Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,116: R3-Series Astromech Droid Clear with Orange

R3-SERIES ASTROMECH DROID Clear Dome with Orange and Silver Markings looks like R3-A2
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: Head, 2 legs, torso, central third leg, optional hat
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $12.99
Availability: Fall 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. This batch does not have Hasbro on them - markings read "© DISNEY" and "© LFL" as well as "China" on each leg. (Taken from the packaging)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I'm slowly going through pegs of unopened figures and I cringe that this R3-Series Astromech Droid with a clear dome and orange panels has been sitting since 2015. But that speaks to the very real glut - I can open a few figures a week, every week, and not hit the end of this very long collection. I'm glad Disney stopped making new figures for its customizable build-a-figure bins, instead focusing on a larger and more expensive product. That's a pretty good example of where the industry is going these days - nobody wants to make money selling value-priced figures. They want to sell $30 or $50 or $80 figures. This one was only $13.

Mine has the only orange body for sale at the time, which was an R7 body. Sadly, this body hasn't shown up in the movies yet, but I'm hopeful. There are more angled parts and a lot more paint than usual, with nice white highlights popping (but absorbing some of the silver.) It looks good in a dimmer display too, and the white panels match the white feet pretty nicely. The exterior legs have jointed feet, with all three having articulated wheels. As with the other bin figures, you can pop them apart at the bottom foot, the dome, and the arms.

What makes this figure stand out is the dome, with glossy orange panels and a silver box around the central black eye. Hasbro's orange domes typically have an unpainted box around that eye, and when Hasbro did a Droid Depot R3-Series Astromech Droid [FOTD #2,732] figure for Target it had an orange box around the eye. That makes this one distinctive - also note the red light below the eye, and a couple of silver greeblies. Also note there's a hole in the top of his dome for a hat peg. At most angles, it blends in to the clear plastic quite nicely (but looking at it straight-on, it's quite obvious.) Depending on your point of view, this figure may be just different enough to make you mad. But we've got over 200 astromech droid figures which means we're well past the point of a sane, sensible collection here unless your focus is droids exclusively.

 Having said that, there are two Hasbro R3-A2 figures that also feature clear domes with orange highlights on mostly white bodies. That may be preferable for you, but they're all priced similarly. The advice I would give you - and not take - is that you don't need every last astromech droid variant out there as you have plenty of orange R3 alternatives.

As I write this, I see two people selling this exact build on eBay. One is $35, one is $60. I wouldn't pay $60, but it's a cute figure and I like orange things. If you don't have too many droids, whatever your definition of that is, this is a perfectly nice figure and I think $35 for a theme park exclusive that's nearly 10 years old is a steal. If you disagree, you are bad at math. Parking at Disneyland, tax, and shipping adds up fast so even if you could just run in to grab it and leave, you probably couldn't get one for $35. If you're collecting a lot of these guys, though, try buying them in a lot or as part of a larger collection to get the per-figure price down.

Collector's Notes: I got mine in 2015 and I am actually not sure how long these parts were made in the bins. I got this from my pal Shannon who was cool enough to get me a set from Disneyland.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,116: March 14, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,110: R4-Series Astromech Droid Black with Silver

R4-SERIES ASTROMECH DROID Black Dome with Red and Silver Markings looks like R4-I9
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: Head, 2 legs, torso, central third leg, optional hat
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $12.99
Availability: Fall 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 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. (Taken from the packaging)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I've had this R4-Series Astromech Droid with black dome and silver markings for so long... I forgot what wave it was from. I have a pegboard of unopened figures to review and I've been alternating between Vintage, Black Series, Disney Droid Factory, and Retro figures - and I noticed this on the back of a peg, covered in dust, hanging there for almost nine years. Hasbro has released so many action figures that I've been reviewing anywhere from 2 to 5 per week for almost 18 years, and if they stopped making new ones tomorrow I could probably fill this site for a few more years. It stands as a testament to just how much longevity this line has, but also, how overwhelming it is. It's arguably inaccessible to new fans now, with figures like the "parts bin droids" requiring you to have been at a certain place at a certain time to be aware they existed so you can reference the few online guides to parts. They don't have specific names or official configurations either. If you want this exact droid, you cobbled it together through little parts bins at a theme park. You may not be able to find it on eBay as you see it here, and you may have to buy multiple figures to put it together.

