Anakin Skywalker’s Swoop Bike - SW [S - P2] - Vehicles

As the battle rages between the secessionist forces and those of the Republic, Darth Tyranus wards off his enemies and escapes on a Geonosian speeder bike, hoping to elude capture long enough to flee the planet..

2003 was a transitional year for Hasbro. It probably can be assumed that things were a little disorganized with regards to the planning of the Star Wars “Saga” line. Always content to keep line looks fresh, Hasbro tweaked the current design to the packaging by adding a starburst graphic to the packaging and changing the product name plates from red to orange. Interestingly, Hasbro must have believed that those changes weren’t vibrant enough, and in the middle of the year abandoned it to go with a drastically restyled line look (Star Wars “Saga” phase III with the gold bar running vertically down the left side of the packaging). But before they did this, quite a few products squeaked out before the termination of what we call Star Wars “Saga” phase II. From basic figures, to vehicles, to 12-inch figures, Star Wars “Saga” phase II brought collector some really neat toys. Two vehicle with figure sets were released. Likely because of the all-new tooling, Hasbro didn’t include them in the Deluxe assortment. They each got a newly designed window box that looked great and contained nice product. Anakin Skywalker’s Swoop Bike was one of the two and it’s better than you might think it is.

If you recall, Anakin Skywalker utilized the Swoop Bike after learning from his step father Cliegg Lars that his mother had been taken prisoner by the Tusken Raiders. He then gets on the Swoop Bike and travels to where the vicious nomads have camped for the time being. He then reaches his mother in time before she dies and takes her lifeless body back to the Lars’ homestead. The Swoop Bike has been designed with great care and accuracy. It has a beautifully sleek design, has a great posture with or without a rider and has incredible detail etched into the body of the vehicle. More impressive however is the paint job Hasbro gave it. The Swoop Bike is loaded with various worn/weathering detail that shows it’s a tough life on Tatooine. Brand new out of the box, the dark red paint job shows signs of age, depreciation and overall wear and tear. Again, the design is so good that it’s bewildering. Just look at the “suitcases” attached to the rear of the bike. And look at the exposed engine parts on the underside of the vehicle. All of the stops were pulled for this release and Hasbro’s awesome sculptors have truly delivered a topnotch toy for both kids and collectors.

Also included is an all-new Anakin Skywalker action figure. We have to be honest with you. Anakin Skywalker has a completely dopey expression on his face. His smile is contrived (almost as if he is trying to make the fakest smile possible for a camera) and his outstretched limbs prevent him some being useful off of the included Swoop Bike. Thankfully, he has been designed in a manner which perfectly complements the Swoop Bike. Of note, Anakin Skywalker comes installed with action features that are interactive, but definitely not needed. He had a pouch on the rear of his belt which functions like a button to recreate slashing lightsaber action. (Hasbro, it’s time to put this feature to bed permanently, please.) And the feature works while he is sitting on the included Swoop Bike too. But these play features are not blatant and really don’t affect our appreciation of this set. Better Anakin action figures will come and when they do they’ll be able to be used with this stunning interpretation of the Swoop Bike. Overall we’re quite satisfied with this release. It wasn’t one of the easier Star Wars “Saga” products to find, but you should make it a mission to get one. You don’t really need the pack-in figure here, but you definitely need the Swoop Bike.