Senate Guard - Mini Busts

An elite security force assembled to protect members of the Galactic Senate, the Senate Guard were garbed in outdated yet symbolic blue robes and helmets. The stoic guards stood watch over the massive Senate rotunda on Coruscant, and its members could be found aboard almost all senatorial transports.

Gentle Giant Ltd. had one goal in mind when they designed the Senate Guard/Royal Guard Mini Busts and that was to amortize sculpting costs while creating two distinct characters for the line. They succeeded greatly in this particular example. Sharing similar base sculpts, they Senate Guard and Royal Guard were shipped together in the same case at a ratio of 1:3 and 2:3 respectively. With a total edition size of 10,000, this means that only 3,333 were reserved to be the Senate Guard. When anything is limited, especially in the Gentle Giant Ltd. Mini Bust, this means the smaller run will go for more money on the aftermarket. That’s exactly what happened in this instance. While 50% less Senate Guard Mini Busts were cast than the Royal Guard, any edition size over 2500 is pretty much enough to meet demand, so we don’t expect this piece to hold a high value as time moves forward.

Just like the Royal Guard Mini Bust, the Senate Guard Mini Bust is done equally well. Except for the different helmet sculpt and interchangeable hand/accessory and color, the Senate Guard and Royal Guard are essentially identical. All of the pleats and folds in the robes are the same. We hope you’re aware of this fact, but this style of Senate Guard made its debut in Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars micro-series. Revenge Of The Sith wasn’t the first appearance of this character with the revised helmets. (Episode I an Episode II Senate Guard don’t wear a black visor and their unique facial features are visible behind the helmet.) So with the main Mini Bust portion, the Senate Guard also comes with a removable blaster rifle (with left hand attached). It might make complete sense to you that a company would “forward think” a specific character to make it into something else, but Gentle Giant Ltd. has done this seamlessly here.

Although not seen as often as the “phase I” version of the Senate Guard characters in the first two Prequel Trilogy films, the Senate Guard did have a bit more screen time in the Clone Wars television series. And they sustained quite an attack courtesy of General Grievous no less. They are definitely a cool and distinctly looking character and we’re glad they that have received so much attention in a few collectible formats already. Not only has Gentle Giant Ltd. made a statue and a Mini Bust of this character, Hasbro has also created this character in 2005’s ROTS basic figure line. And Kotobukiya has also made this character in their vinyl statues collection as well. While definitely paling in comparison to the Royal Guard, the Senate Guard still can hold its own as a fine collectible because it’s been expertly sculpted and brilliantly decorated with a gorgeous yet simple paint job. This one is absolutely needed for your collection.