Darth Maul - TLC - Saga Legends (SL 14)

Apprentice to the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, Darth Maul has undergone years of demanding and brutal training to become an incredible warrior for the Sith. After expertly wielding his lightsaber to prove his skill, he bows respectfully before his Master.

If you poll ten collectors, we bet at least nine (if not all ten) would say that the best times for collectors as far as Saga Legends are concerned occurred during the 30 year anniversary of Star Wars. That's maybe the reason why Hasbro has chosen to reissue key figures from that 2007 lineup into the 2008 The Legacy Collection line look as well. Hasbro was able to balance both core characters and fans’ choice figures into a very prolific subset that was an offshoot to the basic figure line, something they seemed to have unfortunately abandoned since. Not only did it give collectors another chance to get some of the more popular characters of the time, it also provided kids with ample opportunity to play catch up on the figures we scooped right out from under them since we’re so tenacious with our collecting tendencies. And the chance for our voice to be heard in the Fans’ Choice polls was very rewarding to those who wanted to see some of the older and harder to get figures grace shelves once again. Now we get a second chance at some of those great action figures, as well as a bevy of new characters. But have we reached a point of saturation? Should maybe a figure like THIS Darth maul be retired once and for all?

Even some of the older figures included for release in the Saga Legends line engaged collectors. Some figures are reissued to accompany the Mid Size vehicles also released concurrently. But sometimes enough is enough too. Darth Maul is a figure that especially eludes us on why a bigger stink wasn’t made about its third released in the Saga Legends line. Granted, significant strides were taken to make the figure fresh and modern for Saga Legends, but is there a need to release it so many times? Although the figure has a completely repainted face, he isn't an army builder and it's a good bet all current collectors (new and old) already have him. And let's not forget that this isn’t by any means the best version of Darth Maul at all. Yes, he's a hugely popular Star Wars character. The figure is severely limited in articulation, but this may be a required purchase if you’re a one-of-everything collector. But is that enough to sustain his success as a basic figure at retail? (Probably.) Darth Maul is unique and while it’s definitely not even close to being the best version out there, it is the perfect size to pilot vehicles. Darth Maul comes with a double-bladed lightsaber and a removable soft-goods cloak. Perfectly accessorized, we imagine you could do worse as far as action figures concerned.

Obviously the Saga Legends line is the home for repacked/repainted figures. But usually at this point in our collecting lives, we’re looking for the best versions of action figures to be released. Darth Maul needs a definitive update, something that is extraordinarily overdue. (Editor's Note: Hasbro finally released a definitive version as 2012's TVC Darth Maul (VC86) figure and aside from a few small issues it meets the "definitive" requirement,.) We do wonder however why they didn’t use 2005’s ROTS The Sith Evolutions Darth Maul figure. Maybe because he can't sit inside the cockpit of a vehicle. Hasbro has included premium figures in the Saga Legends line, so Darth Maul feels out of place next to these figures. From that perspective we’re at a loss on why they didn’t use a better version of Darth Maul (even if that figure can’t fit into the vehicle). If you’re into gimmicks, you’ll love or hate the bonus pack-in that comes with Darth Maul. Instead of getting an Episode "x" coin, we now get a cardboard locker full of extra weapons. Representation of Episode I was significant in the 30 (77-07) line, and to a lesser extent in The Legacy Collection Saga Legends line. Clearly, Darth Maul is an easy pass if you don’t care about slightly repainted figures, but if you do, this one’s for you.