Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,075: R7-FNG

R7-FNG Droid Cosplay
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Comes apart, glows in the dark
Retail: $14.99
Availability: August 2022
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 is optimized to function in the dark and desolate environment of Exogol and its underlying threat. Join R7-FNG 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 Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!   

Commentary: I got R7-FNG last year and, like many toys due to the abundance being released, he just sat. He's a nice droid! The vampire-themed fellow isn't too expensive, and has a quasi-waistcoat design as well as faux fangs, the semi-widow's-peak, and a glow-in-the-dark painted dome. The story about it being from Exogol is a funny stretch, but so is the design. I can't imagine Palpatine cultists painting little mouths with fangs on their droids, but it does seem like something I might consider doing. So I'm for it.

Molded in purple with a teal dome painted glow, it's an appealing design with little foot boots. I like the fact that they capture the feel of Dracula without going after any specific incarnation. You can pick out spooky elements of numerous incarnations of the character, some of which I've seen on LEGO figures or Playmobil or in the movies - what matters is he reads as the undead. Or I guess maybe Domo-kun, with the mouth. The painted detail is pretty good - it's not as ornate as what Hasbro does with its Christmas The Black Series line, but that means the Disney droids have a slightly better chance of blending in with your dioramas. I could see this guy as being an off-camera Droids extra, for example.

I really wish they opted to cast the dome in glow plastic instead of teal with glow paint. As you know, because you're all good smart people, glow paint is always weaker than glow plastic. Depending on who you asks, glow plastic may or may not cost more - I'm not sure who to believe, or if the factories are fleecing some people and not others, or what. It's a weird business - but a little glow is better than no glow. The black cap looks vaguely liked slicked-back hair, which is also pretty nice. It's the kind of robot that would make Simon Belmont nervous.

For a $15 seasonal and discontinued droid, he's about $20-$25 as of my writing this. That's actually a pretty fair price - consider tax, shipping, and someone having to drive to the post office. I'd say get one if you have a vampire toy collection, or like distinctively weird purple droids with glowing domes. That should be all of you. You can also skip this one due to it not being in any of the movies or TV shows, if you like, but $15 on a wacky seasonal figure once or twice a year isn't a lot of money for me to spend. It's not like $200 for a batch of 6-inch guys within a 45 day window. Sometimes less is more - and I appreciate Disney keeping it light and easier with droids these days.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney with a help from a friend. Thanks Shannon!

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,075: October 24, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,071: R7-TN0

R7-TN0 Droid Cosplay
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $14.99 $10.98
Availability: May 2022
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 is optimized to function in the idyllic and lush world of Kiros among the local artisans. Join R7-TN0 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 Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!   

Commentary: I got R7-TN0 last year and it's one of sadly very many figures not opened for a very long time. I ripped it open about a month ago and checked eBay to see what it's going for... and apparently it's $80 now. What the heck, man? That's pretty pricey for a weird concept. Disney seemingly said "let's make droids colored to match popular characters," which is what we've seen for Christmas and Halloween for years. It doesn't seem like the concept had a lot of traction at Disney, and Hasbro did a couple of similar character-themed droids that matched their style, if not their actual appearance. Also there's a swell Stan Solo B0-B4 [FOTD #2,958] that looks like a Kenner Boba Fett. It's actually kind of a brilliant idea - R2-D2, to match characters? You can make a new droid, while kids can see a figure and go "I want the Ahsoka robot!" Everybody wins here.

This particular droid mimics the Rebels-era Ahsoka pretty nicely. The dome and shoulders mimic her skin, with some white stripes on the legs that sort of nod to her head markings and white panel lines that recall her armored costume. There are white stripes on the feet which I assume have no significance, but maybe they're here to match her white lightsabers. The big central orange eye looks great, and the gray dome topper vaguely recalls the former Jedi's head, with a surprising amount of painted panels around the orange dome. This one looks more complicated in terms of paint when compared to other figures, and while I am not pleased with the rising costs on old molds based on old molds that have been repainted dozens of times I can't deny they did nice work here.

