Anakin Skywalker (With Force-Flipping Attack) - SW [S - P1] - Deluxe

Ten years after the fight to save Naboo from invasion, the galaxy is on the brink of civil war. Under the leadership of a renegade Jedi, thousands of solar systems threaten to secede from the Galactic Republic. A courageous Jedi Knight, his impulsive and headstrong apprentice, and a queen-turned-senator are drawn into the heart of the conflict... and the beginning of war.

During the battle on Geonosis, Anakin Skywalker confronts the evil Darth Tyranus within a secret hangar. Anakin desperately calls upon all the skills he has learned during his Jedi training to fend off the Dark Lord's powerful attack.

If there is a perfect example of a figure that is riddled with gimmicks that could have actually been a great action figure, we’d likely choose Anakin Skywalker (With Force-Flipping Attack) from the Star Wars “Saga” Deluxe line. Let’s get it out in the open. The “Force-flipping” feature released on three of the figures in the Star Wars “Saga” line is the silliest thing we’ve seen to date. We think it was a really bad move on Hasbro’s part to include this magnetic feature in these figures. But, save for a few things we don’t like about them, the sculpt are rather fantastic. In the case of Anakin Skywalker (With Force-Flipping Attack), it’s probably the best sculpt of Anakin Skywalker in the entire line. We’ll qualify that by saying that we’re not digging his head sculpt, but from the waist down Hasbro has included screen accurate detail and well-balanced parts that really shoots this Anakin Skywalker ahead of the others. The sad thing is that between the action-oriented pose and the magnets imbedded into the figure’s feet, Anakin Skywalker (With Force-Flipping Attack) has GREAT difficulty standing unassisted. This is never a good thing.

You’ll truly notice a distinct difference between this Anakin Skywalker figures and those released in other facets of the line. His skin doesn’t appear so opaque and the details in his costuming just feel elevated, no matter how strange that may seem. Also, the paint operations stand out significantly as well. The browns are screen accurate and his leather tabards look like real leather material thanks to this figure’s excellent paint job. Again, his face looks like he is constipated. He definitely has ”poopy face”, but even the shape of his head and the details of his hair and braid are going to impress you. There isn’t really any way around this. Perhaps the greatest setback to Anakin Skywalker (With Force-Flipping Attack) is that his lightsaber is permanently affixed to his right hand. We’re not sure why Hasbro would ever do this. Having the option to play with this figure independent of his lightsaber is something that collectors of all ages find ideal. It is a tremendous disappointment to see that you’ll always have this figure holding his lightsaber. Plus, the lightsaber is at greater risk for bowing, bending and breaking when placed in storage. You’ll really have to pack him away precariously from preventing the lightsaber from becoming damaged.

Hasbro has included directions on how to have successful “Force flips” with this figure. They liken this skill to how one becomes better and better at the Force and how it requires training. We imagine you didn’t expect to get Jedi Force training while playing with a Hasbro action figure, did you? They advise to ensure that both of the figure’s heels are pressed all the way into the feet indentations found on the launch pad. They also suggest to use the lightsaber as a balancing device for the figure and actually have it leaning against the walkway. (This in and of itself is probably the main reason the lightsaber isn’t removable.) They also suggest to use your fingers to anchor the rounded base close to the surface for the best balance possible. And lastly, they recommend moving the arms and legs of the figure into different positions in an effort to find the best and optimum Force-flipping performance. (This all has to do with finding the figure’s best center of gravity.) Again, Anakin Skywalker (With Force-Flipping Attack) is geared towards the kids. We think they’ll get frustrated trying to make the gimmick work, but perhaps they’ll utilize the figure for other purposes instead. No matter how you feel about this set, it certainly has a fair MSRP of $9.99.