STAR WARS

eFX : Attack of the Clones - Clone Captain Helmet

2009-02-16T16:44:00.012+02:00

Sideshow: Asajj Ventress Premium Format Exclusive

2009-01-17T11:44:00.004+02:00

Sideshow 12'' Jedi Figures

2009-01-17T11:17:00.009+02:00

Here in this review we'll be looking at the Star Wars 12'' Figures as groups. The first group is the jedi masters. Ben Kenobi, Obi-wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, Kit Fisto, Plo Koon, Aayla Secura, Qui Gon Jin, Luke Skywalker and Anakin Skywalker. Click on the thumbnails the enlarge the images.

Sideshow Dioroma : Ambush on Hoth

2009-01-13T10:34:00.005+02:00

Sideshow Dioroma : Padme vs Nexu

2009-01-13T10:20:00.006+02:00

Sideshow Life Size Statue : Salacious Crumb

2008-12-11T18:32:00.006+02:00

Master Replicas : ESB Luke Skaywalker Lightsaber

2008-11-28T14:23:00.005+02:00

Master Replicas : AOTC Anakin Skywalker Lightsaber

2008-11-28T13:53:00.004+02:00

Master Replicas : ROTJ Luke Skywalker Lightsaber Ver.2

2008-11-28T13:12:00.009+02:00

Master Replicas : ROTJ Luke Skywalker Lightsaber Ver. 1

2008-11-28T01:32:00.008+02:00

Master Replicas : AOTC Obi-Wan Kenobi Lightsaber

2008-11-28T01:16:00.006+02:00

Master Replicas : Luke Skywalker's Weaponry

2008-11-28T01:03:00.006+02:00

All four lightsabers will be posted individually and in detail very soon.

Sideshow Premium Format Statue : Anakin Skywalker

2008-11-27T01:40:00.014+02:00

A child born of prophecy, possibly conceived by the will of the Force itself, Anakin Skywalker has left an indelible mark on the history of the galaxy, leading it through periods of lightness and dark. Discovered as a slave child on Tatooine, he was brought into the Jedi Order and quickly ascended to become one of its brightest stars. The trials of the Clone Wars, however, transformed him. Tempted by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, Anakin succumbed to the dark side of the Force, and became the Sith Lord Darth Vader. It was only through the efforts of his son, Luke, that Anakin was redeemed to fulfill the prophecy, and vanquish the Sith Lord, Darth Sidious.

Before The Phantom Menace
Much mystery surrounds the birth of Anakin Skywalker. There was no father -- Shmi Skywalker carried him in her womb and gave birth to him, yet how he came to be remains a puzzle. Some speculate that it was the will of the Force. Darker theories point to forbidden Sith experiments that could coax midi-chlorians to create life. Whatever the explanation, Anakin was destined to be special, despite his lowly status as a slave.
Shmi and Anakin came to Tatooine when he was a toddler, and they were sold by their owner, Gardulla the Hutt, to the unscrupulous Toydarian junk dealer Watto to settle a gambling debt. While in Watto's employ, Anakin learned valuable mechanical and technical skills. He earned the reputation of being able to fix anything. So technically inclined was he that at the age of nine, he cobbled together a working protocol droid -- C-3PO -- to help his mother.

Anakin was a kind, selfless child. He had no thoughts of greed or malice in him. He would often risk his own well-being to bring help to those who needed it, heedless of the consequences. As a five-year old, Anakin climbed a dune to chase away banthas so that hunters would not shoot them. Though he collapsed from exhaustion several times, he nonetheless persevered in his effort to save the animals. A few years later, he broke into the fortress of Gardulla the Hutt to save Ghostling children captured there. Even the risk of enraging the Dug bully named Sebulba -- who provided the Ghostlings as slaves -- did not deter the boy.

During a trade with Jawas from Mochot Steep, Anakin came across a wounded Tusken Raider. Despite common traveler advice to the contrary, Anakin tended to the Tusken Raider's wounds and nursed him to health.

Though compassionate, Anakin was also quite competitive -- downright aggressive at times. Anakin's participation in the foolhardy sport of Podracing was testament to this. Anakin was the only known human capable of handling the extreme speeds of Podracing. His small frame allowed him to sit in the tiny cockpit, and his superhuman reflexes gave him the advantage he needed to keep up with alien competitors better suited to the sport. Anakin's reflexes were actually the product of Force-intuition -- the boy could see events before they happened, and respond to them in kind.

Anakin's love of Podracing came about almost by accident. Anakin took Watto's Podracer out for a test spin and performed exceptionally. Recognizing his talent, Watto let the boy continue his piloting, sensing potential profit from the venture. Little did Watto suspect that Anakin would start building his own Podracer, in secret, that would eventually win him his freedom.

Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Anakin's sensitivity to the Force and his racing talents caused him to cross paths with the Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and the young Naboo royal, Queen Amidala. They were fugitives from the Trade Federation blockade of Naboo that desperately needed passage to Coruscant. In order to win the needed parts for their damaged vessel, Anakin figured into a cleverly crafted wager that depended on the outcome of the Boonta Eve Classic Podrace.
Anakin pitted his racing talents against the undefeated champion, Sebulba. The young boy ultimately bested the treacherous alien, winning not only the race and the needed starship parts, but also his freedom. He also garnered the attention and admiration of Amidala, who was disguised as a simple handmaiden at the time. Despite their age difference -- she was fourteen and he, nine -- he professed someday that they would marry and he carried a devoted crush on her.

Unfortunately, Anakin was unable to win his mother's freedom. Qui-Gon sensed incredible Force potential in the boy, and Anakin's bloodstream held a record number of midi-chlorians. When he departed with Qui-Gon to proceed with his Jedi training, Anakin was forced to leave his mother behind. Although a new life of adventure awaited him offworld, his thoughts dwelled on the kind and quiet Shmi.

Qui-Gon Jinn believed Anakin to be the Chosen One spoken of in an ancient prophecy, the one who would bring balance to the Force. The Jedi Council was reluctant to train the boy, feeling his future to be clouded and that Anakin was too old to begin Jedi training.

After the liberation of Naboo -- wherein Anakin bravely piloted a starfighter into the heart of the Trade Federation Droid Control Ship -- the Council rescinded its original decision, and allowed Obi-Wan Kenobi to take Anakin as his Padawan learner.

Before Attack of the Clones
Over the next decade, the Anakin and Obi-Wan forged a strong bond. Under Kenobi's careful guidance, Anakin became a confident, headstrong 20-year old with an impulsive nature and a flair for adventure. His reckless ways would often wear down even Obi-Wan's patience, but the two were close friends. In many ways, Anakin looked to Obi-Wan as the father figure he never had.
Once part of the Jedi order, Anakin's power and skill became legendary, as did his impatience and recklessness. Fed up with the staid existence in the Jedi Temple's quiet corridors, Anakin fed his need for speed by venturing into the bowels of Coruscant's infrastructure. There, he would race inside the city-planet's gargantuan waste disposal systems, risking his life in exchange for the rush of breakneck acceleration.

As he grew older, Anakin's nightmares became worse. He continued having dreams of a dark future and terrible events lurking on the horizon. Obi-Wan Kenobi admonished the boy not to give into fear, and to use the Force to control his emotions. Despite being powerful in the Force, Anakin always found this difficult. Many feared that Anakin might simply be too powerful to control.
While on a mission to discover a missing Jedi on Zonama Sekot, Anakin was challenged by a Blood Carver assassin named Ke Daiv. Anakin, unable to control years of repressed emotion, snapped and killed Ke Daiv. This was the first life Anakin had ever taken through the Force. The intensity of his emotions at the time would forever haunt him.

At age 13, Anakin underwent an important Jedi ritual, traveling to the frozen caverns of Ilum. In a grotto strong with the Force, Anakin experienced a haunting vision of his mother and the dead Sith warrior Darth Maul. Not letting his fears paralyze him, Anakin forged ahead through the hallucination, to discover that he had gathered the Ilum crystals needed to build his first lightsaber.

Shortly thereafter, Anakin was captured by the fearsome pirate Krayn, who put the young Skywalker to work in a darkened spice processing facility. Another undercover Jedi, Siri Tachi, spearheaded a slave revolt that eventually toppled Krayn's empire. Anakin confronted Krayn and killed the tyrant.

As a rash of Separatism threatened the split the Republic in two , Anakin and Obi-Wan were assigned to mediate a border dispute on the outlying world of Ansion. Working with fellow Jedi Luminara Unduli and Barriss Offee, they made contact with the natives of Ansion and forged a treaty between the city-dwelling inhabitants and the plains-wandering nomads.

Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Anakin and Obi-Wan were assigned to protect Padmé Amidala, who was now Senator of Naboo, from assassination attempts possibly linked to Separatists. It was the first time Anakin and Padmé had seen each other in a decade. He had thought of her every day since their last parting, but she seemed aloof and far too occupied with the more important matters at hand.
This was a challenge to Anakin. Had he been schooled in the Jedi ways from infancy, he would have had a tighter rein on his emotions. Instead, his mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Padmé or thoughts of his mother. He had not mastered the detachment so necessary to the Jedi order.