Each one was made of as many parts as you decided to cobble together - a dome, two legs, a middle foot, a body, and an optional hat. They were $12.99, which wasn't cheap by the standards of the day when you could get a Hasbro figure for about (or under) ten bucks. Today, you can't get much of anything for under $17. It's less of a collectible than it is a souvenir to delight children with a custom-made memory of their visit to a magical place... while vexing adults who want a complete set without even knowing what the complete set truly was.

This particular R4 dome looks a lot like R4-I9 [FOTD #996] from 2003, which appeared as the only genuinely new figure in a Toys R Us exclusive gift set. Disney keeps the silver trapezoid outlines on the black dome and the silver band around the base, making it look fundamentally identical - but it's not. This is a different mold, with different proportions and a hole in the top so he can wear a hat. You probably won't be able to tell that from the photos, though. The Hasbro R4-I9 had a body with silver panels. Disney did not offer that color of part in its bins - the black body there had orange panels with some silver accoutrements, so you couldn't replicate the other droid at the time. Instead, you get something new with bright silver on the outer parts of his feet and lots of colorful dots on the cord-free legs which results in a distinctive figure for which there is no backstory. You make the story here.

Back when the parts bins first came out, I had a collecting crisis when I was faced with a lack of legs - which Disney later "fixed" by having a leg serve as both right and left, dropping critical parts from them. It's efficient, but also a bit sad... and over 100 Disney droids later, I may be droided out. It could be old age - I've been writing about Star Wars toys online since 1995 - but I can't muster a lot of enthusiasm about this one now. It's a good figure. The paint is clean, the design is good, and the parts I got all go together nicely with a bonus silly top hat. If you can get this figure, it is a treat, it feels like a nice product and has aged incredibly well with no squeaky parts or other unpleasantness from the passing of time. The only thing going against it is that there are so many figures - no new fan is going to be able to collect them all, or even know what they missed as there's no complete, definitive guide to everything. With few playsets or vehicles, droids like this serve less of a function beyond "collectible." A couple of very similar builds on eBay go for about $25-$30, with others seemingly declining in price - perhaps due to the obscurity of the line and lack of names. If you missed out on bin droids, I suggest you go to eBay now and start browsing. Given inflation, being able to purchase these well-made figures for $20-$30 may be an exciting prospect for those who missed them over the past decade and change.

Collector's Notes: I got mine in 2015 and I am actually not sure how long these parts were made in the bins. I got this from my pal Shannon who was cool enough to get me a set from Disneyland.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,110: February 22, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,861: R/-Series Astromech Droid White with Purple Panels (2015 Edition)

R9-SERIES ASTROMECH DROID White Dome with Purple 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: May 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: Not every figure can be amazing, but at least they can be neat. This white and purple R9-Series Astromech Droid takes a droid that may or may not qualify as canonical - I don't believe this style of dome has made any appearances outside guide books, novels, or other pre-Disney reference materials - but at least it stands out.

The is the same purple body you've seen here before - purple plastic with silver and purple trim! It looks perfectly nice, but not nearly as ornate as what we've had since its release a whopping six years ago. The colors go nicely with one another and it's a perfectly good base for a souvenir robot. I particularly like some off the added purple metallic paint near the dome, which serves no purpose other than looking cool.


The dome is what makes it interesting - it's white, with some purple panels. There are little painted purple staple-like markings around the dome, plus a black eye and some silver and red elements. There's not much too it. Back in 2015 (and earlier) droids like this felt like they may provide us a glimpse into the future of the moves, but after Lucasfilm redid the droid numbering and Disney stopped making new domes after R7 and R0, it's unknown if this design is still out there somewhere or may appear in a future story someday. I hope so - it's nothing if not pleasingly squished and weird.

From what I hear second-hand, it sounds like droid bins aren't really available at Disney parks any more so you may have to go to eBay to get one like this. I saw one close recently for $10 for just the dome, with complete droids generally commanding $20 or more. This exact configuration recently sold for $60. It's kind of ridiculous - but so is the idea of putting out droids piece-by-piece instead of just letting people buy an overpriced sack of parts. It's not an essential buy, but as a cute little purple robot I rather like it. Get it if you can and the price doesn't make your skin crawl.

Collector's Notes: I got this from my pal Shannon who was cool enough to get me a set from Disneyland. These buggers are on eBay and I would advise you to wait until parks reopen and hopefully people start flipping/building more of them so you can get them at a lower price.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,861: October 7, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,811: R5-Series Astromech Droid White with Red Panels (2015 Edition)

R5-SERIES ASTROMECH DROID White Dome with Red Markings
Star Tours Droid Factory Customizable Figure
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney?
Number: n/a
Includes: Head, 2 legs, torso, central third leg, optional hat
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $12.99
Availability: May 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: The white and red R5-Series Astromech Droid looks a lot like R5-D4, and also the Red R5 Unit Astromech Droid [FOTD #1,897] from way back in 2012. If I didn't know better, I'd assume it was the same part - but there are subtle changes. Should you care? No. But if you're going for full-on completism, there were two runs, they are slightly different, and the "matching" bodies of the time were also changed.

