Bossk: The ruthless reptilian Trandoshan bounty hunter has been, for the first time, given a truly dramatic stance as he yells and squads, blaster rifle in hand, over a chunk of concrete wall sporting cracks, blaster mark and even exposed bent metal rods. The open mouth on this figure truly shows fantastic detail, one can even count a total of 36 painted teeth and clearly see his forked tongue. His outfit is also well sculpted, showing proper folds of the fabric an authentic shoulder logos.

Tusken Raider: The fearsome nomad, desert savage of Tatooine is the tallest sculpt in this wave. Posed ready to jump over his victim, his arms are raised over his head, his clothes are distinctly tore and wrinkled at the right places. His tunics were sculpted recreating movement to the right as if the wind was blowing on them. His belt details are in place and even one of the pouches is opened. The bandages, protection lenses and warrior spines on his head are well defined. His bandolier with attached moisture trap (cylinder at neck level) are a separate piece and can be slightly moved around, they are not molded onto the sculpt.

Going back into describing his arms, the figure features a pair of detachable right arms with attached weapons. One can display this Tusken either holding up his menacing Gaffi stick or his long range rifle. The detail on both weapons was well captured.

WAVE 11

November of 2004, marked the time for yet, another wave of previously released sculpts. This time around the bunch included three popular characters which did not see ample distribution their first time around. Wave 11 became well received by those which had had difficulty finding the figures two years before.

Paced in updated and beautifully designed packaging, where the action packed front graphics seem to jump at you, Unleashed revisited 2002, giving birth one more time to:

Darth Vader "Power" Mace Windu 'Honor" Darth Tyranus "Dissension"

Worth noting is the fact that the original 2002 packaging for the Separatist leader had the sculpt named as Darth Tyranus. The revised, newer 2004 version of the cardback has him as Count Dooku.

WAVE 12

STORMTROOPER: Standing on a Death Star base the figure sports a firing stance. His removable E-11 gun in hand and surrounded by red blaster shots, this is one figure collectors definitely wanted to pick up. It certainly spells out ACTION everywhere. The armor is well proportioned including a correctly sized helmet.  The trooper even shows signs of combat having a blaster burn mark on his right leg. A great figure which surely justifies its $15.00 price tag. Hasbro, if you read this. it is time for an Unleashed Sandtrooper!

AURRA SING: Despite claims made by some collectors as an unnecessary figure to produce while more important characters are placed in the back burner, Aurra looks fantastic. Kneeling down on what appears to be some metal vehicle wreckage, Aurra is posed with her pistols drawn and a rifle that can be attached to her back. Nothing was omitted on this figure and even the antenna on her head is present although made of a clear plastic. The best Aurra Sing yet!

IG-88: Unleashed accomplished here something hardly ever possible: Life. As it is known, IG-88 has always been sculpted looking somewhat statuesque, having legs and arms completely straight, lifeless with no feel of movement. While detail is already expected with Unleashed figures (and in this case extremely well accomplished), it is actually his menacing new action pose that makes the character come alive. Sculpted in fight mode, rifle and shorter blaster in hand while "fire" envelopes around his legs, the IG-88 is brought to life creating interest and great eye appeal. This isn't your ordinary killer droid.

WAVE 12 BASES: A CAUSE FOR HEADACHES?

You will certainly find a couple of frustrating moments that might tick you off while trying to assemble the bases on two of the figures Wave 12 offers. Here are the problems and little advice to somewhat help alleviate the hassle:

AURRA SING BASE PROBLEM:

Aurra's base consists of three metal like legs that need to be attached to each other, thus providing a secure stand for the figure to kneel down on. However and although instructions are provided in the form of small non-text drawings, it will take a good thirty minutes (no kidding) to figure out how these three pieces interact. And while your temper might get lost .... just don't attempt glue the pieces together! :)

Indeed, it's just VERY hard to snap the last leg into place. Just keep a really close eye on the arrows the instruction drawings provide, showing exactly where the parts connect. While the first two legs connect relatively easy, it is the gap on the second leg, the one the "wedged peg" on the third leg punches into, that appears too small. That is until you start to work the peg in, really pressing down on it to fit into the gap. Eventually it will go in and remain a tight fit.

