Plo Koon (Arena Battle) - SW [S - P1] - Basic (’02 #12)

We suppose that not all of the Jedi in the Star Wars "Saga" line meet collectors' expectations, and that's how we feel about the Plo Koon (Arena Battle) action figure. We sometimes use the word "bittersweet" to describe action figures that come close to impressing us yet fail short in one or two areas. But with this action figure, we feel it ultimately fails however has charm depending upon how you look at it. Plo Koon (Arena Battle) is a standard-looking action figure for the 2002 product line, but the figure's pose is awkward and twisted. In general, it would have behooved Hasbro to pose all of the Jedi in the Star Wars "Saga" line in static up-and-down poses, without any leaning, running, or twisting of any kind. A big part of the fun with having a "motionless" action figure is discovering ways to pose that give it the illusion of motion or action. The problem here is that "thinking outside the box" made Plo Koon (Arena Battle) an inferior action figure. Hasbro should have kept things simple instead. Sadly, this action figure won't hold up well over time.

Plo Koon (Arena Battle) possesses the ability to stand unassisted, but the balance is precarious and may fall over at any time. With some careful balancing, it is possible. In particular, the left foot is in a terribly "bent" angle, and by the looks of it, we don't even understand how it's become so functional. What affects Plo Koon's aesthetics worse are the arms. Unlike some of the other Jedi in the Star Wars "Saga" line, Plo Koon (Arena Battle) comes with swivel shoulders and swivel elbows. While this may give you the notion that they'd provide decent movement, they leave the figure flailing and appearing odd instead of action-oriented. The only effective pose you can get from these points of articulation is a broad stoke sweeping motion. There aren't any swivel wrists allowing you to angle or turn the lightsaber blade in multiple directions for some versatility. When all is said and done, Plo Koon (Arena Battle), in our opinion, can only achieve one decent and believable pose from one angle. We feel the other poses look contrived and desperate. Of course, you'll have to be the judge of this yourself.

Plo Koon (Arena Battle) comes with a lightsaber hilt, a blue lightsaber blade, and a cone-shaped Force effect. Like some of the other Jedi in the Star Wars "Saga" line, the separate hilts, and blades are a remarkable feature, but unfortunately, they are prone to breakage. The frequency of the damage is so chronic that collectors have stopped setting up the figures with the blades attached because if the figure falls over, you will more often than not have a permanently-damaged accessory. One simple fall and the plug's breakage on the blade will make it impossible to attach it to the hilt again. The tiny attachments on the blades are so brittle that it almost makes no sense why Hasbro has taken this route to provide this feature for the figure. We can't imagine kids having any usable fully lit lightsabers left after the first play with them. They would undoubtedly break off with the slightest impact. That said, Plo Koon (Arena Battle) isn't undeserving of some praise or merit. It has an excellent head sculpt, and the coloring looks nice, albeit a little bright. Aside from that, you'll likely wait for better takes of this Jedi Master to enter your collection.