Become Lord Vader's secret apprentice with our review of the Star Wars Black Series Gaming Greats release of Starkiller
“What is your will, my master?”
Starkiller, from the Force Unleashed video game series, was first released in late Summer 2023 as a Convention exclusive set along with a raft of accessories and two Imperial Stormtroopers. As a brand new figure, it was clear that a general release would follow, and that single release came in December 2023 as part of Wave 15 of the Black Series Galaxy Collection. Wave 15 was also made up of Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati from Ahsoka, and the Mandalorian Fleet Commander & R5-D4 from The Mandalorian.
Starkiller is released under the Gaming Greats banner and therefore the standard packaging also carries the silver & black foil Gaming Greats hexagonal sticker inset into the front window. The box utilises the blue of the Gaming Greats series across the front text and artwork - and for the first time as far as I can recall we also get a ‘Legends’ symbol sitting on the box differentiating the source material of this set from the newly established Disney canon. The box refers to the character as Starkiller only, but the rear text does contain the name Galen Marek and the shortest background of the character. Starkiller is number 26 in the Galaxy Collection Gaming Greats series, following on from the Battle Damaged General Grievous from Battlefront II.
Starkiller is a new figure - albeit the exact same one as included in the larger Convention Exclusive set. He is wearing his training gear that is made up of a simple brown/green tunic and trousers, overlaid with some shoulder armour in gunmetal silver. There is a skirt section made up of a number of wrapped belts and a front and rear sash. The arms are similarly wrapped around the wrists with the right arm showing some flesh towards the upper arm and bloodied damage. The left arm is fully uncovered from the elbow to the wrist and also features painted blood streaks on the inner arm. The overall decor is effective, applied not simply as a flat colour, but as a mixture of greens, browns, and blacks that add a good deal of depth and character. The final touches of silver at the belt buckles are also neat and tidy considering the scale.
The exclusive set features three different Galen Marek head sculpts, while this single release only gets the neutral version - leaving the angry and shouting heads exclusive to the set. The likeness to actor Sam Witwer is good but also reflective of the game imagery with deep-set eyes with reddened sockets applied to a good realistic standard with the facial print tech. The hair is left short but textured and like the outfit it is a blend of colours, starting off lighter at the fringe and darkening to the back of the head.
The single accessory in this set is the training saber as also featured in the larger set. This is a silver piece with black detail and a plug to one side that can then be attached to multiple sockets around Starkiller’s waist - one at the front, and four more at the back. Only one blade is included, a standard red translucent blade which is most accurate to this saber hilt. The fit is good and the saber is straight on arrival. The hilt fits into Starkiller’s right hand predominantly but the fit is poor and quite loose.
Two-handed poses are also supported. None of the other blade effects, nor the force effects are carried forward into the single release leaving all of these also exclusive to the convention box set. As the figures are identical though, this single release is compatible with the force effects from the first set so will allow you to mix and match parts if you want differing displays of the same character.
The new body is pinless throughout and has 17 points of articulation all worked into the costume design and the flow of the robes. As the phasing out continues of the thigh swivel, we do see the knee now include a swivel to compensate so no movement is lost in the legs. The arms too are extensive in their posing options, supported by butterfly shoulder joints which assist in the two-handed light saber positions.
This Galaxy Collection single release of Starkiller adds nothing new to those who bought the convention exclusive other than the packaging for those who display boxed or with the box and want a full Gaming Greats series. What we get is pretty much as we’d expect from a single release with alternative heads and multiple accessories a rarity nowadays. As a figure, it boasts a good sculpt, good likeness to the base actor, detailed decor, and strong articulation with a number of posing options even with the limited single accessory.
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About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...