Emperor’s Royal Guard - POTF2 [R/G] - Basic

HEIGHT: 1.83 Meters Average
STATUS: Sovereign Protectors of the Emperor
CLASSIFICATION: Human
AFFILIATION: Galactic Empire
WEAPON OF CHOICE: Force Pike, Heavy Blaster Pistol

Towards the end of 1997 as we approached the line transition of 1998, Kenner/Hasbro banged out some long-awaited updates to the vintage Kenner line. Specifically, collectors were treated to a modern update of 1983’s ROTJ Emperor’s Royal Guard, a figure that’s become a staple action figure and a collector favorite for so many fans. The rate at which figures arrived in 1997 was almost too much for collectors to manage. But the joy attained from being an adult Star Wars collector in the late-nineties was something unprecedented and gratifying. Sometimes the new action figures didn’t meet collectors’ expectations. And we think it’s safe to say that the Emperor’s Royal Guard was one that didn’t come close to meeting expectations. Sure, it was wonderful to see this member of the Galactic Empire once again at retail with an all-new sculpt, but Kenner/Hasbro decided that a “salt or pepper shaker” approach was the best way to mold this character for the modern line. Instead of the Emperor’s Royal Guard looking like an elite and personally chosen guard of Emperor Palpatine, the figure came off as a sad joke. The Emperor’s Royal Guard action figure is a blob of plastic covered in a molded robe shell with MINIMAL articulation. What makes this frustrating is that the sculpt isn’t terrible, an the overall figure looks good despite its approach. But if you’re looking for a significant upgrade to 1983’s ROTJ Emperor’s Royal Guard figure, well, let’s say you’re going to be disappointed. Then again, maybe you won’t be disappointed.

Let’s ponder why Kenner/Hasbro would proceed in this fashion because it’s quite a conundrum. Emperor’s Royal Guard has two points of articulation. Some feel that this pathetic articulation count alone is unforgivable. The figure comes with two swivel shoulders. What you’ll find exasperating is that despite the two points of articulation, their movement is inhibited because of the separately sculpted robe shell that covers the center of the figure’s body. So, if you can get over this, you’ll accept the figure for what it is, a statue. Despite these limitations, we are impressed with how Kenner/Hasbro tooled the right hand. We’ve waited a long time for the Emperor’s Royal Guard to hold its staff properly. And now, the wait is over thanks to this release. The figure comes with a screen-accurate force pike that fits flawlessly into the left hand in an upright position. This is how these characters held their weapons in the film. It sometimes doesn’t take much to impress collectors, but this is something that impresses us, and we’re thankful for this feature here. When you pose the figure with the force pike, it looks like the character is straight out of the film. At first glance, the figure looks a little too rotund, but when you compare it to stills in the film, it doesn’t look that far off from the characters we see on the big or small screen. Where the figure lacks, however, is how you can pose it. You get one bite at the apple here, and for collectors like us, it’s very frustrating. It’s hard to believe a figure from 1983 has double the articulation as its modern-day counterpart. It doesn’t make sense to us.

While from a display perspective, the Emperor's Royal Guard action figure may meet your expectations, it fails as an action figure. Two points of articulation won’t allow you to recreate any of the adventures within the Crimson Empire comics series. These characters go through an impressive regiment of training and exercise, and the POTF2 figure looks rotund and out of shape. This figure has some major issues in this regard. If these characters are hand-picked by Emperor Palpatine, then why would they look this way? Then again, the Emperor Palpatine action figure was approached in nearly the same manner. Why would the guards look any different? Is making a statuesque action figure the easy way out for Kenner/Hasbro? Or did they truly believe that designing the action figure with as little articulation as possible was the smartest way to recreate authenticity? The Emperor's Royal Guard figure comes with a gold “holograph” sticker, which covers up the full-color image of the character on the card back. The character falls under the Collection 3 categorizing convention, which means, in case you didn’t already know, that the character is a “villain.” While the Emperor's Royal Guard action figure works from certain standpoints, collectors are already waiting for a better modern update. (Editor’s Note: Hasbro released the definitive 2012 TVC Emperor’s Royal Guard (VC105) figure which met this demand from collectors very nicely.) In the end, this is a core Imperial, and their mystery and magnificent appearance in Return Of The Jedi makes them an unforgettable character and a must-have in any collectible format.