Original Review by Chris 8/27/14

Credit:  Carded sample on loan from the collection of Randy S.

The modern line has scarce few luminary collectibles.  As an investment, the modern line is terrible.  For the most part, older figures are lucky to fetch their MSRP in the current market place.  The Thirtieth Anniversary Collection Darth Revan figure bucks that trend.  Almost since its day of release it has fetched a premium on the secondary market.  Today it consistently commands a value in the neighborhood of $70 and seems to be on a slow but steady upward trajectory.

Darth Revan served as the titular “Fans’ Choice” figure for the Thirtieth Anniversary Collection.  The true Fans’ Choice poll winner was that perpetual retail dud, Quinlan Vos, but that figure was slated for the Comic Pack line.  Like Vanessa Williams, Vos was forced to abdicate the throne, and runner-up Revan assumed the mantle.  What happened in that poll was that the candidates from the wildly popular Knights of the Old Republic video game split the vote allowing the Jedi Master to sneak in to the top spot.  In that game Darth Revan is the former Sith Master of the antagonist, Darth Malak.  In a shocking twist, Darth Revan turns out to be [spoiler alert] YOU!  The amnesiac player’s character was Darth Revan prior to memory modification by the Jedi Council.  The game played the “fish out of water” chords like a virtuoso and fans sacrificed many ours of sleep to get to the bottom of the mystery.  It is one of the best role playing games ever, and the fact that it took place in the Star Wars universe had collectors clamoring for figures.

Even at the time of its release, the figure was greeted with some disapproving commentary.  The mask seems to be based on some alternate interpretation of the character and not based on the actual digital model in the game.  I was comfortable with this because I didn’t feel the game left me with an indelible impression of the character burnt into my mind’s eye.  There are a few things that do bother me about the figure, however.  The hood and cape are one solid plastic piece.  This means that the hood cannot turn with the figure’s head.  Rotating the head has the effect of obscuring part of the face underneath the hood that is still looking forward. The legs only feature swivel hip articulation under the plastic skirt which limits the movement.  I have never been able to stand the figure on its feet unassisted.  Instead it leans forward and rests on the front of the skirt.  The odds of this figure ever being redone are somewhere between slim and none, but in that unlikeliest of events, it could benefit from a healthy degree of soft goods and super articulation.  The arms of the figure would pass for the modern line with ball jointed shoulders and elbow with swivel wrists, but just barely.  There isn’t a wide variety of dueling poses in the figure’s arsenal.

Where this Darth Revan shines is in the looks department.  The sculpt and the detailing are befitting of a figure released today.  You can stick Darth Revan next to your more recent Bastila Shan figure and it won’t look out of place despite the nearly five years distance between the two.  This display aesthetics and the subject are ultimately why you want this figure in your collection and what compels me to give this figure a 7 out of 10 despite the admitted posing limitations.  This figure is likely never to be re-released or updated, so if you want one, you’re going to have to dip into the secondary market and pay the aforementioned premium.

Updated Review by Bret 10/1/19

The odds of this figure ever being redone are somewhere between slim and none. - Chris

Ha! What an idiot! Well, to be fair, we can’t say for sure it’s being redone, but according to Debbie Harry, one way or another we’re gonna get another shot at Revan.  VC150(?) is probably maybe on the way in some form.  But until then, we have this TAC figure.  A very good looking sculpt, but it is unfortunately basically a salt shaker.  That might work for figures of characters of royal lineage, but not a force-wielding warrior.  As Chris pointed out, this figure could really benefit from some soft goods robes and hood, as well as some full on Jedi Level Ariculation to show off his moves. 

His was the main protagonist/antagonist from a very popular source, and Hasbro was very correct to try to make Revan available again.  We’ll see what thy have in store for us.  In the meantime, we are left with a figure of subpar collector quality, so it gets a revised score of 6/10.  We certainly hope Hasbro opts for a redo, rather than a straight reissue of a 12 year old figure that was of dubious quality even then.  And still, collectors went crazy over it.  In the end, I just hope Hasbro gives us a figure with a removable mask that reveals a 3.75” replica of Marty Feldman’s face.