Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,378: Anakin Skywalker (Technically Darth Vader Maybe, The Vintage Collection)

ANAKIN SKYWALKER Technically Darth Vader
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Walmart Exclusive 2-Pack
Item No.: No. G3192
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #412
Includes: Cloak, lightsaber, hilt, alternate hand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $39.99
Availability: August 2026
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: Entranced by Palpatine's promise to teach him the ways of th Sith, Anakin succumbed to the temptation of the dark side, leading the Empire's eradication of the Jedi Order.. (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: This is a good Anakin Skywalker figure, and it's the kind of thing I don't think should have been a Walmart exclusive. Yes, let's start with a tangent - it's because I think core characters should be widely available. It's a real coup for Walmart to have it, but I think there's probably a ton of business to be had selling this guy everywhere because this is one of those gateway figures for millennials. This is the kind of figure that's so good, it makes you want to start a collection (or keep it going.) To put it in a closed box, as a $40 exclusive, it's probably not going to be a good first experience for a new collector. But maybe it'll do fine, I remember the previous set being well-received enough that customers cracked the box open and swiped one of the figures inside at some stores.

 

Using what seems to be most if not all of the same parts from last year's Darth Vader (The Journey of Anakin Skywalker) [FOTD #3,285] plus one of Hasbro's best cloth cloaks at any scale, this is a very good figure. Let's start with that cloak - it may not be 100% a match for the movie but Hasbro made a silhouette that absolutely captured the vibes of a flat garment with a hood that partially covers his face, yet still is sewn down. That's impressive. The sleeves are just a little long - just like you like it - and the bottom kind of drags on the floor. The lightsaber hilt is not perfect. The unique nub near the emitter is the wrong shape, but it's basically an appropriate form given the small size of the accessory. It lacks the texture around the on switch, as well as the gold highlights. If it wasn't for the cloak, I'd be cranky about this. Not every single hilt has been perfect in this line, so sometimes I just shrug and hand-wave anything that would likely be covered by a figure's hand or robes. It could be better, but I'm not going to let it ruin my day because I'll never notice it in my displays.

Anakin has another hand. You've seen it before. It's a hand, it swaps out, you know the drill.

The figure's body is the same as before, and the head might be. The eyes don't have the dark dot printing, and the head has the same wig. It fits way better on the final toy than on some pictures or renders, and the face looks very good to my eyes from a reasonable distance. No photo-real head can hold up perfectly to the scrutiny of the cruel megapixels of your macro function, but I can see the eyes are nice. The lips are painted. He's got his scar over his eye. The skin color is good, and so is the texture on his Jedi garments. While Obi-Wan's felt a little plastic, Anakin's seems close to perfect thanks to his leathery elements. The cloth skirt doesn't get in the way of piloting a ship, and the boots had more texture than I expected. This figure exceeds expectations.

What could be improved in the future? Articulation. At this size there are challenges in getting the shoulders posed just-so. I'd love to be able to do more double-handed lightsaber poses, but that's tough even at 1:12 scale. (Less so at 1:6 scale.) I've mentioned before that we may be reaching the limit of what Hasbro can do at this scale without new kinds of joints (or more money), and this really does feel like the best this character can be. Right now. Who knows if someone will come up with a better idea, or if Hasbro will abandon dozens of joints in favor of swappable limbs for display/play purposes someday. I guess Hasbro could paint the soles on the boots, but would it be worth an increased charge? Not to me. But now that I put that kind of thing out there, I'm sure someone will be demanding the additional paint or features that will cause this class of figure to reach $22.99 in the next five years. And I don't know if I have the constitution for that.

