The Disney Store is offering a new wave of die cast figures based on Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the 8th film in the trilogy. This wave includes the Praetorian Guard, Rey, Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, R2-D2, First Order Judicial Stormtrooper, and Kylo Ren Unmasked. These figures are the first assortment revealed forn the new film, which hits theaters on December 15th, 2017.
Force Friday II introduced hundreds of new product from a variety of companies, which included Hasbro, LEGO, Jakks Pacific, Mattel, and even this exclusive line by Disney. These figures are only available to purchase at The Disney Store, and are made of both die cast and plastic parts.
The Praetorian Guard is a variation of the Emperor’s Royal Guard created for the new film, and while he gets a newly designed outfit and weapons, the color remains the same. Their purpose also remains the same, as they are meant to serve as body guards for Snoke, the Emperor of the First Order.
Thank you to Disney and The Disney Store for providing their Star Wars: The Last Jedi Praetorian Guard Elite Series Die Cast Figure for review.
Availability: September 2017
The Praetorian Guard (a term used back in Ancient Rome, and were named after the elite special guard who protected the ancient Roman emperors) is the First Order’s body guards to Snoke, the new Emperor of the galaxy. These soldiers are chosen from only the best skilled fighters, and just like the Emperor’s Royal Guard, they wear a red outfit. This outfit is newly designed for The Last Jedi, and features multiple layers of armor on the arms and a three layer chest and back plate. The chest armor appears to be placed over another piece of armor, for additional protection. The design for the helmet is unique, and has an oval shaped design. The top part of the helmet is slanted on all sides, and the face part of it has sculpted lines giving it texture on the front and sides. Below the face plate, there is a chin that is viewable, making it look as if the helmet can be lifted up over the head. On the top right of the armor, there is a blue dot indicated a rank or something along those lines. Without seeing the film, and limited knowledge about the character at this moment, it’s hard to make a final call on what this blue dot is.
The shoulder pads are made of plastic, as is the belt, long skirt, hands, and top piece of the helmet. The rest of the sculpt, including the torso, arms, legs, feet, and helmet are made of die cast. The skirt covers the back of the legs, sides, and the front part of it covers the front of the legs, leaving an opening on either side of it that showcases the black pants and red boots, which as you know are made of die cast. The screws on his back are mostly covered, with the exception of the back of the upper arms.
Included with the Praetorian Guard are two blades, that can combine to form a large double-bladed weapon. The detail on this is exception, and has some fine tooling and strong paint applications detailing the sculpting. The blades are made of plastic, and can be held in both hands once combined, or separately. Also included is the Star Wars base that has come with every figure in the line so far. Depending on which poses you want to display him, it might be best to use the stand for this figure, and the right foot is the only one that has the peg hole.
Overall, this is an excellent figure, and the design and overall detail on Disney’s Star Wars figure line continues to stand out in this action figure scale. The accessory works well with the figure, but the options to pose the double bladed weapon in its combined form in both hands is limited, as the elbows don’t have a swivel joint.
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