Clone Wars Anakin's Jedi Starfighter Review
 

Anakin's Jedi Starfighter is a repaint of Obi Wan's Jedi Starfighter released last year. Both are available this year and as the main mounts of the protagonists, these starfighters are popular and sought after. While it is a repaint, there are some improvements done to the mold. So is it worth picking up? Read on...

Combined Mode
 

This starfighter basically has 3 forms:

• Combined mode
• Manned fighter
• Droid fighter

In this post I'll discuss the combined fighter. It is very reminiscent of the Jedi Starfighter(with all wing parts still attached) from Episode 2: Attack of the Clones. It's a delta winged starfighter, and it differs from the AOTC version in that:

• It's an all new mold
• It lacks landing skids
• R2 unit is held in the center instead of off to the side
• A bubble canopy is now featured
• Front parts of the wings do not break off as part of the gimmick
• The smaller wing gimmick is now gone
• Combining gimmick is now added

So despite the overall similarities and similar silhouette, the Clone Wars Jedi Starfighter is a new beast altogether. It looks pretty accurate to the show. Also worth noting is that this is the 1st time that Anakin's Jedi Starfighter ever bore his colors from his ROTS starfighter. The AOTC Jedi Starfighter has yet to be repainted in those colors.

Combined mode is very sturdy and everything is painted. I don't remember if Obi Wan's release from last year was painted, but IIRC, you had to use stickers for some parts. It's great to see everything painted, as all you have to do is put the ship together out of box, which doesn't take long at all. This is of benefit to both kids and collectors. The 2 parts of the ship stay combined very well, they aren't prone to separating at all. The main bubble cockpit seems to secure better than on Obi Wan's fighter, in fact the whole toy overall feels like holds up together better. This is not to say that Obi Wan's fighter is bad, it's great actually, but Anakin's fighter seems to fit tighter and more securely.

The R2 D2 pictured in the droid cockpit is the electronic R2 from the 2006 Saga collection. It is a very tight fit. I'd advise using the Clone Wars R2 D2 instead. Besides, the Clone Wars version has the most gimmicks on any R2 figures I've seen to date.

Luckily, for those of you who bought Space Suit Anakin, the figure does fit even with that big space helmet on! That's the figure I have seated in the main cockpit. Speaking of cockpits, both cockpits are very detailed with sculpted interior details and painted details on various parts. Detail all throughout is quite good, with well scribed panel lines and details. This is a toy that fits in well with both Clone Wars and Legacy Collection figures.

Weapons consist of:

• Retractable central missle launcher under droid fighter
• Missle launchers atop of the wings, towards the front of the main fighter

Droid Fighter
 

The droid fighter looks quite aggressive and is an impressive piece on it's own. When removed from the main fighter, 2 wings automatically swing back. The wings feature a high amount of sculpted detail with intricate panel lines. It's sturdy and the cockpit secures the droid quite well.

Main(Piloted Fighter)
 

The piloted fighter features a cockpit with lots of interior room, a soft plastic joystick(to prevent breakages) and a bubble canopy. This fighter is highly reminiscent of the ROTS Jedi Starfighter, except it lacks the opening wings. I wish it had the opening wings as I liked those on the ROTS starfighters. If anything this fighter can be seen as bridging the gap between the episode II and III starfighters. It's got influences from both.

Despite being quite light on the hands, the piloted fighter is very sturdy. The vertical stabilizer is made from soft plastic, which is also rigid and prevents the fin from being snapped off.

Another reason why I wish this fighter had the pop up wings from the ROTS bird is because it would add to the look. The piloted fighter looks decent but could have been better; more interesting. It reminds me of a small ship from those classic shoot 'em up arcade games(SHUMPs).

Another thing that reminds me not only of the ROTS starfighter but also of the classic TIE Fighter is the cockpit from the front. Looks familiar doesn't it? If only it was molded in clear plastic with painted frames. Instead we just get solid plastic, with paint.

Conclusion
 

Anakin's Jedi Starfighter is worth picking up. It's sturdy, very detailed, and rugged enough in all 3 modes to survive frequent handling and swooshing around the house. It's got appeal for kids and collectors, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's a hot seller during the current holiday season. I like that everything is already painted, and assembly can be done in a matter of minutes(or seconds actually). Also the paint job on this one appeals to me more than the one on Obi Wan's; I've always liked the darker colors of Anakin's fighters.

This will definitely be on my Christmas list.