Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,394: Anakin Skywalker (SDCC Yavin 4, The Vintage Collection)

ANAKIN SKYWALKER & Asajj Ventress
The Vintage Collection 2026 SDCC / Hasbro Pulse Exclusive
Item No.: No. G2768
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Hand, lightsaber, hilt, and Asajj's stuff
Action Feature: Swappable hand
Retail: $51.99
Availability: July 2026
Appearances: Clone Wars

Bio: Through the caves of Yavin 4, Padawan Anakin Skywalker takes on Sith assassin Asajj Ventress - and his rage leads him closer to the dark side. (Taken from the box packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: A battle-damaged Jedi... but not the same level of damage as the one we got in 2005. That means he's new enough to be worthwhile.

There was a tine when convention exclusives offered something unique or even impossible to match in the main line - this is not that time. Anakin Skywalker and Asajj Ventress give us two perfectly good figures in a perfectly tolerable TV-style box. There are no special accessories above and beyond previous basic figure releases, and there are a lot of shared parts - so this set's appeal comes from how much you loved the 2003 cartoon. This is technically a new costume, as Anakin's shirt and pants get more and more messed up as the fight goes on and this represents it when the rain starts. (If you've never seen the 2D Clone Wars there's a supercut edit of the original episodes on Disney+, and it's great.)

 Anakin reuses a lot of parts. The legs were used with at least four previous releases - the two Jedi Spirits from Return of the Jedi, one from Revenge of the Sith, and another from Ahsoka, and a fifth upcoming Attack of the Clones figure reuses many parts as well. Counting this figure, that's six figures with the same legs, and some shared heads, hands, torsos, and other elements within a year. That feels like an awful lot of shared re-re-reuse within a very short period of time, even if it makes sense. It also confirms that if you're feeling The Vintage Collection has been feeling very repetitive, it's not just you. It's a lot of very similar stuff lately and the savings are not being passed along to you.

I feel like I need some sort of venn diagram to explain all the overlap, but time is tight. This figure has torn pants on a new right thigh plus new arms... and I think everything else may come from other sets. You've seen the alternate hand and lightsaber before. The chest, belt, left thigh, waist, and boots were reused on all of the prequel Anakins from the past year. The head was shared with Attack of the Clones. The left hand seems shared with several Anakin figures. The right robot hand is new. The lightsaber hilt may be unique, in that the bladed version is painted silver and the unlit version from the belt appears to be molded in grey with black highlights. Asajj has more new going for her, but Anakin is basically a mishmash of other main line figures with some new colors and a new head. The soft goods parts of the robes are also a little different, with a couple of pre-cut tears in them.

The light browns are indeed different from all of the other releases, and of course the bare parts of the arms are brand new - and look great. The arm seems inset in the torn sleeves, and it looks pretty great. The hands bend and swivel, even the robot ghost hand. It's light on painted detail, but it's gold, and that's a start. I would have loved painted wires or other details, but at least it's very good at gripping a lightsaber. I would have loved alternate arms or something to plus up the package, but I assume the arms inset in the sleeves is what cost more money here. It doesn't feel above and beyond the quality of the many other Anakin figures of the past year, but at least it looks distinctive. There hasn't been a Yavin 4 duel-specific Anakin in any form for quite some time.

It's a very good looking figure, and pretty much precisely how they should have done it (recycled parts and all) but it feels like another case of a figure being at a deluxe-ish price with packaging that doesn't feel particularly luxe. It's fine. They seem to be pushing for a very specific nostalgia button, but VHS and VCRs were on the way out by the time this show aired. It was increasingly difficult to find VHS tapes in those days, but I remember watching the 3-minute shorts mostly on my laptop, because it was hard to find the show on the TV schedule. Lest ye forget, the shorts were barely longer than an ad break.

