Review of Cad Bane - Star Wars sixth scale action figure
Denal Disguise Exclusive Edition

Introduction

The animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, brought a number of new characters to the Star Wars Universe, but none are quite as cool as the ruthless bounty hunter Cad Bane. Often compared to Boba Fett, his western styled clothing calls up imagery of Clint Eastwood from the Man with No Name films as well.

Sideshow has just started shipping their sixth scale version of Cad, but it's not in the outfit I really, really wanted. As a huge fan of both Star Wars and westerns, I'd kill an ewok to get a version in his normal duds. Actually, I'd kill an ewok for a lot less than that, but you get the point.

Instead, we get him dressed in his 'Denal disguise', wearing stolen clone trooper armor in a successful escape attempt. I get why they went this way - they have lots and lots of clone trooper armor available to reproduce this costume much more cost effectively. It keeps the figure at a  reasonable price point - around $150 - but still leverages their skill at alien portraits.  My understanding all this does not lessen my desire for a Bane in his normal attire however.

As I said, this guy has just started shipping, and will run you around $150 at most retailers. I do have a couple suggestions in the Where to Buy section with sponsors that are under that price point as well.

Packaging - ***1/2
It's the standard Sideshow Star Wars package with the wrap around cover, magnetic closures, and plastic trays.  It's all collector friendly of course, and there's no need to damage anything when removing or replacing the figure, but I'm beginning to long for at least one piece of artwork on the package of the actual character.

Sculpting - ****
This figure will not look exactly like the cartoon, and that's very much on purpose.  One of the things I like - very much - about this figure and the previous Captain Rex, is that they've taken animated characters and altered them just enough to fit in with the rest of the live action characters. Had they gone with a purely animated look, there is no way to fit him in with the rest of your Star Wars sixth scale collection.

But that means they had to get creative and take a few liberties with the Bane portrait.  The skin is more wrinkled and textured; where a nose would normally be is flattened out more, with less of a protuberance; and there's simply more detail overall. They've stolen a bit from the concept of the Alien Grey, but I'm perfectly fine with that, since it works well with the animated design. Obviously, this is going to be a matter of taste, and this style may not suit you as well as it suits me. EDIT: A smart reader pointed out that this species, the Duros, did have a part in a live action movie (episode IV in the cantina), and they clearly based a lot of this non-animated style on that.

What I really love is the expression.  The squinted eyes and snarling mouth convey a confident badassery that fits this character (in just about any pose) perfectly. The eyes are of particular note, made from a smooth plastic with a glassy, deadly appearance. They really sell the overall look, and are a highlight for me.

The overall armored suit is just what you'd expect, assuming you've seen one of the million previous Sideshow troopers before. Edges are sharp and clean, and the shape of the chest and pelvis has improved over time. It's less flat than with the early versions, giving a more realistic fit to the armor.

Paint - ***1/2
Like the sculpt, Sideshow has used a detailed paint application with multiple operations to create a realistic, not animated, version of Cad Bane.

I'm a big fan of blue, so you know I love this guy's skin color. They've added a light wash to bring out the details, particularly in hand where it can be difficult to discern the tiny wrinkles in this scale. The lips and mouth are great, and the red/black eyes are hypnotic. Just like in the previous category, it's the eyes that really do it for me here.

There is a little too much of the darker blue on the cheeks and around the left eye, but this one is a minor nit when compared to the awesome sauce that is those eyes.

The armor might not be entirely new, but they did a terrific job with the weathering and wear. The scratches, scuffs, dirt and damage add a realism to the plastic costume, greatly enhancing it's visual appeal.

Articulation - ***
The underlying Sideshow body has all the articulation you expect, but it's never had quite the same natural flow and ease of posing that the TrueType possesses.

The head, feet and hands swap easily and smoothly this time, a big plus. However, it is not as tight as I'd like, particularly in the legs. He does pose well, and can maintain most stances on his own, but it's a little trickier to get him there, and his stability isn't quite what it should be.

It's worth mentioning here that the night vision visor is also articulated, flipping up and down over the eyes.

Accessories - ****
Yep, it's all about the re-use here, but they've gone out of their way to make sure that you're getting a lot of extras, even if you have seen them before.

Two of the extras set him apart. There's the obvious new portrait of Cad Bane, which I've already gushed about in the Sculpt and Paint categories, but it's a big boost here as well. He also has the special helmet with the articulated night vision visor. The helmet doesn't go over the Bane head, but each is its own independent version. Pop one off the neck post, pop one on. The swap is pretty easy, and the long neck peg retains most of it s articulation either way.

He has both a shorter blaster rifle and a long version, with the standard sculpt and paint. For the diehard, these are the DC-155 Carbine and the DC-15A with the spear attachment. They look terrific, and fit neatly in the provided hands. The smaller carbine has the folding stock as you'd expect.