When he was assigned to escort Senator Amidala to Naboo, where she would be sequestered from further attacks while the Jedi investigated the situation, Anakin could barely contain his emotions. In the quiet solitude amid the beautiful surroundings of a hidden Naboo lake retreat, the affectionate friendship and deeper emotions shared by Padmé and Anakin began to grow.

It was Padmé who remained pragmatic in the face of rising emotions. The two had other, larger commitments -- he to the Jedi order, she to the Republic. There was simply no time to indulge their desires.

One night, Anakin was overcome with nightmares about his mother. Defying the strict orders given him by Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin left Naboo to return to Tatooine and seek out Shmi Skywalker. Padmé accompanied him to Mos Espa, where he discovered that his mother had been freed by a moisture farmer named Cliegg Lars. Visiting the Lars Homestead, Anakin also learned terrible news. His mother had been attacked by Sand People, and she had been missing for a month.

Anakin searched the desert for Shmi, finding her in a Tusken encampment. Sneaking into her guarded hut, Anakin freed her broken form and cradled her body as she died. Again Anakin's emotions boiled out of control. He was possessed with a dark rage that controlled his very actions. Anakin brandished his lightsaber and emerged from the tent.

He slaughtered the entire encampment. Every single Tusken Raider man, woman and child died by his hand. But even that did not sate his rage. He still felt a deep hatred toward all of them.

Anakin returned to the Lars Homestead with his mother's body. In private, he confessed his actions to Padmé. Shamed at his actions and inability to save his mother, Anakin collapsed, sobbing at what he did. Padmé comforted him as much as she could.

A quiet funeral was held at the Lars Homestead. Anakin said his final farewell to Shmi, promising that he would never fail her again. Someday, he knew, he would be powerful enough to not fail the ones he loved. Perhaps someday, he could even stop people from dying.

Anakin and Padmé next voyaged to Geonosis, where Obi-Wan's investigations had taken him. Kenobi had been captured by Separatist forces, and Anakin sought to rescue him. Sneaking into a droid foundry on the planet, Anakin barely escaped the dangerous machines of the assembly line. He and Padmé were eventually captured, and joined Kenobi in an execution arena. Faced with overwhelming evidence of her mortality, Padmé lowered her emotional guard and professed her love to Anakin, a love he was willing to return regardless of the consequences.

The Jedi and Padmé were able to escape certain death from the dangerous beasts unleashed by their Geonosian executioners. The spectacle was cut short with the arrival of Jedi reinforcements, and then the opening battle of the historic Clone Wars.

Obi-Wan and Anakin attempted to intercept Count Dooku, mastermind of the Separatists, before he escaped to foment even further rebellion against the Republic. In a darkened hangar, the two confronted Dooku. Though Obi-Wan insisted they work together, headstrong Anakin rushed into the fray. Dooku nearly incapacitated him with a powerful blast of dark side lightning.

Obi-Wan was forced to face Dooku alone, but the elder Jedi Master was clearly the more-skilled combatant. He wounded Kenobi, and was ready to deliver the deathblow, but Anakin jumped in to intercept. Dooku and Skywalker dueled with fierce energy, but Dooku proved far too powerful for even the Chosen One. The renegade Jedi slashed through Anakin's parries and severed the youth's arm. Anakin collapsed, but was spared death by the timely arrival of Jedi Master Yoda, who battled Dooku.

After a brief convalescence wherein Anakin's severed arm was replaced with a mechanical one, he accompanied Senator Amidala back to Naboo. There, at a secluded lake retreat, the two were secretly wed by a Naboo holyman in a ceremony witnessed only by C-3PO and R2-D2. It may have been the start of a new life, but it was another step to Anakin's eventual destruction.

The Clone Wars
If Anakin felt his time as a Padawan was a trying exercise in restraint, the Clone Wars would prove to be an ever greater challenge that would mold his character. Apprenticed to Obi-Wan in the thick of the fiercest fighting the Republic had faced in centuries, Anakin became a man against the backdrop of seemingly ceaseless war.
Despite Jedi platitudes about peace and patience, Anakin found the battles of the Clone Wars invigorating. He felt alive in combat, and his incredible Force abilities were further honed. It was Anakin who single-handedly transformed inevitable defeat into victory on numerous occasions. Encounters on worlds such as Cato Neimoidia and elsewhere cemented Anakin and Obi-Wan's legendary reputations. Throughout the Republic, citizens would spread tales of the two Jedi heroes -- Anakin's hologenic features and daring exploits earned him the moniker of "The Hero With No Fear." Skywalker became a celebrity of the state, despite Jedi ascetics frowning upon such accolades.

Impressed by Anakin's skill with the Force, the Jedi Council quickly conferred upon him the status of General and Jedi Knight at the war's outset. Anakin led the 501st Legion of clone troopers on many campaigns, with Clone Captain Rex serving under him. True to his pre-Jedi nature, Anakin was bold and aggressive, but he quickly learned that sometimes a well-chosen word proves more effective than a flashing lightsaber. Though resourceful and even cunning if the situation demanded it, Anakin generally trusted his superior Force-abilities to bail him out of a tight squeeze. Anakin's confidence was his greatest asset, and, at times, also his greatest liability. Indeed, Anakin's emotions often landed him in hot water. Never hesitant to risk it all, Anakin's passions consistently led him into dangerous situations and, according to some, questionable decision-making.

Anakin's brash nature and bold talk often placed him at odds with the other Jedi, many of whom view Anakin as a loose-cannon -- albeit an exceptionally talented one. In an effort to teach Anakin responsibility, Master Yoda gave him a Padawan learner, 14-year-old Ahsoka Tano. Though they were as different as a Master and his apprentice could be, Anakin and Ahsoka quickly found a common ground, which left Yoda wondering whether the responsibility of mentorship would actually calm Anakin's wild ways, or if he'd simply pass them on to his new Padawan.

Other Clone Wars Adventures
The Clone Wars saw Anakin's star continue to rise, as his exploits became legendary. An amazing starfighter pilot, Anakin flew missions over Kamino, Balamak, Virujansi, and elsewhere, cementing a reputation for his unparalleled skills. He custom modified his assigned Delta-7 Jedi starfighter into a truly unique vessel that outperformed the ships of the line.
The war molded Anakin into a man, but continued to feed his pride. It became increasingly difficult for him to adhere to the strict tenets of the Jedi Code, particularly when the Order itself was thrust into nebulous moral ground in waging a full-scale war. When he could, he would write letters to his beloved Padmé, but he saw her only very rarely.

During the Battle of Muunilinst, Anakin was placed in charge of the space attack against the homeworld of the InterGalactic Banking Clan, a key member of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. His exceptional starfighter piloting skills and leadership led clone pilots to defeat the enemy forces. Anakin, however, was drawn from the battle by a sleek rogue vessel that flew apart from the enemy swarm.

Despite repeated warnings from Obi-Wan not to pursue, Anakin gave chase, and followed the mysterious fanblade starfighter to the jungles of Yavin 4. Beneath the jungle canopy, amid the ruins of ancient Sith temples, Anakin dueled with Asajj, their ferocious lightsaber attacks illuminating their dank surroundings. Anakin repulsed Asajj, but did so only by giving into his anger, and once again the young Jedi had tread dangerously on the dark side of the Force.

Throughout the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan and Anakin were rarely far apart, being dispatched as a team to various battlefronts. As a Jedi Knight, Obi-Wan received the rank of General, with Anakin as his lieutenant. It was on the rain-soaked world of Jabiim that Skywalker had to take over on his own. Obi-Wan was presumed killed in a Separatist attack, and Skywalker led a group of similarly "orphaned" Padawans. In the midst of this battle, Anakin received a priority communiqué from Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. The galactic ruler requested that Anakin oversee the evacuation of Jabiim in person.
Though it pained Anakin to not fight alongside his comrades in the final push, he had to obey an authority as great -- and a friendship as close -- as Palpatine's. The evacuation of Jabiim was an ugly, controversial extraction, with the Republic abandoning the local forces to fend for themselves. Captain Gillmunn, local leader of the Jabiimi loyalists, swore vengeance on Skywalker and the Jedi order. He pulled a gun on Anakin, and Skywalker reacted by using the Force to start choking Gillmunn. Such a frightening use of the Force came easily to Anakin, though it was the first time he had ever used the mystical energy field in that specific fashion.

After evacuating Jabiim, Anakin was stationed at the medical centers on New Holstice. He met up with A'Sharad Hett, a young Jedi raised in Tusken Raider culture. Given Anakin's hatred of the Sand People for the murder of his mother, Skywalker was deeply conflicted when he was teamed with Hett on a mission to Aargonar. Unable to express his prejudice and anger towards Hett, Anakin instead projected his hatred on a group of Yuzzem Confederacy troops. Imagining them to be the Tusken Raiders who had kidnapped and tortured his mother, Anakin slaughtered the alien troops.

After reining in his emotions, Anakin revealed his secret to Hett. So that the troubled youth would view him as a fellow Jedi and not a Tusken Raider, A'Sharad removed his Tusken mask, revealing his human features to Anakin. Hett chose to keep Anakin's burden a secret, for it was ultimately up to Anakin to confess his transgressions to the Jedi Council. He never did.

