Release Date: March 2025
RRP: $24.99/£24.99
2025 marks the 20th anniversary of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge on the Sith, and of course Hasbro are getting in on the celebration. In addition to some much-needed updates to characters via new sculpts and/or revised paint jobs, this new selection of Black Series figures have also been given the retro packaging treatment – matching that of the original 3.75" figures released all those years ago. Among the range is an all-new Black Series Clone Commander Cody, finally updating one of the most iconic clone troopers with an all new sculpt, removable helmet and movie-specific accessories.
Credit where it's due, Hasbro have done a fantastic job up-sizing and replicating classic packaging for Black Series releases. Clone Commander Cody comes packaged on a cardback that genuinely looks like it's leapt through time to 2025 – that image of Vader's helmet looking down onto the lava of Mustafar will be all too familiar to anyone who remembers the original Revenge of the Sith toy line. Reflected in Vader's helmet is the iconic showdown between Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, and then location in front of the plastic bubble is a card displaying the Revenge of the Sith logo, character name and that iconic image of Cody receiving a transmission from Palpatine to execute Order 66. On the back of the card you'll find another image of Cody alongside the film logo once again, as well as an image of the figure itself and a short bit of text celebrating the film's anniversary. Unfortunately the issue with this retro packaging is that if you want to open and display your figure, there's no way of doing so without permanently damaging the packaging. With that in mind, rip that bubble open and you'll find both Cody and his accessories neatly stored on a plastic tray.
As previously described this version of Clone Commander Cody uses the new trooper sculpt introduced in the Black Series a few years ago, which most notably brought with it some significant articulation changes. We'll get into that a bit later, but before then the big change with this Cody is that he now has a removable helmet – revealing the (entirely CGI within the film itself) face of Temuera Morrison. Unlike many of the other more notable clone troopers Cody has a completely unaltered face, and the actor likeness here is pretty damn good. That said, the same can be said for most of the clone troopers Hasbro have released over the years. Other big sculpt changes to this mould include loose torso armour which has been fitted over the body of the figure, as well as loose-fitting knee pads which can turn independently from the body. The armour uses a matte finish, which while not quite as aesthetically pleasing as the glossy finish on some of the older clones does match the previous Commander Cody release.
While an initial comparison between this and the previous Commander Cody suggest significant improvements for the Revenge of the Sith version (and not just because of the removable helmet), on closer inspect there are still some perks to the old figure. While the new edition does have some additional battle-damage paint apps on the chest and shoulder pads, generally the paint apps are much sharper and detailed on the original. This is most noticeable on the helmet, with the new version lacking any sort of paint apps on the light attachment, less detailed visor markings and more basic paint apps on both antennae. The Rank Insignia plank is slightly shaper on the original, and the copper paint used on the bicep, backpack and belt is far more visually appealing than the light bronze on the new one. Ultimately all of the added extras you get with the new Revenge of the Sith version still edge it out over the original, but it is interesting that it isn't so clear-cut when it comes to deco.
The more significant differences however lie in the articulation and poseability of the figure. Altogether this new Commander Cody features;
- Ball jointed head, neck, torso and hips
- Swivel hinge shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees and ankles
- Butterfly joint shoulders
- Bicep and thigh swivels
While most collectors seem to consider this an improvement over the old clone trooper mould, arguably it isn't the case across the whole body. No doubt there's a significant improvement for the most part, with the new ball jointed head and neck configuration adding far better movement in that area. The new shoulders are a lot better too – not just because of the added butterfly movement but also the fact the clearance on the torso armour now allows the shoulder pads to slide in under them and not completely impede outwards movement. The loss of double hinged elbows and knees for swivel hinges though is far more debatable though. While it has added to the overall look of the figure through a pin-less sculpt, the joints just don't offer quite the same range. Another flaw on the clone trooper mould is that the upper leg armour has a significant impact on the hip articulation – something that was admittedly also present on the old mould but perhaps could have been ironed out here. Despite these flaws Cody still remains a reasonably poseable figure – one that's more than able to lead his troopers into battle.
The accessories however are definitely a big selling point of this figure, and slightly more varied than the usual array of blasters most clone troopers are lumped with. In addition to the backpack and helmet (both of which are removable but ultimately part of the outfit), Cody also comes packaged with a standard DC-15S blaster and a hand-held holoprojector displaying an image of Emperor Palpatine. As Commander Cody's most iconic scene in the film, the holoprojector is both a clever and unique accessory to pack in with this release. The Palpatine hologram is moulded in translucent blue plastic, matching just how it looked in the film despite the small size. Meanwhile the blaster is also a new mould that debuted alongside the new clone trooper body – slightly revised and now in gunmetal grey plastic as opposed to flat black.
Black Series Clone Commander Cody (Revenge of the Sith) is a much-needed update for the character, bringing it far more in line with other notable clone figures simply by merit of having a removable helmet. Updated sculpting/articulation is always welcome too, even if this body isn't without its own problems and that some of the paint apps aren't as sharp as they were on the previous version. The new holoprojector accessory really makes this Cody feel that little bit more special though, and together with the retro style packaging it makes a pretty great Revenge of the Sith anniversary release. Whilst perhaps still not as perfect as it could be, Cody is definitely worth the upgrade.
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