CLONE COMMANDER CODY Battle of Utapau
The Saga Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 85770 No. 87454
Number: 024
Includes: Helmet, rifle, pistol, stand, backpack
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Spring 2006
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: Armed and ready for battle, Commander Cody orders his forces to mark their posts and maintain their positions at all costs. They're in for a real firefight with the Sepratist droid armies who are protecting General Grievous on Utapau. Although his current mission is to protect Obi-Wan Kenobi, this commander and his troops will later change allegiances. (Taken from the toy's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelves.

Commentary: While a brand new sculpt that's never been repainted and a fan favorite character, the very good Commander Cody was something of a letdown to many fans who were expecting something more due to the character taking quite a while to hit the shelves. As one of the first characters from the final prequel that fans started demanding by name, this orange trooper was one of the few figures you could actually get gaggles of fans to rally behind. As the leader of Obi-Wan's forces, you should expect a lot from a trooper like this, and you get quite a bit. The figure has 12 points of articulation (no ankles), and his shoulders aren't ball-swivel joints. He can be posed fairly well, he has a removable helmet, and his rocket pack is removable. Well, "removable" may be the wrong word for "likely to fall off if you so much as look at it funny."

Unlike most clones and troopers, the figure's removable helmet isn't very rubbery-- it's a hard plastic that holds detail well and is decorated quite nicely. There are white and orange markings painted on top, plus the usual clone "gills" and marks you'd expect on any normal figure. The helmet more or less looks like the right size for the figure's body, but the head under the helmet is a little small. It's possible this was intentional but Cody's head is smaller than most other removable helmet troopers and commanders in the line, making it a figure that gets a little more scorn than his siblings. What's more, the figure's sculpt is entirely new and Hasbro tooled in loads of gashes and scrapes which, sadly, did not get painted properly. You'll notice on the legs that there are some black scrapes painted on, but they don't necessarily align with the sculpted detail. In addition to the scrapes, there's dirt on the legs and other damage markings on the figure's front, back, and accessories.

Collector's Notes: Hasbro did a wonderful job making sure they made a figure with tons of detail and loads of accessories, but the problem here is that fan expectations are so high that anything less than perfection is complained about. Never mind the fact that the figure has more joints and extras than virtually any given figure from 1978-2003, it's just that the bar for clones is so high that anything less than super-articulated is likely to draw criticism. The end result is a fine piece, but a lot of fans are still asking when Hasbro will do a new version. At this time, there are no plans for a new version but you can find a straight repack of the figure in the 2007 Kmart exclusive Episode III tin.

Day 586: December 13, 2007