Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,358: BB-PR0UD (Pride Collection, Droid Factory)

BB-PR0UD Rainbow Edition
Star Wars Droid Depot Pride Collection
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Pulls apart
Retail: $12.99
Availability: May 2022
Appearances: n/a

Bio: A In celebration of Pride and the company's Pride collection, The Walt Disney Company is giving funds as part of our ongoing commitment to organizations around the world that support LGBTQ+ communities. (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: The first BB droid in the Pride Collection and the second in the line, BB-PR0UD predated BB-YOU [FOTD #3,063] by about a year. Both make use of the same mold, but the color patterns are a little different. BB-YOU seemed to be more of a general riff on the traditional Pride flag, while BB-PR0UD... I don't know. There are a lot of different LGBTQ+ flags, as seen in the fun parties or on the backpacks of your better friends, but I can't quite place the specific dark indigo blue (I think) plastic with the specific splashes of color unless maybe someone is a fan of the Indigo Girls? I come at this from a place of ignorance, so use that comment field if you are the designer or are better informed than I.


The indigo base figure provides the manufacturer with a challenge when it comes to paint. Dark plastic will bleed through bright colors unless you apply thick, even layers of pigment on top. Hasbro and 1980s toymakers tended to forget this, which is why your Battle Beasts Hardtop Tortoise's orange armor looks a little sloppy even when it was new. On the other hand, anything Onell Design does tends to have significantly thick shells of shiny paint covering any blemishes. This droid has some issues with the orange and yellow being a bit thin for my taste, but you might be fine with it given that it gives the droid's fresh coat of paint a vaguely weathered look. In addition to six rainbow-ish colors, this droid also has silver and black highlights on some of the panels.

If you pop off the chassis, an inner gray orb has numerous painted silver elements plus a few red and blue lights. Kudos to Disney for having done it, it's detail a lot of fans will never see and it was back when these guys were a then-princely sum of $12.99. (You'll remember, Hasbro usually included BB droids as accessories rather than full-fledged action figures when it comes to smaller figure lines.)

In hindsight, I really don't get why Disney didn't just rerelease the in-demand and still expensive rarity R2-RNBW. This is fine - it's a unique color of BB droid with a lot lots of bright color flourishes, and I can't complain about that too much. But as a collector with thousands of figures (and about 10 of the 11 Pride Droids plus honorary members) this doesn't add much new to the overall collection. I assume Disney is done with BB droids unless we get a cameo in Starfighter or the Rey movie, and I hope we get a protocol droid next year, because I don't know what I need with more BB-series droids. The good news is that it's inexpensive on the secondary market, so there's nothing stopping you from picking a unique droid up today.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney Store's web site.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,358: June 30, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,353: R5-PR0UD (Pride Collection, Droid Factory)

R5-PR0UD Rainbow Edition
Star Wars Droid Depot
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Pulls apart
Retail: $17.99
Availability: May 2026
Appearances: n/a

Bio: All different types of droids populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors. These four were featured in the colorful and peaceful world of Takobo. Join R5-PR0UD on their adventures throughout the galaxy. May the Force be with you... and your Droids! (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Now an annual tradition, R5-PR0UD came in slightly cheaper than some other single-carded droids but still $3 over last year's model. I think you can thank tariffs and an economy that will charge a little more for things just in case something else disrupts the markets, but at least Disney didn't skimp on paint applications. There are plenty of colored panels here, and my sample had better aligned paint than the one used on Disney's product page. I can live with that.

The series has been going since 2021 with at least one carded droid per year. There's even a boxed set of six solid color robots. As a collection, it's a pretty neat one - and it makes sense to have a "souvenir" Droid set. I'd rather have droids that appear in the movies, but this one looks good with a more off-white plastic chassis and lots of bright color panels. I was surprised the big, middle panel has a silver vent painted on it this time. The six colors of greeblies near the shoulder are very precisely painted, and fairly impressively done. The silver paint on his feet are so well done, I hope Hasbro takes note if they ever go back and do a blue Snaggletooth Retro figure. Every single panel was done with a level of precision that seems better than most of Disney's droids - which are good. Given multiple colors fill some of the larger panels, it's necessary to ensure they're exact and not merely close enough. I think they did a nice job here, because if for some reason you can't get behind "pride" (for example, "completism with R2-RN8w still being impossible to get) you can at least take solace in knowing you can have a figure that looks like a Japanese Lucky Draw prize for a kid that won a TV Boy coloring contest.

