Star Wars The Black Series Clone Commander Cody review (2025)
Commander Cody is one of the most significant clones in the prequel saga. He’s Obi-Wan Kenobi’s trusted clone ally…until he isn’t. Hasbro cranked out a Commander Cody relatively early into the Star Wars Black Series line. That figure was decent enough for the time, but Hasbro has steadily made improvements on the clone body formula and by the time I got Cody in the Archive line, I’d already gotten clones using the far superior body.
Good news for me, if not my wallet. Hasbro had an update all set as part of the special 20th anniversary wave of Revenge of the Sith exclusively at Walmart. While Walmart exclusives aren’t always nerve-wracking to get, I was happy to see a full shipper of Cody and other new figures so I didn’t have to stress out about finding them in my stores.
Most of the writeup for Commander Cody will be the same as the original one, so I’ll just focus on the newer aspects for this version. Let’s see if this figure is a major improvement or needs to stand before Emperor Palpatine and start explaining himself.
Packaging: This is one of the obvious changes as this Cody is packaged in the classic Revenge of the Sith 3.75″ scale presentation. It’s got the Darth Vader silhouette with the bubble style setup from the original figures back in 2005. This definitely encourages collectors to double dip as it almost looks too nice to open. I will of course, but this presentation is one of my all-time favorites.
There’s a nice die-cut image of Cody receiving Order 66 with the prominent Star Wars Revenge of the Sith logo next to him. Over on the back, we don’t get any cool bio. Instead, it’s just a proclamation of sorts of how this figure celebrates ROTS’ 20th anniversary.
Likeness: The initial Cody figure heavily used the Black Series #14 Attack of the Clones clone trooper figure for the base. This update uses the newer clone body, which I first reviewed in the Ahsoka clones two-pack with the expected alterations to be accurate to Cody’s unique look. Those changes include the rank insignia plank and antenna on his left shoulder pad. And of course, his visored helmet.
In a welcome change from the previous Commander Cody figure, this one features a removable helmet so we can get that classic Temeura Morrison likeness.
Scale: The clones stay a consistent scale save some outliers on the Bad Batch. Commander Cody is about eye to eye with Obi-Wan Kenobi and will look up to the Clone Wars Anakin. I’ll be able to do this better once I get that SDCC ROTS Anakin vs. Obi-Wan set, which features the definitive Ep. III versions of both characters.
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Paint: On first glance, you might not notice the changes from the original save the battle damage scoring on the armor. The light scope and antenna on Commander Cody’s helmet lacks some of the paint app detail from the first figure. Also, the bursts paint apps on the lower portion are noticeably smaller. The paint applications are still nicely done, but you would catch the differences putting them side by side.
On the figure itself, the orange stripe down the crotch piece stops midway instead of going all the way down to the paneled break point. Additionally, the figure’s left arm lacks the full grey battle-worn strip. With this figure, it starts at the forearm armor instead of from the shoulder down.
The colors on the rank patch and the orange in Cody’s armor are toned down on this version specifically in the torso armor. In this category the Archive figure actually comes out ahead thanks to greater paint detailing and more vibrant colors.
Articulation: The updated clone body allows for much more dynamic posing thanks to the addition of butterfly shoulders joints and less restrictive hip joints. The latter enhances deeper stances, which are ideal for Commander Cody who’s going to do less flipping and more holding the line or leading the charge into battle.
This is the biggest upgrade from the Archive version of Cody that I previously purchased. Next to some of the newer clones, the limitations did lead to some frustrating in posing knowing there was a better body now available.
Commander Cody has:
- neck (ball-jointed)
- shoulders (ball-jointed butterfly)
- elbow (with swivel)
- wrist
- wrist hinge
- torso
- hips
- thighs
- knees (double jointed)
- ankles
Accessories: Since it’s removable, the helmet does count as an accessory and it’s a welcome one.
He also has his trademark DC-15S blaster that’s got a gunmetal shade to it as opposed to a standard black.
The fun new accessory is the hologram projection of Emperor Palpatine issuing Commander Cody the Order 66 trigger. Even at this smaller scale the hologram is done exceptionally well, capturing the lined appearance these had in the films. It’s cast in a translucent light blue.
Worth it? Commander Cody was the basic $24.97 price point. That’s the going rate for figures these days and he’s a pretty decent value since he updates a critical player in the prequel and comes with some necessary extras.
Rating: 9.5 out of 10
Commander Cody gets a badly needed upgrade. Some of the paint apps aren’t as good, but I’ll happily trade them for a better flowing sculpt and improved articulation.
Where to get it? The anniversary version of Commander Cody is exclusive to Wal-Mart. And they actually still have him in stock so hurry.
You can still get the old Commander Cody at Amazon.
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