IG-88 BASE PROBLEM:

IG-88's base is a challenge to put together as well. And although you might start eyeing your hammer thinking that could be a more effective way for its assembly, leave the "old banger" in your garage ... carpentry isn't really needed here!

The droid's problem comes when trying to attach one of the two fire pieces to the base. The pegs on the smaller fire piece are hard to get jammed into their slots. Once they're in, the fire piece gets in the way of the larger fire piece, not allowing enough room for both pieces to be fit together. Even the reference pictures on the cardback do not provide much help either thus, fiddle with the fire, pushing fire piece against fire piece until their pegs will finally go in the slots on the base securing them. Once you get that ironed out, the base offers great support.

WAVE 12 INTRIGUE: WHAT HIDES BEHIND THE HELMET?

If you are one of those collectors having that infamous eagle vision some of us get to develop, you will notice that while turning the Stormtrooper upside-down the outline of a head (chin and back of neck) becomes visible.

Since I know curiosity killed the cat and someone might try sawing off the helmet to see what mysterious face hides behind it, I put one figure to the test and did the work for those interested in the "experiment."

Taking off the figure's helmet isn't really difficult and doing so won't even damage it at all. However, it does require a couple of strong fingers (index and thumb) as some extreme pulling would be needed. Just grab the helmet by its chin with your thumb while putting pressure on its back with your index and rest of the hand. Pull back and the helmet will come right off.

Once the helmet's been pried off, it will reveal its hallow interior and will expose the Stormtrooper's head. The head is that of, well ...  It is best to actually look at the detail picture below :)

As part of a promotion advertising the new Wizards of the Coast "Star Wars Miniatures" and game, Hasbro included within every carded Unleashed figure a miniature Twi'lek Bodyguard. The small sculpt shows the word UNLEASHED stamped under its base and can be clearly seen from the right side of the blister where it is encircled in black showing the WOTC logo. Also included was a stat card for the miniature and a promo card about the Miniatures game.

Lava, lava everywhere! On April 2nd 2005 when many Toys R Us stores opened up their doors at 12:00am, giving way to perhaps the last Star Wars related Midnight Madness event,  collectors were treated to a mesmerizing trio of Unleashed figures, capturing accurately some of the events that were about to unfold, a month later with the release of the Saga's final Episode, Revenge of the Sith.

The new Wave was made of three important characters, two of them easily defining through their elaborate bases and dynamic poses the essence of one of the most important duels in the films taking place far into the harsh, unfriendly lava planet of Mustafar. The battling sculpts of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan were definitely Unleashed into the collecting scene with burning fury.

ANAKIN SKYWALKER: Coming straight out from the most pivotal scene in the entire Saga, this figure is one powerful display piece.  Anakin stands at ground zero of a firestorm. The half way translucent plastic flames creating the base, were wisely designed as they swirl all around him while he wields his light saber in a duel against his longtime friend and master. The detailed expression of rage and hatred on the face captures all the emotion of Anakin's transformation from confused Jedi to iconic bad guy Darth Vader. However, the coloring on his face should had been more subtle, as the intense darkness around the eyes sort of gives him a non-realistic Alice Cooper look, but other than that, the sculpt is precise and authentic in every respect to the film.

The base is reversible allowing for the figure to be displayed with or without the flames. Its design allows it to be paired up to Obi Wan's base and thus composing one amazing scenario.

OBI-WAN KENOBI: Definitely, this figure is meant to be displayed along with Anakin's. Linking them together is truly the astonishing part of this set, depicting the intense light saber battle. The sculpted face also shows a great deal of anguish and frustration, just as it was seen in the film's scene. Obi-Wan is posed as if dodging the furious attack by his once apprentice. Not as dynamically as Anakin's, the Master Jedi's stance also captures with realism the no barriers duel. Obi-Wan is also surrounded by ferocious flames that can be detached from the base. Just like Anakin's, the base can be reversed, thus the pair of Jedi can be displayed engulfed in flames or without them. In either instance the lightsabers touch.

