“Go, I will. Good relations with the Wookiees, I have.”
The Clones of the Republic is a sub-line of the Star Wars Black Series Galaxy Collection that launched in 2024. It is an exclusive line shared between Hasbro Pulse and Shop Disney with each set featuring a Clone Wars era Clone plus another character, with the two releases so far both including Jedi Masters. Following on from the Mace Windu and 187th Clone in the Spring of 2024, the second set features Yoda and Clone Commander Gree - arriving to UK collectors in the first half of November 2024.
The packaging for the Clones of the Republic sets is a variant of the Galaxy Collection and the Yoda set still features the slanted sides - but on both sides rather than the usual right-hand spine. The collection is not themed around a particular movie or series but draws its inspiration from the wider story of the Clone Wars and therefore also incorporates characters from the comic books. Apart from the twin slanted sides, the box follows the usual design with a black base colour and an accent colour used on the character name and the side artwork.
As the source material on each figure varies, an individual sky blue colour scheme is assigned to the collection featuring prominently on the artwork with Yoda on one side and Gree on the other. While the set is number 02 in the collection, none of the side artwork connects together or with the previous sets. The rear of the box repeats the images of Yoda and Gree and confirms their role and relationship serving together during the Clone Wars.
Clone Commander Gree has been released previously in the line, but wearing his Camo gear from the Battle of Kashyyyk and as seen in the Revenge of the Sith scenes. This new two-pack steers away from this design and brings us Gree in what would be considered the standard armour and markings for the 41st Elite Corps and based visually on comic book art for Commander Gree. The figure therefore utilises the standard and newest Clone Trooper body with white cast armour parts over a black inner body and joints. The green markings of the 41st are added over the armour and in neat, straight lines without the intentional rough markings we have seen on other Clones to reflect the battlefield marking of their armour.
Hasbro intended to include a removable helmet for all Clone ‘characters’ going forward, a move supported by the newer body featuring a hollow helmet and this was certainly applied on the first Clones of the Republic set and the 187th Clone. It appears that was also intended at some point for Gree and went as far as a flesh-tone cast head that is visible under the helmet. Sadly, a decision since has been made to fix the helmet in place so we have no option of displaying Gree with his helmet removed and with that unique haircut he is sporting in the comic book artwork. The helmet is standard and has no added parts or designs as seen on other Commanders. Like the armour it's cast in white and has green painted markings with the visor and vents painted in black with some silver detail in selected areas.
Gree comes with both of the standard Clone Trooper issued blaster rifles the DC-15S blaster carbine and the longer DC15-A blaster rifle. These are a dark grey, almost black cast plastic with no other decor or paintwork. As Gree uses the newest Clone Trooper configuration we do get trigger fingers on both left and right hands and both weapons can be held in either with articulation supporting two-handed grips on the barrel with the remaining hand.
Commander Gree has 21 points of pinless articulation and offers up a wide range of movement. He can kneel, or sit, with the knee pad armour ‘floating’ over the knee joint rather than being fixed directly. The arms can facilitate plenty of weapon positions including firing positions with the shoulder pauldrons hinged over the butterfly shoulders so as not to restrict that upward movement. In hand, it does feel like Gree has looser joints than those I’ve had on any other Clone Trooper releases using the new body. While this doesn’t impact posing it may become an issue in the future.
While Gree is a well executed release, the star of this set is arguably the new Yoda figure. While the Jedi Master has had releases previously - and these have included his lightsaber - they were always themed around his look in the Original Trilogy. This one is the first true Prequel Trilogy Yoda and it will fit perfectly into a display of the Clone Wars era from The Phantom Menace, through Clone Wars and to Revenge of the Sith.
The figure is based on the newer Yoda released for the 40th Anniversary of Empire Strikes Back and packed with Luke Skywalker in a Jedi Training set. The base body remains a direct re-use of this 2020 release but with updated feet, hands, and outer robes. The inner robes are a plain dark brown, while the soft goods are a sandy finish tailored to Yoda’s smaller frame including the folded collar. Hands and feet are green cast plastic with painted ivory finger and toenails.
vs 2020 'Empire' release (right)
There are two heads included for the prequel Yoda allowing you to choose between a neutral, serene-looking Yoda and a second head which features a sterner, more determined look. Both heads are cast in green with grey paintwork used on the hair and a pair of painted - probably printed - eyes. The smaller frame means there is no neck as such with the head fitting directly into the collar of the robes and onto an internal ball joint.
There are three accessories included with Yoda, again allowing you to choose his appearance for display in line with his various Prequel Trilogy appearances. The first is a tiny walking stick, scaled to the smaller Yoda body and shaped to reflect the knotty wood it was made from. It has a balled end which can just about slot up into the hand and be held in place allowing it to be posed in a walking or standing position.
There are then two versions of Yoda’s lightsaber. One a hilt and one a hilt with a lit lightsaber blade. The size of the saber has obviously rendered a removable blade difficult so this option - used on the Vintage Collection 3.75 figures - is a good compromise. The saber can fit into either hand, and there is even sufficient articulation in the tiny body for a two-handed grip as seen when fighting Count Dooku or Darth Sidious.
Yoda has 14 points of articulation, all pinless, which allows him a reasonable degree of movement. The arms are jointed sufficiently to wield the lightsaber or hold the stick while the legs, and the wider splayed feet of Yoda’s species, ensure a robust standing position and the ability for some more expressive and dynamic action stances when attacking or walking. The legs also allow Yoda to be seated, an essential aspect for the final inclusion in this set.
For the first time ever in the Star Wars Black Series, this new Clones of the Republic 2-Pack also brings us a Jedi Council Chair for Yoda to sit in. While we have had thrones before for Snoke and Palpatine, this is first for our Jedi characters. Like the previous ‘chairs’ the seat is a hollow hard plastic cast with a grey base colour and red plush seat, cushion, and back.
The Council Chair is Yoda sized, specific to him as it was on screen and therefore is not something that can be used by other figures. Yoda himself sits pretty naturally into the seat, although a tiny bit more range in the hips would have allowed a perfect seated position and some ability to lean a bit further forward as we see him do when talking during Council meetings.
The Yoda and Clone Commander Gree ‘Clones of the Republic’ set is retailing at £46 on Hasbro Pulse in the UK with a similar price expected if and when this reaches Shop Disney in the UK. It is one of the few sets recently released that has sold out on Pulse- although restocks are possible. For your £46 you get a Clone Trooper with two weapons, Yoda with his walking stick and lightsaber accessories, and Yoda’s council chair. This pricing certainly feels reasonable particularly when both Yoda and Gree are new iterations of their characters and not re-packs or minor tweaked repaints.
The council chair probably makes the set although the problem here is that Hasbro is unlikely to ever commit to and then release a full set of Jedi Council members with chairs - although it is feasible we may get to see a few more of them in the future using Jedi Council members already release repacked into a deluxe format with their appropriate Jedi Council seat.
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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...
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