In anticipation of the March 7th release of Star War: The Clone Wars – The Lost Missions on Netflix, Jedi-Business and From 4-LOM to Zuckuss are teaming up to bring you the top 20 figures produced from the first 5 seasons of this groundbreaking animated series! Before we begin lets take a brief look back at the five series of figures that were produced over the past 6 years.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars Action Figure Line Overview
The Clone Wars action figure line first burst onto the scene on July 26th, 2008 just prior to the theatrical premiere of the series on October 3rd. The initial series included a white and blue cardback design that was loosely based on a Captain Rex helmet and included twenty-seven carded figures in addition to assorted Exclusive Figures, 2-Packs, Battle Packs, DVD Sets, Mail Aways and Vehicles.
In the second series, the line’s color theme changed from blue to red and the cardbacks shared the same angular layout and design as that of The Legacy Collectionand Saga Legends lines of figures. This series nearly doubled the amount of figures released on single cardbacks and was joined by Deluxe Figures, Exclusive Figures, 2-Packs, Battle Packs, Tin Sets, Mail Aways and Vehicles.
The third series of The Clone Wars figures included a fairly dramatic and ominous change to the line’s look. Nicknamed by Hasbro as the “Shadow of the Dark Side” design theme, this series raised the number of carded figures to 65 and added Ultimate Battle Packs and Multipacks to its continued release of 2-Packs, Battle Packs, Deluxe Figures, DVD Sets, Mail Aways, Vehicles and numerous Exclusives.
The fourth iteration of the line featured the menacing scowl of Darth Maul. The Sith Lord’s face was used for dual purpose of featuring his return in the animated series and to reference his appearance in The Phantom Menace’s 3D theatrical release. This line was a bit more intimate with only 18 carded figures in addition to a few 2-Packs, Exclusive Figures, Battle Packs and Deluxe Figures.
2013 saw the final series based exclusively on the Saturday morning cartoon. Due to the abrupt cancelation of the animated series, by Lucasfilm’s new owner The Walt Disney Company, Hasbro released only one set in their Class I vehicle assortment domestically (ARF Trooper/TX-21 with 501st Legion AT-RT), and a small wave of figures exclusively outside of the United States. The nine figures in this series were shipped on a green Yoda-themed cardback which would have tied into the release of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clone in 3D but this was canceled by Disney as well.
The Top 20 Figures Produced from The Clone Wars Line
~ Figures listed in no particular order ~
Cato Parasitti (CW37)
Cato Parasitti, the Bounty Hunter which could be seen in the episode “Holocron Heist” from the second season, was given the deluxe treatment by Hasbro. It was an exotic and never-before-done character, it was beautifully sculpted with very well hidden joints, and it captured the on-screen character very well. Hasbro even managed to include 14 points of articulation and give the figure a very cleanly applied paint job! Cato Parasitti looks fantastic on display!
Mandalorian with Speeder (Deluxe)
One of the coolest characters in the Clone Wars were the Mandalorian Warriors! Luckily Hasbro managed to release several Mandalorian Warriors throughout the lifespan of the Clone Wars toy line. Our favorite out of the bunch is the Mandalorian Warrior with Mandalorian Speeder. The paint application is tight on this figure, and Hasbro made it super articulated with 14 joints, all of them ball-hinged! Not only is the figure superb, but the included Mandalorian Speeder is kick-ass!
Seripas (CW61)
Hasbro put a lot of work into Seripas! The tiny bounty hunter is just “OK”, but the mechanical suit is brilliantly done! It has a buzz-saw built into the left arm, and a laser/rocket launcher in the other! The cockpit opens up and has enough room for Seripas to sit in comfortably. The paint application on the mechanical suit is very well done, there is more dirt on the boots and on the shins than on the rest of the body, and Hasbro even painted the interior and the controls inside the cockpit. This never-before done figure is truly impressive in size and detail!
Whorm Loathom (CW15)
We first saw Loathom in the Clone Wars movie when he lead a droid army during the Battle of Christophsis. Hasbro’s action figure interpretation of the character comes very close to the animated character seen in the movie. The head sculpt is a winner, but the small details such as the correct patterns on the cape, the wrinkles on the pants and the correct color tones on the outfit (including the lighter blue socks!) make this Clone Wars figure stand out from the crowd!