Although the flames on both figures are a bit exaggerated, one is to remember we are dealing with Unleashed sculpts here and emphasizing the "heat of the moment" is one of the main characteristics of the Line.

There might be some frustrating moments while trying to attach the flame pieces to the bases to get a solid fit as it isn't an easy task. However, once the couple gets properly united in battle, you will be very satisfied with the final result an overall look.

The last figure making up this Wave is the half alien, half droid supreme commander of the droid armies and military strategist for the Separatist forces, the fearsome Jedi hunter General Grievous.

GENERAL GRIEVOUS: Being anything but friendly, the sculpt expertly captures the hostile nature of the character and some of his skillful capabilities as a warrior ready to pounce on unsuspecting Jedi. He is dynamically posed crawling sideways on a wall while all of his four arms are extended, two of them sporting hilts allowing for the respective lightsaber blades to be plugged into. A third arm holds a blaster gun and a fourth one gets a grip of the wall he's crawled onto. The feet have metal pegs in them securing them into the hard wall-like plastic base. The base is sturdy, and the figure adheres to it well.

Despite the eye catching look of the sculpt some folks felt disappointed when opening up the package and discovering the paint detailing wasn't too precise, a bit messy in some areas and the feel of the figure was too "rubberized." Some of the cool detail of the General shown on the back of the package was non existent as the battle scarring and weathering is practically gone. However, the sculpt was named the best figure in the Unleashed series by Toy Fair Magazine, an award I honestly don't sympathize much with.

WAVE 14

Capturing the searing conflict between good and evil that lies at the heart of the Star Wars story wave 14 was made available around June of 2005. This wave was made of three characters ...

DARTH VADER

 

The sculpt of this Vader is excellent, featuring a wonderful flowing cape, a raised right arm with detachable lightsaber blade, a removable left arm that can be placed pointing up or down and a terrific pose that makes him look as if he was ready to leap out and attack. However, Vader's stance works against the overall look of the set as figure and stairway/base do not interact properly.

 

While the stairway/base is sturdy and rather simple to assemble, having just four pieces to put together: left and right sides, top and underneath support, it is the peg hole on its highest step securing Vader to it that doesn't work. The peg is angled and once Vader gets attached to it via just one metal peg under his boot, he leans so far forward (almost horizontally), that the pose becomes somewhat ridiculous. Since Vader is relatively heavy, it is almost certain that within a short time after being displayed, the figure will continue to lean forward even more

 

Another sad note about this Vader is he cheap feel of his cape which is noticeably made of a rough plastic that lacks the smoothness of previous sculpts. And although the overall paint application is acceptable (basically all black) the buttons on the chest plate and the belt, the only intricate parts to paint, look sloppy.
 

 

YODA VS. SIDIOUS

 

Although a senate pod with some battle damage would had been more than welcome as a base, the set didn't offer one. In fact, this is the first Unleashed set not to come with a base of any sort. Nonetheless, it displays well thanks to the awesome poses the figures are in.

 

As the name calls it, this set is made of two figures: Darth Sidious and Yoda depicting their ROTS fight. While being two separate sculpts, the figures are meant to be displayed together. Yoda cannot stand on his own due to a sculpted on swoop effect, requiring the "help" of Sidious to stay up. 

 

As part of Yoda's mold and extending from the back of his robes at their lower end, is the long swoop effect. This piece (which starts clear and transcends to tan to match the Jedi's robes) fits in a slit on the back of Sidious and then connects at the bottom in the front. The effect although subtle is very effective, giving the illusion as if Yoda had just taken a quick flying twirl around the evil character. The diminutive Jedi holds his ignited green-bladed ligthsaber with both hands and a determined "I'll make you pay" look can be seen on his face

 

Darth Sidious is posed with his torso turned to the side while holding his ignited lightsaber way up behind his head as if attempting to stop the striking force from Yoda's saber, who's just twirled around him. Sidious' left arm is held up in front of him while deadly blue force lighting emanates from his hand.

 

The detail on Sidious' face is fantastic, having a look of pure hatred and sadism. Deformities and wrinkles are well rendered and the red paint application around his yellowed pupil eyes, gives the sculpt a true evil appearance.