Six Anakins sharing parts within a year is a lot, and the price for this set feels particularly high (and given that it did not yet sell through, I would say that's a fair opinion.) Having said that, it's the best/only version of this character in this costume yet, since it's mid-duel and we've not had one before. It stands out from the version from 2005 [FOTD #69]. I'd recommend this set if the price does not bother you, because the two figures would have been spectacular basic releases. And then you can also remember that the set in 2005 got you 5 figures for $20, and while those were more toy than collector product, it was still 5 figures for $20. I guess you have to ask yourself what rocker ankles, a swappable hand, and real cloth parts are worth to you.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse and I absolutely feel I overpaid.  But I also really like it.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,394: November 3, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,393: Clone Trooper (Halloween Edition)

CLONE TROOPER (Halloween Edition)
The Black Series 2022 Closed Box Line Look Halloween Packaging, Target Shared Exclusive
Item No.: No. F5608
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Porg as Dracula, black trunk, Beskar chocolate bars
Action Feature: It's green!
Retail: $27.99
Availability: October 2022
Appearances: n/a

Bio: Celebrate the season with specially designed Star Wars figures from The Black Series! (Taken from the box packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: Happy Halloween! Nigel Tufnel would approve of this Star Wars figure for monster kids. This is the kind of thing I'd be buying if I didn't already have hundreds of The Black Series figures I haven't touched in years. It's clever, and if you like how it looks it's worth picking up.

I've basically dropped out of The Black Series but the right item at the right price is hard to skip. I was on a work trip and found the Clone Trooper (Halloween Edition) for $9.99 in 2025, so I bought it. As you do. I'm not super fond of holiday figures but I like monsters and weird, weird figures. Seeing an all-black Clone Trooper in what turned out to be not glow-in-the-dark paint seemed fun, but the fact that it also looked a bit like Nigel Tufnel's shirt in This Is Spiñal Tap seemed interesting. A sidekick Porg in Dracula feathers also seemed like a good purchase.


The figure is a fun idea that I think I'd recommend it without reservations if I haven't written up over 3,000 figures. You can lose your sense of humor over time, and this sort of thing is probably more at home in a holiday tableaux on a credenza than in a collector's basement. Keep your eyes open for a deal, and if nothing else consider that it's a pretty neat deco-only reworking of elements from three unrelated action figures.

Figures like these may make fans ask "so what is a Star Wars figure anyway?" When I was a kid, most of them attempted to be faithful representations of on-screen characters and costumes to a pretty decent amount of success. This 6-inch line started as a reboot of sorts, and expanded over the years to include things that exist more as a keepsake, a collectible, a souvenir. The figure has to work for its own sake, it must make its corporation money with no new tooling. It is not interested in source material. These holiday figures have a lot in common with blind-boxed figures from over the years where you'd get a teddy bear in hundreds of colorways, and those tend to be a great impulse buy. I'm willing to bet collecting Halloween Star Wars exclusively is a lot of fun as a low-stakes, low-impact hobby.

The mold is the 2020 Phase II redux complete with the simpler knee and elbow joints. It still has the slug head under the helmet, and is completely molded in black with painted green highlights. I assume it's a cheaper figure to make, and they also left out the blasters on these guys. You get accessories, such as a Maz Kanata trunk with a ghost Hutt under the lid and a quintet of Beskar ingots painted to look vaguely like chocolate bars.

I like this figure for what it is - a weird collectible that was not manufactured to meet the needs of its audience. It's a great idea, and I think a more subtle approach might have worked even better. There's something garish about the all-over bones, and if it looked like they just painted a skull on the helmet of a Clone who self-customized his armor it might feel more authentic to the galaxy. But that's not the aim of this kind of product - it's a holiday decoration, a grab for acceptance from the kind of person who likes toys but doesn't make it a lifestyle. I would have preferred a "costume" blaster - even if it's in white and orange - over no blaster, mostly because this figure isn't going to look good hauling around a trunk. I would not miss these accessories were they left out to keep the price down.

The Porg is a cute bonus, but arguably not worth the mark-up. The black plastic feather fluffball has a blue face with yellow eyes and a very distinctive white belly pattern. I'm kind of surprised Hasbro didn't run with this concept and do blind-bagged Porgs painted up as various pop culture fixtures. I don't know how it would do, but it feels very in-line with Be@rbrick or other similar lines. It doesn't add much to a big collection, but it's clever enough to make me irate that the paint can't glow in the dark. It's still neat, but it could have been even neater.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from a place that is not open to the public at a very low price. The Cad Bane/Grand Inquisitor set is being dumped at closeout stores in 2026, so keep your eyes open for fun surprises.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,393: October 29, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,392: Dark Trooper (Force Mech Suit / Epic World of Action)

DARK TROOPER Force Mech Suit
Epic World of Action Amazon Exclusive
Item No.: No. G1421
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 1 Mech, 1 big blaster, 1 small blaster, 1 figure
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $21.99
Availability: October 2025
Appearances: The Mandalorian, probably

