Review: The Emperor (40th Anniversary RoTJ, Black Series)

After picking up a signed photo from Ian McDiarmid at Celebration London, I’ve been looking for something to display alongside it. I really enjoy action figures as a nostalgic desk toy, having grown up playing with the Power of The Force figures in the 90s. I finally decided to pick up an Emperor action figure when I saw the 40th anniversary Black Series (the 6-inch series from Hasbro) RoTJ Emperor on sale at Star Action Figures.

While the Original Trilogy Palpatine may not be the character that springs to mind when I think of the things that might make a cool figure, like armour, accessories and action, I have to say this is a meticulous representation an iconic villain from Star Wars. And it gives me the creeps right out of the box.

There’s great attention to detail. The soft-goods robe is crafted from what feels high-quality fabric. This includes a separate piece on the inside lower half of the figure, which I thought was a nice touch. It really helps capture Papa Palp’s sinister appearance. The sculpted facial details are as impressive as they are, well, horrendous. Down to three-tone Sith eyes they capture Palpatine's gaunt features, subtle variations in sickly skin tone, and terrifyingly sinister expression.

There is a fairly obvious join-line, or seam, on the moulded plastic which runs around his head from left to right, but to be honest this is a very minor issue for a figure that will have its hood up all the time. In fact, it was an interesting insight to see what OT Palpatine’s hair looked like under the hood!

Articulation is way better than anything I remember, right down to waist, wrists, neck and ankles. offering a range of poses and ways to maintain balance. Of course you wont want to set up ol’ Sheev running or jumping , but there’s a lot of scope for variations on a looming stoop. The figure includes a walking stick, adding to its authenticity and display options. I did find you really have to stoop him over for this to reach the floor.

While I do think this version of Palp’s is excellent, especially for the price just below £15 I paid, collectors may want to look at the separate Black Series release that comes with a throne, lightning accessories and two alternate face scuplts (which seem to include a “goooood” and a “do it!”). The throne is pretty epic and a representation of his power, I’m sad I dont have it. Also a great option to display The Emperor alongside a Vader figure, but it fetches big prices on Ebay.

Overall, this Black Series Emperor Palpatine is a well crafted and accurate figure that pays fitting tribute to his legacy in Return of the Jedi as an anniversary edition. It’s a fitting homage to one of cinema’s greatest villains. I’ll enjoy displaying it alongside my signed photo, and be grateful its not big enough to petrify me if I catch a glimpse of it in the dark!

MTFBWY