Unless you're completist to a fault, you don't need this. The dome is similar to previous R5 domes, with the same basic pattern - but this time, it's redder. The 2012 version was a little oranger. I would never know this without a side-by-side comparison. Similarly, the panels are the same basic patterns but slightly different. For example the dome's pie slices on top are a little more sloppy this time, and the silver ring "collar" is now the bottom ring, rather than the recessed area between the two rings. Is this worth buying again? Probably not! But it's different enough that you can take notice of it.

The 2015 body is very different than the 2012 release. For starters, the two vertical panels are unpainted - and a bunch of other boxes are now filled in. The 2012 body has sockets for lower legs, the 2015 release has them filled in. The 2012 body is mostly blank on the back, with a few outlined panels. The 2015 body has five red panels filled in. From where I sit, it's different enough to justify buying it - but I also am now side-eyeing my own completism as there are four $50+ vehicles-with-exclusive-droids at Disney parks that I can't seem to easily get. Do I even need this? Probably not.

To mix things up, this build has blue R2 legs (like R5-D4 in the movie) rather than matching red legs. You can see the 2015 feet have some added silver - a box on the front and back on the plus some sculpted silver greeblies stand out nicely for those looking for something different. A silver anklet of sorts is painted around the foot, and the greeblies around the "shoulder" were smoothed out and removed. There's both more - and less - detail on the new one. It's different, and we like different here.

Given the number of Disney astromechs, R5-D4s, R5-D8s, and other very similar droids, I can't actually say it's worth your while to seek out this specific one. I'm reviewing it here just so there's a little more reference that there are indeed multiple versions, but does it matter? Could you even get one now if you wanted one? I have no idea. The lack of names will make it hard to find on eBay and goodness knows what the part bins are like, if they're even still around. For the droid fanatics, you're going to want this one - because it is a different release. For everybody else with dozens (or hundreds) of droids, you're not going to find any reason that this one is any better than the other ones you've got. But it is different.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,820: May 31, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,811: R8-Series Astromech Droid Orange with White Panels

R8-SERIES ASTROMECH DROID Orange Dome with White 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: 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 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: The orange R8-Series Astromech Droid is one of many residents of the Toys R Us shelving unit I bought when the store was closing - I wanted to make sure there were always new toys on the shelves of TRU, and... it was a good idea. Some stuff just sat on there, so I'm going through those now. This particular fellow is a brightly-colored dome based on a concept that showed up in some guide books and novels, largely existing outside the confines of most visual storytelling. As such, you probably don't even know you're missing R8 domes and you probably also do not care in the slightest.

The body uses the "R7" Astromech body mold, and it looks great. The orange plastic canister has white panels and some silver markings, making it look like some tacky mid-century robot. It's kind of great - if you squint, you might see a soda can. The default builds all seem to have orange central legs and white outer legs. Does this matter? I don't know - I might swap it out with a white foot. (I got extras.) The paint isn't the cleanest, but it isn't bad. You can see some great white outlines on the panels which really do a nice job of highlighting all the work that went into the sculpt. (The sculpt started life as a Hasbro product in 2008.) There's not much to it, beyond the articulated arm holes and a port for the central leg. They all come off, as does the dome.

The dome lacks a big eye - or eye cluster - that we got on so many other droids. It's kind of creepy. There's a little stalk coming out the side, and there's a red light circle you can pretend is a mouth or nose on the inverted orange salad bowl that is his head. A raised ring is painted white, with white slices painted inside. A hole sits there so he can wear a hat, which is a thing Disney apparently thinks fans want with their souvenir robots. Maybe they do! It's goofy, but given how many dozens of robots we all have, goofy is sometimes good.

With the white picket fence panel deco on the orange dome, it would not be an exaggeration to say it's a distinctive droid dome and one worth adding to your stash. Normally you don't describe the visual language of a Star Wars toy as "cheerful" or "whimsical," but the bright colors really do make this look a lot friendlier than some of the other robots. If you have the means to get one for a not-crazy price, I'd suggest picking one up.