Bio: Gear up for battle! Open the Star Wars mech suit at the feet and place the Dark Trooper action figure inside. (Taken from the Amazon's web site. Package has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: The epic finale! I put off buying this one until I needed to buy something for a family member, and also, a record to get to free shipping. I waited about a year to pick up the Dark Trooper (Force Mech Suit), mostly out of waiting for a massive price drop that never actually came. I think the lowest I saw it over a year was $17ish. Why wait? Am I that cheap? Yes. The figure is the same as the 2025 Epic World of Action Dark Trooper [FOTD #3,234], itself a very good figure, with one extra paint app. The silver around the joints and the red around the eyes are all present but they added a goofy circuit pattern. It's charming, mostly because this figure (and this line, in particular) dared to ask what might happen if 1990s Kenner just went goofy with the license. Given how many other figures have clear red blasters or giant silly mechs with belt buckles, I assume this was not a successful venture.

The 4-inch scale Dark Trooper is jointed at the shoulders, neck, elbows, knees, and hips. It's a smidgen taller than the thousands of other figures we usually review here, and I think it works in its favor because you kind of want an intimidating giant robot. I love that the silver pops nicely against the glossy black, and I very much appreciate how sturdy he is. He stands, he pilots a mech, and he can hold his blaster with no real fuss. The sculpt is pretty simple and elegant, with some twists. There's a 5mm socket in his back, and some smaller holes in his forearms which generally won't be serving a purpose. You can plug in the big red mech blaster as a backpack, or you can swipe accessories from Epic Hero Series Mandalorians on his wrists... but you won't. You're probably too busy to dig them out and see how it looks. That's why I'm here, to do the dirty work for you and you can be lazy and grow fat and old just sitting there rather than playing with your toys.

The blasters are clear red. The small one is a little silly, and I kind of wish they painted the blaster part black. It's distinctive. The big red one looks like a giant Stormtrooper rifle, and thanks to it having a 5mm grip you can share it with various Takara and Tomy toys. This means you can mount it on your Battle Beasts Shocking Shark, you can plug it in to most of your Transformers' fists, and it might even fit in a few Zoids. If you have a decent toy collection, you'll also find it fits in the hands of multiple other figure lines - you'll just have to test it out. It feels like a sturdy PVC, so I assume it will hold up well to time as long as it doesn't discolor with age.

I'm beginning to think having toys with no advertising or seemingly marketing support of any kind is a mistake, particularly kid stuff. There's nobody out there, not even Hasbro fan streams, to tell you that this 6 1/2-inch mech suit came out and is actually kind of neat. I like toy robots, and seeing this silly Dark Trooper-ish suit augmented with a big red Imperial cog belt buckle and mostly clear red Lifesavers-colored fists is something of a delight. The glossy black suit is covered in light detailing, with greeblies and belts and things that vaguely look like vents and gears. It's charming. Each fist, shoulder, forearm, and sole has a 5mm port for the blaster. Even the back has a big 5mm port, yet no backpacks were made in this collection. Why? I have zero clue.

The figure has jointed shoulders and limited elbow articulation. You can open it up around the ankles, and there's a clip inside for the pilot. You'll also see sculpted circuit patterns plus myriad interior detailing which serves no manufacturing purpose. Hasbro hired a person just to make it look cool in there for any kid that got this, opened it, and just decided to explore the interior. It's really impressive work and shows a dedication to going the extra mile on a toy that, frankly, didn't benefit from it. I don't know any collectors or adult fans that bought this particular toy, and very few people admit to buying these. Clearly some of you are curious, I can see in the logs that the performance is high enough that someone is reading these. Also, the figure has zero problems squeezing inside his mech, and the big blaster works in all the appropriate holes.