The droid mold is the same as it ever was, but at least Disney is showing off what it can do. The silver isn't reflective, but it's much shinier than most other droid figures. The technical perfection needed to get silver outlines in some of those panels is worthy of praise, although it may be a little too subtle to show up well in all photos. I'm impressed with this one on a technical level, and here's hoping next year we'll get a Protocol Droid or, if they're feeling it, something with the B-R72 mold.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney Store's web site. It did not sell out.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,353: June 11, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,250: C1-RN8W (Pride Collection, Droid Factory)

C1-RN8W Pride Collection Disney Exclusive
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.: No. 418148205414
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: May 2025
Appearances: n/a

Bio: The Disney Pride Collection was created by members and allies of the LGBTQIA+ community. The Walt Disney Company proudly works with nonprofits throughout the LGBTQIA+ community globally. (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: New! The C1-RN8W figure iterates on what we got with R3-RN8W [FOTD #3,141] last year - a black repaint, with a lot of colors. (I'd also accept droids in 1980s beige PC cases with rainbow colors, just saying.) This time around we get Chopper, and it looks great. And expensive.

The same mold has been in circulation for years, and this time I assume a fair amount of cash was spent getting many colors of paint applied correctly. It's not quite as colorful as last year's model - it had a few more colors than this one - but it still pops nicely. The top of the dome has painted a very clean silver, with a matching set of details for various panel covers, the equator around the dome, plus markings on the feet and legs. Vents on the front and back of the figure are also decorated.

The rainbow color pattern repeats in order in a few spots. I'm surprised both the front and back of the legs got fully decorated, plus the full treatment on the eyes. And across the torso, a few times. And up and down. It's pretty impressive, particularly given how some of these lines are about 1mm tall and are set inside a sculpted indentation correctly. If one or two were out of alignment, I'd understand it, but they got 'em all right. This sort of thing still amazes me, I remember seeing old Kenner figures in cheap used bins with overspray on the wrists and going "Oh, I bet this is from like 1982 or something because this kept happening." Kudos on Disney for their precision here.

As with other C1-10P figures from Disney, you get a lot of moving parts. The claw across the chest pops out, the arms on the head are jointed in three spots, and you can pop that radar dish off if you want. The legs and dome are fully removable, but Disney opted to not paint the interior on the body - which makes sense, you're unlikely to see it much. It breaks zero new ground in terms of tooling, but short of the tilting head on Hasbro's version of the mold? There's not much else you could do with it. This is fine.

If you've got enough droids, you might not want this one too. The lack of color is one of my gripes about Star Wars toys in general, given how it's mostly earthtones and lightsabers, so these Pride droids really pop on the shelf. I'm hoping they rerelase (or reiterate) R2-RNBW at some point so I can get one of those too finally. This one hasn't sold through yet, but it's pretty nifty and arguably worth getting if you need something to get to free shipping. Maybe next year we can get a protocol droid!

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney. For future generations, take note: shipping was about $10 in 2025, so buying it online cost about $25 + tax. Buying it at a theme park probably meant paying for parking. Yes, I think about these things a lot.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,250: June 17, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,227: R2-BNE (Bunny, Holiday Droid Factory)

R2-BNE Hoppy Easter
Star Wars Droid Factory 2025 Spring Droid
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: Bunny ear hat
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: February 2025
Appearances: n/a   

Bio: All different types of astromech droid populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors. This droid can be found in the idyllic plains of Naboo. Join R2-BNE on their adventures throughout the galaxy. May the Force be with you... and your droids! (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Disney's special droids now greatly outnumber Hasbro's output, so if you want a seasonal souvenir you're probably going to be buying a bunch from the house of mouse. The latest offering is R2-BNE, which sold out online in under a week. Clearly, people like rabbit hats. The droid itself is the same mold we've been getting, with a new hat. The web bio says "Artoo's signature colors take on pastel hues and he wears an adorable pair of bunny ears, making him a stellar find in every Easter basket and the cutest way to celebrate the start of spring." The cardback bio indicates they are a separate character. Which will you choose? Probably neither, as it sold out, and you may not have another crack at this one.