 

Minor let downs with the sculpts are a Sidious' lightsaber hilt bigger than supposed to be and Yoda's hair being a very light shade of green rather than white.
 

ASAJJ VENTRESS

Asajj's pose captures the ferocity and violent essence of the character as she dashes toward her target, holding two ignited red-bladed lightsabers behind her, a clenched jaw and intensity in her eyes, just a she was about to make a killing blow. The result is in a nicely rendered gruesome piece that any true fan should appreciate.

The details are perfectly given to the mold throughout. Special attention to detail can be noticed on the folds in her battle dress, and the wrinkles in her forehead from the fearful expression on her face. The paint application presents a bit of a dirty, weathered look, hinting this could be from fighting with Anakin

The one piece base is made of a grassy environment along with a "dust cloud" produced by her speed. There are even leaves strewn about it to help the look. Asajj gets attached to the base rather easy by way of a metal peg in each foot and corresponding holes in the base. Although it could be tricky to get the back peg into its hole (a bit short), once the peg has been plugged in to the base the figure stays in position quite well.

For a different look if desired, the lightsaber blades are removable. And speaking of lightsaber blades, because of the way they were packed, the scrupulous eye will notice they are bent at the tips, thus the old trick of dipping this part of the blade in hot water to straighten it out might be necessary.

EXCLUSIVE UNLEASHED: BEST BUY VADER

 

In 2005, celebrating the release of  Revenge of the Sith on DVD, Best Buy offered an exclusively packaged Unleashed Darth Vader priced exactly the same as any common Unleashed figure. The sculpt was a reissue of the ROTS version available earlier that year, but having just one minor paint application: a "lightsaber reflection" or red highlights on Vader's cape and parts of the outfit. Despite the minor paint variation, it was the way the figure was presented that made it worth picking one up.

 

Vader was centered inside a cylindrical clear plastic package, that gave him instant individuality and put him aside from the rest of all other carded Unleashed offered up to that point. Inserted within the rounded clear top was a black cardboard cut out of the imperial symbol that allowed for the figure to be viewed from above. While the back of the package was covered with an insert showing a description of the character and a ROTS collage, the front and sides were a clear opened window to view the figure well, making it unnecessary to have Vader removed. On the front's lower left side a circular blue and yellow Best Buy Exclusive Sticker was applied.

 

This exclusive Vader was packed as one complete piece having the lightsaber blade and base in place, a total departure from the usual Unleashed format where bases and saber blades need to be attached to the figure.

 

 
 

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 END OF THE UNLEASHED LINE?

In July of 2005 after 4 successful years and much to the regret of its fans, the Unleashed 7" line was rumored to have been phased out and the upcoming wave consisting of ROTS Chewbacca  (Heroism), Shocktrooper (Menace) and Han Solo as Stormtrooper (Bravery) was going to be the last one the line would see. Apparently, the reason given by Hasbro was that the standard $15.00 price of Unleashed was too low for them to make a profit based on manufacturing costs as well as claiming sales were down and the line had become "unpopular."

 

However, during the Hasbro Q & A at Comic-Con in 2005, it was announced that the line was not canceled but "merely on hold, taking a break for a little while" In the meantime a 2" series of miniaturized Battle Packs sporting the Unleashed name was going to be introduced, but by no means it was replacing the original. This move by the company was considered by many a huge mistake as there was no possible way fans of the 7" line were going to give into buying the smaller figures with obviously a world of less detail.

 

Furthermore on September of '05 after a few weeks of being in limbo, the upcoming Wave (Han, Wookiee, Shock Trooper), was not offered to retailers and thus canceled until future notice. Hasbro confirmed their decision that the line was canceled for the remaining of the year but they mentioned -"there are plans to return the 7" line in 12 months"- That same month Hasbro.com offered an update where it was stated that the Wookiee-Han-Shocktrooper wave was being delayed to Fall 2006 and was going to be made available exclusively at Wal-Mart.