My first reaction to the fifth or eighth or 20th version of a figure is to roll my eyes and look for a reason to complain. I didn't find one. I'm sure there are inaccuracies you can find if you check it against whatever reference guide shows a slightly different belt but I'm pretty happy with this one. It's been a long time since Hasbro made a new not-eyeshadowed, movie-specific version of Evil Ani and here it is. It even fits well as a basic Revenge of the Sith Anakin, but they could probably do him again with messed-up hair and sell us an Invisible Hand version. (Hasbro: please don't.) Now that we're in an area where these are less "toys" than "premium collectibles," I would say Hasbro succeeded. Get this one, unless we're 5-10 years down the road and Hasbro found some new tech to improve on it.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,378: September 8, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,377: R0-M1 ( & RJ-83, Droid Factory)

R0-M1 & RJ-83
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: Mini RJ-83 Droid, card, RX head
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $19.99
Availability: August 2025
Appearances: Young Jedi Adventures

Bio: All different types of droids populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors. These droids can be found in the Tenoo Jedi Temple training area. Join R0-M1 and RJ-83 on their adventures throughout the galaxy. May the Force be with you... and your Droids! (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!  

Commentary: This is another weird one, because I've never actually watched Young Jedi Adventures. If we were in a year with no other stuff to watch, I'd be checking it out. There's too much variety (and too small portions) for various shows, so all I can judge R0-M1 & RJ-83 on are their own merits. And because they're separate characters, I'm going to do separate reviews. Sure, one is more of an accessory, but with a unique name and paint and articulation? That's two figures in my book.

When I saw the preview picture for the purple R0-M1, I was immediately annoyed. It was good! I am not particularly interested in the High Republic era, nor did Wookieepedia explain what this droid's deal was. All I can do is say is that they look like they could have been on "The Great Heep" and that's reason enough for me to want it. It looks good with other animated droids, and fits in some vehicles. I found it fits well in the ARC-170 and TVC Y-Wing, but doesn't fit so well in most X-Wing or Jedi Starfighter sockets.

So what do you get? A whole new droid. The dome is removable, and you can pop it on other bodies. Just know that the dome is short, so you'll see some exposed droid guts. The legs are removable, and a little wobbly. Each one has wheels, and there's a third leg socket underneath. No third leg is included, but it's nice to have hooks for future customs or other releases. The figure is mostly cast in white with purple panels. As far as I can tell, it closely matches the TV show. There's a big black eye, there are purple antennae, you even get little painted treads on the feet. But you don't get the rocket booster underneath, or the extra neck articulation implied by the picture on the cardback.

The paint is surprisingly good. There are all sorts of purple boxes, plus dark purple marks in the light purple panels. You can see various painted vents and lights, and everything seems to be pretty sharp. This is one of Disney's best decorated little robots, and odds are a lot of fans will never bother with it because it's basically an adult collectible of a preschool toy.

The figure's head has a few connection ports. You can't really put R2-D2's head on the R0-M1 socket, but you can put some very small hats or stars in the hat socket in the dome. There are also two foot pegs on the dome to place RJ-83, so that's nice.

The purple robot doesn't do much, but you get a lot of painted parts and two characters for your money. I think this is a better figure for "toy collectors" than "Star Wars collectors," because it has little purpose in the context of any movie-specific collection. The set is perfect to hang out with other droids or in the background of your shelves, and is just distinctive enough to be fun. If I were a little kid, I'd want it. If you can get it at a fair price, buy one. But also be aware it's pretty small, about 2 1/4-inches tall. This makes it about the same size as a $2.99 Blokees Defender-class figure, and those have 14 points of articulation. Star Wars collecting is not a particularly good value as hobbies go. If you want bang for your buck, check out any second-hand store or clearance depot and get yourself some Black Series at prices that would make your past self weep.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Shop Disney. It sold out very quickly, and I am beginning to wonder if they have a time limit rather than a quantity limit on these things.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,377: September 3, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,376: R4-M9 (The Retro Collection)

R4-M9 Kenner Debut
The Retro Collection Target Exclusive 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. G2554
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Leg
Action Feature: Dome clicks when turned, third leg is removable
Retail: $64.99
Availability: July 2026
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Rediscover the classics with The Star Wars Retro Collection - inspired by the Kenner originals! (Stolen from the marketing copy. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Warning: I tested this figure in my 1983 Y-Wing Fighter astromech socket, and it is tight enough that you really have to pull to get it out. I recommend not putting it in a 1983 Return of the Jedi Y-Wing Fighter toy.

