'Star Wars' Collectibles & Toys Review: 'Star Wars: The Black Series' General Grievous
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| General Grievous is one of the several villainous "tools" used by Darth Sidious in his quest to destroy the Jedi Order in the waning days of the Republic. Photo Credit: © 2018 Hasbro, Inc. and Lucasfilm Ltd.. (LFL) |
When Hasbro introduced its ongoing The Black Series (TBS) collection of Star Wars toys in 2013, I was up to my forehead in the duties of being a caregiver to my ill parent. Even though I shopped online for new books, home media editions of movies I'd missed during their theatrical runs, music, and the occasional computer game, I didn't look for Star Wars collectibles of any sort. I had to choose my purchases carefully, and at the time I thought that spending $15 or more on Star Wars figures, vehicles, and other Hasbro products was a bit unseemly given my circumstances.
I found out about the TBS line roughly around the time that Lucasfilm was getting ready to release Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015. I saw some of the 3.75-in figures offered on Amazon; I thought both the figures and the packaging looked cool, but since I was still grieving for my mom (who passed away that July) and was busy coping with the aftermath of her death, I didn't pay much attention to the new product line.
Thus I was unaware that Hasbro was making new action figures in the 6-in scale until Christmas of 2017. That's when my friend bought me a Darth Vader "Kenner Star Wars" 40th Anniversary action figure in the eponymous commemorative retro packaging.
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| Photo Credit: © 2016 Hasbro, Inc. and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) |
General Grievous
General Grievous was a brilliant Separatist military strategist and a feared Jedi hunter, known for his ruthlessness and hacking cough. His body itself was a weapon, allowing him lightning-quick strikes and devastating blows. But he was also quick to run from a fight, a tactic that worked until one final meeting with Obi-Wan Kenobi. - Manufacturer's promotional blurb, Hasbro website
My latest addition to my collection is, weirdly enough, General Grievous, the cyborg leader of the Separatists' droid army. Introduced in Cartoon Network's 2003-2005 Star Wars: Clone Wars animated micro-series, the character appeared in the live action Star Wars - Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the animated series that serves as a prequel to Revenge of the Sith.
General Grievous is an imposing character in both the feature film and Lucasfilm Animation's animated television series, in which he is voiced by sound designer Matthew Wood and two other actors. His height is stated to be 2.16 meters or just a bit over 7 feet, so standing at 7.25 inches, the Grievous figure is taller than the average six-inch-scale figure from Hasbro's The Black Series.
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| Hasbro photo of Star Wars: The Black Series General Grievous action figure indicates its actual height in inches and centimeters. © 2018 Hasbro, Inc. and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) |
Fans and collectors can imagine scenes from the Star Wars galaxy and Star Wars: Episode III with this premium General Grievous figure, inspired by the Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith movie, part of the Star Wars movie franchise that includes Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Solo: A Star Wars Story. The Star Wars galaxy includes beloved and feared characters like Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia Organa, Chewbacca, and Darth Vader, as well as Stormtroopers, droids, and more! - Manufacturer's promotional blurb, Hasbro website
This figure was released in April as part of The Black Series' Deluxe figure assortment. It's the first (and so far, only) figure in this assortment and, because it has such fine detailing as a soft-goods cape and extra-detailed sculpting, it is one of those collectibles that is not as cost-effective as the standard TBS figures. Consequently, its manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $29.99 makes General Grievous a more expensive figure than the average figure of this collection. (And that's if you can get it, as I did, from Amazon at the MSRP; third-party sellers will probably ask a lot more to make a Hutt-like profit from avid collectors or Star Wars fans.)
