Review: Star Wars Black Series Count Dooku, Revenge of the Sith Anniversary
- Mephitsu
- 4 minutes ago
- 6 min read
"I've been looking forward to this”
As with most Anniversary series releases before them, the 2025 Revenge of the Sith anniversary wave was made up of existing figures, some with tweaks, released on retro-inspired cardbacks. For Revenge of the Sith, the figures were picked to mimic the original 2005 3.75 inch releases, rather than absolute movie accuracy. The set featuring 7 different figures, released in the Summer of 2025, was a Fan Channel release here in the UK, while it was sold through Walmart in the US.
Count Dooku used the same basic card design as the other figures, a shaped cardback paying homage to the 2005 figures and incorporating a shape to mimic Darth Vader’s helmet. Artoworking included Vader’s helmet, and then transitioned into a silouetted view of Kenobi vs Anakin on Mustafar before moving to an image of the Mustafar lava flows themselves. The figure was packed onto the card by a blister, and it was the insert in this blister that carried the character image, name, and the 2005 Revenge of the Sith golden logo.
The back of the card was also in keeping with the 2005 figures, with an image of the character, a picture of the posed figure and some short background text. It is solely on this backing card that we get the Black Series logo. The packaging can only be opened by breaking the seal, and while you can cut carefully around the blister, there is no way of returning Dooku to the pack without some level of damage, as opposed to the usual Black Series boxes, which can be relatively easily repacked apart from the breaking of some seal tape.
Count Dooku is as we see him during the events of Attack of the Clones and into Revenge of the Sith. The figure replicates Dooku’s inner robes in a dark brown, almost black tone. The upper torso transitions to a softer plastic skirt from the belt piece, with the hips and legs sitting underneath. Like the torso, these are cast in the base plastic, although Dooku’s boots are finished in a high black gloss. Paint is used to colour the belt in a lighter brown, and within this, there is a touch of silver around the mounting for his lightsaber.
The cape is a soft goods piece that uses the lighter weight fabric we see on Darth Vader’s cape, even lighter now that the robe material used on the Jedi figures. The single material features a dark brown outer side, with a lighter, almost golden brown lining to mirror Dooku’s on screen costume. It cannot be removed and is fastened into the figure by way of a silver chain piece that plugs through the cape and into the torso. The collar is a little messy and not particularly well-tailored, so it sits quite poorly around the figure’s neck.
The head sculpt is a relatively good likeness to Christopher Lee as seen in 2005 playing Dooku. The sculpt incorporates his high cheek bones and slightly sunken features as well as his slicked back hair and neatly trimmed beard. Photo printing is added over the top to enhance the likeness and to add realism to the facial hair in particular rather than the older flat painted beards.
vs the 2020 release of Count Dooku (right)
Count Dooku is the exact same figure as was released in 2020 in the Phase III red box packaging. There are variations in the paintwork and the cape with the newer 2025 figure changing the material of the cape and the design of the collar, and to me, making it worse as it hides the neck in a messy fashion rather than sitting neatly around it.
vs the 2020 release of Count Dooku (right)
The facial print comparison between the two shows differences with the older figure having a slightly healthier skin tone and a darker grey in the beard and hair. It is difficult to say which is better, and that in itself is detrimental to the 2025 release, considering the huge step on over those 5-years that you see in other figures when compared to their older versions. I still prefer the older look and will likely commit the 2025 Dooku to the storage boxes rather than him unseating the 2020 figure on display.
The Count features his lightsaber, the curved sabre replicated in the 6-inch scale to a good level of detail and including a silver base colouring and black details as well as a red switch towards the base, and the sweeping curved guard that comes out from the blade emitter. The saber hilt includes a plug on one side that can slot the hilt into the corresponding socket on the belt for a holstered look.
The saber hilt fits in either of Dooku’s hands and can be displayed lit or unlit. For the activated blade, you can choose between the standard red translucent blade, and you also get the swoosh blade effect that was, until relatively recently, exclusive to Dooku from 2020, but that has now seen extended use with Aayla Secura in the same ROTS set, and the SDCC 2025 Anakin vs Obi-Wan set. Each blade plugs in and out securely, but it is worth mentioning that the sweeping blade is heavier and can, in some positions, look to be bending away from the hilt.
Dooku features 19 points of articulation. Within this, there are butterfly shoulder joints to enhance the range of fighting stances, and while Dooku is not often seen holding his saber in two hands, it is feasible for the figure. Dooku’s way of combat is simple enough to replicate, with wider-ranging butterfly shoulder arms allowing the figure to get into the elegant, duelling stances we see Dooku adopt.
The legs are a standard configuration and can move within the confines of the softer skirt piece. The ankle joints are secure and ratcheted, and Dooku is stable and secure once posed.
Dooku, in this Revenge of the Sith retro packaging, is most desirable left in the packaging for a carded collection. The card back is particularly visual and mimics the 2005 really well. The figure inside does not particularly improve on the original release from 5 years prior. While it is still a good recreation of Christopher Lee as Dooku, the original figure feels like it still offers a better soft goods solution around the neck in particular, as well as a better paint job on the face, although this may split opinion.
While other figures in the wave got tweaks that enhanced them or created a point of difference like Commander Cody’s hologram accessory and upgrade to the newer body, the Magna Guard repaint, or R2-D2’s boosters, Dooku falls into the other camp alongside Kit Fisto with little to offer collectors apart from the card back or for collectors who didn’t get him the first time around, and for those new to the hobby. At the time of writing, the figure remains widely available here in the UK and in most cases at a price discounted down from the original £25 RRP. But, if you are purchasing Dooku to display loose, I would have a look at the side by side comparisons of both figures here - and in other reviews - as you may find yourself preferring the look of the older figure.
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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...