Commentary: When we saw the previews, we all knew R4-M9 was going to be good. As a figure, it's pretty much precisely what we all wanted - the original Kenner R2-D2 look and feel, but with a new dome and matching sticker. And we got it! But here's the thing - the monkey's paw got us. Hasbro made this figure just a little bit wider than the original R2-D2 so, like Chopper, it doesn't fit in the old Kenner astromech socket in the Y-Wing Fighter. It fits great in the Y-Wing Scout Bomber, the TVC X-Wing, and various The Clone Wars Jedi Starfighter sockets, as well as the TVC Y-Wing Fighter. But it is preposterously tight in the old Kenner toy, so don't do it.

Functionally, it's like every Kennery R2-D2 you've got. It's a round body with two legs, and a dome on top that clicks. This one doesn't have a screw under the dome, so you won't be taking it apart. Hasbro moved the foot peg holes closer to the back of the foot, as opposed to your original R2-D2 being near the middle. Functionally, it feels just like R2-D2 and R5-D4, just a little bit stiffer. It might just be that it's a new figure needing to be broken in, but Chopper wasn't quite this stiff. The actual body mold is similar, but not identical, to Retro R2-D2. Or, maybe one of the two were just assembled backward for me. I don't know.

The deco is very good, with a black disc eye and that weird puke green running from the painted dome, to the label, to the legs. It all matches nicely, and looks pretty great. Weirdly, it looks almost too good - like a 1985-ish dome was plopped on a 1978 body. It doesn't feel too out of place, to be honest, and the details on the dome are much more exaggerated and deeper than I would have expected. I don't dislike it - it makes it feel like something out of time, and it is. They even put a nifty "+"-shaped panel on top of the dome. It's pretty great, and R4-M9 feels like something that could have been from the era of EV-9D9.

 

Arguably the most interesting extra in the figure is a third leg. Kenner and Hasbro have riffed on these before, and you can even 3D print a real nice one for your old Kenner figures. This new one fits perfectly in Retro R2-D2 and R4-M9, with just enough friction to stay in there unless you want to pull it out. Hasbro deserves massive credit for this, as getting this sort of form fit just right is difficult and doesn't tend to happen. The third leg even fit in my old R2-D2 (Sensorscope), but it was a little bit looser. And that's OK - it's nearly 45 years old, and I don't expect it to be perfect with something made for collectors in 2026. For display purposes, it does fit. I expect a lot of collectors to seek out extra R4-M9s unless Hasbro decides to reissue R2-D2 next year with the third leg, and we all hope that they do.

I would love to give you a snarky comment here but I don't have one. Other than the chance it could go in a Y-Wing's hole and get stick - it was a million-to-one shot, doc - I really don't think there's anything Hasbro could have done better here. "Is it what you would have done, Adam?" No, and I'm glad you asked - but I think what Hasbro did is better. I would have made the entire dome smooth without the indentations or raised areas, except for a big Kenner 1978 R2-D2 circle eye that would be intentionally off-model. Hasbro's lumpy approach is way more interesting. Figures like this are more art than literal interpretation of what we see with our eyes, so I always feel they're more open to discussion and critique. Maybe it's a childhood bias, but I'd recommend you pay $65 for CZ-3 and R4-M9. "But that's a lot of money!" Yeah, but these are awesome, and I'm good for it.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target. It was on shelf, they did not fulfill my pre-order yet.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,376: September 1, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,375: Nabrun Leids (The Vintage Collection)

NABRUN LEIDS New and Significantly Jointed
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch HasLab Cantina Pack-In
Item No.: No. G1302
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #HAS011
Includes: 1 tumbler, 2 blasters, 1 alternate hose
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $399.99-$499.99
Availability: September 2025
Appearances: Star Wars 

