Palpatine (Darth Sidious) with Throne — Star Wars The Black Series
The Black Series Palpatine (Darth Sidious) with Throne — Amazon exclusive 2019. $39.99. 18 joints with double-hinged elbows and knees, rocker ankles. 9 accessories: improved soft-goods robe, walking cane, 3 photo-real heads (neutral, angry, smiling), 2 Force Lightning hands, throne with rotating base. Throne looks like miniature film prop. Figure fits perfectly in chair. Make sure to add this to your collection.
Overview
Palpatine (Darth Sidious) with Throne is a late August 2019 Amazon exclusive at $39.99 — the definitive Emperor Palpatine in the Black Series 6” programme. The body is the same tooling as the 2015 single-card Emperor Palpatine (id=2395), but Hasbro made significant improvements to both the figure’s functionality and accessories that make this the version worth owning. Nine accessories including three heads with photo-real face printing, a pair of Force Lightning hands, an improved soft-goods robe, and a throne that looks like a miniature version of the original film prop. The source documentation’s verdict is unambiguous: make sure you add this one to your collection.
Articulation
18 joints — ball-jointed neck, swivel neck, ball-jointed shoulders, swivel biceps, double swivel-hinged elbows, swivel-hinged wrists, ball-jointed waist, barbell-jointed hip, swivel thighs, double swivel-hinged knees, rocker ankles. The double-hinged elbows and knees plus rocker ankles represent a meaningful articulation upgrade over the 2015 release, and critically the soft-goods skirt — rather than a hard plastic piece — allows a proper range of leg movement for seating in the throne. The figure fits perfectly into the chair and keeps its balance well on display.
The Three Photo-Real Heads
All three heads received the photo-real face printing treatment for a more life-like look. Neutral/menacing expression — the canonical composed Emperor. Angry expression — the Force Lightning battle configuration. Smiling expression — the most unsettling of the three, capturing the Emperor’s genuine delight in cruelty. Three distinct display configurations on a single figure body.
The Robe Improvements
The soft-goods robe is easily removable. Compared to the 2015 version, Hasbro made two specific corrections: the back of the hood was stitched differently so it now sits closer to the head, which is much more movie accurate, and the robe’s sleeves were remade with longer bottoms — both improvements specifically commended over the 2015 release. The soft-goods skirt beneath the robe is a separate piece that aids leg movement and is what allows the figure to sit properly in the throne.
The Throne
The throne looks great — a miniature version of the original film prop. Once placed onto the included base it can be rotated in a full circle, allowing display orientation adjustment after placement. The throne is the set’s equivalent of what the Jabba SDCC set provided for Jabba — environmental context that transforms the figure from a standalone display piece into a scene. Emperor Palpatine without a throne is a figure; with it, he’s holding court.
Walking Cane and Force Lightning Hands
The walking cane fits well into the right hand and when the figure is placed into a leaning forward pose the cane reaches the floor well — a specific posing positive. Identical cane to the 2015 release. The extra hands with Force Lightning look great and swap cleanly for the Lightning-casting display configuration. Combined with the angry head, the Force Lightning hands deliver the Emperor’s most iconic combat pose.
The 2015 Comparison
The 2015 single-card Emperor Palpatine (id=2395) had the same walking cane but none of the additional heads, no Force Lightning hands, a less accurate robe, and no throne. This 2019 Amazon exclusive is the upgrade on every dimension. The body tooling is shared; everything else is better here.
Secondary Market
Amazon exclusive, 2019, Phase 3 Red Line. Verify all nine accessories: robe, clasp, walking cane, three heads, two Force Lightning hands, throne, throne base. The three interchangeable heads are the most easily separated components on a loose set — confirm all three are present. The throne base is worth checking separately.
Verdict
Palpatine (Darth Sidious) with Throne is the best Emperor Palpatine in the Black Series 6” programme — three photo-real heads, Force Lightning hands, improved robe with corrected hood and longer sleeves, and a rotating throne that looks like the film prop. The double-hinged elbows and knees deliver above-baseline articulation and the soft-goods skirt makes the seated position functional rather than forced. There is no better version of this character in 6” scale, and at $39.99 it was priced at standard single-card levels despite the accessory count. This one belongs in your collection.
Part of Star Wars The Black Series | Phase 3 Red Line. Related: Red Squadron Droid 3-Pack P3-EX-RSD | Jabba the Hutt (SDCC with Throne) P2-EX-SDCC-JTH | First Order Stormtrooper with Extra Gear P3-EX-FOSG.