Clone Wars: Thi-Sen Figure Review

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Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Thi-Sen

3 3/4 Inch Scale

By: Hasbro

$6.99

When I first saw this figure, I decided to pick him up for a couple of reasons:1. I thought he just plain looked cool.2. He’s one of the original Star Wars creature species.3. He looks like “Fuzz” from the awesomecomedy skit.4. I wanted to get some UPCs for the Nadar Vebb mail away.

Thi-Sen is a chieftain of the powerful Talz warriors who inhabit the planet Orto Plutonia. Wearing distinctive armor, the fierce leader fights to keep his people free when a representative of the nearby Pantora moon claims jurisdiction over the ice planet.

You’ll notice that none of these reasons is because I’m fond of his character. Truth be told, I’ve never seen the episode(s) from the Clone Wars cartoon in which he appears. I’m sure he’s cool and all, the Clone Wars cartoon has done pretty good in establishing new characters in the mythos. I just want to make it clear, I really don’t know anything about the character, so his appeal to me is on look and function alone. That said, here’s his bio:

The original cantina creature of the Talz race was named Muftak. I don’t believe he ever got an original Kenner figure, but he has had a couple (or at least his race has) since the relaunch with Kenner in the mid 1990’s. Here’s another interesting tidbit about these guys, they have two distinct sets of eyes: one for day vision, and one for night vision. Spiffy! So how’s the figure?

Packaging :

This figure might eventually become worth something based on packaging alone (though I doubt it) as it’s one of the last waves to feature this style of carding. Shortly after, Hasbro has switched to a new style package. The overall shape is the same but this bares the older design.

There’s a great picture of Thi-Sen on the front. Also there’s a gold label for Nahdar Vebb mail away promotion. Sadly, as I finally pulled this figure out for review (I bought him months ago) I now see that the Nahdar Vebb promotion ended at the last of June. I totally have enough UPCs too, but it’s too late. I just died a little inside. Anyone want to send me a spare Nahdar Vebb? If not I guess it’s off to Ebay…. BLAH!

I suppose that’s what I get for being poor/procrastinator, but life goes on. The back of the package is the standard fare, with bio, still from the cartoon and the rest of the figures in the series. I really love these animated figures, if I haven’t said that a thousand times before.

Sculpt :

One of my big callings to the animated line has been the sleeker designs, the thinner proportions and the better articulation. With certain characters though, it’s hard to distinguish what makes a figure “animated” and what doesn’t. That seems to be the case with Thi-Sen. You could easily stick this guy in your standard Star Wars display, as he doesn’t really seem “animated” at all.

That doesn’t mean he’s not cool. Heck, it was his vintage design that drew me in. He’s got everything that a fan could ask for… Furry bulgy body, two sets of eyes and what can only be described as an uncircumcised penis for a mouth. Perfect for kids of all ages!

Of course this figure is lacking in one department… He needs a pair of pants and suspenders to complete his look as “Fuzz”. Oh well, maybe next year as a con exclusive?!

The body is big, but not quite as big as some of the older releases. He’s less bulky and more portly, in my opinion. I think it gives him a good look and his somewhat smaller proportions allow him to be better articulated. This guy looks like he could jump and attack you, which previous Talz, in my opinion haven’t.

His head is made removable so you can easily pop it off and put on his vest/backpack deal. The front of the package makes a bit of a hullabaloo about his “removable battle club” but I think the removable head is probably more interesting. I like the design they went for underneath, with a small ball shape but not an actual ball peg.

Overall the body proportions are good, the articulation seems pretty well implemented into the sculpt and the paint work is solid. There’s a nice little wash throughout and the fur definitely reminds me of the Wampa. That’s a good thing, in my book.

Articulation :

In terms of articulation I think he’s more than satisfactory for the character. Not every creature is going to be as articulated as the next, but this guy manages to pretty much meet all the requirements.

I think it goes without saying that he’s the most and best articulated version of a character from his race yet. Hasbro continues to up their articulation across the board for the Star Wars line. Something that I’m sure thrills as many fans as it likely angers.

He can definitely hit some pretty good poses. That’s a great update for many fans I’d suspect, as some of the older versions of similar characters weren’t very mobile.

Accessories :

What’s a toy without some accessories? It’s a Mattel product! I kid, I kid, but Hasbro usually makes sure we get something and Thi-Sen is no different.

He has his removable cloak/vest/backpack thing for starters. It’s sculpted nicely on both sides.

Mine does have a weird crack thing on the back, which doesn’t look like it’s supposed to be there. I assume it’s a QC issue, but it’s nothing over the top. There’s a small strap on the neck area where he’s supposed to store his battle club. It took me a while to figure that out. I think it’s not really noticeable, but maybe I’m just dense.

He also gets the aforementioned club, which looks more like a Japanese Geisha fan than a weapon to me. Finally he’s rounded out with a pretty cool spear, which while basic, has some good paint highlights. I really like him posed with the spear.

Additional Notes :

Not only can non-Clone Wars, Star Wars fans pick this guy up as he’ll fit in their collections, but also Doctor Who fans might want to look into this guy. While he’s not in the 5 inch scale, he’s a bit over 4 inches and looks pretty good. I can totally see him as a Doctor Who alien.

That’s one of my favorite parts about picking up these odds and ends everywhere, is seeing where else I can add them to my collection.

Value :

On average at about $7, he’s a tad expensive. There seems to have been a fair amount of Star Wars summer sales though, so if you can pick him up for a fiver, you’re in for a treat. Even at the full regular retail value though, he’s not a bad toy. He’s got three accessories, a removable head, decent articulation and a bit more meat on his bones than most Star Wars figs.

Score Recap

Packaging – 7Sculpting – 8Articulation – 8Accessories – Club, Backpack, SpearValue – 9

Pretty good score for this guy. Why? Well I don’t have a ton of attachment or sentimental value to Muftak or any Talz (Fuzz notwithstanding) but I still found this to be a pretty great figure of a neat design. My only real issue that keeps him away from being a full 9 is that he has some issues standing. I’m not sure if it’s his sort of hunched over body, or the feet’s positioning.



STOP CALLIN’ ME FUZZ!

That’s not to say he can’t stand. He stands fine. But in certain poses he just can’t seem to stand up as well. Give the size of his feet, this shouldn’t be an issue in any pose. Still he’s a pretty solid pickup, even if you’re not a fan of the character.