Before Revenge of the Sith
Time and again, the Separatists pushed, and Anakin would find himself restrained by his oaths to the Jedi. He couldn't share his darker thoughts with his fellow Jedi -- the thoughts that overwhelmed him that night in the Tusken Raider village. He knew that such a path was a gateway to more power, but it also led to the dark side. The only person he felt comfortable confiding such troubles to was a friend he had since his days as a child hero on Naboo: Chancellor Palpatine.
Palpatine encouraged Anakin's talents. In many ways, Anakin felt Palpatine was the only one not asking anything from him. He was simply letting Anakin be, and appreciating him for his efforts and talents -- he wasn't imposing boundaries nor begging for aid.

Another ache for Anakin was the absence from his wife. Long weeks would stretch into months wherein Anakin would not see Padmé. As a devoted Senator, she kept a watchful eye on the war, but much of her interest on the scattered reports of the ongoing conflict was deeply personal. The five months they were apart during the Outer Rim Sieges tore at their hearts.

In the last yearof the Clone Wars, Anakin and Obi-Wan were stationed in the Outer Rim when word came of a shocking development. Coruscant was under attack. Not only was the planet that held his beloved wife targeted, but also his close friend the Chancellor had been kidnapped by the merciless General Grievous and his droid forces.

Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
It was with a fierce determination that Obi-Wan, Anakin, and their Republic forces launched towards Coruscant, to parry the blow to the Republic's heart. Infiltrating General Grievous' flagship, Obi-Wan and Anakin worked their way into what was surely a trap. Aboard the vessel, they found the captive Palpatine and were confronted once again by Count Dooku.
In the lightsaber duel that ensued, Obi-Wan was knocked unconscious by a withering telekinetic blow delivered by the Sith Lord. Anakin continued to hold his own alone, urged to the offensive by Palpatine's goading. Anakin sliced off Dooku's hands, rendering the Sith Lord harmless. At Palpatine's insistence, Anakin killed Dooku, decapitating the Separatist leader. He instantly regretted the decision, despite the surge of power he felt in doing it. Palpatine tried to reassure Anakin that it was necessary -- Dooku was too dangerous to be taken alive.

Kenobi, Skywalker and Palpatine then attempted to make their way off the starship, only to be captured by General Grievous' droid forces. Marched before the General within the ship's bridge, it was Anakin who surprisingly recommended patience as a tactic. Sure enough, his reliable astromech droid, R2-D2, provided a mechanical distraction that allowed Anakin and Obi-Wan to overpower their guards and reclaim their weapons.

Grievous escaped the encounter, but the flagship sustained far too much damage during the Battle of Coruscant to remain in flight. The planet's gravity pulled the ship further down into the atmosphere, and it was up to Anakin to pilot the splintering craft to safety. True to his reputation, he succeeded. He once again proved to be a hero -- having rescued Palpatine, defeated Dooku, and returned home safely.

Finally back on Coruscant, Anakin was reunited with Padmé. The reunion was bittersweet, for while Padmé brought Anakin the news that she was pregnant, this only complicated matters. They wondered how they could continue to keep their relationship a secret with this new development. Anakin tried to focus on the positive, but was soon plagued with nightmares that he deeply feared were prophetic. He kept dreaming that Padmé would die in childbirth.

In addition to this heavy burden, even more weight was put on young Anakin's shoulders. He found himself in the middle of a political power struggle between the Jedi Council and the Chancellor. Throughout the Clone Wars, Chancellor Palpatine was gaining increased executive powers in the name of security. Those in the Jedi Council, including Mace Windu, grew increasingly suspicious of Palpatine's motives. They suspected Palpatine would soon attempt to make the Council an exclusive instrument of the Chancellor's office.

Palpatine trusted Anakin. Their friendship caused the Chancellor to appoint Skywalker to the Council, as his special representative. Ordinarily, the Jedi Council would not allow such an outside influence to dictate their appointments, but the Jedi had a plan. They would use Anakin to report on the Chancellor's activities. Though not documented in any official records, Anakin was asked by the Council to spy on the Chancellor. Specifically, Obi-Wan Kenobi made the request personally.

Anakin was outraged. Bad enough the Jedi Council should involve itself in such treason, but to ask in such an unorthodox fashion -- and to have it be his former mentor nonetheless! Further angering Skywalker was that the Council accepted his appointment, but refused to grant him the rank of Master. Such an insult was unheard of. Deep down he believed he was more powerful than these outdated Jedi Masters. Anakin imagined that they feared his power, notions that Palpatine helped nurture with his advice.

It was at these moments of Skywalker's greatest confusion that Palpatine opened up to him. During a quiet conversation at the Galaxies Opera House, Palpatine recounted an old Sith legend of Darth Plagueis the Wise. Palpatine explained that Plagueis, a Sith Lord, had abilities that some would describe as unnatural. Like an ancient alchemist, he could coax life out of midi-chlorians, either for the purpose of creating new life, or staving off death in others. This was the promised power of the Sith, suggested Palpatine. Anakin, who had been searching for a way to prevent Padmé from dying, listened intently.

Anakin confronted Palpatine about this arcane knowledge, accusing the Chancellor to be a Sith Lord. The Chancellor did nothing to dissuade Anakin of this idea. He instead offered Anakin the knowledge and power that the dark side promised. He promised Skywalker a path to the Force that had no rules, no code, no boundaries.

Anakin reported the Chancellor to Mace Windu, earning the Jedi Master's trust. Windu brought a team of capable Jedi warriors to arrest the Chancellor, but he refused to let Anakin come along. Left alone to stew in his tempestuous thoughts, Anakin realized that Palpatine could be his only chance at saving Padmé. He rushed to the Chancellor's office, to discover that Mace Windu was about to kill the Sith Lord.

Palpatine cried out for help, calling Mace a traitor, and explaining how the Jedi had engineered a coup to topple the Republic's leadership. Mace denied this loudly, identifying Palpatine as the traitor. With these shrill arguments vying for his loyalty, Anakin felt torn. He snatched his lightsaber, and brought an end to the standoff.

Skywalker's blade neatly cleaved through Mace Windu's arm. With his defenses stripped, Windu was easily overpowered by Chancellor Palpatine. The Sith Lord -- now revealed to be Darth Sidious -- killed the Jedi Councilor with a massive burst of Sith lightning that propelled Mace Windu out the shattered window of the Chancellor's office.

With the death of Mace Windu, Anakin had committed himself to the dark path. He knelt before Darth Sidious, proclaiming himself to be a servant of the Sith. Pleased, Sidious granted Anakin a Sith name: Darth Vader. With the promise of newfound powers, Sidious dispatched Vader to destroy the Jedi Temple.

On that terrible night on Coruscant, Darth Vader became the scourge of the Jedi. He led a column of clone troopers into the heart of the Jedi Temple. They killed all those within. His eyes burning with Sith intensity, it became clear that Anakin was no longer the same hero he once was. He was firmly entrenched in darkness, even bringing his blade to snuff out the bright lives of the Jedi younglings.

Skywalker was no more. He could not hear the entreaties of his friends and loved ones to return from the darkness. As Darth Vader, he killed the leadership of the Separatists, bringing an end to the Clone Wars. In his rage, he would bring about the death of his wife, fulfilling the terrifying vision that prompted his turn to forbidden knowledge. When his former mentor tried to stop his spree of destruction, Vader suffered grievous injuries in the lightsaber duel on Mustafar that followed.

Vader required cybernetic enhancements and replacements to sustain him. His pure innocent self seemingly lost forever, Darth Vader cast a dark pall over the galaxy, as he was one of the foremost agents responsible for the spread of the Emperor's draconian New Order.

Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Obi-Wan survived long enough to begin the training of Luke Skywalker -- Anakin's son -- in the path of the Jedi. The young Skywalker sought to turn his father away from the grip of the dark side. In the end, Luke stirred the spirit of Anakin that dwelled deep within the black armor, and Anakin turned against his master. Anakin killed Emperor Palpatine, but was mortally wounded in the attempt.
Aboard the second Death Star at the Battle of Endor, Anakin Skywalker lay dying. He asked his son to remove his life-sustaining helmet, so that he could look upon his long lost son with his own eyes. Having saved his son's life, and reclaimed his soul from the dark side, Anakin died and became one with the Force. As he shed his corporeal form, he found the spectral forms of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda ready for his return. Through compassion and selflessness, Anakin discovered the secret knowledge of the Shaman of the Whills, a technique that allowed him to retain his identity in the netherworld of the Force.

Anakin's spectral form looked upon his two children -- the twins Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa -- during the celebration at Endor.

Behind the Scenes
The name Anakin dates back to the earliest drafts of Star Wars, where the character was to play a role similar to Luke's in A New Hope. In this early incarnation, Annakin Starkiller was the 16-year old son of Kane, a respected warrior. He lived with his father and his ten-year old brother, Deak, on the desert planet of Utapau.
By the third draft of Star Wars, Luke becomes the central character and he is established to be an orphan. His father had died in the Battle of Condawn at the hands of treacherous Sith Lords of Alderaan.