This is a pretty good one. Rather than going with green, Disney opted to take a white droid and add both blue and pink to the figure. And it really works. Not necessarily evoking Easter specifically, these colors look a lot like some of the Easter Bunny characters I've seen some other manufacturers over the years. Specifically, the Hallmark/Crayola bunnies from about thirty years ago. (Retro ornament enthusiasts may remember Hallmark's various Easter Ornaments and other collectibles from that era, but I digress.) I don't anticipate a big edition size for this one as seasonal stuff tends to have a pretty short shelf life. Go to the parks if you missed it online, it sold out quickly. Heck, buy two. There will be someone who wants one.

Since it's the first Easter droid, the good news is there's nothing else like it in the toy line. Hasbro hasn't done a lot of pastels, Disney has largely stayed away from pinks and baby blues. The coloring is a little paler than the renders on the cardback, but I assume to most fans it'll look like baby color R2-D2. The figure is mostly a case of what you see being what you get, with one exception - under the dome is a really striking metallic blue color. I was expecting the "guts" underneath to be unpainted or gray, so this was a real surprise. There are also a lot of little details I would have not expected, like pink highlights around the eye and "ankles." I see no indication that anybody pocketed pennies out of the paint budget to make this one.

If you're a droid fanatic, or if this particular color suits you, you're going to want this one. I don't anticipate a ton of Easter figures in the coming years, but who knows? I would've expected a few Valentine's droids by now, and haven't yet seen one. The generous helping of pink mixed with blue really looks great, and I've got a lot of friends who I think will be excited to see this one - or they would be, had it not sold out so quickly.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney as they were offering free shipping. Shipping is presently around $10. Parking at Downtown Disney is also about $10, so short of a clearance find or dumping on eBay I don't expect it to get much better than this. I ordered it February 17, received it February 20, and it was sold out on February 20. If it restocks, better hop on it.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,227: March 27, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,141: R3-RN8W (Pride Collection)

R3-RN8W Pride Collection Disney Exclusive
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $14.99
Availability: May 2024
Appearances: n/a   

Bio: The Disney Pride Collection was created by members of and allies of the LGBTQIA+ community. The Walt Disney Company proudly works with nonprofits throughout the year to support the LGBTQIA+ community globally. (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I missed and am still sore about R2-RNBW, but R3-RN8W is excellent It's colorful, it has a ton of paint applications, and it does a good job of capturing a vest with pins that you may see here and there. The crystal-clear dome uses the R3 one with the nubbin next to the eye, and it looks better than pretty much any R3 unit we've ever had. This is clear. It's absurdly good how much better it looks despite being a mold Disney has been kicking around for over a decade. I'm cranky about the higher price and shipping, but they were willing to put a lot more paint and a lot more color on it so I'll stop whining.

As always, the mold has removable legs and a dome you can pop off - but I've never seen so many colors on a single Disney droid. In addition to the rainbow, you get silver highlights in spots. The black feet and white "legs" look great, and the colorful boxes on a black droid may remind you of a lot of retro (and modern) computing things too - surely fans of the RGB light displays popular in keyboards, or the old Apple logo, or maybe even the colorfully painted Robo-Force toys of old will also appreciate this. Last year's Pride droid wasn't quite as awesome - BB-8 with some more color, meh - as this one. The extra paint around the bottom of the body looks great too, ensuring - I assume - it's another action figure that absolutely any robot toy fan is going to like.

The one thing about the figure I don't get - admittedly, as I am not an expert on the revisions of the colors as they're still evolving - is the color running down the "suspenders" of the figure. I'm not used to seeing a white or silver stripe between blue and purple - I don't know if this is a figure-specific choice or holds other significance, and Google failed to inform me of a revision. As far as I know it's not how the flags normally look, so if anyone knows of a designer desk article or just wants to school me on why the color is that way, I'm all ears. Is it artistic license? I don't know.

I really like this figure and recommend it because it's just so dang great-looking. Maybe next year we can get BB-BLAHAJ.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Shop Disney.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,141: June 11, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,063: BB-YOU (2023 Pride Collection)

BB-YOU Pride Collection Disney Exclusive
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $14.99 $9.98
Availability: May 2023
Appearances: n/a
Bio: In celebration of Pride and the company's Pride collection, The Walt Disney Company is giving funds as part of our ongoing commitment to organizations around the world that support LGBTQ+ communities. (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!    

