ANAKIN SKYWALKER with Swoop Bike
Saga Vehicles
Item No.: Asst. 84887 No. 84933
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, vehicle
Action Feature: Lightsaber slashing action
Retail: $14.99
Availability: Early 2003
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Image: Adam Pawlus' desk.

Bio: After traveling to the planet Tatooine on an unsanctioned mission, Anakin takes off on a Swoop bike to rescue his mother. As he encounters the brutal Tusken Raiders, he wields his lightsaber fiercely against these savage nomads of the sand in an attempt to avenge his mother's death. (Taken from the box back.)

Commentary: Oh man, some figures are so bad, it's almost a treat to be able to write about them for you. This particular Anakin Skywalker is Hasbro's worst, period. And that's saying something-- if you go through the archives, you'll note dozens of figures in varying levels of quality, and most of the figures based on Hayden Christensen really don't look much like him. This one still doesn't look a lot like the actor, but Hasbro ups the goofy factor with a head that... well, it's almost hard to describe. Do you see the terrified expression? The carefully arched eyebrows? This isn't a Jedi who could turn and destroy the galaxy, this is Shaggy of Scooby-Doo fame with a rat tail. As action figures go, it's hard to say which figure has the worst head sculpt ever, because most have their plusses and minuses, and getting fans to agree on anything is difficult. With this in mind, I would still call this the single worst human head sculpt in the entire Star Wars line. Some figures have inferior heads due to paint, but in this case, the paint and the sculpt are both pretty bad. Even if Hasbro fixed the eyes to show ferociousness instead of fear, the mouth would still look weird. This Anakin is notable for having an exceptional amount of articulation, as needed to pilot his step-brother's swoop bike. The costume sculpting is acceptable for the time, but the figure still sucks. Even though Hasbro was working from digital scans taken from the Lucas archives and the set, there's nothing you can do to make a figure good once the head ceases to work. The only reason you should own this figure is if you're a hardcore vehicle fan and had purchased the Swoop bike, which in and of itself isn't all that great.

Collector's Notes: This particular Anakin has not seen the light of day since 2003. You can thank Hasbro for realizing this one doesn't quite work.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 794: July 8, 2008