I feel like this figure - and indeed this line - marked a weird attempt to revive the line as toys for children, to mixed results. This is an excellent item for the price and shows Hasbro's considerable capabilities when they want to give you actual value for your money. This thing costs the same as a Vintage figure, and you get two guys. The loudest fans prioritize ankle tilts on figures that may never be opened, and for whatever reason nobody wanted to market what turned out to be a pretty solid duology of Epic Hero Series and Epic World of Action. If you collect toys - not collectibles, but toys - this is a most excellent set. I'd recommend the entire line. As I write this in early October, Ross stores are getting $7.99 Epic N-1 Starfighters. That's a steal. This whole line was packed with Kenner-feeling toys at great prices, but suffered from being a little scattered in its character selection. Having said that, the entire line of figures and vehicles can fit inside a simple paper box - I'd actually recommend the entire collection for houses with children. They're fun. They're good. They're affordable.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Amazon.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,392: October 27, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,391: Clone Commander Cody (Utapau, The Vintage Collection)

CLONE COMMANDER CODY (Utapau)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Walmart Exclusive 2-Pack
Item No.: No. G3192
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #413
Includes: Blaster rifles, removable jet pack
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $39.99
Availability: August 2026
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: On Clone Commander Cody's orders, the 212th battalion's specially trained clone paratroopers searched - to no avail - for their missing former commander, Obi-Wan Kenobi. (Taken from the cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Walmart now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Pairing Anakin Skywalker with Obi-Wan Kenobi makes no sense to me, but some Walmarts are still stocked with unsold 501st Legion Clones from last year so I guess "why not?" It's the 20th anniversary of Hasbro's first take on this Revenge of the Sith figure, so I guess this is as good of a time as any to pretend that this was likely intentional. We got that first one in The Saga Collection, and then in 2010 we got another movie Cody in The Vintage Collection that was pretty spectacular for ten dollars. He had a little holographic Darth Sidious, Obi-Wan's lightsaber, and a removable helmet with a Clone head underneath - and a lot more sculpted (and painted) battle damage. But this new one has better proportions, and better articulation. Who can say which one is better?

Me, I can.

Because this one is fresh, this particular shade of orange is a bit more consistent - and looks more faded - so it matches recent releases. The plastic is new, so the armor is white - and that's good. It also has more fine line deco, with more subtle battle damage (that isn't necessarily evocative of the battle-wear on Utapau) as well as finer white pin striping on the helmet and shoulders. Colors are pretty good, and odds are this character's orange battalion marks should be a little more subtle than the previous saturated orange figures. I'd argue 2026 Cody is too pale, but that is left to people who are better with this sort of thing. For some reason Hasbro made the antenna in a bone color rather than silver - I don't care for that - and painted the backs of the hands too thinly. When dealing with a light color - like orange - on top of black plastic, you have to do an extra couple of layers or it looks sort of cheap. This is something you saw a lot in 1980s toys, but less in recent years. Hasbro also kept 2026 Cody rather clean. The legs and arms don't really h ave the sculpted dents of previous editions, nor does the figure have the multitudes of slashes, scrapes, dents, and muddy bits that we saw in the movie. The copper band on the arm seems a little pale, but the visor on the helmet looks great and is a separately molded part. That costs you more. The belt pouches have a bit more zing, with some silver ones. It's interesting to see that Hasbro added some detail, while leaving some off. In this era, at $20 (or $40) a whack, my hope is that every new remake would be unquestionably better... and this one is different.

I miss the loss of Obi-Wan's lightsaber - a great play/display feature - and Cody's actual head. Maybe Hasbro has a plan for version 2.0 with more wear, the head, and a removable helmet to go with the lightsaber. All you get here are two blasters, which is a real step back from the storytelling that Hasbro gave us with the previous release. An "Execute Order 66" hologram was worth the price of admission, and the extra stuff was icing on the cake. You didn't feel that you got shorted. This time I feel they left some stuff out, since we're seeing things like Embo with a hat and alternate hands or some really wild deco on the Remnant Troopers. Cody is fine. Cody does not impress with sculpt or deco.

Cody does impress with engineering, as his hips move nicely and it's easy to pose him to stand or sit in a ship. Usually there may be some fidgeting, but here he just works. It was easy to get his hands on his blasters, and the bend-and-swivel wrists make it easy to aim too. Hasbro did an excellent job ensuring he can hold the gear they gave him. The jet pack sits nicely on the back and is decorated fairly well. It's clean, and it matches the figure.

Hasbro did spend a lot of money on the helmet, which is probably why there's no human head. The visor is a separate piece, but so are the greeblies on the sides. There are tiny, fine details around the mouth that are incredibly well done. Also, they left the nub above his visor unpainted again. I'm not fond of "deluxe" pricing, but sometimes you see a figure and you just say "well, maybe we should have seen what another five bucks could have gotten us." Posing this figure is a dream, and he looks really good, but he falls short of the considerable ambition you can read into the final product.