I like this one enough where I could see Hasbro or Disney doing an entire line of astromech repaints to match other popular characters - it's a little silly, but so is this entire hobby. I paid a lot for a Boba R2-D2. I'd probably throw down more than a few bucks for an R2 unit in Sy Snootles or Chewbacca colors, too. If you can find this one for a reasonable price, I'd recommend it as it looks like something you'd see on-screen while also being a blatant nod to a main character. It's a superbly clever idea and I think the designer should get a pat on the back... and assignment to do a lot more of them.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney with a help from a friend.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,071: October 10, 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 2,172: R7-Series Astromech Droid White and Blue

R7-SERIES ASTROMECH DROID White Dome with Blue Markings and "Coin Slot"
Star Tours   Droid Factory Customizable Figure
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Head, 2 legs, torso, central third leg, optional hat
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $12.99
Availability: May 2015
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: These figures do not have specific packaging or configurations.  As such, we will be treating each dome as a unique "figure" as that part is the most plentiful.   There were 25 domes in the 2012 series and 25 domes in the 2015 batch so far.  While Hasbro had said they didn't design the first batch, they included Hasbro copyrights.  This batch does not - markings read "© DISNEY" and "© LFL" as well as "China" on each leg.

Image: Adam's photo dump.

Commentary:  Here's another one!  The R7-Series Astromech Droid is delightfully weird, and seemingly exists to match up with the R2-D2 colored parts.  He shares the same legs, but the torso and dome best match up as a pairing.  I have no idea what the designers were shooting for here, as I am not particularly well-versed with droids from non-visual sources.  Could it be from a book?  Maybe!  I didn't see them all, but I will say it's pretty neat.  The rocket-shaped area between R7's legs is, um, certainly interesting and now perhaps you can't unsee it either.   The head is mostly white, with a dark blue wedge that has a white "coin slot" on top not unlike a bank.  It's strange - we haven't seen anything else like it on one of these droid toys yet.  It's something new - real new, with red and black and silver markings in a pattern we didn't have as a toy before.  I love it.

The body of this configuration was indeed retooled.  The lower holes on the body were removed, so you can't make a four-armed droid anymore.  The white plastic R7 body has a blue... uh... he's happy to see you.  I guess you could also say it's a giant "A", but... I don't know, man.  I feel I've seen Rainbow Randolph make cookies like this.   The back of the body has a black collar which goes all away around the body, plus a series of blue painted panels.   Parts which you might expect to be painted silver on both the front and back are unpainted, a departure for this kind of droid mold.  Those vents and bars are typically silver.  With added blue and black panels on the bottom of the body near the central third leg, it's certainly very different than the others.

Like the other legs, the new "universal leg" returns here without the wires to make it obvious where the front or the back is.  Silver "toe" panels on the front give it a little personality, but it still lacks the dots and rods on the upper part of the limb and features retooled copyright information to excise any indication of these being Hasbro products.  As such, I say it's debatable if these are Hasbro, Hasbro-compatible, or what.

The central white foot for this (and all the other) colors is now unpainted, while the 2012 batch had silver markings around the bottom of the foot.

As this is an uncommon droid mold with a totally new paint job, you have to get it.  Because the paint job may inspire the giggles, you're only hurting yourself by skipping it.

Collector's Notes: I got this from my pal Shannon who was cool enough to get me a set from Disneyland.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,172 August 7, 2015

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,150: R7-Series Astromech Droid Gold

R7-SERIES ASTROMECH DROID Gold Dome with Silver and Red Markings
Star Tours   Droid Factory Customizable Figure
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Head, 2 legs, torso, central third leg, optional hat
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $12.99
Availability: April 2015
Appearances: n/a

Bio: These figures do not have specific packaging or configurations.  As such, we will be treating each dome as a unique "figure" as that part is the most plentiful.   There were 25 domes in the first 2012 series and 11 domes in the 2015 batch.  While Hasbro had said they didn't design the first batch, they included Hasbro copyrights.  This batch does not - markings read "© DISNEY" and "© LFL" as well as "China" on each leg.

Image: Adam's photo dump.