Initial concept sketches of young Anakin had him be a bit older -- around 12 years old -- until Lucas revised the storyline to be set during Anakin's ninth year. The gravity of Anakin's departure from his mother is made all the more powerful by his young age.

Medicom 12 Inch Figure : Jango Fett

2008-08-26T22:59:00.016+03:00

Sideshow Life Size Bust: ROTJ Emperor Palpatine

2008-07-12T20:25:00.012+03:00

From the Movies

Palpatine was the supreme ruler of the most powerful tyrannical regime the galaxy had ever witnessed, yet his roots seem extremely humble, traced back to the peaceful world of Naboo.

Before his rise to power, Palpatine was an unassuming yet ambitious Senator in the Galactic Republic. Palpatine saw the Republic crumbling about him, torn apart by partisan bickering and corruption. All too common were those unscrupulous Senators taking advantage of the system, growing fat and wealthy on a bureaucracy too slow to catch them.

Palpatine's moment of opportunity came as a result of a trade embargo. The Trade Federation, in protest of government measures that would tax their outlying trade routes, blockaded and invaded Naboo. Naboo's planetary leader, Queen Amidala, rushed to Coruscant for Palpatine's aid. Together, the two pleaded to the Senate for intervention, only to see their request stalemated by Trade Federation filibustering. Frustrated by the government's inability to do anything, Queen Amidala acted upon Palpatine's suggestion, and called for a Vote of No Confidence in the Republic's leadership.

Chancellor Valorum was voted out of office, and Palpatine was soon nominated to succeed him. The crisis on Naboo prompted a strong sympathy vote, and Palpatine became Chancellor. He promised to reunite the disaffected, and bring order and justice to the government.

Little did anyone suspect how Palpatine had engineered his own rise to power. Hidden beneath a façade of wan smiles and smooth political speeches was a Sith Lord. In truth, Palpatine was well versed in the ways of the Force, having been apprentice to Darth Plagueis the Wise, a Sith Lord who was a master of arcane and unnatural knowledge. In true Sith tradition, Palpatine murdered his Master upon achieving the skill and ability to do so. He then took an apprentice himself, continuing the Sith order in absolute secrecy, right under the noses of the Republic and the Jedi.

With his cloaked Sith identity of Darth Sidious, Palpatine made contact with the scheming Neimoidians and plotted the invasion of his own homeworld. The resulting political fallout allowed Palpatine to step into the power vacuum left by Chancellor Valorum.

Despite Palpatine's vocal promises of reform, the Republic continued to be mired in strife and chaos. A decade after his nomination, Palpatine's Chancellery was faced with the challenge of a popular Separatist movement led by the charismatic leader, Count Dooku. Many in the galaxy feared that the conflict would escalate to full-scale warfare, but Palpatine was adamant that the crisis could be resolved by negotiation.

The Separatists didn't agree. Upon the discovery of a secret army of droids, it became apparent that the Separatists were on the verge of declaring war against the Republic. To counter this, the Republic needed a military, and Palpatine required the authority to activate the Republic's newly forged army of clones. To that end, Senators loyal to Palpatine motioned that the Chancellor be given emergency powers to deal with the Separatist threat.

With spoken regrets, Palpatine accepted the new mantle of power. He promised to return his absolute authority to the Senate after the emergency subsided. What no one realized was that the galaxy would undergo further upheaval, and that a state of crisis would ensure Palpatine's authority for decades.

The Clone Wars were just part of an intricate Sith plan concocted by Palpatine. After the demise of Darth Maul, he needed a new apprentice to carry forward his agenda. He did not have time to train an adept from the cradle, but instead plotted to turn an already proven Jedi warrior onto the path of the dark side. His target, the disillusioned Jedi Master Count Dooku. By appealing to Dooku's civility and disgust with Republic corruption, Palpatine was able to lure him to the dark side. When he became fully enmeshed in the Sith order and pledged his absolute loyalty to Palpatine, Dooku was granted the mantle of Darth Tyranus.

As Tyranus, Dooku put into motion the next phase of Sidious' fiendish plot. He was responsible for the creation of a clone army on the Republic's behalf, selecting a prime candidate as the clone template: Jango Fett. With his public persona of Dooku, he grew to become a political firebrand, leading a militant band of dissidents to wage open war against the Republic: a war the Republic was pleasantly surprised to find they were equipped to fight. The Clone Wars were a sham -- as Palpatine secretly held authority over both sides of the conflict.

The indications of his future regime were subtle at first. Palpatine's term as Chancellor ended during the rise of the Separatists, but that crisis allowed him to extend his stay in office. Once the Clone Wars erupted, the Senate's inability to efficiently wage war on scattered fronts forced him to enact executive decree after executive decree. He added amendments to the constitution funneling more power to him, effectively circumventing the bureaucracy of the Senate.

The public and the Senate willingly gave up their rights and freedoms in the name of security. Under Palpatine's guidance, the war would be won, and the Republic would be safe. The monstrous specter of General Grievous leading an assault ensured that few questioned Palpatine's growing authority.

The Jedi Council was among the wary. As an instrument of the Senate and the people, the Jedi order resisted Palpatine's directcontrol. This tension grew as the war escalated. Some in the Senate also quietly whispered their misgiving. Palpatine knew of a delegation of concerned Senators, and he would deal with them in time.

During the Clone Wars, Anakin Skywalker grew to be a legendary hero among the Jedi. His power was remarkable. Palpatine, who had been fostering a friendship with the unique lad since his childhood, felt the time was right. Darth Tyranus had served his purpose. Skywalker would be the next Sith apprentice.

As a bold endgame to his lengthy plot, Palpatine was architect of his own abduction by the fearsome General Grievous, military commander of the Separatist forces. The Confederacy fleet hammered Coruscant's defenses, and absconded with the captive Chancellor. Predictably, the Jedi order's finest heroes -- Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi -- were dispatched to rescue Palpatine. Aboard their tiny starfighters they infiltrated Grievous' flagship, and worked their way to the shackled Chancellor.

Count Dooku stood in their path. Once again, lightsaber blades crossed as Kenobi and Skywalker teamed up against Dooku. The aged Sith Lord was able to outmaneuver Kenobi, and knocked the seasoned Jedi unconscious. Without his mentor's guidance, Anakin attacked Dooku alone. The Sith Lord goaded Anakin's rage, and the young Jedi took revenge against the warrior who had severed his arm years before. Skywalker cut off both of Dooku's hands, and had the Separatist leader kneeling before his lightsaber blade.

Palpatine recognized the dark side in Anakin and nurtured it. He encouraged Anakin to kill Dooku. Skywalker's blade seared through flesh and bone, and Dooku's severed head soon littered the deck. Though Anakin instantly regretted the act for not being of the Jedi way, Palpatine was quick to console him, and absolve him of any guilt. After all, Dooku was too dangerous to be taken alive, rationalized Palpatine.

It was not the first time Palpatine had encouraged Anakin's unfettered abilities. A young man of Anakin's abilities was constantly chafing under the strict confines of the Jedi Code, and was often being reprimanded for doing what he felt was right. Palpatine never had any admonitions. He was always in Anakin's corner.

Skywalker would remember this as the political fallout from Dooku's death and the continued Clone Wars tugged him in different directions. The Jedi Council had grown wary of Palpatine, and was critical the Chancellor's decrees that redirected power away from the Senate and the constitution and into his office. Palpatine grew to naturally distrust the Council. He appointed Anakin Skywalker to act as his personal representative on the Jedi Council. Surprisingly, the Jedi Council agreed to this appointment -- but only in the hopes of turning Anakin into their spy on the Chancellor.

Palpatine exploited this distrust and confusion plaguing Anakin. Skywalker grew to feel that the Chancellor was the only one not asking something of him, the only one not speaking through veiled agendas. It was in this position of trust that Palpatine recounted a Sith legend -- the story of Darth Plagueis the Wise. In the relative privacy of his viewing box in the Galaxies Opera House, Palpatine wistfully recalled the little heard legend of the powerful Sith Lord so knowledgeable in the arcane and unnatural arts that he could even stop those he loved from dying. At the time, Anakin Skywalker was plagued with visions of the death of his wife. He feared them to be prophetic, like so many of his visions. Skywalker wanted to know more about this ability -- it was unknown to the Jedi, supposedly only discovered by the Sith. Knowing that he had the boy sufficiently intrigued, Palpatine later dropped his guise. He revealed to Anakin that he was in fact a Sith Lord, but also that he was the path to the power that could save Padmé Amidala from dying.

Anakin was deeply conflicted. Respecting his loyalty to the Jedi Order, he informed senior Jedi Council member Mace Windu of the stunning revelation. Windu arranged a group of Jedi Masters to arrest the Chancellor. Palpatine did not go quietly.

In the inner recesses of the Chancellor's private office, the Jedi confronted the Chancellor. Palpatine produced a lightsaber hidden in his sleeve and let the dark side of the Force flow through him. It granted him inhuman dexterity and speed, agility enough to quickly kill three Jedi Masters and force the mighty Mace Windu back. The two dueled, transforming the office of politics into an arena of lightsaber combat. Windu overpowered Palpatine the instant Anakin Skywalker came running into the offices.