Commentary: While other Pride droids have been colorful and pretty distinctive BB-YOU is the one I could've missed and not been upset to have missed. At $15 it's a little pricey - it's on clearance now - and it looks like BB-8 was entered in a coloring contest. You can make out various colors from the Pride flag(s) on it, but it's effectively a normal white BB-8 with some minor changes. It's boring - and I've looked at pages and pages of awesome, colorful flags for all sorts of things. There's no reason for these to be dull when they could just have reissued R2-RNBW and made a lot of people happy with zero effort.

 The same mold has been sold for years, so you can put a hat on him, pop the head off, or split him apart to see a weighted silver ball inside. The head turns too, but that's all there is to it. As of right now BB-8 (and friends) feel like the Ewoks as the 1980s went on - the time for this is over, there will be a day in the future will people want BB-8 again, but people are probably very over it and Grogu may not be far behind given his lack of standout mischief on The Mandalorian last season.

Once you get past the significance of a Pride figure, of which there are many better options unless this particular one has specific significance for you, I'd say spend your money on the Astromech set (also on sale) or something else. I'd still buy a BB droid painted like the heart on the packaging - red on top, violet on the bottom, other colors in between - but I don't want another white BB-series droid with color highlights ever again. I've got plenty. I want something else now.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Shop Disney at full price, but as I write this it's on clearance. $10 or under is a fair price for it, $5 really would be ideal given how small the BB figures are.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,063: September 12, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,059: R8 Unit (Purple, 2023 Pride Collection)

R8 UNIT Disney Exclusive
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: Red R2 unit, orange R4 unit, yellow R5 unit, green R6 unit, blue R7 unit, violet R8 unit
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $74.99
Availability: May 2023
Appearances: n/a

Bio: Meet the colorful collection of droids from the Star Wars Pride Collection. Each one of the six detailed R Unit figurines has just rolled off the Droid Factory production line and boasts a different design, creating a special set featuring every color of the rainbow. (Stolen from the marketing copy.) In celebration of Pride and the company's Pride collection, The Walt Disney Company is giving funds as part of our ongoing commitment to organizations around the world that support LGBTQ+ communities. (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!   

Commentary: I believe this R8 Unit not only rounds out the Pride Collection set, but is also the first-ever R8-series droid available outside the theme parks too. There have been a handful of them you could put together with parts from bins, but this is the only time you could get a prebuilt one in a box so far. As a post-original trilogy Expanded Universe droid, it's technically not canon, but I guess we haven't seen another R8 droid design so it isn't not not cannon either just yet.

This might be one of the nicest colorways of this boxed set. The light purple body, darker purple head, and bluish purple highlights really stand out nicely. Nothing blends in, and you can see lots of details like a black "eye" with a silver ring to make it dance, red lights on the side of the dome, lots of purple details, silver greeblies, and just a whole heck of a lot more love seems to have been put into this one. It also looks like an Easter egg. But hey, Star Wars can use more color.

This figure reused the R7-style body which is a nice change of pace from the typical R2-D2 body. The two main legs have rolling wheels and jointed ankles, with a removable third leg that has a wheel. The wheels don't do much - he would probably skid across the desk with no wheels about as well as he rolls with them. If this were a carded figure, I'd suggest getting it. Little details like the quasi-checkerboard pattern on top of the dome, the big silver sensor on the "face," and the distinctive colors make this stand out in a collection of hundreds of droids. It's still in stock as of my writing this, so hopefully you got yours by now.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Shop Disney.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,059: August 29, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,055: R7 Unit (Blue, 2023 Pride Collection)

R7 UNIT Disney Exclusive
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: Red R2 unit, orange R4 unit, yellow R5 unit, green R6 unit, blue R7 unit, violet R8 unit
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $74.99
Availability: May 2023
Appearances: n/a

Bio: Meet the colorful collection of droids from the Star Wars Pride Collection. Each one of the six detailed R Unit figurines has just rolled off the Droid Factory production line and boasts a different design, creating a special set featuring every color of the rainbow. (Stolen from the marketing copy.) In celebration of Pride and the company's Pride collection, The Walt Disney Company is giving funds as part of our ongoing commitment to organizations around the world that support LGBTQ+ communities. (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now! 

