Roron Corobb

Back in Season 1 of the (original) Clone Wars cartoon - Genndy Tartakovsky's, the one that's actually in continuity and the (also quite good) CGI version is cribbing all its design work from - Cartoon Network ran a poll on its website to let fans decide which of three new Jedi would appear in the Season 2 finale. Voolvif Monn won the vote, but the two guys he beat ended up getting more a more central place in history. Which I guess makes Roron Corobb Star Wars' George W. Bush: he hangs around with a big fat white guy, has a crooked mouth and no evidence of a brain. Roron Corobb takes on the duties of a Senior General during the Clone Wars. Along with his Jedi compatriots, Shaak Ti and Foul Moudama, Roron is assigned to protect Supreme Chancellor Palpatine from General Grievous. But despite his skill and bravery, Roron is killed by the cyborg general in his unrelenting push to capture Palpatine. Roron Corobb is an Ithorian - basically, the same species as the cantina alien Momaw Nadon, who everybody knows better as Hammerhead. Though apparently that's an offensive nickname, in-universe. Speaking of names, Roron is named after Ron Cobb, the conceptual artist who designed the original creature for A New Hope. That's called Tuckerization, and now you've learned something today. Despite being an animated character, Roron is done in a realistic style for this figure. He's somewhat taller than average for a Star Wars toy, at 4¼", but that's because of his big up-turned head. If not for that, he'd be the standard 3¾". Since there's never been an Ithorian Jedi before, his body is all new - and although there was an updated Momaw Nadon in 2006 (not, as I originally thought, in the POTF2 line), none of those parts have been re-used here. The head, hands and feet are entirely original, and all detailed well. One conceit to his animated origins can be found in Corobb's eyes: they're larger and brighter than those seen on the live-action puppets. That's it, though. His skin is rough and textured, and the gills in his twin mouths are picked out well. How badass was it when he opened up and just demolished that hallway while defending Palpatine? As with everything else in Star Wars, that move has a specific name. It's a Force Bellow. Roron has a swivel neck, balljointed shoulders, swivel elbows and wrists, a swivel waist, swivel hips, balljointed knees and ball-and-socket ankles. The ankles are good, allowing you to get his big flat feet into supportive positions no matter what you do with his legs. His robes have a pebbly texture, and there seem to be kneepads on his pants. The figure includes his blue lightsaber, which is rather disappointing. It's re-used from the McQuarrie Concept Stormtrooper, so it's basically just a plain tube with a rounded flare at the base. It definitely looks like something you'd see in a cartoon, but it's given to a realistic figure. Not good. There's the hint of a hole on his belt, like they wanted to have the lightsaber hang there, but there's no equivalent peg on the hilt, nor is the blade removable. Perhaps Hasbro was originally planning to make a new 'saber for Corobb, but had to drop it for cost reasons. Roron Corobb is a fun figure. There's just something cool about taking the animated designs and doing them in the "real" style. Plus, if you've already got Foul Moudama, he needs a little friend to help hold off Grievous. -- 03/14/09

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