Robonino (Hostage Crisis)
Robonino is probably one of the funkiest Clone Wars action figures released, which makes this a fun figure. Hasbro put a lot of work into getting Robonino right, the head sculpt and the paint application look fantastic, and the height of the figure mimics the counterpart from the Clone Wars very closely. Robonino’s backpack is nicely detailed as well, explosives can be slit-in from the sides, plus it opens up from the top, offering more storage room. The Bounty Hunter has very small feet, which carried over into the action figure, but luckily Hasbro included a stand, which gives collectors a way to display the figure nicely!
Admiral Yularen (CW07)
Yularen was a stand out within The Clone Wars action figure line. First of all, to the delight of diorama builders everywhere, he came packaged with a fantastic set piece: the Holo-Com Table. Next this figure’s sculpt was pitch-perfect when compared to his appearance on the show but also he was depicted in his very cool pre-Imperial uniform. And finally this figure captured the upgrade the admiral received from his background bit part in A New Hope to his staring role in the first few seasons working closely with Obi-Wan Kenobi, who is also included in this set as a mini hologram.
Boba Fett (CW32)
This figure provided what the Prequel Trilogy did not – a transformation of the Boba character from orphaned child to deadly bounty hunter. Here Hasbro created a well sculpted and highly articulated figure which included multiple components of Boba’s armory. Included were his father Jango’s blasters and holsters, a removable chest piece that mirrors his future Mandolorian suit and his iconic jetpack which would eventually lead to his demise. This figure is a must have for any collector who is looking to display the evolution of the galaxy’s most feared bounty hunter.
Bossk (The Rise of Boba Fett)
When it came to the design of Bossk for the animated series, the folks at Lucasfilm must have known not to fix something that wasn’t broken. The concept for Bossk was virtually unchanged from his yellow flight suited debut in The Empire Strikes Back and Hasbro once again did a fantastic job adapting this look into plastic. This particular sculpt shares a simplicity in its features and design with that of its 1980 Kenner doppelganger making it an instant hit with us. Taking a note from The Vintage Collection Bossk, this is only the second time that his character has received a removable hose on his side. The extra height in this figure was also welcomed as it helped support the belief that Trandoshans could hold their own against their Wookiee rivals.
Cad Bane (CW42)
Hasbro’s second attempt at Cad was a huge improvement over the first. This version of the gravel-voiced bounty hunter included 12 POA, which was 4 more points than the previous version. Another highlight was the superbly sculpted scowl and snarl of his face. This figure also included the adorable secondary figure Todo 360, which was voiced by fellow Star Wars fan Seth Green.
Captain Rex (CW50)
Upon the airing of season one’s episode entitled “Trespass”, figure collectors everywhere were hungry for this Snowtrooper inspired version of the good captain. It would be more than a year until this figure would finally see its way to retail but it would definitely be worth the wait. Sporting 12 well hidden points of articulation this is a great melding of Republic and Imperial cold weather gear. The weathered wash on the under armor and boots are outstanding. The only thing that could have taken this figure to the next level would be if Hasbro had applied the weathering to the rest of his armor to portray the harsh environment of Orto Plutonia. But nonetheless a great figure overall!
Darth Sidious (CW45)
Now despite what people may say, it was not the elusiveness of this figure which made it extra special but its outstanding sculpted depiction of the “frail” Sith Lord. Now at the time of this figure’s release Sidious had only appeared as a hologram in the series, but Hasbro made the wise decision to create a non-holographic version instead, much like Kenner did with its The Power of the Force Anakin Skywalker figure. Although the most notable and successful aspect of this figure is that Hasbro was able to accomplish what they had so often failed to do on many previous versions of Palpatine: make a well-fitted hood and cape! Finally with the use of both soft goods and plastic, Sidious looks menacing from underneath his hood and reflects the character we would eventually fear in Return of the Jedi.
Embo (CW33)
This Samurai-inspired Bounty Hunter was voiced by Clone Wars director Dave Filoni! The character has coolness written all over it, and it translates brilliantly over into the action figure! Hasbro went all out and sculpted Embo wonderfully, not only did they capture the likeness incredibly well, but they managed to give Embo some cool accessories which all work well. There is room to store two knives in the back, Embo can carry his rifle on his back, the hat is removable and the shoulder armor is removable. Add to this 14 points of articulation, a soft-goods skirt and no annoying balancing issues, and you have a figure which simply needs to be in the top 20 Clone Wars figures produced!