END OF THE UNLEASHED LINE? : MY SCOOP

 

The Unleashed line filled a significant niche, a scale and detailed offered by no one producing Star Wars figures so far. The line had a lot of steam left in it, even if it would had meant producing reissued assortments for a while. Figures sell on the secondary market for 3 and even 5 times what once was their retail value and it seems there was a great opportunity missed before putting the 7" Unleashed on hold to introduce a smaller scale, no one asked for. Having a bunch of miniature lines out there, why Hasbro decided on screwing up a good thing to pump out a line stuck somewhere between WOTC minis and the 3 3\4 inch line is beyond my understanding, despite all the useless explanations given by the maker.

 

Hasbro's comments calling the 7" Unleashed line unpopular and lacking good sales, must have come from the same meat headed people who canceled Action Fleet based on what they considered "poor sales." If sales at certain times were down it was basically due to their moronic short packed case assortments, distribution and lack of reissuing most wanted sculpts such as the unmasked Vader, Boba Fett and Yoda while over populating pegs with less popular ones such as the EPII Obi-Wan, Bossk, EP III Anakin and Obi-Wan. Hasbro consistently missed the boat on shipping popular characters in quantities that would had made for better sales. Why they released the ever popular Stormtrooper wave in such small numbers is still a mystery. Of course sales went down, after all, How many of the same Bossk or Tusken Raider figure can one buy?

WAVE 15

Showing that Hasbro isn't completely run by a group of morons, the company came to its senses realizing there's still lots of money to be made with the original 7" sculpts, perhaps more than with the miniaturized versions. Thus as mentioned late in 2005, Unleashed Wave 15 was finally made available as an exclusive to Wal-Mart stores by the end of May 2006, marking the resurrection of the full scale figures, the format most appreciated by collectors worldwide.

As seen in pictures from the previous year, Wave 15 was made of three figures that although practically kit bashes/repaints, had enough updated parts to deserve being called new. While Wave 15 finally got to see the light of day and it was received by collectors with enthusiasm, the figures themselves were forgettable and did not serve as a better gauge of interest for the line. One particular sculpt, lacking detail and realism, disappointed many folks. That one figure (as we'll explain), and the Wave in general felt as a rushed attempt to get the figures out by the scheduled date...

  HAN SOLO

The Han Solo figure was made entirely of the previous Stormtrooper sculpt minus the non removable helmet. In its place Hasbro added Han Solo's head but the likeness wasn't as close to the real character as the one found in Han Solo's "Millennium Falcon" sculpt from a few Waves back.  Han's armor was given a clean finish, lacking the blaster mark seen on the Stormtrooper's on his right leg.

 

The head sculpt was a little bland and the paint finish presented a certain gloss to it that made the face look unnaturally shiny. A little more of a flat color, rather than the glossy one used would had been more appropriate. The size of the head, although proportionally close with the rest of Han's body, was a bit small but, one had to realize it was needed so the added removable helmet would fit over it. The helmet did this job snugly well.

 

The all new base was a nice representation of the Trash Compactor's floor, rendered with great details showing pieces of metal and other unusable junk. The bendable Diagona monster tentacle, which could be wrapped around Han's body in an array of ways, was definitely a plus adding to the "action" of the set.

 

In essence, those that had missed the Stormtrooper figure from a couple of Waves back were able to use this Han figure both ways, as a Stormtrooper or as Han himself. Overall, when compared to other sculpts from this Line, this set is a good representation of a movie-type situation and the best figure of this Wave.
 

  

CHEWBACCA

 

Chewbacca, as mentioned, was just another kit bashed sculpt however the new weapons the figure came with, a large Klorri-Clan Battle shield and a Bronzium Disruptor blaster with ring grip gave the Wookiee a new dimension, situating him right in the middle of some Kashyyyk's battle action.

Departing from the previous Chewie sculpt where the right arm pointed straight forward, the right arm on this rehashed sculpt was given a new design, bent up at the elbow and ending on an also new hand that allowed it to securely get a grip of the disrupter blaster. It is worth noting that making the hand hold the weapon could be a bit frustrating but nonetheless it can be accomplished. While the right arm was a new sculpt, the left one remained just as in the older figure, articulated at the shoulder with limited movement. When the left arm gets positioned correctly it can securely hold the battle shield in its hand. The shield was a nice touch which added an authentic look of the set. It's nicely sculpted showing all carved symbolic motifs belonging to the Klorri-Clan.