Skywalker witnessed a stunning sight: the Chancellor, cornered, with Windu looming over him with his lightsaber blade extended. Palpatine unleashed a torrent of Sith lightning at the Jedi Master, but Windu was able to deflect it back at the Chancellor. The evil energies twisted Palpatine's face as they flowed through him, scarring and disfiguring his once handsome features. His eyes burned yellow, his voice grew ragged and deep, and he became a well of dark side energies.

Palpatine slumped in the corner, seemingly too weak to continue the lightning assault. Fearing the Chancellor to be too powerful and too well connected, Windu decided he could not be taken alive. Before Windu could take justice into his own hands, though, Anakin sprung into action. He cut off Windu's weapon hand with his lightsaber. Defenseless, Windu was then bombarded by Palpatine's dark side lightning. With the Jedi Master dead and Anakin Skywalker haven taken his first irreversible step to the darkside, Sidious grinned.

Skywalker knelt before Darth Sidious, and the Sith Lord bestowed upon him the title of Darth Vader. He next tasked his new apprentice to raze the Jedi Temple before the treacherous Jedi could strike back at them. Entrenched in the dark side, Vader marched to the temple with a column of loyal clone troopers, gutting the sacred edifice from within. Meanwhile, Sidious took care of the Jedi scattered across the galaxy waging the Clone Wars.

Palpatine enacted Order 66, a coded command that identified the Jedi Knights as traitors to the Republic. He broadcast this order to the clone commanders on the various distant battlefronts, and the loyal soldiers killed their Jedi generals in cold blood.

The next day Palpatine called for a special session of the Galactic Senate. Despite his disfigurement, he appeared before the assembled politicians of the Republic, and gave a stirring speech of how he narrowly escaped a treacherous Jedi rebellion. He assured the people of the Republic that his resolve had not faltered. He had routed out the treachery that had entangled the Republic in the Clone Wars. He would flense the corruption from the bloated bureaucracy that strangled the august government and reform it, as a new, more powerful, more secure institution.

That day, before thunderous applause, Palpatine declared himself Emperor.

Palpatine instituted a military build-up unprecedented in galactic history. He created the New Order, a Galactic Empire that ruled by tyranny.

During the Galactic Civil War, Palpatine ruled with an iron fist. He disbanded the Imperial Senate, and passed control down to the regional governors and the military. During the Hoth campaign, Palpatine expressed to Vader his concerns over Luke Skywalker, a young Rebel powerful in the Force. Vader suggested that the two convert the youth to the dark side of the Force, an idea the Emperor seconded.

The Emperor was a scheming ruler, planning events far in the future, using the Force to foresee the results. Palpatine allowed Rebel spies to learn of the location of the second Death Star, and foresaw their strike team and fleet assault. Palpatine crafted an elaborate trap that was to be the end of the Rebellion. He also concentrated on converting Luke Skywalker to the dark side of the Force, even at the expense of sacrificing Vader. In the Death Star, high above the Battle of Endor, Luke refused the Emperor's newfound dark side power, and so Palpatine used his deadly Force lightning to attack the young Jedi. Luke almost died in the assault, but his father, Darth Vader, returned to the light side of the Force, and hurled the Emperor into the Death Star's reactor core, killing him.

Palpatine was a gnarled, old man. An ancient-looking human, he had pale skin, and searing, sickly yellow eyes. He wore a heavy dark cloak, and carried a glossy black cane.

Master Replicas : ANH Medal Of Yavin

2008-06-08T21:59:00.003+03:00

Gentle Giant Maquette : Padmé Amidala

2008-04-11T01:55:00.007+03:00

Gentle Giant Mini Bust : Princess Leia (A New Hope)

2008-04-10T08:52:00.011+03:00

Gentle Giant Mini Bust : Chewbacca

2008-04-10T08:31:00.011+03:00

Gentle Giant Mini Bust : Luke Skywalker in X-Wing Pilot Gear

2008-04-10T08:17:00.012+03:00

Gentle Giant Statue : Dewback and Sandtrooper

2008-04-08T04:07:00.012+03:00

Dewback :

Found on the desert planet Tatooine, dewbacks are large lizards used by the locals as mounts and beasts of burden. These flat-toothed creatures can be found hauling goods for merchants or moisture farmers, pulling Podracer parts to starting grids, or serving stormtrooper patrols assigned to the planet's Imperial garrison. A dewback is able to withstand the heat and dust that often leads to mechanical breakdown in modern high-tech conveyances.

Homeworld: Tatooine

Height: 1.8m

Diet: Omnivore

Associations: Sandtroopers

Sandtrooper :

The sandtrooper is a desert terrain stormtrooper equipped with modified armor and gear to better withstand missions in harsh, arid locales like Tatooine. While their armor is superficially similar to that of the standard stormtrooper, advanced cooling systems in both their helmets and suits offer these troopers protection from the relentless heat.

Height: 1.83m

Weapon: Blaster pistol, blaster rifle, repeating blaster

Vehicle:Imperial landing craft, Imperial patrol skimmer, Dewback

Affiliation: Galactic Empire, stormtrooper

The most rare statue by Gentle Giant, Sandtrooper and Dewback. One of the first statues that Gentle Giant did with a very low limit. It was released on the 12/2004 with a limited number of 1500. The price was $240 when it was released. Now it goes around $600 on ebay. I can easily say that this is the best statue of Gentle Giant. The skin details on Dewback is amazing. The 's' shape sand base looks great with foot prints on it. The sandtrooper is equipped with a riding staff.

Manufacturer: Gentle Giant Studios

Release Date: 12/2004

Sold OutLimited to: 1500Price: $600 on ebay + shipping and taxes

Grade: 9/10

Source : www.starwars.com\databank

Master Replicas .45 Scaled Lightsaber Set

2008-04-07T17:13:00.020+03:00

THE MOVIES :

The lightsaber is the weapon of a Jedi, an elegant armament of a more civilized time. In comparison, blasters are crude, inaccurate and loud affairs. To carry a lightsaber is an example of incredible skill and confidence, dexterity and attunement to the Force.

When deactivated, a lightsaber appears as a polished metallic handle, about 30 centimeters long, lined with control studs. At the press of a button the energy contained within is liberated and forms as a shaft of pure energy about a meter long. The saber hums and scintillates with a distinct sound. Its shimmering blade is capable of cutting through almost anything, save for the blade of another lightsaber.

In the hands of a Jedi, a lightsaber is almost unstoppable. It can be used to cut through blast doors or enemies alike. Using the Force, a Jedi can predict and deflect incoming blaster bolts, and reflect them back at the firer.

After the extermination of the Jedi ranks, lightsabers became rare relics. The knowledge of their construction disappeared with their masters. Luke Skywalker, the last of the Jedi, built his own lightsaber as the culmination of his training.

Although use of the lightsaber is strictly reserved to the Jedi -- the only ones capable of handling the difficult weapon -- it is also used by their sworn enemies, the Sith.

BEHIND THE SCENES :

In the early incarnations of the Star Wars story, lightsabers were not weapons exclusive to the Jedi order. In fact, they were quite mundane, being used by Rebel and Imperial troopers alike. George Lucas then limited the weapon only to the Jedi Knights, to give the order a unique feel and an arcane quality.

The technique for realizing a lightsaber onscreen has varied throughout the years. In the pre-digital days of the original trilogy, a variety of methods were use to create the lightsaber effect both practically (on-set) and optically (during post-production).

One version had a motorized hilt that spun a blade covered in reflective material. The blade, when lit, did indeed glow in front of the camera, but it lacked the color and hazy corona that surrounded the pure white blade as seen in the finished film. These blades were cumbersome and fragile, and required a power source for the tiny motor. They did not make good sparring weapons, and the glow was colorless and inconsistent -- a tilt at the wrong angle would cause the blade to lose all its vibrancy from the camera's point of view.

Most of the lightsaber luminosity seen in the classic trilogy was the result of rotoscoping. Years ago, rotoscoping described the process of laying tracing paper over a blow-up of a film frame, and tracing, frame by frame, the necessary animation. This animation was typically painted onto an animation cel - a transparent sheet of acetate. Those cels would then be photographed one frame at a time, and optically composited into the frame.

The actors on set used simple rods that were colored in such a way as to make the job easier for the rotoscope artist. When a saber needed to be activated, one of two methods was used. A simple editing trick stopped the camera so that a prop man could replaced an unlit saber (which is just a handle) with a lit saber (one with a blade attached). When the film was played back, the saber blade would magically appear. The other method involved the actor using an unlit blade throughout, and the rotoscope artist would draw the growing blade. Since correctly drawing in the glowing blade without the benefit of a prop blade as reference is a challenging task, the scenes where a saber is first activated usually cuts away, to allow the replacement of the unlit prop with a full-bladed weapon.

For The Phantom Menace, rotoscoping was again used to realize the lightsaber blade, but the technique has changed radically since the early 1980s. Now, rotoscoping is done digitally, and the blades are colored and animated with a computer, rather than ink and paint.