Gha Nachkt (Ambush on the Vulture’s Claw)
Even though the series produced an incredible amount of Clone Trooper characters and soldiers the line did not disappoint when it came to providing a large array of alien characters as well. Gha Nachkt, was a great figure whose design by Hasbro did justice to the slimy two-timing Trandoshan. The paint job was amazing from the grease stains on his belly to the color of his deep inset and lopsided eyes. The texture of his skin, or scales as it may be, is terrific as is the sculpt of his toothy smile help to make this figure one of our top choices.
Hondo Ohnaka (CW41)
Hondo Ohnaka made a big impression in multiple Clone Wars episodes. The figure is a great represenation of the character with lots and lots of details molded into the pirate outfit, plus Hondo comes with a pirate blaster, a sword and his pet Pilf Mukmuk! The figure lacks in articulation, but the head sculpt is nothing but fantastic! The color tone on the outfit works well and comes very close to what we saw in the TV show. Hondo on display with his monkey lizard sitting on his shoulders looks great!
Jabba the Hutt (Jabba’s Palace)
As a collector you want your figure to represent the character seen on-screen as closely as possible, and Hasbro managed to do just that with this animated-style Jabba The Hutt. Besides capturing the likeness of Jabba so well, Hasbro managed to give the Hutt eight joints, which is quite an achievement considering that the character doesn’t have any legs, knees or ankles. While we are not fans of action features, having Jabba’s mouth open when any of the arms are moved down is a welcome addition to this figure.
Jar Jar Binks (CW24)
Despite being based on a fairly unpopular episode “Bombad Jedi”, Hasbro released a very detailed and at the time of its release in 2009, the most articulated Jar Jar figure ever made. This sculpt captured the Gungan’s animated likeness to a tee and the paint application was clean and very sharp. This release included Anakin Skywalker’s Jedi cloak (which Jar Jar used as a disguise) but more genius was the wire which was sewn into its soft good fabric to help mold and secure it realistically to the figure.
Kul Teska (Exclusive)
Kul Teska holds the special honor of being the only figure in the entire line to not originate or be inspired by an episode of the animated series. Instead he made his debut as the main villain in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Republic Heroes video game. This Toys ‘R’ Us exclusive figure also has the unique distinction of being the tallest figure in the line. This figure came with some serious firepower sculpted into his right arm and into his hidden shoulder launchers. On top of his imposing mold, his paint application was done so well that his suit looked realistically metallic and just an all around great figure.
Pre Viszla (CW08)
Pre Viszla is one of those figures where it feels as if Hasbro has done everything right! Whoever sculpted Pre Viszla’s head did an outstanding job, it couldn’t be any closer to the animated Pre Viszla from the TV show. The Death Watch leader is super articulated, he is painted well, and he even has the Death Watch symbol on the cape. That is attention to detail! Both blasters fit well into the holsters and the helmet fits nicely over the head! This was also the only time Hasbro has ever released a DARKSABER!
Savage Opress (CW59)
The brute strength and danger of Opress is portrayed excellently in this figure. Standing heads higher than his brother Darth Maul and most other figures, this Sith Magic infused apprentice featured a face sculpt which captured the disgust and anger he carried throughout the show. This second version of this character depicted his fearsome battle armor with removable shoulder bells and combination plastic and soft goods tabard perfectly. And armed with both his Jedi-killing battle axe and double-bladed lightsaber makes one understand why he was nearly unbeatable to all who challenged him.
Shaak Ti (CW31)
The animated-style action figure of Jedi Master Shaak Ti is a stunner! A beautifully sculpted head, a sharp paint application, along with a soft-goods Jedi robe which doesn’t feel bulky, make for a truly amazing 3 3/4 inch representation of this Jedi Master. With two of her fingers pointing, she can either poke her enemy’s eyes out, or use the Force!
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN!
What do you think? Were we way off with the TOP 20? What were YOUR favorite CLONE WARS figures? Let us know on our official Facebook page!
