Sculpt--4.5/5
The Power of the Force 2 version of the Royal Guard just plain sucked. I much preferred my vintage Royal Guards to them, who just looked better overall. Well, Hasbro has finally made a worthy update to the Royal Guard figure, and I must say that this is one of my favorite figures in the Saga line. First off, let's talk about the cape. It looks great! The cape is what I hated most about the POTF2 version as it didn't go over the shoulders of the figure. This version got it right and it has made all the difference. The back of the cape is also impressive with its many folds and creases. There is also an inner cape around the waist which makes the figure all the more detailed.

The arms on this version are also something worth mentioning. The right hand is sculpted to hold the force pike vertically, but is also capable of holding it in an attack pose along with the left hand. This is truly genius and well thought out sculpting.

Articulation--4.5/5
For a character that basically just stands still in the movies, the number of articulation points are excellent. The Royal Guard has seven points: shoulders, bicep-cuts on both arms, waist, and hips. The bicep-cuts are what makes the figure capable of being in an attacking pose. They are cut at an angle so they can appear to be bent or straight. An interesting thing to note is that the waist articulation is also cut at an angle. With this waist-cut, you can make him appear to be leaning to the right or left. Kinda weird, but helps gives poses some variation.

Accessories--3/5
You get the vibro-active force pike and a electro effect. The pike is well done and fully painted this time around and it looks great. The electro effect is attached to the pike by "weaving" the pike through it. Not bad, but I don't see myself using the effect too much.

Paint--3/5
For the most part, the paint is good. I have seen some messed up visors though so make sure your visor is painted well before you buy it. The force pike is fully painted with silver and black paint. Unfortunately, you'll probably find paint rubbed off on the Royal Guard's hand because of the way the figure is packaged holding the pike.

Overall--4.5/5
Is this the perfect Royal Guard figure? I don't think so, but it is very close. Things I would change are so minute I don't even know if it's worth mentioning. What I am sure of is that this is the best Royal Guard figure so far, so get out there and buy two of em!