Darth Malak - Mini Busts

For thousands of years, the Sith and the Jedi have waged war, with control of the galaxy at stake. The beleaguered Jedi Knight fought valiantly to repulse the Mandalorian marauders. Succumbing to the dark side, Malak would become a Sith Lord. Malak was a tall human who was horridly injured in a lightsaber duel. A swipe from a laser sword severed his lower jaw, and Malak was forced to wear a metallic jaw guard that hid his disfigurement from view.

Has anyone else noticed a trend that Gentle Giant Ltd. often takes cues from Hasbro on when to develop a character for their Mini Bust line? If you look over the action figures that Hasbro releases in a given year, you’ll probably find multiple examples of Mini Busts that Gentle Giant Ltd. will release right behind them. In the case of Darth Malak, both licensees stepped up to the plate to release this immensely popular character from the Knights Of The Old Republic video game just in time for the 30th anniversary of Star Wars. Hasbro released their own Darth Malak (30 35) action figure in the fan favorite 30 (77-07) basic figure line while Gentle Giant Ltd. created the totally awesome Darth Malak Mini Bust as the proud Celebration IV exclusive. Both the Hasbro action figure and the Mini Bust are glorious creations. If you’re a fan of KOTOR, both are must-have additions for your collection. There is no second guessing this. The Darth Malak Mini Bust brings a little more (actually a lot more) refinement to the character because the scale is bigger and more attention is paid the finer details. Let’s go through them together.

Pretty much everything is perfect with regards to the Darth Malak Mini Bust sculpt. His pose, his expression and his posture are expertly designed. Darth Malak has anger visible in every last inch of his face. And his gruesome battle scar (a missing lower jaw) explains why he possesses the anger he does. What isn’t perfect about this Mini Bust is the removable jaw accessory. While it’s nice to have the versatility to display him with or without it, it’s so fragile that most collectors have broken theirs taking it on and off of the Mini Bust. In this instance, an interchangeable head would have been the most ideal route to take to prevent all of the breakage Mini Bust collectors experienced with this piece. Darth Malak is truly a dynamic Mini Bust. There is so much to appreciate in the details of his costume to the amplified crossness his angry eyes show. We think that 2000 pieces however is not enough to meet the demand of collectors. This is such a cool character that we believe casual Mini Bust buyers will be showing interest in this piece and not just the hardcore collectors. It seems like 2500-3500 would have been a much better gauged edition size in our estimation.

Let’s talk about the amazing paint job. Darth Malak has been brought to life by expert painters. These artisans have brought this piece to life that not all Mini Busts are able to bring. Maybe it’s the white color of his skin, or the wide silver parallel lines on the crown of his head, but Darth Malak has a coldness about him that is flawlessly achieved through the impressive strokes of these artists’ paintbrushes. You already know that Darth Malak has a brilliant sculpt. But this sculpt is enhanced tremendously by the details added from the paint job. The ribbing of his outfit is given extra depth and texture thanks to a wash that adds shadow and dimension. And then look at the buckle on his belt that is made to look worn and scratched thanks to the dark black accumulated paint added to intend wear. Darth Malak may have not been the ideal candidate for Celebration IV or the 30th anniversary celebrating Star Wars, but he is fitting in so many other ways that it may not even matter to consider it. We do know that the Darth Malak Mini Bust is about the most accurate and highest quality collectible of this character on the market now. Be sure to have the best in your collection.