Anakin Skywalker - TLC - Basic (BD 50)

Anakin is a Jedi Commander when the Clone Wars begin, though he frequently displays reckless heroism in battle and daring maneuvers in starfighter combat. Battling secret fears, he chafes under the restrictions of the Jedi Order.

Remember back in 2005 when we got our very first Evolutions set (2005's ROTS Anakin Skywalker To Darth Vader set) and we couldn't believe how awesome it was? At the time we didn't think Hasbro could do much better. Three super-artculated and/or highly articulated action figures in a three-pack where all three figures shared a recurring theme. It was amazing then and it holds up remarkably well now. So it makes sense that we see figures from these packs time and again in various basic figure lines. Hasbro has decided that the Episode II Anakin Skywalker (Jedi Hero) figure from the set is a mainstay in the basic figure line and we have to agree that it's a great, albeit imperfect, choice. It has a little way to go before we'll call it definitive. Anakin Skywalker is based on his appearance from Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones and the figure has seen quite a few releases after its initial release. But this is the first time he is available as a basic figure (and it’s long overdue if you ask us). This figure is a fantastic choice to help round out the Attack Of The Clones wave of the Build A Droid line because of its beautiful sculpting and the need to bring another Anakin Skywalker to the basic figure line. When we think about it, there couldn't have been a better choice selected than this figure! And the timing could not have been better. Anakin is a figure that already meets the modern day action figure standards and it helped provide a main character to a wave of figures that were essentially collector-focused. Collector figures are wonderful, but they won’t necessarily appeal to the kids, so Hasbro must ensure that main characters are in the same case assortments as the secondary characters.

For all intents and purposes, Anakin Skywalker is a simple repack of the Evolutions figure, although the most discriminating collectors may notice slight color differences and variations. We will say it is the same figure however for ease of this review because for all intents and purposes it is the same. He is a part of four repacked figures that were added to the final wave of the blue phase of The Legacy Collection. Initially, Hasbro decided to do away with the confusing GH numbering system. But starting with 2008's TLC Clone Trooper (327th Star Corps) (BD 29) figure, the GH has been dropped and now all carry-forward figures are part of the BD numbering system. The basic line is in need of easy repacks and they should be part of the big picture and not isolated into a sub-collection (in the basic figure line no less). Hasbro decided to continue with adding these “greatest hits” figures seamlessly into the basic line and the same is true for this wave of figures. So if you need certain droid part and are only into main characters, Hasbro has made it a bit easier for you to find it since more popular figures have been packed with the same parts. And if you are not into all of the "main" choices that were intended to be the stars of the waves, then these repacks are excellent secondary choices instead. We think this was a nice touch for the wave because we could have gotten another other figures that have been re-released so many times already. Hasbro decided to change it up a bit and it's truly refreshing to get some new character choices on the shelves! (And it is even cooler when Hasbro selects candidates that fit in with the theme of the wave at hand as well – but this doesn't always work out so nicely necessarily.

Anakin Skywalker is almost super-articulated (just lacking ankle joints) and he comes with his signature lightsaber, lightsaber hilt, and cybernetic hand attachment. Hasbro decided to eliminate the chain (from the Battle of Geonosis scene) that originally came with the 2005 Revenge Of The Sith Evolutions figure. The chain is not entirely necessary and we think that the omission is fine. It gives Anakin a cleaner appearance and the collector doesn’t become sensory overloaded with accessory choices, although not all see eye to eye with that opinion. In our opinion, Anakin comes with just the right amount of accessories for a basic carded figure release. It is our opinion to leave the multiple accessories to Battle Packs or other collecting mediums. Overall, Anakin Skywalker is the perfect welcomed addition to the basic figure line and it is really something to see him as a basic figure for the first time! If you are not a fan of reissues, then this figure is not for you, but we think you will find it a necessary purchase if you are either a loose or carded collector or both. It is very cool to have this version of Anakin Skywalker on a basic card. We don't exactly know why this is true because we have seen him more than a few times now, but he just looks awesome this way. We give kudos to Hasbro for choosing an excellent and "outside of the box" figure for a repack. We will continue enjoying seeing Hasbro release their "cream of the crop" in the basic figure line. Repacks are necessary. And this is the way to do it! We'd love to see Hasbro address this version of Anakin Skywalker again and correct the issues this one has, but if they don't this is a fine release nonetheless.