This is one where I'd say it's worth getting if you need a Cody and never got one. If you're happy with your old one, this may not be an improvement. If I were working at Hasbro I'd want to try again... the light, subtle battle damage doesn't work well on a small figure and I would've opted for "clean" or "dirty," in-between doesn't work for me. I assume we got what we got due to costing issues, but I'd rather they save a few more pennies and just give us a clean Cody instead. Still, recommended because it's the first new movie Cody in 13 years.

If this seems harsh, there's a reason. As we march away from "toy" and into "collectible," I don't really see much reason to be happy with an upgrade that isn't an upgrade. If this were a kid's figure for $10-$13, I'd say "this is incredibly good for the asking price" because of course you had to trim paint or accessories to meet the budget. This 2026 Cody had a ton of work put into him, and is better than the "clean" 5-jointed 2013 Saga Legends Cody [FOTD #2,069]. Now that we're at $20 I want the best-looking figure with the best gear ever... and this isn't that. It shows a lot of tooling was used, and tons of fine detailing, and advances in manufacturing techniques. And that's good! But it's not more fun, and you'll probably want to keep the 2010 model around if you're doing dioramas because of his gear and special belt with a lightsaber holster. If you want a quasi "Expanded Universe" Cody for your off-camera dio stories or whatever, Hasbro's figure is the best possible option. I just couldn't recommend you not hang on to your old one, at least for his gear.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Walmart. It can still be easily found here.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,391: October 22, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,390: Devon Izara (The Vintage Collection)

DEVON IZARA 3 3/4-Inch Debut
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch basic figure
Item No.: Asst. G2786 No. G2625
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #408
Includes: Lightsaber, hilt, cape
Action Feature: Removable hat
Retail: $19.99
Availability: August 20206
Appearances: Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord

Bio: On the run from the Empire with her Jedi Master, Devon is a well-trained and savvy Padawan, adept with her blue lightsaber. Her desire to take action sometimes conflicts with her master's wish to stay hidden. (Taken from the cardback. It is unusual in that it is a bio for a new show or movie, and it actually tells you something about the character.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: This Devon Izara figure is pretty good, and she seems to have shown up smack dab in the middle of the end of season 1 and what I assume will be the debut of season 2 next year. It's not ideal timing, as right now people are probably more interested in the multiple other projects likely to be released next - but she's important and we got her. She survived the first season and since the first images were shown to fans, we've all been asking the same thing. "Is she going to wind up looking like Darth Talon?" Because she's super young, probably not as Devon favors pants and Talon seems to have no real use for such excesses. But we don't know how long this Shadow Lord show will run, and we know there's probably over a decade of missing time to play around with.

We got The Black Series Devon a few months ago, but I held out for this one. They both seem to come from the same ancestral CAD file, with more or less the same wrinkles and colors. Articulation is similar, but not identical. The 6-inch figure has bend-and-swivel wrists, while Hasbro opted to favor aesthetics by giving her forearms that swivel at the shirt. It looks better. The legs and other joints all seem to look fairly similar, so nitpickers may dislike the slight reduction in articulation while others might say "it's fine, it looks better this way." I found the figure to be functional and generally easy to pose.

The belts vary. The 3 3/4-inch figure has a hole to hang a lightsaber hilt on her left (our right), while The Black Series has a hook to hang a hilt on her right (our left.) I see stock photos of The Black Series figure let you tuck it behind her belt too, but this one doesn't seem to have that function. The belt serves a purpose of hiding the waist joint too, so you get good waist movement without compromising the torso with an ab crunch or one of those utterly terrible mid-torso cuts. The boots are molded in color, and look great. Her hands match her head nicely, and her left hand has her fingers stretched out in a great "Use the Force" pose. What's even more incredible, that hand can hold a lightsaber with two fingers and a thumb. They really did a good job.

Textures are fantastic. The lightsaber has her painted leather brown hilt, which looks very nice for the size. The black bands are not perfectly painted, but you get the brown and silver and that's pretty good. Maybe we could have the black bands if the situation called for one and not two weapons. Her cloak is really impressive, with little clumps of fabric, signs of wear, and some plastic representations of fabric pilling. It might be one of the best plastic capes we've seen in ages, and it's certainly one of the better scarfs. It's flexible, but you can't really pose it or anything - you just move it a bit to let whatever arm pose you want.

