GENERAL GRIEVOUS Unleashed
Star Wars Unleashed Regular line and exclusive reissue at Target
Item No.: Asst. 85176 No. 85481
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Display base
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99-$19.99
Availability: May 2005, Fall 2006
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: Part alien, part droid, General Grievous is a frightening figure to meet on the battlefield. He is a nightmare of lethal precision as his multiple arms fire blasters and wield lightsabers as skillfully as any Jedi. A brilliant military strategist, Grievous crafts the droid army into a destructive tidal wave that pours across the galaxy, leaving ruins in its wake. He is untouched by any compassion or scruples; crouched in a combat stance over his opponent, he shows no doubt or mercy, just the pure conviction in his own superiority as he delivers the decisive blow. A ruthless hunter of Jedi, the general proudly wares his victims' lightsabers as trophies on his belt, a macabre testament to his many victories. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy room. The 2005 release is pictured.

Commentary: With the advent of Revenge of the Sith fans would be going on essentially the final voyage for the Unleashed line. While it had a fairly hardcore following, it didn't have nearly the fanbase needed to make sure figures like General Grievous would sell through. As a statue more than a toy, the figure plugs into his display base and stays there. The crouching, Spider-Man-esque pose is unique to this statue, and really isn't a signature of how the droid leader appeared in the movie, comics, or cartoons. As such, it's fairly easy to see why fans didn't embrace it, even though the coloring, sculpt, and overall feel of the figure was actually pretty great. Perhaps if the figure had a cape, or was set up to duel Obi-Wan Kenobi, it might be a little more popular. Some fans insist General Grievous just isn't popular enough, which is possible, but when you get right down to it none of this matters. Hasbro sculpted a nice figure with a good display stand that holds together nicely. Mine has been on a shelf for ages now and it isn't sagging or falling over or anything. So kudos to Hasbro on delivering a well-engineered product that looks nice. It's just too bad that, much like the Asajj Ventress figure in the wave that would follow, fans just didn't care. If you're a fan of the character, you owe it to yourself to get one and put it on your desk or something. It's just nice-- and a heck of a lot cheaper than a mini-bust.

Collector's Notes: In 2005, this figure was released in a large cardback. In 2006, it was released as a Target exclusive in a clear tube-like package with the figure mostly assembled. The latter looks better if you plan on keeping it packaged. The toys are essentially identical. You can snag one on eBay pretty cheap these days, because like with most collector-only lines, once the momentum dropped, so did the price. With shipping, it can be had for under $15. The item was a slow seller in 2005 when it shipped alongside the very popular Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi figures, and was a turkey again when it was reissued in late 2006 as a Target exclusive. While a lot of fans continue to cheer the line, it just goes to show that Hasbro was right in giving it the axe-- from their perspective, anyway. It's a nice line. (MORE IMAGES )

--Adam Pawlus

Day 695: March 31, 2008