Collector's Notes: I got this from my pal Shannon who was cool enough to get me a set from Disneyland. These buggers are on eBay and I would advise you to wait until parks reopen and hopefully people start flipping/building more of them so you can get them at a lower price.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,811: May 10, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,799: R2-Series Astromech Droid White with Red Panels

R2-SERIES ASTROMECH DROID White Dome with Red Panels
The Vintage Collection
Item No.: No. ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: Hat (varies)
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $12.99
Availability: December 2015
Appearances: Better red than... not

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.

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Maybe eBay? Possibly a theme park if it opens? These may still be in bins if bins are accessible - eBay is your best bet.

Commentary: More droids, more problems! Seemingly not based on anything in particular, this R2-Series Astromech Droid with a White Dome with Red Panels looks fine. It's a white dome - which we don't get a lot from Hasbro or in the movies - with red panels, which we don't see a lot of on R2-style round domes.

The 2015 red astromech body is a bit different than the 2012 model - you can see different red panels are painted, while other panels are now unpainted. The back has more panels filled in, and the deco is a little more red than the slightly orange-tinted 2012 model. I like it - it's different enough so that those who are in the know can tell the difference between release years. Unfortunately, other than the six people who care about such things, nobody else will probably ever notice.

2015 red legs have extra red boxes on them - you can't miss them. The sides and the front/back area have little panels, while the central white leg is completely undecorated.

The dome does exactly what you would hope - white plastic with nearly every panel filled in red. No bald spots here! There's a subtle orange circle under the eye, and a couple of similarly subtle orange lights on the back. A more contrasting color would have worked better, but it fits just fine. A few elements are decorated silver to keep things interesting, giving this R2 unit a look of a snowman of sorts.

While this has no place in a collection other than as one of your many, many droids, it's a neat one. I like that they changed up a few elements so it's just not the same old bodies again, and the white domes are a nice change of pace. You probably missed this one and didn't even realize it - so you're welcome/I'm sorry for showing this one to you. It's not flashy, but it does look like a perfectly nice off-the-assembly-line robot figure. Who knows - maybe it will have a cameo on a future TV project. Or movie. They've done so many designs I expect at some point Lucasfilm will just start pulling from the toys for reference!

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney Land via may pal Shannon a few years ago. Thank you Shannon!

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,799: April 12, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,796: R5-Series Astromech Droid White with Purple Panels

R5-SERIES ASTROMECH DROID White Dome with Purple Panels
The Vintage Collection
Item No.: No. ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: Hat (varies)
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $12.99
Availability: December 2015
Appearances: Purple, no nurple

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.

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Maybe eBay? Possibly a theme park if it opens? These may still be in bins if bins are accessible - eBay is your best bet.

Commentary: One of the most recent quartet of additions to the theme park bins, this R5-Series Astromech Droid with a White Dome with Purple Panels is pretty neat. You can pop it on existing purple bodies, and that's what I did! We looked at the body before so there's no shortage of commentary there - let's focus on the new head.

The R5 dome is nothing new, but the patterns are. The unfortunate thing is we've seen so many droids with so many patterns that it can be hard to look at some of those older droids - and because mine aren't set up properly, I can't be 100% certain that when I tell you it's inspired by R5-X2 and R5-X3, that I only think this purple dome has unique paint masks. The rectangles around the eyes are familiar, but the purple stripes are unique. The area around the sides has big thick purple stripes, and I would argue the back of the dome looks more ornate than the front. I don't believe this dome appeared on camera - please prove me wrong in the comments - and the pattern looks a lot like something somebody painted using masking tape during the original trilogy era. It's good.

The top of the dome has a black outline tat is so fine, I would assume it was done by someone who bought the figure to customize it. But that's not the case - it's just extraneous, and under the hat you wouldn't miss it had the left it off. It doesn't hurt anything, though, so it's just a sign that someone at Disney had no problems finding the budget to really soup up some of these robot heads. 

Figures like this are a reminder of the excess we've had in the last few years. I've never been able to get my figures set up quite right, and I have more droids than I can keep straight - there are so many similar-but-different robots that look vaguely like R5-D4 or R2-D2 that it's difficult to keep track of just how many variations exist. (Really, that's the book I would write at this point if I had the time or funding to do it.)