I like this figure a lot. Some elements are not a precise match to the CG show model, but that's OK - this is a "realistic" interpretation. I found her very easy to pose in a combat stance, with her knees slightly bent and both hands on the lightsaber. And she's not toppling over as I type, either. While short and arguably low on gear compared to other recent figures, it shows just how far Hasbro has come in engineering a figure at a small size that can actually accomplish quite a bit. Older fans have tuned out the show already, but they're missing out - it was fun. And this is another really good example of Hasbro making good figures and either spending the time or the money to ensure they have joints that work rather than serve to add to the cost of a figure with little benefit.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,390: October 20, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,389: RJ-83 (Crimson Firehawk Droid, Young Jedi Adventures)

RJ-83 Crimson Firehawk Pack-in
Young Jedi Adventures Vehicle Pilot
Item No.: No. F7878
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Crimson Firehawk vehicle, Nash Durango pilot figue
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $44.99
Availability: August 2023
Appearances: Young Jedi Adventures

Bio: Nash Durango was a female human pilot and mechanic from the Outer Rim planet Tenoo who lived during the High Republic Era. She befriended Jedi younglings Kai Brightstar, Lys Solay, and Nubs. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I have been meaning to review this original Young Jedi Adventures RJ-83 for a while... now seems like a good time since Disney made a 3 3/4-inch scale version, and he's tiny, and I haven't reviewed that one yet. Hasbro's version came out as part of its 4-inch kiddo line with big hands, heads, and feet... and this droid is a chunky 1 1/2-inches tall and 2 1/4-inches wide.

So what does this droid that is probably named in tribute to the 1983 release of Return of the Jedi do? Not much. The arms aren't jointed, the head is a separately molded element but seems fused in place. You buy a set like this because you love vehicles, or because you have kids. Or because you saw it on clearance, and you'll buy any vehicles for $7.50.

As far as I can tell, the design was made before the show was finished. Hasbro and Disney seemed to have this positioned to be a hit like the Marvel Jr. shows. Spidey and His Amazing Friends and its Iron Man spin-off have been decent hits with impressive toy lines, probably because they got to trade on existing, popular characters with known names. The only familiar face to get a toy in YJA was Yoda, who seemed to sell fine, and people weren't into paying $90 for a playset or $50 for a ship. It doesn't matter if they're big and cool - fans just folded their arms and said "nah."

Some key differences from the pictures I see from the show are different arms, a slightly different design for the cap on top of the dome, and the side panels around the bottom of the dome seem to be in a different pattern. The eye color i sa little different, and the orange on top of the dome is lighter on the final TV show. The TV show's "feet" have a lighter orange on the "toes" up front, too. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, it's just what happens when you get a toy ready to be on-shelf before the TV show's designs are locked. We've seen it happen with the movies too, most notably some big swings with the digital characters of The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones looking to be preliminary models or, uh, naked. RJ-83 is incredibly close, but I have the gift of hindsight (and Google) to compare them. Nobody reading this in 2026 watched the show, and is unlikely to have noticed a change in design. And if they did, you can't deny that it's close.

This toy's only real action feature are its feet, which can plug in a specialized seat in the Crimson Firehawk vehicle. No bigger droid exists for it to sit on the dome. If you like how it looks, congratulations. It's basically an old-school collectible figure. I'd recommend the Crimson Firehawk set with this droid and Nash Durango for fans of the show (or kids), vehicle completists, and the droid fanatics out there. It's a very nice toy set and I think I would have loved it as a child, or if it was scaled to my existing 3 3/4-inch horde. Hasbro did a very nice job on it, and the figures are charming, durable, and colorful with excellent paint. It's cliche to say "not my Star Wars" but as fans get older, fans may not want to buy stuff aimed at the younger generations. Given Disney did a very nice 3 3/4-inch scale (tiny) version of this droid, I'd probably nudge you to go score one of those before this vehicle... unless you need the vehicle.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Ross. It was on clearance for a shockingly low $7.49. 

