[Moose]

Star Wars Evolutions: The Sith Legacy Collection

Usually about once or twice a year, I like to delve back into the world of Star Wars to find something new, unique, and reasonably priced to add to my collection, which is primarily made up of the original Kenner Line release, but with the Prequel Trilogy, the abundance of new characters proves just as exciting and interesting. Also, I had just started playing KotOR II: The Sith Lords game, and one of the primary characters was Darth Nihilus, who I thought embodied everything there was about being a Sith, so I found this set in Target and picked it up. Overall, a good purchase. So let’s take this figure by figure.

Darth Maul:
The only movie-recognizable figure in the set, this particular version of Maul is shirtless, and whist I was reading a collection of comic stories (set prior to the Phantom Menace), Maul often appeared in this manner as he was training under Darth Sideous. The detailing on Maul is pretty good for such a small size figure. I can’t get over how much articulation is packed on this figure as well- damn near rivals Marvel Legends on a smaller scale. Bending Torso; elbows, knees, wrists, ankles, waist- pretty much all are bendeable as well as swivel. It reminds me of the GI Joe figures of the 80’s. Maul comes with the double bladed lightsaber, which is one permanent piece- you can’t split the sabers in two. Also, there is a kilt type apparatus that has both plastic and actual cloth pieces to it. The kilt kind of hampers hip joint movement as there doesn’t seem to be a way of removing it. One main detractor is that Maul cannot hold the lightsaber in a single hand- you must have both hands on both hilts in order for him to hold it.Standard peg bottom feet round out this version of Maul.


Darth Bane:
I admit I’m not entirely familiar with the actual character of Darth Bane outside of what Wikipedia has to say, but aside from that, he’s not a bad figure. Bane primarily differs from the other two Sith in the collection by having these “yellow fire” accessories- two wrist gauntlets and one headmask. I actually prefer him without the mask- the simple yet elegant design of the head is enough to let me know I’m dealing with a Sith here. Bane’s chest also bears the yellow fire as a frontal piece, and behind it, you can make out assorted green organs, depending on how the light hits it. Like Maul, Bane also has a kilt piece that is half cloth and half plastic and non-removable as well. Bane’s cape is totally plastic and molded into a “windy array of fabric” design with a couple of frilly collars that actually work in favor of the aesthetic of the figure in general. Pretty much the same articulation of Maul, although his left hand is pre-poised into a “force bolt” configuration, therefore, you can only put the lightsaber in the right hand. Unlike most of the Sith in recent memory, Bane’s lightsaber is colored purple, which is a nice way to set him apart from the competition.


Darth Nihilus:
I decided to save the best for last- Rounding out the collection is Darth Nihilus, I believe this character/figure to be the cream of the crop for this collection- he looks great, has all the articulation of the other two, as well as a total cloth cape (with added battle damage), a plastic hood that is removable, and a cloth/plastic kilt. I removed the plastic hood just to see what was underneath, and Nihilus’ head is damn cool on its own- He has this single black braid of hair down the middle back of his head, and the facial design is just captivating. It’s almost “pre Grievous” in element regarding the eye plates. Nihilus comes with the standard red lightsaber, but the hilt on his differs from the other two- it’s more sleek in design and the switches are very visible. Like Bane, his left hand is already molded into the force bolt configuration, which actually works better for this figure than for Bane. The only minuses are that his outfit is very constricting in terms of chest/waist movement. It’s very hard to get him in any type of seated position. Just like the cape, the kilt has battle damaged holes in both the fabric and plastic parts.


Overall, a very nice collection- and the Legacy Line in general is a good alternative to the Clone Wars animation style figures that are currently out. Of course, the question begs to be asked: How long can Lucas (and Hasbro) beat these dead horses regarding constant retreads of the same characters?