Count Dooku was released in 2020 as part of Wave 24 of the Star Wars Black Series (Phase 3 packaging). Dooku was number 107 in the line and was accompanied in the wave by Zorii Bliss, Knight of Ren, Commander Bly and a Sith Jet Trooper.
Packaging 4/5
There is something about dark robed figures that fits so well in the red and black packaging for Black Series - and like Vader and Palpatine before him, Count Dooku looks suitably menacing against the deep red backdrop.
The illustration is similarly menacing, capturing an intense eyed Christopher Lee with his lightsaber ignited. The image is repeated on the back of the box along with a short bio for the Count.
"Count Dooku was a menacing Sith Lord and central figure in the Clone Wars. Once a Jedi he became disillusioned with the Jedi Order and thirsted for greater power."
I have badged this figure as an Attack of the Clones release, but he would of course fit just as well in Revenge of the Sith or even The Clone Wars.
Paint & Sculpt 5/5
The face print technology has brought the Star Wars Black Series a long way in terms of figure likeness, and Dooku is perhaps one of the greatest so far with a perfect likeness in 6 inch scale to the late, great, Christopher Lee. Both the sculpt and decor work in harmony, and it is the intense eyes that stare out from under that furrowed brow that make the head so spectacular.
The costume, in comparison, is quite plain - but screen accurate to the Counts appearance on screen. The tunic is a dark brown with a lighter brown painted belt with silver detail around the clip for his lightsaber. The trousers are the same tone of brown, with the knee high boots in gloss black.
The cape is a soft goods tailored cloak, with a darker brown outer layer and a lighter brown inner section. At first I thought it removable, but the chain clasp is fixed to the figure and prevents easy removal. The chain clasp is perhaps the only bit of the decor that could have been improved with a more metallic finish or at least a black wash to bring out the detail on each clasp.
Accessories 5/5
Dooku is armed with his curved blade lightsaber. This is cast in a silver plastic and is shaped beautifully, down to the curved outer blade cover. It is cast in black and then painted silver over the top with some of the black left as detailing on the grip. There is even a recatngle or red near the handle.
Like all sabers in the Black Series, the blade is removable. And Dooku get two blades to go with his saber hilt. The first is a standard red translucent Sith blade. The second is a debut for the line with a motion blurred blade to simulate a sweeping action of the Count's blade. Both blades can be clipped into place on the hilt.
While I like the premise of the sweeping blade, I am not overly sold on the final look of it on display. I do applaud the innovation of trying to add new things to the line, and it would be great to see more of these with saber wielding figures.
The saber hilt fits into either of the Count's hands and when not in use it can be hung on his belt by means of a small peg on the saber and a corresponding hole in the belt.
The only notable absence from Dooku as an accessory is Force Lightning, a weapon he employed as much as his saber. Having this as a further accessory would have pushed Dooku towards perfection as a Black Series release. The hands on Dooku do not seem to come off easily and I was reluctant to force them - ruling out using the hands from Deluxe Palpatine. (There are some options - see our Figure Hack at the end of the review for an option to rectify this?)
Articulation 5/5
The Count comes with a total of 19 points of articulation. He gets the new butterfly shoulder joints and the new neck configuration with joints at both the top and base of the neck - which therefore removes the need for the unsightly pivot in the neck itself - a great advancement for the line.
Head : ball joint neck, ball joint neck base
Body : ball joint waist
Arms : ball joint shoulders, butterfly shoulders, single joint rotating elbows, wrist pivot
Legs : ball joint hips, thigh swivel, single joint rotating knees, ankle rockers
The beauty of Dooku in the film is his movement, and the figure can recreate most of these sweeping saber poses and gestures.
The cloak sweeps and hangs in line with the movement, and looks great. Dooku has full movement with the arms, up to and including a neutral two handed saber pose.
He can also kneel - although Dooku would never kneel unless forced too....
Summary
Count Dooku is as good as the Black Series gets at the moment. He is a beautiful looking figure with a nailed on sculpt and face print detailing. His costume is sleek and screen accurate, and the soft goods work well.
Accessories are great, with the trial of a new dynamic light saber blurring blade - although the lack of Force Lightning is still a minor miss. Articulation is great, with the new neck joint option retaining movement while removing the unsightly neck pivot.
I find very little to be negative about, and score the Star Wars Black Series Count Dooku a top score of 5 out of 5.
Figure Hack
As mentioned above, the biggest issue with the Dooku figure is the lack of Force Lightning - a weapon he employed in battle. I can confirm, with a bit of work, that the lightning effects from Marvel Legends can be used for Dooku. The one I have hear was taken from a Thor Infinity War figure and it just about wraps around Dooku's hand and sits in his grip.
It's not quite as impressive as the lightning that comes with Emperor Palpatine, but it does a job if you want to go for the Force Lightning look.
About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...
action figures, reviews, review, articulation, star wars, black series, count dooku, attack of the clones, revenge of the sith, the clone wars, darth tyrannus, count of serenno, hasbro