Commentary: And here we are again.   The mix-and-match nature of this line has resulted in some droids very specifically modeled after movie-specific robots, and others that don't seem to be based on anything.  The R7-Series Astromech Droid is back and has only one with a golden dome.  Interestingly, there's no specific matching R7 body for this one at press time - but there are new blue bodies as well as black-and-white bodies.   The dome seems a poor fit on most of the various body units, so I asked my mule pal Shannon to snag me the black-and-white body.  (I should note, it looks good on the R3-S6 body if not necessarily canonical in its configuration.)  The dome itself looks like a beer bottle of some sort, molded in gold plastic with white and red highlights.   It's a weird deco that looks like a bootleg, and that's how I likes it.  The manufacturer's decision to take a dull gold plastic and paint it gold makes it look amazing, although whenever you apply white paint to a dark color plastic it tends to look a little bloated.  As bloat goes, this one looks good - but it still looks like you expertly put White-Out on the thing.  As far as I can tell, the dome was not retooled.

 

The body of this configuration was indeed retooled.  The lower holes on the body were removed, so you can't make a four-armed droid anymore.  The white plastic body has silver and black markings, most of which are painted well.  This sample is a little off on the rectangles on his left-hand side, but there's still a lot of silver to appreciate.    The back of the body is similarly decorated with a ton of black and silver paint - few of the other figures have quite this much deco.   It's not plain, I'll tell you that.

Each leg is new - actually, it's only one leg.   Disney had issues keeping enough matching right and left legs during the 2012 run, so I'm sort of happy that they found a clever solution to the issue.  Each foot has been redesigned so it's the same on the front and the back.  It combines elements from both the front and the back of the feet of the first ones, while retaining the wheels and dropping the wires.  As such it isn't perfect, but it's pretty good.  This pair of legs is white plastic with yellow and silver highlights.  I should also note that the arm was retooled so that the "rod" and "dots" on each arm have been removed and the "shoulder" has been smoothed out.

The central white foot for this (and all the other) colors is now unpainted, while the 2012 batch had silver markings around the bottom of the foot.  It's hard to see, so squint.

Overall this configuration is a damned mess - and I asked for it because it's what someone else sent.  After futzing with the parts in wave 2, I can't say this head really looks good on this body - it looks way better with the black and gold body.   Ah well.   I'd say if you're looking to cut back, skip this one - the previous versions were a lot nicer, and this is probably the weakest dome of the wave.   It's certainly unique, but it really does make you wish you  had a gold torso to go with it.  Were this released in wave 1 I'd probably give it more praise, but now that we're close to 40 of the theme park build-a-droids it's easier to say "weird enough to buy, but too weird for your dioramas."

Collector's Notes: I got this from my pal Shannon who was cool enough to get me a set from Disneyland.  This is the only R7 droid in the first 2015 assortment.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,150: May 12, 2015

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,032: R7-Series Astromech Droid Yellow

R7-SERIES ASTROMECH DROID Yellow Dome with Silver and Red Markings
Star Tours Droid Factory Customizable Figure
Item No.: No. ???
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Head, 2 legs, torso, central third leg, optional hat
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $10-$12
Availability: 2012
Appearances: n/a

Bio: These figures do not have specific packaging or configurations.  As such, we will be treating each dome as a unique "figure" as that part is the most plentiful.   At this time there are 25 domes and while Hasbro sometimes seems to indicate they are not Hasbro product, they do have Hasbro copyright markings and as such we are classifying them under the Hasbro banner.

Image: Adam's photo hole.

Commentary: 100%-derived Expanded Universe astromechs have been increasingly common since 2006, and this R7-Series Astromech Droid is spawned from a design which first hit plastic back in 2008.   The body and dome are similar to Hasbro's R7 droids from that era, but R7 legs were not sold at the Disney theme parks.   As such, it's unique in that the coloration is across the board different than what you would've purchased in 2008, which was a black dome with more of a green-tinted yellowish-marked body.

The yellow/orange dome looks great, and it's pretty unique in the world of droid collecting.  R5-A2 is somewhat similar in color, and unless I'm forgetting one none of the R2 units have come out with this color yet.  (The dome in Yoda's Attack Fighter is sort of close.)   I really like how this one pops, the yellow paint surrounding the triangular red eye is fantastic, and the silver lines just sort of fade into the background.   Star Wars is not generally known for its bright and chipper colors, with few exceptions, so figures like these are more likely to pop on your shelf than, say, another white-armored trooper.  It's unfortunate that the figure is so hard to come by, but I will say it's one I'd probably have shelled out for had I not been able to get one through conventional means, i.e. kicking and screaming and begging and pleading with people who are no doubt scared of the man-child.