 --Adam Pawlus

Day 3,389: October 15, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,388: Geonosian Warrior (Vested The Vintage Collection)

GEONOSIAN WARRIOR (No wings, 2 per box)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Hasbro Pulse Exclusive Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. G3213
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Sonic Blaster, duplicate figure, 2 additional figures with wings
Action Feature: Blaster
Retail: $67.99
Availability: September 2026
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: Referred to by clone troopers as “bugs” throughout the franchise, these Geonosian drones first appeared in the second film of the prequel trilogy. (Stolen from Hasbro Pulse's marketing copy.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I was on the fence about skipping this set, mostly because Hasbro gave us two great Geonosian figures already - but these did have something new to offer. Sure, the engineering and digital sculpt of these silver-armored Geonosian Warrior (no wings) figures are more or less the same as their winged companions... and similar to the Picador and Poggle the Lesser. But as far as I recall, this specific costume does not exist anywhere else in the Hasbro 3 3/4-inch line. I also didn't remember seeing it in guide books. I had to go to the movie to find this specific costume, and they were in the grandstands. This makes the figure unique in that it is both new, and potentially just different enough to make you mad. The Picador and these guys have pretty much the same build, the same head, the same body, but different hands, armor, and accessories. (And in some cases, wings.) They're not wildly different looking, which is good because they match the movies. But it does make me wish George Lucas and team made some a little greener, some a little browner, and just mixed them up visually a bit. (Heck, maybe they did and we'll find out the lighting made it hard to tell.)

It's easy to forget that back in 2002 - 24 years ago - we got our first playset of the Geonosis Arena. It was pretty big, and you could connect smaller add-on pieces to it. I'd love to see Hasbro do more sets just like it, because it was a great idea - and it's the best place for this figure to hang out. With the HasLab Gunship you could probably buy a few, get some sand, and set up a big battle on a table in a room in your house... and that would set you back thousands of dollars on top of the extra room you probably don't have. As such, the main customer for these figures are likely to be fans in their 30s and 40s that liked the prequels and still have that old playset. It got kind of expensive when you weren't looking. There aren't a ton of vehicles for these guys either, nor are there grandstands to fill as of yet. (Honestly, I was expecting there to be some sort of build-an-arena playset this year rather than the Orray, but the Orray is a more fun item.) But I digress. Let's talk bugs.

 

I was not remotely excited about this figure until I opened the box. I got the set to get free shipping on another order - and it was probably worth it. I like the distinctive vest-like armor that also looks like coveralls. The armor texture detail was very nicely sculpted, and I was surprised to see multiple metallic deco hits. There are little gold bits, and a larger brass-like patch over the groin. I was surprised to see painted gold rivets on the back of the figure, mostly because it was something I would have costed out on account to it likely never being noticed. Well, I noticed, kudos to you Hasbro. Some white elements are also painted. Is it true to the movie? Good question - it's hard to find good reference, so I'm going to say it looks fairly close to the scenes I eyeballed and it's interesting unto itself as a costume.

The clothes make the main - naked Geonosians had little impact on collecting, and that's most of what we got back in 2002 and 2003. They were based on earlier maquettes, while these new guys have the benefit of being modeled after nearly two and a half decades of looking back. I love the skin textures, and there are some nice colors too. The back of the figure's tail or abdomen - I don't know biped bug anatomy - has some brown on it, setting it apart and highlighting the various sculpted bands. The figure has a nice pivoting waist which is obscured but not hindered by the armor, and he has the same range of motion of the aforementioned Picador. You get swivel thighs, ball-jointed hips, rocker ankles, and just so many moving parts that it's almost overkill. Hasbro did a great job making what could well be the last Geonosian mold you'll ever need, and while I could say "swappable hands would be nice" I'd never make use of them. The closed right hand can hold the blaster, the open left hand can cradle it. It's one of the biggest opened hands I've ever seen at this scale, which is necessary because even this smaller sonic blaster is still pretty big compared to Republic issue firearms.

It's rare that Hasbro can make a figure and use the same mold for multiple releases but change out the armor and say "it's a new guy." (Ewoks, maybe Wookiees?) I'm sure it's a great cost-saving species, and this one has a fairly decent size sonic blaster. The first one we got in 2002 really could fire, and also was huge. This one will no doubt appear smaller, but it's a bit closer to the right size. I htink it's a tad small but that's also fine by me, it doesn't make the figure topple over and Hasbro did a nice job painting it. It's molded in gold with some dark brown around the barrel and the signature green inside. It's a good accessory. Most reference photos show them firing the blaster left-handed, which these figures can't do, but it's not like we can do much about it. If Hasbro ever does a carded variant someday, it might be nice to swap the CAD files' orientation and see if they can make them in the opposite stance.

