Ultimate lightsaber duel?

Today's deconstruction goes way back into the mists of time to 2005: the ultimate lightsaber duel (7257).


I got this set a while back and it was one of the poorest condition sets I've ever got from ebay.  I immediately replaced all the bricks it was sensible to do so and it looks somewhat better now, though is still a bit sub par.  

However, it remains an interesting, and somewhat unique, set in the cannon.  What you get is a relatively flimsy structure, which replicates the Mustafar industrial facility where Anakin and Obi Wan have their final duel, with lots of trans neon orange to give some sense of lava.  And then two very long axles with unique minifig stands on the far end so that you can get the fatal pair to fight each other. There are then some hazards (falling lava, tumbling towers) to avoid.

Perhaps the highlight, though, is the two minifigs themselves, which both have light-up lightsabers.  I'm really pleased that the batteries in mine still work well after 15 years, although the cloaks look a little frayed.  

I ultimately remain ambivalent about this set - there are some nice features but I don't love it.  I actually like the 2020 Duel on Mustafar more. 

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