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| Here, General Grievous shows off his menacing moves as he wields four lightsabers, trophies taken from Jedi Knights he killed. Note the General's cape and extra blaster. Photo Credit: © 2018 Hasbro, Inc. and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) |
General Grievous is a fully-posable action figure based on the Jedi-hating cyborg who meets his destiny at the hands of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi during the Battle of Utapau in Revenge of the Sith. With multiple points of articulation, collectors can pose the figure in more true-to-the-movie stances than they could with the older, smaller 2005-era action figures. The figure can stand upright to its full 7.25-in. height, or it can be posed in a typical fight-or-flight crouch without looking too toy-like. (It helps, of course, that the character is a cyborg and is supposed to look machine-like.)
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| The Black Series' D-1 General Grievous figure in its packaging. Photo Credit:© 2018 Hasbro, Inc. and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) |
PREMIUM ARTICULATION AND DETAILING Featuring multiple points of articulation for high poseability (6 fully articulated limbs), fans and collectors can display the Star Wars The Black Series General Grievous figure in their action figure and vehicle collection to imagine scenes from the Star Wars galaxy. Advanced articulation allows fans to pose their figures in a variety of poses for display in their collection. - Manufacturer's promotional blurb, Hasbro website
TBS' General Grievous is not only finely detailed and well-sculpted; but for an action figure with an MSRP of $29.99, it comes with a nice assortment of accessories. Here is what you get in the package along with the General Grievous figure:
- 4 Lightsaber hilts with removable ignited blades
- Blaster
- Cape
My Take
I have been collecting Star Wars figures for 41 years. I started in March of 1978, which is when my former neighbors Sheila and Patrick Blanchard gave me the original Kenner's Land Speeder and two 3.75-inch figures (C-3PO and R2-D2) for my 15th birthday. After that, I acquired most of the Kenner vintage figures and vehicles from the original Star Wars trilogy; however, through a series of happenstances and natural disasters (such as Hurricane Wilma), I've lost some of my most prized possessions, including my first Land Speeder, my original X-Wing and TIE Fighter vehicles, and my 1984 Return of the Jedi Imperial Shuttle. I still have the majority of my 1978-1985 Kenner figures, though quite a few are now missing loose blasters and other weapons. (I also have lots of the figures from Kenner/Hasbro's later lines, and most of those are in their packages.)
Since those halcyon days of my adolescence, much has changed. I’ve grown older, of course, and as a result of changed life circumstances, I have had to adjust to living in a place where I don't have as much space for either storage or display ability. That’s why I've cut back on my Star Wars figure purchases. Nevertheless, I do buy a few action figures and other collectibles each year whenever a new movie comes out, and my best friend - who discovered my love of Star Wars and related collectibles almost four years ago - gives me a few figures or even vehicles on special occasions.
I never planned on leaving my collecting "comfort zone" of the 3.75 inch-scale action figures, but when I received the Darth Vader with Legacy Stand set back in 2017 as a Christmas gift, I've acquired at least 20 of the Star Wars Black Series 6-inch figures. I've bought at least 14 of them on my own; the rest have been gifts.
Although General Grievous is essentially a "foreshadowing" character that represents Anakin Skywalker's transformation from a well-intentioned and heroic Jedi into the evil Sith Lord (and cyborg) Darth Vader, he is a rather cool-looking villain. So cool-looking and imposing, I must say, that I decided to splurge on this pricey Deluxe offering from Hasbro's The Black Series line.
As you can see from the promo photos by Hasbro, Star Wars: The Black Series figures have more points of articulation than the original Kenner action figures from the 1970s and early 1980s. This allows collectors to display the figure in more life-like poses, even though some stances may require additional support from action figure stands, which are sold separately.
I do not foresee that I'll ever open my Star Wars: The Black Series General Grievous action figure; I don't have a lot of shelf space now, so I have to be selective as to what will go on display and what doesn't. It's more likely that I'll either display the figure in its original package on one of my Ikea "Billy" bookshelves or store it in the closet till we figure out storage/display options.
That having been said, I think Hasbro's TBS figures are nicely done, especially when it comes to the sculpts and paint jobs that give them that most desired feature in movie collectibles: realism.
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