Supreme Chancellor Palpatine - SW [S - P1] - Basic (’02 #39)

What would the Star Wars toy line be complete without Senator Palpatine's interpretation in the 3.75" scale? The on-screen character keeps his secrets close to the vest in The Phantom Menace and Attack Of The Clones and sets up what will be a devastating blow to the Jedi Order and the freedom of the Republic. The character's inclusion in the basic figure line seems almost obligatory. While Supreme Chancellor Palpatine may not present kids with optimal play value, the figure resonates with adult collectors. And Hasbro did a beautiful job with the tooling and likeness. It's a statuesque action figure, but we imagine collectors won't care that much at all. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine scores high marks for looking good, standing unassisted, and offering a place in the action figure line for an important character from Episode II that falls somewhere in between the main character and background character. Whether you enjoy the Prequel Trilogy or not is irrelevant. And whether you prefer super-articulation or not in your action figures doesn't matter much here either. No one can deny that this action figure's likeness is spot-on and an excellent addition to the line. Aside from some heavy application of accentuated liver spots, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine looks fantastic from the receding hairline to the boots. If you can't see this, then we feel a bit sad for you.

The figure's impressive likeness is not the only strong point here either. With limited articulation, Hasbro worked in an outstanding amount of detail. The design and engineering of this figure shouldn't be overlooked. Hasbro captured every last detail effortlessly. The coloring, the accouterments, and the drape of the long robes look stunning. And they're all finished off with a spectacular paint job that ties all the figure's areas together. Please don't take things for granted here because Hasbro executed them excellently here. For example, how the robes hang in a pleated style is nothing short of beautiful. And let's not forget the more delicate details etched into those creases. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine looks like it jumped right out of the screen. If you're a super-articulation junky, this action figure isn't for you. But you're cutting your nose to spite your face. Although the figure comes with only seven swivel articulation points, they offer enough posing versatility to appease most collectors. Regardless, keep in mind that this action figure is a display piece. It is what it is. It comes with no accessories. All you get is Palpatine here. That's where you might feel you're not getting total value here. Not all action figures can come with a decent amount of accessories.

Perhaps the most significant feature on Supreme Chancellor Palpatine is carefully sculpted hands. And equally important is the articulation and the subsequent movement Hasbro added to the arms to make the hands as applicable as possible. The fingers are outstretched on both hands, which allows you to interlace the fingers and recreate a "folded hands" position. They look lifelike when positioned this way. Thanks to the additional swivel articulation in the shoulders and elbows, you can situate the hands in other positions, like making a point, beckoning a servant, or speaking to the senate. Undoubtedly, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine is a far cry from a premium super-articulated action figure. But do collectors need more than the seven points Hasbro included here? The figure can do everything but sit. The costume would require all soft-goods to make this option possible. And the aesthetics may become compromised had Hasbro gone in that direction. Hasbro shipped Supreme Chancellor Palpatine heavily, and you could find the action figure everywhere when it got released. They produced too many, and it went on clearance for $1.99 in closeout stores like KB Toys by the end of 2002. Whatever you pay for it, this action figure should be considered a must-have for your Star Wars collection.