Star Wars The Black Series Duel of the Fates 3-pack review

About 25 years ago, the Duel of the Fates showed an important lightsaber duel between Jedi heroes Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi and the unexpected threat of Darth Maul. While the dynamic duo of 1999 may think they could handle Maul, the duration of their fight proved otherwise, with the double-bladed lightsaber and the sudden return of the Sith throwing them off. It led to Qui-Gon's death and the weight of the responsibility of training Anakin Skywalker now on the shoulders of Obi-Wan. To anyone who still not stuck in their shitty echo-chamber to this day, The Phantom Menace remains an important beginning to the Skywalker Saga. My Black Series reviews on the Prequel Trilogy focus on Episode 3 and some of Episode 2, with Jar Jar and, technically, Mace Windu being the sole Episode 1 characters I covered. Now, with another anniversary for the first chapter of G-canon goodness, this 3-pack gives fans a chance to get the terrific trio of lightsaber wielders, even if some will find the Gamestop exclusivity questionable.

Since we've covered the figures covered in cloth goods so many times with Jedi characters, I'd argue it makes sense to quickly go over the aesthetics overall. The robes consist of the same materials we've seen in prior Jedi and Sith characters, down to the oversized hoods that could look better if they were stitched to be less poofy or awkwardly shaped. I kind of want to get that look Qui-Gon has for Darth Maul's hood, but it's pinched as hell, making him look smaller than he really is. Sure, the actor wasn't as tall as Liam Neeson, but at least make it work as a visual quirk, like how Vegeta appears taller than he really is. The stitching for Darth Maul's robes is thankfully unique in terms of its patterns in the torso, as well as the somewhat short-sleeve design. I also appreciate that Qui-Gon's robes are a darker brown than Obi-Wan's, which makes it easier to remember who owns which robe to keep them from being mixed up. All 3 figures have lightsaber storage, though Maul's lightsaber length makes it harder to keep in place whenever you move the legs. On the bright side, I appreciate how Obi-Wan's got the little Padawan ponytail, which I always found amusing that the Lego minifigure versions had them printed on the torso.

As usual, the robes don't get in the way of articulation, but it can be difficult to make them look right, combined with the way the arm articulation is kind of gimped without much of the range you'd get in Marvel Legends. Maybe I'm not doing it right, but it can be done if you're doing a better job than me. 

Going over proper articulation while the Jedi battle the Sith in a better pic, the heads are on double ball joints, with Qui-Gon having slight limitation due to his hair, rotation at the shoulders moving front and back, hinges for moving in and out, rotation at the forearms, hinged elbows, rotation and hinges at the wrists. Darth Maul stands out for having butterfly joints, a rarity for the Black Series line. All three have ball joints for the diaphragms as well as the hips (we'll touch up on that for the Jedi), yet they have differently-functional thigh swivels; meanwhile, the Jedi have double-jointed knees instead fo the single-jointed knees like with Maul. Maul has rotation around the knee joints, but the ankles on all 3 can hinge as well as pivot. It should be worth mentioning that Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's lightsabers each have distinct lengths for their blades.

The thing I find baffling about this set, beyond how awkward the photos are, is the fact that the Jedi duo has different hip articulation. Qui-Gon's is the traditional horizontal ball joint stem system we would normally expect on Marvel Legends. By contrast, Obi-Wan Kenobi has the upside-down Y-shaped hips that result in some awkward forward leg movement unless you keep the leg straight while also rotating the thighs. It's a similar system that Geonosis Arena Padme has, and I find it weird that Hasbro would make their articulation inconsistent between figures in not just the Black Series line but also their 1/12 lines in general. 

Setting that aside, the best part about this three-pack is how easy it is to recreate the scenes of this important battle. Here, it could either be the three waiting for the red forcefields to deactivate as Qui-Gon meditates, or has recently been killed by Maul. Makes me wish we could have backdrops based on the energy halls of the palace.

And for anyone asking, you can have Darth Maul cut in half by an Obi-Wan holding Qui-Gon's green lightsaber. Maul's lightsaber can be split in half to simulate how the weapon was damaged during their battle.

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were previously released for the 20th anniversary of Episode 1, modified from the original versions with better actor likenesses and sold in nostalgic blister cards. Getting these characters is always a treat, and I guess the Jedi robes somewhat justify getting the 3-pack as a set...though I know the pre-2019 Qui-Gon has an alternate left hand that would have gone well with doing mind tricks that won't work on Watto.

As for Darth Maul, you have two versions of the character that were released around the same time: a cloak-less version sold on his own, as well as a version released with his speeder bike and a drone that reported what is around on Tatooine for him. I'm surprised Hasbro milked Maul as much as Filoni and Disney have since 2012, though it is a case of different retailers getting a specific version with incentives for each release. Either you get him on his own, with his ride, or with two additional characters. Maul is generally good, though I still wish the cloak didn't feel as cheap as it was. The original 2014 version does have a sculpted hood with a head embedded, though it does restrict articulation somewhat and has been knocked off many times.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