Collector's Notes: I checked eBay when I was writing this, and this build was available - bundled with a purple R3 droid - for about $33 shipped.  I consider this to be an overwhelmingly reasonable price.   The heat seems to be leaving the droids a bit on the secondary market, so if you can get one for $20 delivered (or less) it's a pretty good deal.  I know they sell for $12 at Disney World.  I realize this isn't cheap.  But when  you factor in things like a) admission to Disney Hollywood Studios, b) parking at said theme park, and c) travel to that part of Florida, a $10 per figure "convenience fee" is actually not at all bad.   If more droids come out in this line, and I hope they don't, I'd be delighted to get away with only having to pay an average of $22 per robot rather than having to network or worse, actually travel to Florida.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,032: March 28, 2013

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,998: Yellow R7-Series Astromech Droid

R7-SERIES ASTROMECH DROID Black Dome with Silver and Yellow Markings
Star Tours Droid Factory Customizable Figure
Item No.: No. ???
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Head, 2 legs, torso, central third leg, optional hat
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $10-$12
Availability: 2012
Appearances: n/a

Bio: These figures do not have specific packaging or configurations.  As such, we will be treating each dome as a unique "figure" as that part is the most plentiful.   At this time there are 25 domes and while Hasbro sometimes seems to indicate they are not Hasbro product, they do have Hasbro copyright markings and as such we are classifying them under the Hasbro banner.

Image: Adam's photo hole.

Commentary: Another figure that seems like an existing release at first, R7-Series Astromech Droid is similar to a figure you may have built... but not.  The yellow is yellower, the big red eye pops nicely, and the black dome really works well with the silver details running around it.  I plopped mine on a yellow R7 body, and boy howdy do I like it!  Articulation is normal - 5 points, but hey, we're buying these because we have obsessive lust for droids, not because we want high-grade collectibles.

2008's R7-Z0 is a slightly greener, easier to find, and more robust substitute for this one. (It even included "arm rockets.")  R7-Z0 has a few more painted spots on the dome too, but it's also yellowish green.  This baby is pure yellow.  I really like this figure and at $10, in a normal retail space, would suggest you buy one.  With the Disney Tax it's tougher to wholeheartedly recommend... but as the previous several hundred days may have shown you, I do not make sensible decisions when it comes to my action figure purchases.

Collector's Notes:  This item was a customizable release at Disney Hollywood Studios in Orlando, and you can configure them any way you wish.  In theory. You have to be in Orlando first.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,998: February 8, 2013

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,979: Blue R7 Series Astromech Droid

R7-SERIES ASTROMECH DROID Silver Dome with Blue Panels
Star Tours Droid Factory Customizable Figure
Item No.: No. ???
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Head, 2 legs, torso, central third leg, optional hat
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $10-$12
Availability: 2012
Appearances: n/a

Bio: These figures do not have specific packaging or configurations.  As such, we will be treating each dome as a unique "figure" as that part is the most plentiful.   At this time there are 25 domes and while Hasbro sometimes seems to indicate they are not Hasbro product, they do have Hasbro copyright markings and as such we are classifying them under the Hasbro banner.

Image: Adam's photo hole.  Oh, and I'm assuming you'll build this figure exactly as I did this time.

Commentary: At first glance, you probably think that the R7-Series Astromech Droid is just 2008's R7-T1.  Nope!   Despite a number of superficial similarities, Disney's version of the R7 in blue is much, much bluer.  A brownish color covered many of the panels on Hasbro's 2008 release, while this new one is pretty much all blue.  Also, the legs are R2-D2-style legs, not the R7 legs with the rockets coming out of the side.  The greenish lights on the dome are now red, and the blue is closer to R2-D2's in color.  I really like this version a lot more than the one which was parted out in 2008, but since it's harder to get it's all up to you if it's worth sucking it up and paying the Disney tax to get it.  At first glance the droids are exactly the same, but a side-by-side comparison reveals the bluer and therefore brighter look of the 2012 release.