Figures like this serve as a reminder of just how spoiled we are - and I am - that I have good friends that could help me track down droids that have sat on a shelf next to me for five years until I reviewed them, in part because I know you guys get bored when you get a month of nothing but clones or droids. This is one of those figures you're unlikely to get outside eBay or a theme park, and it's one I think is good enough to track down. Of course, if you have one of the aforementioned R5-X2 or R5-X3 figures, maybe you're good to go. If not, and if you just need more purple droids, this is a good one. I don't know where it fits in with a collection or diorama, but it sure is nifty.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney Land via may pal Shannon a few years ago. Thank you Shannon!

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,796: April 5 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,793: R0-Series Astromech Droid Black with Orange

R0-SERIES ASTROMECH DROID Black Dome with Orange Panels
The Vintage Collection
Item No.: No. ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $12.99
Availability: December 2015
Appearances: This may be meant to represent R0-H2 in The Force Awakens

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.

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Maybe eBay? Possibly a theme park if it opens? These may still be in bins if bins are accessible - eBay is your best bet.

Commentary: I am keeping a series of Repaint Mondays going with the R0 Series Astromech Droid dome in black. There was also a white one which I can't remember reviewing (or at least, search isn't letting me find it as I write this.) This is a bin robot - not to be confused with a dustbin robot - so you could have fished parts out of compartments at Disney parks to put one like this together. You could've also done mismatched parts - but why? In 2015, the dome was the only new part, as the droid body and three legs were existing parts in existing deco which had been around for years. Unless I am mistaken, this is the only R0-series droid to have its dome appear in the bins to date.

Since the droid body itself is nothing new, as we looked at it with an R5-Series Astromech Droid Black with Silver and Orange [FOTD #2,181] back in early 2015. The supposedly non-Hasbro build has the no-wire legs so there are no rights or lefts - just get two and you're all set. The central black leg is unpainted, but the bigger legs have marvelous silver panels on the feet and festive orange dots. It's also a perfect match for the R0 domes, which as far as I know didn't exist until the Disney assimilation of Lucasfilm.

It's a new dome - it has a conical shape, cutting the top off so it looks a little like an R6 or an R5 unit, but not really. It's like R2 got smooshes with the same eye-in-a-square , with different silver elements from the R5 dome on the sides and back. There's a string of lined panels around the neck, and a white box under the eye. There are also four painted "pie slices" on the top of te dome. It's nothing too fancy, but it looks good and is a perfect match for this specific body.

It's a nice droid, but you can get the same body with R5 or R2 heads as well. They all look rather similar, and while cool I don't know much about the R0 domes. Are they really old? The naming conventions would make me think they are, but Microsoft also put out the Xbox One after the Xbox and Xbox 360 - so perhaps it's the latest and greatest in the Age of Resistance. I don't know if there's any literature on it, as the online resources have been somewhat unhelpful. Maybe we'll get an answer if he cameos on one of the TV shows somehow.

As the R0 units have virtually no movie appearances , I can only assume this is meant to be Poe Dameron's droid from The Force Awakens - I don't remember seeing the body, but the dome is in there for sure and it's a very close match. I assume we won't ever get a carded specimen, so if you have the means you should probably just grab one and cram it in one of your many X-Wings. Sure it'll be the wrong X-Wing - I can't fix everything. I like this droid, and at this point I can't help but wonder if it's going to be one of the last brand-new The Force Awakens characters we get as a 3 3/4-inch toy a while. I am assuming that the new trilogy is going to have a sort of plastic exile for a while.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney Land via may pal Shannon a few years ago. Thank you Shannon!

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,793: March 29, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,790: R6-Series Astromech Droid White with Yellow and Silver

R6-SERIES ASTROMECH DROID Yellow Dome 2
The Vintage Collection
Item No.: No. ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $12.99
Availability: December 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.

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Maybe eBay? Possibly a theme park if it opens? These may still be in bins if bins are accessible - eBay is your best bet.

Commentary: I have a pile of un-reviewed droids, and they're unmarked as to what batches they came from other than "not reviewed." Good thinking on my part - so we're going to try to do Repaint Mondays from here on out to get them done this year. This R6 Series Astromech Droid dome is the second yellow one - there was one in 2012 [FOTD #1,889], and then there was another one in 2015. There are some obvious changes - 2012 is more of an orangey yellow. The 2012 dome has more areas filled in - the big tell is the one on the right of the droid's eye (your right, their left.) The top of the 2015 droid's "pie slices" on top of the head are not completely filled in like the previous release. The back of this droid has a green dot on the dome - this is not the case with the 2012 release. Both droids have three silver nubbins painted on the sides of the domes - the 2012 release is surrounded in white plastic, 2015 is painted yellow.