Source : www.starwars.com/databank

Gentle Giant: No Galaxy for Old Men !

2008-04-02T10:49:00.058+03:00

I have recently added Dooku mini-bust to my collection thanks to my dear friend Cndncr. Although it’s one of the oldest in the Gentle Giant mini-bust line I couldn’t get one till today. After the acquisition of Dooku I realized that finally three important old men from the saga Dooku, Tarkin and Ben Kenobi are together in my collection. For the record when it comes to the “old” Obi-Wan of the original trilogy, I prefer to call him Ben.

These mini-busts represent the different stages in Gentle Giant’s Star Wars journey so this review will be important to see how GG evolved over the years.

The three gentlemen here are important human characters but exactly how old were they at their final appearances ? Dooku was 83, Tarkin 64 and Ben Kenobi was 57 years old.

First of all these age figures doesn’t seem realistic to me when I look at these shots. Ben Kenobi seems older than 57 and I think Tarkin must be at his late 70’s.

There is a problem here because if we compare these products with the actors we have a different result, but if we look them keeping in mind their “official” ages we have another conclusion. Personally I see these busts as if Gentle Giant intended to make them as they were in the movies, without considering their ages in the databank.

Count Dooku (Limited to 2500 pieces)

Obi-Wan (Ben) Kenobi - A New Hope (Limited to 6000 pieces)

Grand Moff Tarkin (Limited to 6000 pieces)

If we look at all three we have to admit that all of them are well sculpted pieces, but the painting of the busts is not at the same level for all. In terms of paintjob the best one is Dooku. There are lots of skin details. Tarkin has some wrinkles also but it seems old Ben aged better than the others. He has the skin of a baby, no wrinkles, no detail...

Ben Kenobi is again the loser if we look at the costumes. Tarkin has his sharp imperial uniform and Dooku's well dressed as we know from the movie. But unfortunately Ben's outfit looks brand new without any texture or "weathering".

Apart from these each bust has its own special feature; Dooku is the old-school bust with no arms, Tarkin has his Death Star chair and Ben Kenobi has his lightsaber on his belt.

The edition sizes of these busts are weird. 2500 Pieces is very good for Dooku. Ben is a popular character and that's why there are 6000 pieces but 5000 would be more than enough, but producing 6000 pieces of Tarkin is insane. This guy's edition size should be similar to Dooku. Because of this Dooku is one of the few precious regular mini-busts of Gentle Giant. On the other hand Ben & Tarkin are suffering with low market prices.

When you have a review with three items it is inevitable to rank them. Here’s my ranking for these there;

1. Dooku
2. Tarkin
3. Ben Kenobi

To conclude, I have to admit that our beloved Gentle Giant is not improving over the years in terms of painting. Afterall Dooku is the oldest product and it's the most detailed one, but I love them all.

Gentle Giant Mini Bust : Exclusive Clone Commanders

2008-03-31T14:28:00.023+03:00

When you have plenty of options it is very tough to choose an item to start the reviews with. I’ve decided to go with my Clone Commanders, hope you’ll enjoy them.

I had the chance to purchase three of the five exclusive clone commanders. The question is do I consider my self lucky?

Yes, I have three commanders that I absolutely love.
No, I’m not sure if I can buy the remaining two.

Actually that resumes the problem here. I understand and support the idea of having some exclusive items for some exclusive occasions, such as conventions. But I can’t accept the fact that the products chosen to be exclusive are the ones that are desired most by the collectors all over the world.

Commanders are the most exciting characters of the last movie apart from the leading actors. That’s why they should have been sold through retailers. But let the past be the past, I sincerely hope that Gentle Giant would never make such odd choices again.

As you would guess Clone Commanders are also clones, but they differ from the rest of the army because of the training they’ve had. If you are familiar with the “expanded universe” you would know the story behind them. But let me make a brief summary for the ones whose Star Wars knowledge is limited to the silver screen.

Actually the clone troopers were all the same; same physic, same mentality, same skills... But a few were trained by the original host himself; Jango Fett. These troopers were the Advanced Recon Commandos, or Arc Troopers, elite infantry trained for the special tasks.

Only a few ARC troopers were trained and one of them (Alpha) continued to train clone commanders during the Clone Wars. Thanks to this program we had notable characters and brilliant mini-busts such as Cody, Gree, Bly, Bacara and Neyo.

Well you have the picture on the top, so you know which ones I own. Let’s start reviewing them.

I’ve purchased Gree, Cody and Bly from three different friends in Turkey. I was extremely lucky to find them with exceptionally reasonable prices.

Clone Commander Gree, designation CC-1004, led the Elite Corps stationed on Kashyyyk during the Clone Wars. He tried to kill Yoda within order 66 and couldn’t succeed. He was my first love.

Other than the color and the straps Gree is almost an ordinary trooper. These commanders are all about customized helmets & armors, there are lots of lovely details. The paint job was brilliantly done as if Gree painted the armor himself. There are some small scratches but nothing too excessive. What I liked most is the shiny green, t-shaped visor. At the back you would notice a small back-pack which is some sort of a communication device I guess. It has a tiny antenna which looks really fragile. That means you have to be extra careful when taking this guy out of his box. The arms are fixed but you have to attach the hands and the DC-15S blaster.

Cody was the second commander that I’ve received, but non-arguably it is the most famous one. After the release of the movie, I clearly remember everyone stating how a Cody bust with a Sidious hologram would be so cool. Gentle Giant delivered this dream and for that I’m thankful.

Clone Commander Cody, also known as unit CC-2224 served General Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker by leading the 212th Attack Battalion. He was with General Kenobi on a mission to find General Grievous who later succeed. As I’ve said before this mini-bust captures one of the most important moments of the entire saga; the order 66.

Let’s start with the most important feature, light-up Sidious hologram...It is very well crafted with precise detaling. The light is very powerful. When we look at Cody we see that he has a very distinguished helmet, with additional devices. Arms are fixed but you can remove or rotate the head a bit. Honestly this a useless feature because positioning the head piece in a direction other than the Emperor himself would be pointless. The man himself has the battalion’s orange paint on his helmet and armor. This guy has lots of battle damage on his armor but basically all of it is paintjob. There are no deep scratches at all which is a bit disappointing for me, but after all Cody is the best of them all.

And the last one of the three is Commander Bly of the 327th Star Corps or as it is also known as CC-5052. Although I’ve always liked the design of this commander, I couldn’t love him because of the assassination of Aayla Secura. The flip-down macrobinoculars is the most distinctive feature of this guy. It is not fair to say "I'm disappointed with Bly", buy unfortunately this is how I feel. The macrobinoculars are fixed on the helmet at one position which shouldn’t really be. I personally would have preferred them up and I don’t think that it would have been a big issue for Gentle Giant to make it that way. But hey, maybe they are planning on putting out an extra head as a more “extended ultimate exclusive” for some convention at the North Pole.

Both arms and hands are fixed to the body on this one and because of the open arms pose it has a bigger box than the other two. The pose is still a question mark for me. For the moment I’m not sure if I like it or not. I love the idea of two DC-17 hand blasters but at the end I believe it could have been better. Like Cody, Bly has lots of scratches. But the damages on this one seemed more realistic to me.

Overall I must say that I am mostly satisfied with these guys and recommend you to get them if you had the opportunity. If I should rank these three it would go like; Cody, Gree and Bly. Wish me luck for Neyo & Bacara and prey that Gentle Giant wouldn’t release such desirable exclusives next year.

Master Replicas : Studio Scale Snowspeeder

2008-03-31T00:55:00.015+03:00

Joe Johnston's early concept sketches of the snowspeeder were based on the Alliance starfighters seen in A New Hope. The X-wing was severely pared down, with its wings removed, and skis mounted on its ventral surface. The Y-wing had most of its body removed, so it appeared just as a flying cockpit. This design direction was scrapped, and the T-47 instead became an original creation.

When stationed on Hoth, the Rebel Alliance modified T-47 airspeeders to become snowspeeders, fast flying conveyances for patrol and defense of their hidden base. It took some doing to keep the crippling cold from permanently grounding their airforce, but Rebel ingenuity overcame the relentless Hoth elements.

The T-47 airspeeder is a small, wedge-shaped craft with two forward-facing laser cannons. In its rear arc is a harpoon gun fitted with a heavy-duty tow cable. The snowspeeder is a two-man vessel, with a pilot and rear-facing tailgunner. The main Alliance snowspeeder unit at Echo Base was Rogue Group, led by Luke Skywalker. This unit was tasked with delaying the thundering Imperial invasion force long enough for Rebel command to evacuate Echo Base.

The Imperial taskforce consisted of AT-AT walkers. The snowspeeder laser cannons were ineffective against such heavy armor, and Luke Skywalker turned to a tactic of desperation. He ordered his pilots to employ their harpoons and tow cables to ensnare the walkers' legs. Wedge Antilles and his gunner, Janson, were the first to successfully entangle a walker. With its legs roped, the walker's raw strength brought it crashing down, where the Rebel snowspeeders were able to get a clear shot at its weaker neck column.

