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Name: Darth Tyranus (With Force-Flipping Attack)
Collection: Star Wars [Saga - Phase I]
Number: N/A
Source: Attack Of The Clones
Availability: April 2002
License: Hasbro
Ten years after the fight to save Naboo from invasion, the galaxy is on the brink of civil war. Under the leadership of a renegade Jedi, thousands of solar systems threaten to secede from the Galactic Republic. A courageous Jedi Knight, his impulsive and headstrong apprentice, and a queen-turned-senator are drawn into the heart of the conflict... and the beginning of war.
Darth Tyranus was once a powerful Jedi before abandoning the order nearly ten years ago. He reveals his new allegiance to the Sith, and uses both his Jedi skills as well as the might of the dark side to battle for evil.
If there is a perfect example of a figure that is riddled with gimmicks that could have actually been a great action figure, we’d likely choose any of the “Force-Flipping Attack” figures from the Star Wars “Saga” Deluxe line. Let’s get it out in the open. The “Force-flipping” feature released on three of the figures in the Star Wars “Saga” line is perhaps the silliest thing we’ve seen to date. Including magnets into the bottom of figures’ feet makes it look like they're wearing platform shoes. It’s much too obtrusive of a feature in these figures, especially when they function more like off-balance cleats and require a strong magnetic base to remain upright. But, save for a few things we don’t like about them, the sculpts are not terrible (if you can deal with pre-posed features). In the case of Darth Tyranus (AKA Count Dooku) (With Force-Flipping Attack), this figure is mediocre at best because of this. Darth Tyranus has a fantastic body sculpt and the head sculpt isn’t terrible. You just have to accept that this figure has been tooled for one sole-purpose: to accommodate the “Force-Flipping Attack” gimmick that is generated from the included base. For us, the saddest thing is that between the action-oriented pose and the magnets embedded into the figure’s feet, Darth Tyranus (With Force-Flipping Attack) has GREAT difficulty standing unassisted and his permanent lightsaber needs to function like a cane to assist with this.
You’ll truly notice a distinct difference on how these figures have been approached. Darth Tyranus’ skin doesn’t appear as opaque as on the basic figure and the details in his costuming just feel elevated, which is strange for a play feature action figure. The paint operations stand out significantly as well despite being very simple. The super dark brown outfit is screen accurate and his belt blends in flawlessly with it thanks to this figure’s excellent paint job. Just keep in mind that these aren’t collectors’ figures and won’t meet out stringent demands. Again, his facial features are pretty nice. His face looks aged and his hairstyle looks as good as it’s going to get. They added some different colors in the paint job for his hair which makes it look really good. In this case, the new digital scanning technology has worked like a charm here. Like the other figures in this style, perhaps the greatest setback to Darth Tyranus (With Force-Flipping Attack) is that his lightsaber is permanently affixed to his right hand. We’re not sure why Hasbro would ever do this. Having the option to play with this figure independent of his lightsaber is something that collectors of all ages find ideal. It's a tremendous disappointment to see that you’ll always have this figure holding his lightsaber. Plus, the lightsaber is at greater risk for bowing, bending and breaking when placed in storage. You’ll really have to pack him away precariously from preventing the lightsaber from becoming damaged.
Hasbro has included directions on how to have successful “Force flips” with this figure. They liken this skill to how one becomes better and better at the Force and how it requires training. We imagine you didn’t expect to get Jedi Force training while playing with a Hasbro action figure, did you? They advise to ensure that both of the figure’s heels are pressed all the way into the feet indentations found on the launch pad. They also suggest to use the lightsaber as a balancing device for the figure and actually have it leaning against the walkway. (This in and of itself is probably the main reason the lightsaber isn’t removable.) They also suggest to use your fingers to anchor the rounded base close to the surface for the best balance possible. And lastly, they recommend moving the arms and legs of the figure into different positions in an effort to find the best and optimum Force-flipping performance. (This all has to do with finding the figure’s best center of gravity.) Again, Darth Tyranus (With Force-Flipping Attack) is geared towards the kids. We think they’ll get frustrated trying to make the gimmick work, but perhaps they’ll utilize the figure for other purposes instead. No matter how you feel about this set, it certainly has a fair MSRP of $9.99. We hope for the future however that Hasbro avoids these novelty figures. They might be fun for a few moments, but their luster wears off very quickly.
Status: Darth Tyranus (With Force-Flipping Attack) is an all-new figure.
Articulation Count: 7 points (7 areas of articulation)
Articulation Details: swivel head (1), swivel left shoulder (1), swivel right shoulder (1), swivel right wrist (1), swivel waist (1), swivel left hip (1), swivel right hip (1)
Accessory Count: 4
Accessory Details: environmental display base (with Force-flipping action feature) (4 parts)
Date Stamp: 2002
Assortment Number: 84879/84859
UPC: 076930848791
Retail: $9.99 USD
Market Value: Click here to check the latest prices based on listings.
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