed ankles! Do you believe it? They must have forgotten about this sculpt because all other Super Battle Droid releases after this figure have reverted to the latter version! (Sobbing....)

Rodian Jedi/Battle Droid (2 of 6)

What you need to know:

  • Rodian Jedi still doesn't have a name! But what's special about his release is that Hasbro updated the statuary that was released in the 2003 Clone Wars Deluxe three-pack so long ago. (Hey Hasbro, we still need the human Jedi and the male Twi'lek Jedi updated now!) Rodian Jedi is probably the best figure in the 2010 Edition. It's colorful, super-articulated and comes with an all-new Rodian head sculpt that just looks phenomenal.

  • Yay! Hasbro released a fixed version of the Battle Droid with the Rodian Jedi. You should be happy about this!

Anakin Skywalker/Droideka (3 of 6)

What you need to know:

  • Anakin Skywalker is a relatively big update to the Evolutions figure released way back in 2005. Hasbro created an all-new color palette for this release and most importantly gave Anakin an all-new head sculpt. Sadly, this head sculpt has not been used since either. You need this figure!

  • Droideka is just another release of 2007's TAC Destroyer Droid (No. 59) figure.

Shaak Ti/Geonosian Warrior (4 of 6)

What you need to know:

  • Wow! It's amazing what a pretty good all-new paint job will do. Shaak Ti has been aggressively upgraded for this release. Her new color scheme isn't perfect, but it's still pretty amazing. But the best part about her is that Hasbro sculpted all-new arms for her to give her ball-jointed elbows for the very first time. With a perfect paint job (and maybe even revised lower legs that include ball-jointed ankles), this could be the definitive Shaak Ti figure. Hopefully Hasbro picks up on this cue and releases her individually one day!

  • Hasbro was obviously proud of their updated Geonosian Warrior from the 2009 Edition, so they repainted it and put it in the 2010 Edition. Nothing really new here aside from the revised paint job exists except for a staff that was omitted in the previous year's set.

Nicanas Tassu/Count Dooku (5 of 6)

What you need to know:

  • Just like Joclad Danva and Roth-Del Masona, Nicanas Tassu would likely never have been produced had it not been for the Geonosis Arena Showdown sets. This excellent figure is the character from Episode II that tossed extra lightsabers to Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker once they freed themselves from the Geonosian Arena beasts. You know you need this figure. Who else can save Obi-Wan and Anakin from certain doom?

  • Count Dooku is certainly the surprise figure of the 2010 Edition. Hasbro dug out the totally awesome 2005 Evolutions body, but gave Count Dooku and surprising all-new head sculpt. Again, just like Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Count Dooku needs a bit better of a paint job, but he still looks pretty good nonetheless.

R2-D2/C-3PO With Battle Droid Head (6 of 6)

What you need to know:

  • R2-D2 is a wonderful Episode II-specific version of the plucky astromech. Hasbro retooled the figure to include a new utility tool (to put C-3PO's droid head back on his neck) and a new back panel door with cable accessory, so C-3PO can experience what a drag it is to be a droid. The only thing that is odd about this figure is its clear eye port. When did R2-D2 ever has a clear eye port?

  • Best.... Ever.... Episode II C-3PO!!! Sure, he seems a bit tall, but between the super-articulated and the stupendous paint job, you should own this figure in triplocate by now. This is the best two-pack of the 2010 Edition. Get it now!

 

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