If you're a prequel completist, you need this set - this is a new trooper costume that you don't have from a previous release. That makes it notable, because it's very rare that I can pick up a figure and say "this is new, actually." At $68 for 4 or $17 each, it is not a bargain. You don't get extra hands or gear or hats like you did with Embo, and there aren't unique paint jobs on each troop like we got with the Remnant Troopers from The Mandalorian and Grogu. The set has 2 each of 2 different styles of figure, and it's not obvious that you don't already have them. If you need every version of every alien, you need this. If you don't have the recent Picador or Sun Fac, I'd recommend this set to augment your existing bug clans. But if you don't like the prequels at all? You probably haven't made it this far. This is a good use of the troop box format, and it's always nice to get something new from the actual films.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,388: October 13, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,387: R2-D2 (D-Squad, Droid Factory)

R2-D2 (D-Squad)
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: Card, RX base
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $19.99
Availability: September 2026
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: All different types of droids populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid has their own unique personality and colors. This droid served Colonel Meebur Gascon and the droid unit D-Squad to infiltrate a Separatist Dreadnought. Join R2-D2 on his 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: Figures like this show a depth of fanaticism, an attention to detail, and a sign that someone probably should stop me from having a credit card. R2-D2 (D-Squad) is a figure I've been anticipating for a while, but I was not expecting it to be a theme park exclusive, nor $20, nor actually $33 after tax and shipping. I assumed Hasbro might put out an R2-D2 with swappable legs, or maybe we'd see a decal kit, or something. There are other differences on this R2-D2 from previous Disney releases, but the important thing to remember is that scene from the movie Mystery Men where Mr. Furious is spun around during a slow-motion costume reveal that while his outfit seems to be unchanged, they did in fact add flames to the back where you can't see them. And if that reference means anything to you: good, you're in the right place.

The main reason to buy this set is if you liked the D-Squad episodes of The Clone Wars. I very much liked those episodes, as they were super weird and actually just kept throwing weird and fun ideas against the wall in a story that I doubt we would see as creators are increasingly scared of fans. It looks like Disney has at least 3 of the 4 astromechs planned for the line this year, and I wouldn't be surprised to see group filled out by the 50th anniversary. The gist of the episode is this: the Republic puts R2-D2, a tiny frog Walter Matthau, and four other droids on a mission to blow up other droids. Upgrades from a mad scientist are doled out to each astromech, and you can tell where they are by some black and red caution marks - that's what makes this R2-D2 interesting. He got some upgraded rockets. Did Disney include rocket legs in the set? No. There's no new tooling here, it's the same basic R2-D2 mold you've bought as R2-D2 and possibly hundreds of other robots by now. What makes it unique is that R2-D2 from Disney rarely has the foot wires - this one has them.

Deco is similar but not identical to other releases. The greeblies are frequently painted this time, so when you look on the dome's holographic projector or that long, rectangular bar on the back you will find them filled with black paint. The little dots over the red dot on the back are painted, but interestingly the panel to its left is left silver. Usually it's painted in blue, and it's worth noting nearly every panel is painted more cleanly and centered than previous recent releases. I should also note, that unpainted silver panel on the back seems to be par for t he course for most prop photos - but for all I know it's a Mandela Effect thing and I need to see if it changes from movie to movie. Depending on how persnickety you are about details, this sort of thing might be very appealing to you until you start doing the math of "my cartoon droid in realistic style is more movie accurate in some ways but lacks the dirt and grime of the cartoon." Pobody's nerfect.

With a rich silver paint on the dome, and sadly a lack of metallic shine in the blue on said dome, this is a pretty good figure. If you don't have an R2-D2 - and is that even possible - this is a perfectly good one. I wish they retained the "action feature" just because that seems like something I'd go nuts for as a child, and I have a weird fondness for black and yellow caution tape and coloring on toys. Was it worth $30? Not really. Would it have been worth $20 at the theme park? Probably, but after I paid for parking it'd be $30. The mouse demands the $30 sacrifice, and I think this is one of those things that's more of an emotional need to complete D-Squad than it is to have a particularly fresh R2-D2. It's good. They did a nice job. It is not exceptional, nor was it a good deal. I assume we will some day see a D-Squad gift set, because it's what I would have made. If you live in a future where such a thing exists, get it unless you really, really need a red RX droid's foot.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Shop Disney. It sold out very quickly.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,387: October 8, 2026