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: If you're feeling blue, this R7 Unit is just the thing. Granted, you may have blue ones already as there have been quite a few R7 units over the years, very, very few have been sold pre-assembled outside those parts bins at the theme park. Thanks for it being a "newer" droid design, it doesn't have the same body as the R2, R4, R5, and $6. It does, however, seem to borrow the same basic feel in terms of being a color with lighter and darker painted highlights.

Since I assume most of you don't have any R7 droids - to date, they've been available as "bin parts" at Disney theme parks or as build-a-droids in Hasbro figures back in 2008 - this is probably worth your while. The droid model dates way back to the early 1990s, but they weren't exactly massive influence on what we would come to call the "Expanded Universe" by the end of the 1990s. (A term coined by Kenner! Toys shape the franchise, folks.) The three legs are effectively the same parts as Disney's other droids, while the body and dome are distinctive - and also Hasbro creations. There are some light blue highlights on the dome and body, plus some dark blue shadows painted on that almost blend in to the plastic. I really love the light blue panel lines in the dome's grooves, the red light on the face, and the silver highlights. I wish the contrast was a little more intense, but it's still good. It's a droid that doesn't look like any of the other R7 units, and as far as I know, I have them all.

 With subtle light blue on the side of the legs, Disney designers did a nice job making a set that - collectively - read as "PRIDE" while individually fitting in as part of the Star Wars toy universe. These look like they belong in your collection if you're a fan, regardless of who you are as a person. Do you like droids? You'll like these droids. I'd love to see R2-RNBW reissued (so I can get one) or other multi-color robots based on the various flags because let me tell you, they're pretty great. Assuming no groups take offense to it, I hope they keep making more droids colored to match the many flags out there because frankly, they're pretty brilliant designs (and you gotta take inspiration from somewhere.) It's still available as I write this in August. It was even on sale at one point, I assume due to the fact that a $75 figure set is a tough sell when it's not based on a specific on-screen character. But let me assure you, it's a nice set.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Shop Disney.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,055: August 15, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,051: R6 Unit (Green/Teal, 2023 Pride Collection)

R6 UNIT Disney Exclusive
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: Red R2 unit, orange R4 unit, yellow R5 unit, green R6 unit, blue R7 unit, violet R8 unit
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $74.99
Availability: May 2023
Appearances: n/a

Bio: Meet the colorful collection of droids from the Star Wars Pride Collection. Each one of the six detailed R Unit figurines has just rolled off the Droid Factory production line and boasts a different design, creating a special set featuring every color of the rainbow. (Stolen from the marketing copy.) In celebration of Pride and the company's Pride collection, The Walt Disney Company is giving funds as part of our ongoing commitment to organizations around the world that support LGBTQ+ communities. (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now! 

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: While not something you saw on screen until Disney began to mine the non-film source material for convincingly authentic designs, this green R6 Unit makes use of a mold that Disney has been using at its theme parks in some form or another for over a decade now. Maybe it's more teal than green - but it's nice, and the body uses the same basic paint masks as the other "R2" body droids in this set. You'll recognize lighter seafoam green panels, darker metallic panels, and some red, black, and silver bits. While it's meant to look like the Pride Flag, it has the benefit of being ultra-inclusive because fans can look at this and say "hey, I can stick that in a playset or shelf diorama" and it fits without looking out of place. That's a tough achievement.

You can mix-and-match parts with other figures if you like, but I want to keep it as-is. The panels are mostly cleanly painted, coloring in the lines with certain panels popping nicely. I bet the R6 donme would look better with some more color around the big black eye, but we don't always get what we want. There are wheels, the dome swivels, the ankles are articulated, and you can even pop out the third leg. It's weird to say "it doesn't do anything special" as praise, but at least it doesn't fall over, or not fit together. It just works. It delivers the experience you expect at a price that, while higher than some droids, isn't dreadful.

What's funny is after I wrote that sentence and lowered my left hand on the desk next to my keyboard, it was enough to knock the Han Solo (Endor, no trenchcoat) figure right over despite my only lightly touching the desk between sentences. There's something to be said about the stability of three legs, in a charming color, on a character where unusual non-movie color variants make all the sense in the world. My hat goes off to Disney for a set well-done. I lob a lot of complaints at the regime but I think this is a product they basically got right - and I hope that you can get one if you want one. (It's still available as I write this in July.)

