Updating POTJ: Part V

Back again to the POTJ grind...

Here's Part V of Power of the Jedi Survivors. This entry looks at some entries from the old EU ("Legends" for you kids reading this), hailing from both the basic line and the deluxe line.

Rules: Figures and Toys from the POTJ line that haven't been updated/replaced by more modern versions.

For reference, here are all the previous entries in this series that should have been cancelled a few episodes ago, but someone wrote a nice email to management so we're keeping it going:

POTF2: ANH
POTF2: ESB/ROTJ
POTF2: EU
POTF2: Vehicles/Playsets/More Part I
POTF2: Vehicles/Playsets/More Part II
EP1: Collection 1
EP1: Collection 2
EP1: Collection 3
EP1: Vehicles, Playsets, and More PART I
EP1: Vehicles, Playsets, and More PART II
EP1: Vehicles, Playsets, and More PART III
POTJ Part I
POTJ Part II
POTJ Part III
POTJ Part IV



1. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Cold Weather Gear):

not reviewed at this time

The EU had a lot of stuff going on, and I am aware of about 2% of it. Almost all of what I do know is because of the figures. Even then, I have plenty of EU items in my collection that have no context - and not just on my shelf, but in my brain as well. This is one of them. I have no idea what's going on with this Obi-Wan, but for some reason, it was important for Jedi to train in cold weather, like they were in the 11th Airborne Division or something. Whatever the source, this ended up being really neat, at least at the time. Despite limited articulation, Obi-Wan had an incredibly well sculpted outfit, with tremendous paint apps. He came with a perfectly fitting winter cap / goggle combo, as well as a lightsaber. The figure is sturdy and stands well. Obi-Wan appeared in at least one episode, Trespass, of The Clone Wars where he went to Orto Plutonia and did some stuff with the local Talz. He wore some cold weather gear, which had some similarities, but was overall different from this look. As it is, the figure is kind of random, but if you like Obi-Wan, this is a neat version to own.

2. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Jedi Training):

not reviewed at this time

It's another Obi-Wan! I also know nothing of the source inspiration, but this time he's wearing some kind of combat training outfit and helmet, which looks like it's more of a test of using the Force in a controlled indoor trial environment, like in the Temple gymnasium. But I don't know this for sure. The figure isn't nearly as striking as the cold weather outfit above, but it's reasonably interesting. The removable helmet is reminiscent of the blast shield training done by Luke on the Falcon, which perhaps was meant be the retconned source of Obi-Wan's inspiration for that master class. The figure has limited articulation and limited posing options, but it is sculpted so that it can perform a defensive two-handed weapon grip. I don't know if this is the case in the actual source, but this figure seems to go well with the next one...

3. Qui-Gon Jinn (Jedi Training):

not reviewed at this time

...because Qui-Gon also appears to be wearing a similar type of combat training outfit as Obi-Wan above. Again, the source of the figure eludes me, but it's kind of interesting to see these "just off screen" versions. In my mind, these guys train together in the Jedi Temple's version of the Star Trek Holodeck, and Qui-Gon, being the jerk that he is, probably cheats most of the time by hitting Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A. As with Obi-Wan, this figure is limited in what it can do, but it looks cool standing there.

4. Darth Maul with Sith Attack Droid:

not reviewed at this time

This deluxe figure consists of a very dynamically posed shirtless Darth Maul dueling a type of combat training droid. Both figures a pretty nifty for what they are. Maul is largely preposed from the waist down, but you can adjust his arms into various poses. To add some variation, Maul's lightsaber is one of the few that allow you to split into working halves, so he can do the Cal Kestis thing and wield double blades. The droid seems to be a variation of the Imperial Probe Droid. it has 3 arms with limited articulation and a clear stand that also houses an "exploding" feature to represent defeat at the hands of Maul. A cool looking set, but like the figures above, has limited value (if that) in your modern collection aside from being a curiosity.

5. Darth Maul (Sith Apprentice):

Full gallery and review

It's another Darth Maul! This is one of the weirder figures in the line. Chris wrote a story in his review (linked just before this paragraph, as it's the only figure in today's bunch that we've reviewed), which you should read. If you don't have time, here's the Clif's Notes version: A childhood friend of Chris's who was dying of syphilis and knew nothing of Star Wars, bought Chris this figure as a thoughtful gesture of friendship. Chris thought it was a crap figure and told his friend he wasted his money, and immediately tossed it into the trash - right in front of the guy. It turned out to be their last interaction, as the guy died 15 minutes later while trying to find the receipt to return it. I know that this one is based on concept art. Whatever the intent, I imagine this to be Darth Maul wearing formal Sith attire, like he was going to a special dinner with Darth Sidious at an expensive Italian restaurant in North Coruscant. The figure is pretty lame, as it can do next to nothing, other than casually hold the lightsaber while maintaining a restricted, but proper, posture. Chris was very correct to throw the figure in the garbage, even if it did kill his friend.

6. Rorworr:


Perhaps the strangest figure of the bunch, this little Wookiee was exclusive to a Wizards of the Coast game set. I don't know what most of those words mean, but I made sure to toss that crap after I removed the figure from the box. That card game represented the source of the figure, is it was a WOC creation. It was some kind of role play "scout class" character. The story, as I understand it, was that Rorworr was the son of the Wookiee Ambassador to Naboo, and happened to be present when the Trade Feds invaded. He was allegedly just off screen, assisting some Nabooby prisoners escape the clutches of the tyrannical droid schmucks in Theed, just as Queen Amidala and Numbnutz Panaka entered the city to liberate it. He's little more than a reused Chewbacca figure with a new head, doing his best Nigel Bottomtooth impression. I tend to "hide" Rorworr amongst his fellow Wookiees in a Battle of Kashyyyk diorama that I will one day finish setting up.

The chances of any of the 6 figures discussed above being updated in the modern line would be slim to none. Other than maybe shirtless Darth Maul or the TCW version of Cold Weather Obi-Wan, there is almost no reason in the current canon for these figures to exist at all.

More POTJ to come in this series that will never end...

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