“Now Viceroy, we will discuss a new treaty”
A Fan Channel Exclusive wave of two figures from The Phantom Menace was released in March 2024, expanding our limited Episode 1 collection with new figures of the young Anakin Skywalker, and Padme Amidala. The figures were only the second and third figures for Episode 1 in the Galaxy Collection and the first general releases with the 01 figure in the line being the Deluxe release of Jar Jar Binks from 2021. The packaging utilises the usual black base with the yellow colouring of The Phantom Menace used on the character text and artwork. Padme is number 03 in the Episode 1 collection, with her side artwork connecting directly to Anakin from the same wave.
Padme is designed in her Theed Palace outfit from the finale of The Phantom Menace where she and her Naboo guards capture Viceroy Gunray. The bulk of the figure is therefore cast in burgundy with a cloth texture and sculpted wide sleeves. A lower skirt piece is added as a softer plastic section around the waist, while the legs are plainer in their design and end in a pair of black boots. The outfit is trimmed in gold down either side - starting at the shoulder and proceeding down to the hem of the skirt piece. The other paintwork can be found on the black belt with a silver buckle. Her boots get a level of weathering for some reason applied as a light sandy finish up the front part of the boots, but not carried all the way up or indeed onto the skirt.
While Padme has an Episode 2 release in the Black Series, the head sculpt for this release is brand new and is reflective of the younger Queen during the events of The Phantom Menace. Up close the likeness is impressive and captures the features of Natalie Portman with the photo-print facial technique adding a level of realism to the eyes, mouth and what feels like a touch of colour to the cheeks. The tied-back hair is part of the head sculpt but looks to be a clean paint job across the hairline, with the whole thing then translating to a twin-tied bun at the back of the head - this piece is an additional plug-in section. While the likeness is great, be mindful of how you pose Padme as her features can look skewed if you tilt the head down which makes the jawline look skinny and the forehead a touch too big.
Padme features 15 points of articulation, all pinless. These include jointed knees and elbows, ankle rockers, hip and shoulder joints, a waist pivot and a dual-jointed neck. The outfit does hold back some posing, with the skirt restricting the options for the legs and the puffy sleeves causing some small hindrance for the arms. All the joints work as intended, are secure when posed, and still offer sufficient options for posing with or without her included accessories.
The accessories start with the S-5 heavy blaster pistol and ascension gun that Padme uses during the assault on the Theed Palace. This is one of the best detailed weapons in the Black Series for some time and features a lot of cast detail as well as various paint colouring with a grey main body, silver sights and upper components and a light brown grip. This fits into Padme’s included right hand where a trigger finger slots into place.
Padme also comes with the smaller Q2 hold-out blaster pistol hidden in the Throne Room during her final confrontation with Gunray. While the prop was quite smooth and organic, the accessory lacks any detail whatsoever arriving in a plain grey colour. If you put the two weapons side by side, you’d think they were from different figure lines. The hold-out blaster is delicate and won’t fit in the standard right hand, but Hasbro has unusually included an alternative right hand with a smaller grip and trigger finger to hold the Q2 blaster.
Padme Amidala in her Theed Palace outfit is of course a key look for Padme from The Phantom Menace and the head sculpt in particular offers potential for further releases like her Mos Espa disguise. The figure is well executed with a strong head sculpt, adequate costume detail, and one great accessory. The other accessory we could have maybe done without. And the same could be said of the weathering on the boots which doesn’t feel in keeping with the figure - it is as though the weathering we wanted on Anakin has been inadvertently added to Padme. The Theed Palace Padme Amidala is certainly a recommended purchase for fans of Episode 1 - extending the figures from the movie marginally alongside Anakin. She is probably slightly the better of the two from the wave - driven by her head sculpt & likeness and very good blaster accessory.
Keep Track of all the Star Wars Black Series figures from Hasbro at our comprehensive
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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...