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Shop Disney. Also happy anniversary, me - I started writing a Star Wars newsletter online on AOL (and later, the rest of the web) on August 1, 1995. Why am I still doing this.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,051: August 1, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,047: R5 Unit (Yellow, 2023 Pride Collection)

R5 UNIT Disney Exclusive
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: Red R2 unit, orange R4 unit, yellow R5 unit, green R6 unit, blue R7 unit, violet R8 unit
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $74.99
Availability: May 2023
Appearances: n/a

Bio: In celebration of Pride and the company's Pride collection, The Walt Disney Company is giving funds as part of our ongoing commitment to organizations around the world that support LGBTQ+ communities. (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now! 

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: If you want a R5 Unit that matches your old Game Boy Donkey Kong Land cartridges, this is it. Despite being famous for being red - or white, with red markings - this one is more or less a banana yellow. And in 2023, I offer it some of the greatest praise I can get after writing up over 3,000 action figures: it's different from what I've already got.

It's worth noting that the Pride Collection boxed set has four droids using the basic "R2" body, all of which follow the same template but in different colors. The darker panels are the same across all the bodies, but in different colors - as are the light ones, and the silver ones. In some cases the coloring is so subtle, you may miss it - there are indeed dark yellow panels here, but in the right lighting it's almost impossible to make them out. The painted sides of his legs also closely match the plastic, showing that they didn't take any shortcuts - but sometimes, you may not get credit for the work and the money you put in to something. It basically looks like a big yellow droid, which is enough to make me fairly happy.

The R5 dome looks like a 1980s kitchen accessory. The head uses light and dark paint to look like some sort of lemon wedge platter, and I am here for it. The eyes are painted black, with painted red and yellow indicators nearby. There are even silver struts on the side of the dome, plus a yellow interior under the head if you pop the noggin off. Disney did a nice job here.

While I still have some issue with the cost of a set of repaints that have been molds in circulation for over a decade, they're nice, it's for a good cause, and they stand out from other droids you've already purchased. While they still have the wheels in the feet, I would've loved a special accessory or hat in the box - although I suppose that could be tough to pull off correctly, other than maybe droid-size rainbow Mickey Mouse ears, which actually would be pretty cool. Get on that, Disney. And if you love droids, you should probably get this set before they sell out and someone carves them up to sell individually at a higher fee on eBay.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Shop Disney.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,047: July 18, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,043: R4 Unit (Orange, 2023 Pride Collection)

R4 UNIT Disney Exclusive
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: Red R2 unit, orange R4 unit, yellow R5 unit, green R6 unit, blue R7 unit, violet R8 unit
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $74.99
Availability: May 2023
Appearances: n/a
Bio: Meet the colorful collection of droids from the Star Wars Pride Collection. Each one of the six detailed R Unit figurines has just rolled off the Droid Factory production line and boasts a different design, creating a special set featuring every color of the rainbow. (Stolen from the marketing copy.) In celebration of Pride and the company's Pride collection, The Walt Disney Company is giving funds as part of our ongoing commitment to organizations around the world that support LGBTQ+ communities. (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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Commentary: I'll take your orange robot. This R4 Unit looks a little weird because the central eye is orange instead of black. It's not the first orange R4 unit, but it's certainly the first one that's totally orange. Long-term droid fans will remember R4-A22 [FOTD #37, you're welcome] but that one came form the movies and wasn't quite so colorful. Sometimes you want bright colors that will melt the cornea, and brother, you've got it this time.

 I like the candy-like bright colors because it's the kind of thing you're going to need to do if you're making hundreds of droid figures. There's no subtlety in this orange flavored robot - the body and all three legs are a bright orange, with a slightly darker orange dome and a smattering of painted details. Orange R4's body seems to use the same paint masks (but different colors) when compared to his siblings, meaning some of his instrument panels are light while others are dark. The legs have silver and dark orange enhancements, while the dome has some light orange panels to match a few of his various panels.

As always you can swap parts with other build-a-droid/Droid Factory parts to mix up the colors if you like. I love how weird it looks, although I also admit that we've probably got more than enough R2 units and not nearly enough vehicles or playsets to use them. I like this set a lot for many reasons, but at this point Disney could probably make good money selling some sort of tiered display units for these guys too now that we've had so many of them. I recommend it if you like Pride stuff, or orange robots, or I bet they'll also match the old iMac colors pretty nicely too.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Shop Disney.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,043: July 4, 2023