Posted in: Collectibles, Diamond Select Toys | Tagged: darth maul, diamond select darth maul, diamond select star wars, Diamond Select Toys, Disney Store, disney store maul, dst, select star wars, star wars

Let's Take A Look At Diamond Select's New Star Wars Darth Maul Figure

Every once in a while, you can read the tea leaves and see that something is coming. When Diamond Select bought Gentle Giant last year, it felt like the only reason was Star Wars. Diamond Select Toys has tackled pretty much all of the other blue-chip properties, except Star Wars. As they revealed new statues and such, the one thing we would always ask as collectors was, "When will you do figures?". With Hasbro holding a firm grip on the toy license, few thought it would be possible, and the standard "We would like to" was given by DST when asked. It felt like a forgone conclusion, and it finally became a reality a couple of weeks ago. Out of nowhere, DST announced the first two Select Star Wars figures: Boba Fett and Darth Maul. Exclusively sold at Disney Stores and ShopDisney, we finally get to see what DST would do with a Star Wars figure. We got our hands on the Maul, so let's see what they were able to do.

DST Star Wars Line…How Deep Will They Go?

First up, the packaging. Standard stuff here, pretty much like every other Select figure. I get it, but I was hoping for a bit of a change. I have never been a big fan of these boxes, they are super easy to ding up, and the flap always comes detached. I do like the use of white and the cool Vader key art near the top. Other than that, the Maul pics are standard Star Wars key art we see all the time. Nice, but nothing unexpected here.

Once the figure is released from his plastic prison is where you get a sense of what they are able to accomplish with a Star Wars figure, and the answer is a lot. This is a great toy. Like all Selects, Maul stands 7 inches tall, and he comes with interchangeable hands, his iconic dual saber, trade out blades, and a deflected blast piece. DST did a great job with the articulation here; usually, the lack of ab crunch bothers me, but the extra swivels in the legs and arms make posing more dynamic than other Select figures I have had. The sculpt is great, too; in pics, it came off as cartoony, but I think it fits Episode 1 really well. He scowled through that whole movie, and that is faithfully recreated here. I don't miss the soft goods either; they would be too obtrusive if included.

The saber is what sold me on this. His dual saber comes apart really easily, and smartly they included a little pin to hold it together. Genius, and something lacking in previous Star Wars figures. It made the saber sturdy in the middle when he is holding it, instead of bowing n the middle—fantastic addition there guys and gals at DST. The swappable parts are easy to switch out, and his gripping hands are stiff but malleable. I really like the deflected blaster bolt that attaches to the blade. It gives the figure more of an action feel. Same with the wind-swept blades, they make the whole piece come to life. The only thing I wish this had was a swap out the head of some kind, maybe with that sinister grin of his.

I was blown away by this. The last thing I wanted was to get into yet another Star Wars figure line, but here we are. A great quality figure with awesome playability and sculpt work make this one of the better Maul figures I have gotten my hands on. My only question is: how deep do they go. Obviously, after Maul and Fett, Vader will come soon after, but how far into the roster of  Star Wars characters can they realistically get if these stay Disney Store exclusives? These are questions for another day. For now, if you want to give this figure a shot, he is available now on ShopDisney and in Disney Stores and Parks.

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