Speaking of hands, there's plenty. With six full sets and one extra, you have 13 to choose from.  There's the fists he comes wearing, as well as a set of flat palms, gun grips, regular grips, thumbs up, and a pair with the right hand pointing a single finger and the left hand pointing with two fingers. The last extra hand is another left, this one doing the "V" sign.

These all swap easily, and each has its own wrist peg. This is something I'd like to see all sixth scale manufacturers doing.

He doesn't just have extra hands, he has one pair of extra feet, sculpted in a bent pose. They work pretty well for using them on the back foot in running stances and poses.

Next up - packs.  Two of them, to be precise. There's the normal backpack with the cloth cover and straps, as well as a jet pack, making him even more Boba Fett-like. Both of these are held in place with magnets, and this works great.  Yes, the backpack has straps, and these work as well, but are largely ornamental.

Finally, the exclusive version includes the white display base with the 501st artwork, similar to Captain Rex. It's not a hugely important extra, but if you can get the exclusive for about the same price as the regular, you might as well go for it.

One interesting thing about the display base - the label says "Denal" instead of Cad Bane. Denal is the 501st Trooper that Bane killed, and then used his armor to escape, making it possible for Sideshow to produced this trooper version. Putting the Denal name on the base is a nifty idea for two reasons: first, it allows you to stick with the helmeted version and actually have a Denal figure, perfect for posing with Captain Rex and allowing you to use the Bane head for your own custom; and second, even if you are like me and will be going with the Bane head on the Denal body, having the other name on the base is part of the 'disguise', even on your shelf.

Outfit - ***1/2
The outfit consists of the underlying black body suit and the outer trooper armor.

I've discussed this armor on plenty of occasions, and once again, it's extremely nice.  The sculpt and paint work are where the best qualities lie, and I've already discussed both of these areas. The one area that brings this score down slightly is the fit, particularly on the legs. All three pieces - thigh, knee, and calf - tend to slide down the slick suit, exposing more of the thighs and hips than I like, and making some of the ankle and knee poses more difficult. It's a minor nit - adjusting things helps, although gravity will do its job and slide them down again - but I did find it annoying.

Fun Factor - ***1/2
While the body could be a bit tighter, I still found plenty of ways to pose him and re-pose him, my definition of 'fun' with a figure like this.  All the extra hands and various accessories help here too, making it possible for you to use him in multiple ever-changing ways in your display.

Value - ***
There's a lot of re-use here of course, both with the outfit and the accessories. Still, getting a high quality licensed sixth scale figure for $150 or less is pretty much unheard of these days. The price point makes sense as well, since I'd be more than happy to pay $225 for a Bane in his regular attire but paying more than $150 for the clone trooper version would be a hard sell.

It's also worth noting that just another regular Trooper variant from Sideshow will cost you $140, making this guy a solid value in comparison.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing. Normal rules of handling apply, but the figure was sturdy and solid overall with little fear of breakage or damage.

Overall - ***1/2
Captain Rex was one of Sideshow's best recent releases, building on the solid work they've been doing with the Troopers and adding in a terrific head sculpt.  I had my nits, but it was damn fine work.

Cad Bane is even better. The sculpt and paint lacks the few nits I had with the earlier figure, and the number of accessories and overall quality easily warrant the price point. Had the body been a little tighter, matching the norm in that regard for the industry, he would have snagged the full four stars overall.

If you are into the Clone Wars characters, then this one is definitely for you.  He can masquerade as Denal, posed next to Captain Rex and other 501st troopers, or he can be exposed as Cad, battling the other troopers in your collection. Either way, he'll make a terrific addition.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ****
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - ***
Accessories - ****
Outfit - ***1/2
Fun Factor - ***1/2
Value - ***
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Sideshow has the exclusive for $150.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
If you like the trooper armor, there's lots of choices. Hot Toys has recently joined Sideshow on the Trooper bandwagon, producing their own Stormtroopers. Hot Toys also had their release of the Blackhole Trooper earlier in the year.

I recently reviewed the Captain Rex from Sideshow, and they've also done the 501st, Veteran, and 'shiny, the Sandtrooper with the Dewback, the Sargent Clonetrooper, the Shocktrooper, the Utapau Trooper, the Imperial Stormtrooper, and even Obi-Wan in his trooper armor. And one of my favorites - the Snowtrooper. And if you'd like some other troops, remember there's also the Droids, the STAP, and the Rebels!

Medicom has done plenty as well, including this Clone Trooper Captain, 501st, Sandtrooper, their own Blackhole Trooper,  Shocktrooper and regular Stormtrooper.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

Discussion:
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