OBI-WAN KENOBI with Boga
Revenge of the Sith Vehicle Assortment
Item No.: Asst. 85194 No. 85349
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, Boga
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: April 2005
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: Obi-Wan rides Boga on the sinkhole planet of Utapau in search of General Grievous, the evil commander of the droid armies. He finds Grievous, who is prepared for combat in his battle-ready wheelbike, and an incredible battle begins! Who will win the fight? The fate of the galaxy is in your hands! (Taken from the toy's box.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelves.

Commentary: Four. That's how many points of articulation you get with this Obi-Wan Kenobi figure that came with the Boga creature in the smaller vehicle assortment. He was designed with the sole purpose of sitting on Boga-- there's no chance of him standing by his lonesome because the figure is jointed at the waist, shoulders, and neck. Back in the day (you know, 1997) Hasbro made figures which could either sit or stand, thus giving you a good reason to drop an Andrew Jackson and an Abraham Lincoln on these things. I mean, it's a great deal when you get a decent creature and a good action figure for a fair price, especially if the figure can be used for anything other than just a pilot. Sadly, this Obi-Wan has no purpose beyond sitting on a giant lizard. The sculpt is good, and he even has a lightsaber-- he's ready for battle and a lot of work was put into his design. Sadly, he's just a jockey.

Due to how Hasbro makes figures today, you basically must have this figure if you own Boga. Someone has to sit on that shrieking lizard. Since the figure was designed especially for this set, he fits perfectly-- I guess that's a plus. It's just unfortunate that it isn't like the vintage days where Kenner made 1 or 2 figures and they basically worked in all vehicles and playsets.

Collector's Notes: As a creature-specific figure, it serves a purpose. Of course, it was one of many Episode III Obi-Wan Kenobi figures sold in 2005. There were 3 unique basic carded sculpts, a deluxe figure, a Target exclusive figure with doofy flames on it, a figure packed with the Mustafar playset, and another with a Battle Arena. Heck, I might be forgetting one or two. So in short, there were about 8 in 2005 alone-- oh yeah, and Wal-Mart's baby one too. So 9 figures all basically representing the exact same figure and costume, and more would follow.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 712: April 17, 2008