Figure of the Day: Day 1,126: BL-17

BL-17 & Boba Fett
The Legacy Collection Wal-Mart Droid Factory
Item No.: Asst. 14860 No. 91931
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #3 of 5
Includes: Boba Fett figure, Dark Trooper jet pack
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $17.00
Availability: July 2009
Appearances: Droids animated series, technically

Image: Adam's TV tray.

Bio: In the animated television series Star Wars: Droids — The Adventures of R2-D2 and C-3PO, Boba Fett acquires BL-17, a Battle Legionnaire battle droid creted to serve Mandalorian Protectors during the Clone Wars. The bounty hunter uses the droid on espionage missions while hunting fugitives. (Taken from the figure's package.)

Commentary: It's rare that a figure's mere existence makes me happy, but BL-17 does it. It's a character from Droids! Wow! The animated series aired in 1985, and this is a "realistic" figure derived from the cartoon, but there was totally a BL-17 on the show in slightly different colors. (Makes you wonder why the Boba Fett kept his cartoon colors, no?) The Droids series takes place in the nebulous "after Revenge of the Sith/before A New Hope" timeframe where the Empire is running wild and the Alderaan space force lost track of R2-D2 and C-3PO. It's awesome. Particularly the first four episodes, from which this figure is derived.

So yeah, this is totally Boba Fett's droid. If that doesn't get you excited, well, it's green. The figure's arms and legs are recycled from the 2007 4-LOM, but the head and torso are new. For whatever reason, there's no waist joint, and the head can only swivel. The coloring matches his later "realistic" redesign nicely, but this leaves the door open for a repaint in the cartoon colors. It's a stiff droid, but hey-- it's something from the Droids series. That's why I ran out and bought one, I suggest you do the same. It's not like we're exactly drowning in protocol droids this year.

Collector's Notes: A fast seller, this figure was one of several packs sold as a Wal-Mart exclusive. The companion Boba Fett figure was initially announced as a repaint of the Animated-style body, but ended up being a reissue of the Animated-style figure with movie-style accessories. Because of this, we will not be reviewing Boba Fett as a separate/new figure. This set has seemingly sold through at Wal-Marts in many markets, so good luck finding one.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,126: October 7, 2009