Presenting one of the classic pairings from the Star Wars 30th Anniversary Coin Collection series: Jedi Master Yoda and Kybuck (circa 2007).
To the uninitiated, Kybuck is the name of a species of roaming bi-peds from Woolwarricca, the prairie district of the planet Kashyyyk. Master Yoda was gifted around 33 of them from a princess from the said district – so he was serious when he mentioned in Episode III that he had good ties with the Wookies. Staying true to the Jedi Code, Master Yoda did not believe in possessions, therefore he did not consider the Kybucks his property – hence he did not believe in giving them names. They were his friends connected to him through the Force.
Yoda would use ride his Kybuck friends through many occasions in the Clone Wars, but the moment where this partnership stood out the most, in my opinion, was during the Battle of Coruscant where one of Master Yoda’s Kybuck buddies would become his main means of getting around during the Battle. It was in the Battle of Courscant where Yoda demonstrated how deadly a wall of Droidekas can be to incoming Vulture Droids and Tri-Fighters, right before he started slapping gargantuan Separatist C-9979 landing crafts against each other. He would ride his Kybuck friend into battle slashing left and right with his lightsaber. Eventually the battle became so intense that Yoda dismounted and asked his valiant friend to return to the Jedi Temple.
Kybucks were not meant to be ridden, but Master Yoda was small enough to be accommodated on the back of one.
PROS
FIRST: I love how much detailing went into the Kybuck. If you watch the Clone Wars animated series, you get that the Kybuck has fur, and horns and kinda looks like a bi-pedal Antelope, that’s it. The 30th Anniversary Kybuck not only brings out the detailing of the Kybuck’s saddle, packs and bridle, but removes the cute furry nature of the animal and introduces a more matted animal hide texture worthy of a creature that can run 90kph on the prairies of Kashyyyk
SECOND: Master Yoda. It’s quite a sight to see the little guy riding a Kybuck – and It’s also a bit intimidating to see a green goblin driving a horned beast that has a facial demeanour that suggests it eats flesh (It doesn’t) – especially if they are traveling at 90kph. I also like the irregular way that Yoda is made to store his lightsaber – he comes with a lit and unlit lightsaber – which goes to a small holster strapped to his back. Only two other Force users I know of store their lightsabers on their backs: Rahm Kota, and the Sith Lord Darth Krayt.
ARTICULATION
The Kybuck:
Head mounted on a ball joint
Swivel forearms
Swive rear legs
Rotating tail
Master Yoda:
Head is mounted on a ball joint
Upper torso is also on a swivel joint.
Ball jointed shoulders with bicep swivel
No ebows
Swivel wrists
Waist swivel
Swivel Legs at hips
No knees
Foor swivel
CONS
FIRST: The limited articulation for both figures. It would have been nice if they could do so much more. As it is – if you want the Kybuck to stand – that’s about it for articulation. Also I can’t figure out how to make Master Yoda sit in the saddle – and stay on. It might not be possible.
SECOND: Master Yoda still uses the old material used for Jedi Cloaks which looks horrible.
BUYER/COLLECTORS RECOMMENDATION: Despite the limited articulation, it is still one of the most dynamic looking action figure pairings in the market. If you collect Clone troopers and you want to arrange a diorama of charging Clone Troopers, the n this is the figure you want leading the charge, flanked sporadically by lesser Jedi serving as unit heads for the Clone Troopers.
There was a second version of Yoda and Kybuck released for the Star Wars Legacy Collection line. For some strange reason it is more expensive, but not by much. This particular Star Wars 30th Anniversary Coin Collection Series Yoda and Kybuck can be purchased on Amazon US$ 9.49 plus shipping. You can purchase it here.
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