Collector's Notes:  This item was a customizable release at Disney Hollywood Studios in Orlando, and you can configure them any way you wish.  Any way other than this way is, of course, wrong.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,979: January 14, 2013

Figure of the Day: Day 1,159: R7-Z0

R7-Z0 Astromech Droid
The Legacy Collection Droid Factory
Item No.: Asst. 87730
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a, parts are accessories which come with other figures
Action Feature: Collect the parts to build R7-T0
Retail: n/a
Availability: July 2008
Appearances: n/a

Bio: R7-Z0 was an R7-series astromech droid which was primarily colored white with a black dome and yellow-green access panels. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam's TV tray.

Commentary: There's little to no backstory for the droid R7-Z0, but at least he looks pretty cool. The first-ever R7 droid toy came out in 2008, and the design was indeed refreshing. the unique dome has ridges and ribs on it, plus a big and almost triangular eye. The body was redesigned with a whole suite of new panels, unlike the shared body type used in nearly every other astromech droid to date. With greenish yellow markings and a big red eye, it definitely stands out on a shelf, but isn't nearly as ornate as the repaint of this figure, R7-T1.

The figure, after assembly, has all the articulation you'd expect on a droid of this scale. The dome twists, the legs and ankles move, and the third leg can come off if it's getting in the way. Also, each leg has a plug-in rocket, much like R2-D2 in the prequels. It's a pretty good design overall, and it's great to see Hasbro finally make these little guys. It seems unlikely we'll see repaints of the R7 build-a-droid mold in the near future, but hey, at least these are still out there for those who are interested. It's also worth noting that, again as far as I can tell, this droid has not made any appearances outside a guide book as a line art illustration.

Collector's Notes: This figure's parts were available in July of 2008 with select figures like Ak-Rev, Bane Malar, Darth Vader, and Yarna D'al' Gargan, some of which may still be easily available at a store near you. Probably not Darth Vader, though.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,159: November 23, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 861: R7-T1

R7-T1 Astromech Droid
The Legacy Collection Droid Factory
Item No.: Asst. 87730
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a, parts are accessories which come with other figures
Action Feature: Collect the parts to build R7-T1
Retail: n/a
Availability: July 2008
Appearances: Star Wars

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelves.

Bio: R7-T1, nicknamed Artee, served as Luke Skywalker's in-flight astromech droid when the Jedi Master borrowed an E-wing escort starfighter from the New Republic Defense Force for a brief time during the Black Fleet Crisis. However, Skywalker never became comfortable with either the new starfighter design or the newer-model droid, and soon abandoned them in favor of his usual T-65 X-wing starfighter and his old friend and trusty astromech droid, R2-D2. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Commentary: If you don't recognize R7-T1, that's a good thing. As far as I can tell, this is the first licensed visual representation of the small robot. Based on the same mold used to make R7-Z0, this droid has what I consider to be a fantastic paint job. Just look at it-- it's like some crazy R2-D2 concept born of the 1980s. He has fairly average articulation for an astromech droid, and his parts are completely swappable with all other build-a-droid figures released (or that I've played with) thus far. He's much more colorful and vibrant than the other droids released so far this year, and he looks like he might fit right at home in some sort of diorama. Or maybe in a droid socket. Basically, this is a figure you're going to get because you collect everything and because you love droids-- it's going to take some effort to put him together, especially as there's only one of him in every wave 2 case, and you have to buy four figures to get it. There's really not much to say other than you already know if you want this one or not-- I'm the kind of person who does, for many reasons. It's neat to look at, it's weird, and apparently it belongs to Luke. How much better can a weirdo new droid get?

Collector's Notes: Shipping in limited quantities with wave 2 of The Legacy Collection, you have two options to get this figure. One, collect the four figures listed below with the correct parts (be sure to ask before you buy). Two, buy a complete loose one on eBay. The going rate seems to be about $10-$15 for a complete one, with individual pieces going for a buck or two each. (After shipping, it'll add up.) Buying the droid at retail will set you back $28-$32 before taxes, so if you're going to pay $15-$20 on eBay you may be best served just buying the four individual figures. And sending me your spare Quarren Soliders and Mon Calamari Warriors. Trust me, they'll be happy at my place.

Assembly Notes: These are the parts you need and, at press time, the figures you need to get them:
Dome & center leg: Quarren Soldier #BD15
Body: Mon Calamari Warrior #BD14
Left leg: Padme Amidala #BD12
Right leg: Saesee Tiin #BD11

--Adam Pawlus

Day 861: October 1, 2008