Emperor Palpatine - TBSA - Six Inch Figures

Darth Sidious slowly manipulated the political system of the Galactic Republic until he became Supreme Chancellor – and eventually Emperor – ruling the galaxy through fear and tyranny.

In 2015, Hasbro produced a mediocre version of Emperor Palpatine for The Black Series 6-inch figure line. Several years went by before Hasbro decided to upgrade the original release, but it came in the form of 2019’s TBS [P3] Emperor Palpatine And Throne – a “deluxe” version of sorts that also came with the character’s ornate reclining throne chair as well as an interchangeable “angry” portrait so collectors could recreate the many scenes from Return Of The Jedi in their collections. It was an instant sellout, and the aftermarket prices began climbing almost immediately, and everyone could feel the frustrations of those that missed out as this release didn’t come close to meeting demand. Fortunately and unfortunately, Hasbro released the “updated” version of Emperor Palpatine in The Black Series Archive line, but it comes with only one portrait, and all of the other accessories and environmental pieces are understandably absent due to the format of this “greatest hits” lineup. While it’s terrific to see the updated version of Emperor Palpatine available again, it may pour salt in the wound instead of satiating the needs of the collecting community.

When 2015’s TBS [P2] Emperor Palpatine (#11) was released, the figure only came with the signature cane. Hasbro omitted any option of interchangeable parts. So, this character has come a long way in the Hasbro Star Wars line. The Black Series [Phase III] version, a “deluxe” release of Emperor Palpatine, came with Photo Real. Many felt Emperor Palpatine never looked better and made those who acquired it happy. Hasbro expertly captured the essence and attitude of the Sith Master with incredible accuracy, thanks to the updates made in technology. Collectors can enjoy Emperor Palpatine again but in a limited sense. The head sculpt shows the side of the character’s untrustworthiness. The head sculpt captures the raw emotion of this evil Star Wars character. And we love how they removed almost all of the molded skit to give the figure the broadest range of lower body movement possible. The soft-goods outer robe offers the figure a wide array of movement as well, and the figure looks seamless thanks to soft-goods materials both in the upper and lower regions of Emperor Palpatine. And we loved the pre-formed drape of the hood, which frames the figure’s head brilliantly.

Hasbro probably believes that The Black Series 6-inch collectors will be grateful for another chance to secure Emperor Palpatine. And perhaps there is a facet of collectors that will. But Hasbro needed to release the “deluxe” version of Emperor Palpatine instead because people wanted the throne and the additional interchangeable parts. Hence, the figure has the most significant level of diversity possible. But knowing how expensing action figure toymaking is today, the set would no longer be close to $39.99, sadly. We imagine it would be upwards of $60 or $70. So it’s likely collectors would have held out until the re-release came down in price, defeating the purpose of remanufacturing it for sale again. The good news is that Hasbro chose the scene-agnostic portrait to include with The Black Series Archive version of Emperor Palpatine. Those who missed the updated figure will find value since this is the best head sculpt, and they can finally have an upgraded action figure. But if Hasbro can find a way to re-release the “deluxe” version while containing costs, that might be the best option for everyone. But the release of The Black Series Archive figure tells us that Hasbro may have already considered this.