Size: 5.3 meters long
Type: Assault speeder
Weapon: Laser cannons, harpoon and tow cable
Affiliation: Rebel Alliance
Associations: Antilles, Wedge Janson, Lieutenant Wes Klivian, Derek "Hobbie" (Rogue Four)Ralter, Dack Senesca, Zev (Rogue Two)Skywalker, Luke

Source http://www.starwars.com/databank

Kotobukiya : Luke vs Vader McQuarrie Version

2008-03-31T00:22:00.015+03:00

Kotobukiya : ESB Snowtrooper

2008-03-30T23:59:00.004+03:00

Kotobukiya : ANH Sandtrooper

2008-03-30T23:54:00.007+03:00

Kotobukiya : ROTJ Scout Trooper

2008-03-30T23:48:00.006+03:00

Kotobukiya : ANH Stormtrooper

2008-03-30T23:38:00.006+03:00

Kotobukiya : ROTS Commander Bly

2008-03-30T23:26:00.005+03:00

Kotobukiya : ROTS Clone Trooper

2008-03-30T23:13:00.005+03:00

Kotobukiya : AOTC Clone Trooper

2008-03-30T23:07:00.005+03:00

Sideshow 12'' Figure : Ben Kenobi

2008-03-30T14:51:00.007+03:00

Master Replicas : Studio Scale AT-AT

2008-03-30T01:59:00.018+02:00

BEHIND THE SCENES

The walkers seen in The Empire Strikes Back were realized as intricate stop-motion animation models. In stop-motion, an articulated model is filmed one frame at a time. The model is slightly re-posed between each frame. When the film is projected at normal speed, it appears as if the model is moving on its own. An unfortunate side-effect of this technique is lack of motion blur, since the camera is always capturing a perfectly still image. This results in a jerky, staccato-like movement. Given that the subject matter in this case, the AT-AT walker, was a mechanical vehicle and not a meant to portray a living creature, the staccato jitter was deemed acceptable. To properly capture the motion of hulking quadrupeds, ILM studied the movement of elephants.

Model-makers crafted a number of AT-ATs of various sizes, to meet different camera requirements as dictated by the live action footage shot in Finse, Norway. The smallest walkers, required for distant horizon shots, were a scant 6 centimeters tall. The standard AT-AT walker stood about 50 centimeters tall.

Originally, the plan was to shoot the walkers separately, and then composite them into the live action backgrounds plates shot in Norway. Early tests failed to deliver satisfactory results, as the compositing limitations of the time caused the walkers to look shallow and transparent. Instead, the walkers were mostly filmed on miniature sets featuring gorgeously realistic painted backdrops by artist Mike Pangrazio.

THE MOVIES

The All Terrain Armored Transport, or AT-AT walker, is a four-legged transport and combat vehicle used by the Imperial ground forces. Standing a towering 15 meters tall, these walkers are intimidating, and are used as much for psychological effect as they are for tactical effect.

An AT-AT has blast-impervious armor plating, and resembles a gigantic beast as it moves across the battlefield. An AT-AT's head carries the main armaments, a pair of light blasters located on the walker's "temples," and heavier, twin laser cannons mounted on the walker's "chin."

The command crew pilots the AT-AT from the walker's head, which is connected to the main body by a flexible neck. The crew consists of a commander, a gunner, and a pilot. Additional crews and troops can be carried in the walker's main storage bay.

Source http://www.starwars.com/databank

Master Replicas : ROTS Darth Vader Helmet

2008-03-30T01:44:00.013+02:00

BEHIND THE SCENES

The development of Vader's look came about when Ralph McQuarrie sketched a bizarre gargoyle-like mask. At that stage of story development, McQuarrie had no idea that Vader's suit had an elaborate backstory involving betrayal and injury. He had crafted the mask simply because he thought Vader would need a means of breathing when he crossed over from his Star Destroyer to the captured Rebel blockade runner at the start of A New Hope.

For Episode III, the Costume Department was tasked with recreating the Vader armor to fit Hayden Christensen for his transformation into the iconic Dark Lord. Using modern machining techniques, Costume Props Supervisor Ivo Coveney was able to create, for the first time, a perfectly symmetrical Vader helmet. Christensen wore a padded muscle suit to fill out his frame to the proportions required by the armor. For the interior of the mask, seen in a dramatic shot as the helmet lowers on Vader's face for the first time, the ILM modelmaker Don Bies crafted the details within.

THE MOVIES

Darth Vader's grim black attire was a life-support system, his labored mechanical breathing the sound of a walking iron lung. Critically injured in a lightsaber battle with Obi-Wan Kenobi on Mustafar, Vader became "more machine than man," kept alive only by the devices built into his suit. Kenobi's lightsaber sheared off his lower legs and his left arm, while exposure to the fire and radiation of Mustafar's searing surface burned his flesh and ravaged his body throughout. A team of droids rebuilt Vader in an Imperial rehabilitation center on Coruscant, adding cybernetic components to his body and encasing him in black armor. The fearsome visage of his breath mask reflects the dark identity that he assumed after his fall from the light side of the force.

Vader could only remove his mask in a special hyperbaric chamber, such as the one on board his Star Destroyer Executor. Allowing no one to assist him, Vader relied on mechanical devices to remove and replace his helmet and metal breath screen.

Source http://www.starwars.com/databank

Master Replicas : ANH Stormtrooper Helmet

2008-03-30T01:36:00.007+02:00

Custom : Commander Cody Helmet

2008-03-30T01:17:00.002+02:00

Custom : Aurra Sing Lightsaber

2008-03-30T00:51:00.004+02:00

Icons : Studio Scale X-Wing

2008-03-30T00:48:00.004+02:00

Icons : Studio Scale Tie Fighter

2008-03-30T00:43:00.003+02:00

Code 3 : Return of the Jedi 3D Poster

2008-03-30T00:38:00.001+02:00

Code 3 : The Empire Strikes Back 3D Poster

2008-03-30T00:34:00.001+02:00

Code 3 : A New Hope 3D Poster

2008-03-30T00:30:00.005+02:00

Code 3 : AT-ST

2008-03-30T00:20:00.012+02:00

Code 3 : Slave 1

2008-03-30T00:07:00.012+02:00

Code 3 : Millennium Falcon

2008-03-29T23:54:00.012+02:00

Gentle Giant Statue : Chewbacca

2008-03-28T23:51:00.000+02:00

Gentle Giant Statue : ESB Darth Vader

2008-03-28T02:02:00.001+02:00

Sideshow Life Size Bust : Yoda

2008-03-28T02:01:00.001+02:00

Gentle Giant Statue : Jabba The Hutt

2008-03-28T01:51:00.001+02:00

Gentle Giant Statue : Jabba's Band

2008-03-28T01:48:00.000+02:00

Gentle Giant Statue : Bib Fortuna

2008-03-28T01:46:00.000+02:00

Gentle Giant Statue : Rancor

2008-03-28T01:26:00.001+02:00

Gentle Giant Classic Bust Wave 1 : Boba Fett, Kit Fisto, Tie Fighter

2008-03-28T01:24:00.000+02:00

Gentle Giant Statue : Senate Guard

2008-03-28T01:22:00.000+02:00

Gentle Giant Life Size Monument : Yoda

2008-03-28T01:21:00.001+02:00

Sideshow Premium Format Statue : Darth Maul

2008-03-28T01:19:00.002+02:00

Sideshow Premium Format Statue : Boba Fett

2008-03-28T01:17:00.002+02:00

The Movies :

A faceless enforcer, Boba Fett's distinctive armor strikes fear in the hearts of fugitives. He is a legendary bounty hunter, accepting warrants from both the Empire and the criminal underworld. He is all business, laconic, and deadly.

Fett has carefully guarded his past, cultivating a curtain of mystery around his origins. He is in truth a clone, an exact genetic replica of his highly skilled "father," Jango Fett. From Jango, Boba learned valuable survival and martial skills, and even as a child he was proficient with a blaster or laser cannon.

Fett was raised in isolation in the hermetic cities of Kamino, where he was protected not only from the ceaseless storms, but also the harsher elements of his father's career. Young Boba's life changed when a tenacious Jedi Knight, Obi-Wan Kenobi, came looking for his father. Sent to apprehend the bounty hunter for the attempted assassination of a Naboo Senator, Kenobi brawled with Jango as the Fetts sought to escape from Kamino. Young Boba helped his father by pinning the Jedi down with explosive laser fire from the Fett starship, Slave I.

Fleeing from Kamino, the Fetts journeyed to Geonosis, where Jango's benefactor resided. Boba watched as his father's enemies were sentenced to death, but Jedi prove very hard to kill. A huge battle erupted as Jedi reinforcements stormed Geonosis to free their fellow Jedi. Jango entered the fray, only to be killed by Jedi Master Mace Windu. Boba was shocked to witness his father's swift death, and he quietly cradled Jango's empty helmet as Geonosis erupted into all-out war.

During the time of the Empire, Boba Fett emerged as the preeminent bounty hunter of the galaxy. Boba Fett's armor, like his father's, is a battered weapon-covered spacesuit equipped with a rocketpack. His gauntlets contain a flamethrower, and a whipcord lanyard launcher. His kneepads conceal rocket dart launchers. Several ominous braids hang from his shoulder -- trophies from fallen prey -- that underscore this hunter's lethality.

