Grand Admiral Thrawn - Mini Busts

It doesn't take long for the Imperial Forces to react after the disastrous and devastating loss at the Battle of Endor. With the Emperor gone, many would-be "heirs" attempt to stake their claim. However, they only manage to accomplish fracturing the remnants of the Imperial Fleet into dozens of small factions under various self-styled warlords. As chronicled in Timothy Zahn's epic trilogy of novels, the most powerful warlord, Grand Admiral Thrawn, quickly rises to the top and becomes the greatest threat to the fledgling New Republic.

Grand Admiral Thrawn became one of our very first Expanded Universe characters in general collectible format and he has grown into a staple that crosses multiple collectible format. First introduced in Hasbro’s 1998 Expanded Universe lineup, this blue skinned Imperial quickly became a steadfast resident in the collections of many Star Wars fans. We received an updated version of him from Hasbro in the Comic Packs line, but Sideshow Collectibles was the next licensee to step out in faith and produce the beautiful Grand Admiral Thrawn (Commander Of The Imperial Fleet) 1:6 Scale Figure. Sideshow Exclusive collectors were treated to a magnificent command chair (which is still the greatest exclusive they’ve ever produced in that scale). Now Gentle Giant Ltd., albeit a little bit late, steps up to the plate to produce a stunning Mini Bust interpretation of the fan-favorite admiral. It is honestly a gorgeous work of art that is simple and unassuming, but packed with intense detail and divine sculpting. It’s quickly become one of our most favorite pieces in the entire lineup to date. We feel that high-end collectibles of this quality and caliber should intrigue many to the point to start collecting this format because a piece like this is just too good to pass up.

As with most Expanded Universe characters, licensees take a risk producing them. Will there be enough core fans of Heir To The Empire that will desire a Grand Admiral Thrawn Mini Bust? There should be.Gentle Giant Ltd. has often been criticized for how some of their human likenesses turned out. Perhaps it’s Grand Admiral Thrawn’s blue skin that forgives a less than ideal facial sculpt (which we discount is the case here), but Grand Admiral Thrawn has a superior likeness and we think it’s turned out brilliantly. Even his hair is perfectly in place and the white uniform is unblemished. Every detail is perfectly captured. It couldn’t be bettered at all. Well, imagine a Mini Bust version of him in his command chair. That might be better. Cold coasted in polystone, the Grand Admiral Thrawn Mini Bust captures an inordinate amount of detail that is truly hard to believe. It’s amazing how a “stone” like substance can capture this level of “real life” with very little manipulation aside from wonderful hand painting. The shade of his skin is flawless and his solid red eyes are his standout feature and they too have been expertly decorated as well. If you look carefully enough, you will even see how the sleeves of his shirt curl up inside of his cuff. Again, the level of detail is quite impressive.

Our favorite part of this Mini Bust however is the included (and beautifully sculpted) yasalamir. Whether its name is a distorted anagram of the word “salamander” or not, this creature truly looks like a cross between a salamander and a bearded dragon. But most importantly, Gentle Giant Ltd. has chosen to include him and he has been perfectly placed on Grand Admiral Thrawn’s neck and shoulders, curled up like a cat (almost). Sometimes it appears that there are blatant shortcuts taken on some Mini Busts. The Emperor Palpatine [Episode VI] version instantly comes to mind. But it seems more like Gentle Giant Ltd. held nothing back when to came to Grand Admiral Thrawn.With an edition size greater than some characters based on the Original Trilogy, it may be the case that Grand Admiral Thrawn has a lot more followers than we expected. That’s great. We like to see health is a line and in a hobby where all other indicators seemingly state that the hobby isn’t doing all that well. Grand Admiral Thrawn should definitely revitalize Mini Bust collectors. This is pure art and a return at Gentle Giant Ltd.’s roots. We’re happy to see such success here.