Since the figures were effectively spare parts in bins, the figure as you see it in these photos is just one configuration - we're identifying them by domes and heads, since there are more domes and heads than bodies. When this dome and the others from its wave were added, no new bodies were found - and unless my memory is failing me, this is part of the last batch of new parts going into those bins. (Which I appreciate, hunting these things down is a hassle for fans without friends willing to serve as a droid mule.)

The dome is sufficiently different, but certainly pushes the "just different enough to make you mad" button. It's white with yellow (again), but with different panels painted you can see some differences. For example, the infrared receptors under the eye are tiny and green now, instead of the fuller red last time. To the average fan, it's just yellow - and that probably wouldn't be enough for anyone going through theme park parts to realize there was even a change without being informed of it prior to a park visit. How annoying is that?

I requested this configuration be built because I wanted the dome to match the body's unique yellow hues. You may want something more exotic, but I like it when the droid looks like it was either meant to go together, or some weird horrible accident. I went for the former. The parts all pop off, so you can rotate the dome, remove the legs, and then lose them because you've got too many things to keep track of these days.

The droid has an optional hat - mine had Oswald the Rabbit - but you can mix and match to your liking if you can ever get back to the theme park. On eBay I've seen a few of this exact configuration go for $25-$30, which isn't bad if you're only planning on getting one robot - shipping, parking, and such considerations are well worth the $10 to me. For one figure. But if you want them all, you might want to consider other options or someone willing to do you a favor, or a big trade. Given this droid doesn't really appear in the films, it's pretty much just for people who are droid completists. There are other R6 droids for you to buy, but at this time all of them have been exclusive to Disney theme parks.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney Land via may pal Shannon a few years ago. Thank you Shannon!

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,790: March 22, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,721: R6-Series Astromech Droid Silver with Purple

R6-SERIES ASTROMECH DROID Silver Dome with Purple 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: 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 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:  The purple R5-Series Astromech Droid was sitting here unopened in his plastic case since 2015.  So 5 years - and it was time to open this one up!  Part of a parts bin that may or may not even still be at the Disney parks.   The silver dome with purple highlights came out after a white dome with purple highlights, making this series a nightmare for completists.  Knowing what exists - and how to find it - will prove a challenge for fans for years to come.

Based on the same basic build-a-droid chassis we started getting back in 2008, this purple droid more or less matches nicely.  The dome has some purple paint that matches the purple body, but a few elements are considerably darker.  It stands out, and at first glance it almost looks like an error.   Most of the elements are painted nicely, but there are a few parts that seem underdecorated on the dome - at least the body has some great silver outlining.

The droid body has articulated feet and a removable third leg, but none of them have the wiring we got in the first batches or from Hasbro.   It still looks cool, plus it has a hole in his head for hats or hooks on the Droid Factory playset or Sandcrawler from Disney.  It's a nice toy figure with rolling wheels, but if you've got one of these, you've got them all - at this point getting more is just for completism's sake.  And that's fine - I mean, here we are, still talking about these barely-different droids.  If you can get one for the $13 or so price it's neat enough, but after shipping and any theoretical admission prices, maybe just stick with whatever is cheap and easy to track down.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,721: September 1, 2020

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,556: R6-Series Astromech Droid White with Brown

R6-SERIES ASTROMECH DROID White Dome with Brown Markings
Star Tours   Droid Factory Customizable Figure
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Probably Not Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Head, 2 legs, torso, central third leg, optional hat
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $12.99
Availability: December 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.  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 lab.

Availability:  Click here to buy it at Amazon now!


Commentary: I both love the idea of Disney's droid bins and utterly detest them.  We haven't seen many new astromech parts thrown in since 2015, one of the last of which was this R5-Series Astromech Droid.  It's distinctive in that it is one of few domes, so far, with no matching body.  The brown dome exists by itself - I opted for a red-and-white body because it vaguely reminded me of Coca-Cola.  It's a neat dome, but it doesn't really match anything and I couldn't place it in the movies if it made an appearance.

I have a lot of unreviewed Disney droids still, and they get to be hard to review other than saying "here's another one." In this case... here's another one.  It wouldn't stun me to find out, someday, that this is a scarce part people didn't buy because it didn't match anything at the time, but I might also find out there's a brown body I missed. This might be an ideal capper for customs, mismatched, or other weird droids because in and of itself, it doesn't seem to fit - but at least it's unique and a distinctive color. Get it if you're a completist.  We'll look at some of the better ones real soon - we've got a long way to go with these guys.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Shannon who did me a solid at Disneyland.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,556: January 31, 2019