Shortly after the Battle of Hoth, Darth Vader desperately wanted to capture the fugitive Rebel craft, the Millennium Falcon. To that end, he hired a motley assortment of bounty hunters, including the legendary Fett. Vader specifically pointed out to Fett that the Falcon's passengers were to be taken alive. "No disintegrations," rumbled the Dark Lord, obviously familiar with Fett's reputation.

It was Fett who successfully tracked the Falcon from Hoth to Bespin. Arriving at the gas giant before the Falcon, Fett and Vader sprung a trap on the ship's hapless crew. Fett, a shrewd negotiator, received his bounty for capturing the crew, but also was given custody of Han Solo. The bounty hunter was set to collect the reward on Solo's head placed there by the vile gangster Jabba the Hutt.

Whisking the carbonite-frozen form of Han Solo away from Bespin, Fett eventually arrived on Tatooine aboard his starship, the Slave I. Fett delivered Solo to Jabba, his some-time employer, and was many thousands of credits richer. Fett stayed at Jabba's palace, and was present when Solo's friends attempted to rescue the carbon-frozen smuggler.

Jabba, enraged at the attempted prison break, brought his captives out to the Tatooine desert, to execute them in the Great Pit of Carkoon. In the sandpit lay the immense Sarlacc, a vile creature that would digest its prey over thousands of years. Rather than let themselves be thrown in the Sarlacc's maw, Solo's friends, led by Luke Skywalker, fought against their captors. In the chaos that followed, Fett entered the fray.

Solo, free of the carbonite and suffering blindness from hibernation sickness, wildly swung a vibro-ax into an inattentive Fett's rocketpack. The pack activated, and the bounty hunter soared into the air, out of control. The airborne Fett slammed into the side of Jabba's sail barge before tumbling into the Sarlacc's mouth. With a sickly belch from the desert creature, it seemed as if Fett's career as the galaxy's most notorious bounty hunter was brought to an end.

Behind the scenes :

Fett was one of the first new characters to be designed for The Empire Strikes Back. He can trace his origins to rejected Darth Vader concepts that once had the Dark Lord as a rogue bounty hunter. Concept artists Ralph McQuarrie and Joe Johnston were most responsible for Fett's design. He first appeared in an 11-minute animated segment of the lamentable "Star Wars Holiday Special" television broadcast in 1978. Fett had another pre-Empire appearance in the daily newspaper strip story arc entitled "The Frozen World of Ota." Given that Fett and Skywalker meet for the first time in both stories, and Luke unwittingly befriends the bounty hunter each time, one or both of these tales is probably apocryphal.

Fett was the first new action figure for The Empire Strikes Back line of toys. He was originally available as a mail-away offer; kids would send in the appropriate proofs-of-purchase and Kenner would send the toy out. The original mail-away offers stated that Fett would feature a rocket-firing backpack, but safety issues dictated that the toy was released with the rocket glued in.

Fett's big-screen appearance had actor Jeremy Bulloch behind the mask, though the character was coldly voiced by Jason Wingreen. For his return appearance in the Star Wars Trilogy: Special Edition, various Industrial Light & Magic artists wore the armor.

Fett's return from the dead was first chronicled in a 1984 Star Wars #81 comic entitled "Jawas of Doom." A dyspeptic Sarlacc regurgitates the hunter onto the desert sands. Fett, stunned and suffering amnesia, stumbles across Solo once again. The tale ends with Fett tumbling into the Sarlacc again, though it was definitely not his last appearance.

In 1985, Fett made an appearance in the animated Droids television series. Toronto-based Nelvana Studios had animated Fett once before, in the aforementioned Holiday Special. Fett's second ink-and-paint cameo aired in the episode "A Race to the Finish."

In 1992, Dark Horse's Dark Empire comic saga was shaking up the Star Wars universe. It was in these full-color pages that readers discovered that Fett was alive and well, and once again on Solo's trail.

Sideshow Life Size Bust : Bossk

2008-03-28T01:14:00.000+02:00

Hasbro : Interactive R2-D2

2008-03-28T01:12:00.001+02:00

Gentle Giant Statue : C-3PO

2008-03-28T00:58:00.001+02:00

Master Replicas : ANH Stormtrooper Blaster

2008-03-28T00:56:00.001+02:00

Master Replicas : ESB Han Solo Blaster

2008-03-28T00:54:00.000+02:00

Master Replicas : ANH Han Solo Blaster

2008-03-28T00:53:00.000+02:00

Master Replicas : ROTJ Boba Fett Blaster

2008-03-28T00:51:00.000+02:00

Master Replicas : ANH Princess Leia Blaster

2008-03-28T00:41:00.000+02:00

Master Replicas : ANH Rebel Trooper Blaster

2008-03-28T00:38:00.000+02:00

Sideshow Diorama : Yoda vs Count Dooku

2008-03-28T00:37:00.000+02:00

Sideshow Diorama : "Look Sir Droids"

2008-03-27T23:54:00.000+02:00

Sideshow Diorama : Anakin vs Obi-Wan Kenobi

2008-03-27T23:52:00.001+02:00

Sideshow Life Size Bust : Darth Maul

2008-03-27T23:50:00.000+02:00

Master Replicas : Darth Vader's Weaponry

2008-03-27T23:48:00.001+02:00

Master Replicas : Mara Jade Lightsaber

2008-03-27T23:45:00.000+02:00

Master Replicas : Count Dooku Lightsaber

2008-03-27T23:41:00.000+02:00

Master Replicas : Mace Windu Lightsaber

2008-03-27T23:23:00.000+02:00

Species:Human
Gender:Male
Height:1.88 meters
Weapon:Lightsaber
Affiliation:Jedi Council

A respected Jedi on par with the venerable Yoda, Mace Windu was a senior member of the Jedi High Council. His wisdom and experience were legendary, and his words carried great weight. Windu was well schooled in Jedi philosophy and history. He knew of the ancient prophecy of the Chosen One who would return balance to the Force. When maverick Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn approached the Council with a prospective candidate to fulfill that prophecy, Windu was hesitant. With reservations, he agreed that the child, Anakin Skywalker, could be tested for Jedi potential.

( source: starwars.com )

Master Jedi Mace Vindu's lightsaber from Episode II: Attack of the Clones. The lightsaber hilt is polished chrome with gold and black embellishments. The gold on the saber is 10k. It's known that the gold on the signature edition is 18k. I think the best way to display these sabers are with the gentle giant busts. This saber became very rare and the signature edition goes over $1000.

Manufacturer: Master Replicas
Limited to: 1750 ( Sold Out )
Price: $600 - $ 700 + shipping and taxes
Grade: 8/10

Posted by Can Dincer.

Master Replicas : EOTC Jango Fett Blasters

2008-03-27T23:04:00.001+02:00

In the final years of the Repuclic, Jango was rewarded as the Best Bounty Hunter in the galaxy. He is the father of Boba Fett and he passed most of his abilities to his son. About a decade prior to the outbreak of the Clone Wars, a man named Tyranus approached Jango on the moons of Bogden with an intriguing proposal. In exchange for a sizable fee, Jango would become the template of a clone army. Fett agreed, but with an unusual stipulation in his contract. In addition to his fee, he would be awarded an unaltered clone of himself. Unlike his other duplicates, this clone would not undergo growth acceleration or docility tampering. It would be a pure replica of Jango.

( source: www.starwars.com )

Homeworld: Concord Dawn
Species: Human
Height : 1.83 m.
Weapon: Mandalorian battle armor, twin blaster pistols, numerous hidden "extras"
Wehicle: Slave I
Affiliation: Bounty Hunter

I feel Jango blasters are the best of the blaster series that Master Replicas has produced. The blaster set is constructed of hand polished machined aluminum, brass, and die-cast metal parts. Set includes one open trigger blaster and one stunt trigger blaster. The stunt trigger blaster was used in scenes where Jango Fett twirled the pistol on his finger with an old western flourish before replacing it in the holster. The pair of blasters is displayed pistola style with the barrels crossed inside the acrylic-covered display case. , the case measures approximately 14.75” H x 15.75” W x 6.75” D.

Size: 14.75'' H x 15.75'' W x 6.75'' D
Limited to : 1500
Price: $ 500 - $ 600 + shipping and taxes ( ebay )
Grade: 8/10

Posted by Can Dincer.
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Posted by Baris Duzalan AKA Conquistador.

Sideshow 12" Figure : Jabba The Hut

2008-03-27T22:52:00.001+02:00

Sideshow 12" Figure : Jabba's Throne

2008-03-27T22:50:00.001+02:00

Sideshow 12" Figure : Salacious Crumb Creature Pack

2008-03-27T22:48:00.001+02:00

Sideshow 12" Figure : Buboiculaar Creature Pack

2008-03-27T22:46:00.001+02:00

Sideshow 12" Figure : Bib Fortuna

2008-03-27T22:44:00.000+02:00

Sideshow 12" Figure : Boushh

2008-03-27T22:41:00.000+02:00