Background
Sideshow recently made Medicom’s Royal Guard RAH available as a “Second Chance Opportunity”. The quite recognizable, albeit very red, character from the Star Wars films is also known as the Emperor’s Royal Guard or the Imperial Royal Guard.
Elegance and deadlines – these are the hallmarks of the crimson-clad Royal Guard that accompanied the galaxy’s sovereign at all times. While the guards can trace their origins to the cerulean-clad Senate Guards of the Republic, Palpatine crafted an order of protectors that stood apart from the rest of his forces.
The Facts
Royal Guard
Series: RAH (Real Action Heroes)
Manufacturer: Medicom Toy
Material: Hard plastic body
Height: 12”
Points of Articulation: Over 20 points
Accessories: Force pike and display stand
Outfit: Red outer robe; maroon inner robe and pants; maroon boots
Packaging
This is classic Medicom Star Wars packaging. It’s a plain black box with silver lettering on the front and back. They list all those people who had a hand n the production of the figure. Inside the Velcro-held front flap is a short bio of the character on the outer panel and a plastic window that shows off the figure.
Our Opinion
As a child, I had (and still do have) a fairly extensive Stars Wars toy collection. Here are two things I remember about the classic 3 ¾” Royal Guard figure: 1. It was a part of the Return of the Jedi series. 2. It was a really boring figure. The Royal Guard character is pretty “blah”. So think about how difficult it is to create a screen accurate figure based on a rather monotone character…and make it look good.
The most important aspect of the figure is the helmet. Medicom did a good job with the helmet sculpt and glossy sheen. They’ve also recreated the character’s outfit to perfection. While that’s not the most difficult task, it easily could have been botched.
The accessories you’ll get with this figure are minimal. Everyone likes to get multiple hands, weapons, etc. This figure doesn’t have those extras. You get the Force pike and that’s it. Although, it’s not like you saw the character with anything when he was in the Star Wars films. I also am not a huge fan of the wire that runs through the bottom of the figure's robe. It's gives the piece a bunched up look.
Overall, it’s a quality figure that will appeal to the more “completist” 1:6 scale Star Wars collectors. You’ll pay a slight premium for the figure, with Sideshow distributing them in the US. Also, I have to point out that this 1:6 scale is slightly smaller than Sideshow’s own scaled figures.
You can pick one up at the following:
Sideshow Collectibles: $164.99
Royal Guard RAH Grades:
Figure Quality: 9/10
Sculpt: 8/10
Paint: 8/10
Accessories/Outfit: 7/10
Packaging: 7/10
Durability: 8/10
Fun Factor: 8/10
Value: 7/10
Overall: 8.8/10
What do you rate this figure?
