In early July 2007 Gentle Giant began the shipping of what would turn
out to be the penultimate Clone Wars maquette for the Line based on the
signature Tartakovsky style of animation. The maquette was Yoda and his
Kybuck.
A number of collectors reacted in dissatisfaction towards Giant Giant's
use of Yoda for the third time to recreate the animated look of Cartoon
Network's hit series thus leaving behind other important Clone Wars
characters such as Durge or Kit Fisto. Despite first negative reactions,
disenchantment was quickly replaced with a welcoming approval after
seeing the detailed images of the courageous pair. Indeed, never before
released characters would had gathered wider public acceptance and added
greater diversity to the finite Line but, Yoda on Kybuck was presented
with such an attractive sculpting and mastered detail, that the maquette
promptly became indispensable to have, even for the most discriminating
eye.
True to the dynamic nature of the exhilarating series, the noble Jedi
and his trusty mount were elegantly posed, standing 9.5" tall and
exhibiting a remarkable likeness to the animated characters, a
trade-mark Gentle Giant's interpretative design is world re-known for.
The poly-resin maquette featured a hand-numbered certificate of
authenticity and was produced in a limited edition size of 3,500 units.
The overall look of the maquette is reminiscent of the opening scenes of
Clone Wars Volume One however, the fact Yoda is not wearing the hood of
his cloak over his head places the sculpt on the Jedi's appearance from
Volume Two, thus creating a final result that incorporates the look of
both volumes.
YODA ON KYBUCK: THE JEDI
GENERAL
While
some complains about sloppiness of the paint details around Yoda's neck
(where the hood meets the skin) were voiced, the sample I received from
RED5 Collectibles was meticulously painted showing solid color lines
separating the glossy brown of the cloak and the dull medium green of
the skin. There was a slight disappointment also related to having
certain difficulty making the metal peg from the saber blade fit into
the opening of the black and white hilt but again, the maquette I received presented no issues with
the saber, rather offering an easy and secured fit of the blade into
saber's hilt.
Being this the third Yoda produced for the maquettes Line, it greatly
differs from the more passive look of the previous two, A: in pose and
B: in face expression. The Jedi General definitely has a little attitude
to boot this time around. He sports a sectioned bandoleer that rests
over the right shoulder and travels down across his chest. Yoda is
outfitted in his hooded brown cloak that loosely flows behind his back.
His legs are spread apart, standing atop the saddle of the agile Kybuck
steed. Yoda's torso is half way turned to the left, giving a fluid
feeling of movement. His right arm is extended in front of him while his
hand holds decisively the ignited bright green lightsaber. His left arm
extends behind him, ending in a clasped-like three f inger hand. The
pose seems to counterbalance the sudden, aggressive move. Adding to this
dynamic stand and well capturing a ready- to- go- into- battle effect,
is the expression of anger reflected on his face that gets enlightened
through a pair of squinty bulky green eyes, a contracted brow, wrinkled
forehead, strands of flowing white hair and, an almost turtle-like
arched upper lip.
YODA ON
KYBUCK: THE MOUNTED STEED
The design of the Kybuck seems to combine
certain characteristics found in horses and deer however, its shortened
forelegs are very representative of those found in some marsupials such
as the kangaroo.
Supporting and helping balance out the frontal weight of the long neck
(as well as the non detachable Yoda), this unguligrade stands on a pair
of powerful, long back legs which, just as the shortened front ones, end
in yellowish hooves. Under these hooves two metal pegs secure the beast
to the irregularly shaped black base. Some difficulty is found while
trying to get these pegs into the base due to some misalignment between
the two parts however, careful, none forcefully fiddling with the legs
will do the trick. The Kybuck's body is covered with a thick reddish
brown paint coat, abruptly turning to black from the knees down to where
the hooves begin. There is a wide stripe of orangey-pink "hair" running
from its throat latch, along its belly and ending under the tip of its
curled up tail. The separation of colors is perfect, non-overlapping and
greatly defines these large contrasted areas.
Great attention was paid to the Kybuck's head. Its concave shape and
long lower jaw get further emphasized by a flat nose with large nostrils
and prehensile lips. The broad forehead supports the alternating brown
and gray striped pointy horns that curve up at their ends and extend out
behind the head. It's very large blue eyes are side positioned giving
the animal a wide field of vision. The Kybuck sports translucent blue
square lenses over the eyes. The lenses are attached to the bridle that
contours over the nose and wraps around its ears, right under the horns.
Its ears are short and point down. Paint application around these small
areas has been very carefully done. As a helpful warning, carefulness
should be applied when unpacking the maquette as one could easily pull
the lenses off its eye s thinking they are protective covering from the
packaging
Yoda's Kybuck has been fitted for mounting with an appropriately colored
two tone gray saddle accentuated by a beveled border and held in place
by a thick gray strap under its belly. There is a bandoleer or Clone
Trooper-like belt, similar to Yoda's, coming out from under the saddle
and wrapping around the lower end of the beast's neck, across its chest.
Two side positioned pouches are attached to this piece.
CLONE
WARS ANIMATED YODA ON KYBUCK: FINAL THOUGHT
The Kybuck is another great addition to
the vast world of creatures Star Wars brings. Seeing as we may, the
animal has taken up to 80% of the poly-resin material employed on the
making of this maquette, it'd be only fair to offer some factorial
information on this peculiar character ...
- Kybucks are swift mammals,
grassland-inhabitants from the Kashyyyk planet.
- Male Kybucks have horns on the top
of their heads, and different species can be told apart by their
horn styles and sizes.
- Kybucks can outrun most predators ,
being able to perform acrobatic jumps while speeding up to 55 miles
per hour.
- Domesticated Kybucks are often kept
as signs of status by chieftains. These plains-dwelling Wookiees
also honor them for their protective familial instincts, similar to
that of the Wookiee culture.
- Yoda's neutered Kybuck was a gift in
gratitude by an elder chieftain Wookiee after Yoda restored health
to their ailing Woolwarriccan princess.
- Yoda found that the Kybuck would
serve well as a mounted steed and while the Jedi General did not
expose his Kybuck to the thickest of the fighting, several times he
rode it into battle during the Clone Wars where the loyal beast
showed remarkable courage, in particular while defending Coruscant
during General Grievous' audacious attack on the capital.
- Being kept in an expansive menagerie
deep within the Jedi Temple, it's been a mystery what became of the
Kybuck on the night Order 66 was executed. Rumor has it the trusty
beast might had been slaughtered in the raid on this landmark
however, there is also the possibility that since Yoda was on
Kashyyyk during the horrendous attack on the Jedi, the Kybuck may
have accompanied him there. Either way, no one has ever heard about
it ever since.
Yoda on Kybuck truly is an exquisitely
sculpted representation of the distinguished Jedi aboard his trusty
steed. Nonetheless, it is also a terrific addition in your Clone Wars
collection. If any changes could had been made to its design, I would
had preferred to see Yoda's hood up, just as it is shown in the picture
on the back of the box, mainly for accuracy reasons. Other than that, I
wouldn't change anything else at all. Its dynamic appeal and flawless
design make this set one not to miss. If you still haven't decided on
getting one, make sure to buy one from our sponsor the sooner. You'll be
more than happy with your purchase.
