Darth Tyranus’s Geonosian Speeder 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.

Hasbro released two smaller-sized vehicles in the second phase of the Star Wars “Saga” line. Although we feel they could have been placed into the Deluxe line, we understand that they easily could command a higher price point, as all of the contents in the box are all-new sculpts. Hasbro added $5 to the standard Deluxe $9.99 MSRP, redesigned the packaging so that they could be included in nice window boxes instead of a bubble, and provided collectors with a “deluxe” version of what is essentially a Deluxe figure. The clumsily titled Darth Tyranus’s Geonosian Speeder Bike was the second small-scaled vehicle release that saw this higher end treatment. It’s a shame that this sub-line stopped at two because these two that were released are at the top of Hasbro’s game. Anyway, Darth Tyranus’s Geonosian Speeder Bike was a much requested vehicle release and Hasbro approached it carefully to ensure that it was true to screen accuracy as much as possible. We saw Count Dooku ride this vehicle towards the conclusion of the film. And now kids and collectors can recreate this scene with ease thanks to a well thought out figure and vehicle combination.

We personally had difficulty finding these sets at retail. In fact, we can only recall seeing them at one retailer, which is a shame because they are some of the nicest things Hasbro has made based on Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones. This all-new sculpt of Darth Tyranus, although an action feature is contained within it, is actually quite good. His demeanor is expressive, but he also appears as cool as a cucumber despite fleeing the Army of the Republic during the very intense Battle of Geonosis. His cape is outward and flowing to recreate the sense that he’s flying through the air. And he is able to hold onto the left handlebar with his left hand while swirling his lightsaber with his right hand. Darth Tyranus is actually interactive with the Geonosian Speeder Bike. He has a button on his back. And there is a button on the Geonosian Speeder Bike that when you press it in, a section of it pushes into the button on Darth Tyranus’ back which makes him lift and lower his lightsaber. Yeah, it’s a bit silly, but it’s demure and all of the wonkiness is hidden thanks to a well-designed cape hiding everything and keeping the aesthetics as genuine as possible.

Both Darth Tyranus and his Geonosian Speeder Bike have received excellent paint jobs. Most notable however is the paint job the Geonosian Speeder Bike has received. The copper and gray body is just gorgeous. It looks Separatist-y and has well designed articulated foot rests. Sadly, the posture of the vehicle while “resting’ on the ground isn’t great. Hasbro should have included a rear stand to hold the back portion of the ship up because it falls to the ground and sits at an angle. Even a retractable back landing gear leg would have been an incredible addition here. Just like Anakin Skywalker’s Swoop Bike, the Geonosian Speeder Bike also comes with a functioning seatbelt. It may be an exaggerated take on what may or may not be on the actual movie version, but it’s done well and serves its purpose. Like we’ve mentioned, it’s a shame that this figure and vehicle assortment didn’t continue beyond the two that were released during the second phase of the Star Wars “Saga” line. Perhaps it was the hastiness of quickly switching to the third phase of the Star Wars “Saga” line that could a quick end to this sub-line. Either way, Hasbro has made two great products and you would do yourself a favor by buying them.