...I really don't want the answer to that one. Each season of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" has one main villain...in the first season it's the Master, in the second season, Spike, in the third, the Mayor...and usually there's some big showdown between the Slayer and the Big Bad, ending with Buffy winning. Usually.

That precedent was set in the first season, with The Master, and he's also the big villain in the first series of Buffy the Vampire Slayer PALz, from Palisades Toys. PALz are two-inch tall highly articulated action figures, stylized in a manner similar to LEGO figures, Kubricks, or Minimates--generically termed "block figures." They're an acquired taste, but once acquired, block figures are like crack. The good kind. Well...the bad kind. You know what I mean.

The Master spent most of the (short) first season breaking through his subterranean lair in Sunnydale, and convincing his minions to take on Buffy. Finally, at the end of the season, he breaks free, bringing his own special kind of havoc to Sunnydale, CA.

The Master PALz figure has a very cool likeness--his bald head has a very distinctive face on it, more demony-vampire than the other vampires in the series. He's got an intelligent sneer on his face, great look for The Master. He's dressed in a longer black coat, looking almost Nazi-ish...another good look for an evil guy. The "skirt" on his coat restricts the posability of his legs, but the look is worth it.

The rest of him is as articulated as the other PALz in the series, including ball-jointed neck and shoulders, and joints in the elbows, wrists, knees and ankles.

His transforming feature is one of the cooler ones in the series...because his death is pretty impressive, and his remains become a big part of early Season Two, his "alternate" version is his skeleton. They do this by giving him an extra set of arms and legs and head...they're transparent, with a skeleton printed on them. Nice touch, and a good "transforming feature" for a character who only wore one set of clothes in the series.

The accessories include an Inkworks trading card, a tombstone, a candelabra, and the wood plank that he's impaled upon to kill him. Some nice accessories, nothing outstanding, but each adds to the playability of The Master and other PALz in the series.

This is a great villain, and when I play with toys, I need to have the villains to give the heroes something to do. If you're the same way, The Master makes a great little toy. You can find these online, or at Media Play, Suncoast, and Sam Goody stores. Series 1 is in stores right now, and Series 2 should be out before summer hits. Get started today!

MORE “PALz”

X-FILES
Agent Mulder http://www.epinions.com/content_182360247940
Agent Scully http://www.epinions.com/content_182373224068
Frohike http://www.epinions.com/content_183027273348
Deep Throat http://www.epinions.com/content_183107423876
Flukeman http://www.epinions.com/content_183132262020
Conundrum http://www.epinions.com/content_183138881156
Donnie Pfaster http://www.epinions.com/content_183279390340
Gray Alien http://www.epinions.com/content_183391850116

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
Buffy http://www.epinions.com/content_180773293700
Willow http://www.epinions.com/content_180776570500
Xander http://www.epinions.com/content_180782665348
Giles http://www.epinions.com/content_180819103364
The Master http://www.epinions.com/content_180851216004
Darla http://www.epinions.com/content_180860325508
Angel http://www.epinions.com/content_180931825284

MORE BUFFY REVIEWS:
Buffy Season One http://www.epinions.com/content_148969197188
Buffy Season Two http://www.epinions.com/content_158297394820
Buffy Season Three http://www.epinions.com/content_161138445956
Buffy Season Four http://www.epinions.com/content_173637602948
Buffy Season Five http://www.epinions.com/content_178931404420

Angel Season One http://www.epinions.com/content_173638848132
Angel Season Two http://www.epinions.com/content_179964251780




Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 6.99
Type of Toy: Action Figure