 

As far as paint application was concerned there were a few noticeable updates when compared to the mostly brown overall color of the previous figure. For instance the palms of the hands were painted a dark gray (previous sculpt had them brown) given the sculpt a more ape-like look. Chewie's shaggy fur was also given some dark gray areas mainly around the head, arms and legs. The ammunition bandolier and pouch were painted a darker brown.

 

The green grass-like base from the previous sculpt remained untouched in its design. It was its color that was change from green to tan in order to look like sand. While the overall look of this figure was very similar to its predecessor, this one seemed to offer a more bang for your buck.
 

SHOCKTROOPER

 

What was expected to be the nicest sculpt of this Wave turned out to be the worst. The figure itself, a complete rehash from the Clonetrooper set was given a new helmet and a new weapon and right there is were it turned into a failure.

 

For starters the short blaster the Shocktrooper was given was that of a Stormtrooper not the long DC-15 rifle typically associated with the Clones. This was a clear error which could had been easily corrected if Hasbro would had chosen to do so. One's got to remember this Wave was in hiatus for quite sometime so there was plenty of time to give the figure the appropriate weapon.

 

Secondly and most important the head sculpt on the Shocktrooper is utterly horrific. The helmet was undersized and misshapen, being very oblong, very narrow on the sides which in turn made the breath filter an enunciator (helmet's jaw) look huge as if the helmet had began to melt, sagging down. The shape was so disproportion when compared to the rest of the figure that it made the body look hefty although it was exact in size to the original Clone.

 

While the helmet was a disappointment, the paint job on the armor wasn't too bad. All appropriate markings associated with these red-emblazoned Clone specialists were present. Besides the red designations the armor also presented lots of blaster marks around the legs and arms but they did a sloppy job painting the black body suit around the elbow plates, where the spraying of the black paint faded and was overwhelmed by the white paint of the armor.

 

The lava base was the main feature on this set. It showed lots of volcanic terrain irregularities, a dark gray color and lots of red lava, creating a contrasting appearance against the white and red of the Shocktroopers armor. The base also offered a more secure insertion of the pegs under the Shocktrooper's feet, giving the sculpt a more balanced stance and stopping it from leaning to the side as it was the case with the previous Clone sculpt.

 

Since it is a Shocktrooper, and we all love this character, the figure sold well. However, the cartoonish appearance of the helmet turned what could had been a superb sculpt into an average one.
 

 

WAVE 16

Allowing collectors to get a second chance at  two previously offered figures, Hasbro released Wave 16 in August of 2006. The Wave made of two characters, Boba Fett and General Grievous, was priced a little higher than standard Unleashed at $19.95 and it was made available exclusively at Target stores.

While for most people Grievous wasn't a hard figure to find, Boba Fett was. The character suffered from poor distribution in some areas, becoming scarce and demanding high prices in the secondary market. This was a great opportunity for those that missed him to get the bounty hunter at retail price, avoiding unscrupulous eBay prices.

To spice things up the sculpts were placed in cylindrical clear-plastic packages following the same style as the one used the previous year when Vader ROTS "Lightsaber Reflection" was released as an exclusive for Best Buy. The figures were attached to their bases and placed in the center of their corresponding boxes. An inner, removable backdrop image of the given character, fully painted in vibrant colors, complimented the presentation which offered a perfect view of the sculpts.

Under the clear rounded top of the cylindrical package, was a black and silver cardboard cut out of the STAR WARS logo. The opening around the logo were large enough to allow the figures to be viewed from above. To make people aware the product's exclusiveness a white and red sticker with the Target logo was affixed to the lower left front half of the package. The sticker read: "Only at Target".

While the packages were huge and they did take up a lot of space, they were indeed a very attractive way to showcase the figures, fully displayed. Even to some loose collectors the multi angle, clear view of the sculpts made it unnecessary to have them removed from their enclosures.