Bio: No one knows what the Morseerian former pilot Nabrun Leids looks like underneath his breath mask, which he must wear in all non-methane environments. He'll fly anyone or anything anywhere - if the price is suitable. (Taken from packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Won't you be, won't you be, won't you be my Nabrun Leids? Right off the bat, I was not remotely excited that this was part of the crowdfund only because The Saga Collection redeco of Nabrun Leids [FOTD #397] was so good. I get some flack for this, but my feeling is if it ain't broke don't remake it. You can get that figure - with Kabe - for under $20. The set was $7 in 2007, and while a little hard to find as a Walmart exclusive it was able to be bought at a fair price. Side-by-side, the old figure is brighter and shinier, but has less gear and significantly less articulation. A lot of us differ philosophically on what "needs" a remake. 2006 Nabrun was a 1998 mold, repainted, and the original sculpt was surprisingly "modern." The HasLab version has more wrinkles and more joints, but if you just need a cool alien in your Cantina either version will do the trick. I don't need everybody to have rocker ankles and swinging wrists, and Hasbro made the 2025 version up to the standards of their higher-priced Deluxe figures. That's good! But necessary? Well, that's up to you.

So with that out of the way, this a most excellent figure that shows Hasbro showing off. The figure's basic form is the same as the previous releases, with a few key differences. The mask straps all join up in the back of the head now. The knees are a little different. The boots are now a dark silver, rather than white. The new figure also has fewer fingers, which is more accurate to the background photography of the costume. Aside from some wrinkles, the sculpts are both very good and you won't notice the differences in the background of a dark bar diorama. But this new figure does provide you with options.

For starters, he has a glass this time. It is designed to fit in his main right hand. The hands can also hold the original figure's massive double-grip blaster, if you so choose. The smaller hands can easily hold his pistols, which look like some sort of vintage ray gun. They're great, and if they're sourced from the movie I don't recognize them. The mask hose is removable, allowing you to swap it out with a bent model. I appreciate Hasbro throwing in extra parts, but honestly I wouldn't miss any of the accessories. The bar itself is loaded with glassware, and I don't remember the blasters (or a need for a bent hose) from the movie. But there's nothing wrong with the old figure, either - it just gives you more options to have the very best.

Articulation is incredible. Each hand has a bend and swivel wrist. Each arm is as good as these figures get, with incredible leg articulation and nothing to block it. You get rocker ankles, smooth knees, and a neck that can tilt as needed. The waist is also perfect, and can pivot at the belt line. I have no notes. Everything here is right where it should be. It's above and beyond the 8 joints we got in 1998 and 2007. If Hasbro ever produces the weird landspeeders from Mos Eisley, I assume this figure will have zero problems fitting in any cockpit we could throw at it. Plus or minus the second arm pair.

There are subtle differences in the flight suit, but what's amazing is how similar they are. The patches behind the wrists are still there. The accordion textures are very similar. The belt is a bit more rounded now, but still fundamentally the same as before. Kenner of old was doing great work right up to the end of their old building, and the new one shows how to functionally improve on that for the modern collector.

When it comes to the heads, I'd say it's a toss-up as to which is better. The new one has a more weathered, more desaturated mask. That looks great! The old one is brighter. The skin textures are a little different, but both have tons of detail. A wipe on Nabrun 2007 brings it out a bit more, but the 2025 figure also looks excellent. The mask looks great on both, and the straps are only barely different. The joined cluster on the back matches the Gentle Giant mini-bust, so it's probably the most authentic take on the alien we'll ever get. I wish you could get one easily and cheaply.

If you don't have a Nabrun Leids, this is the best one. If you just need one to stand around a bar, The Saga Collection release is completely fine. Every collector has different opinions of what they need, or what's necessary, and I'm of two minds about it. When it comes to the Cantina, I need a figure to serve a function. Some sit, some stand. As long as they can do what they did in the movie, I don't need them to be perfect. This figure is perfect, and it is far better at conveying its vague indifference through body language than the previous releases. For that reason, this is probably the best choice to have getting drinks at Chalmun's.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse. I hope it shows up in the regular line, for now it's exclusive to a crowdfund that is no longer available outside the likes of eBay.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,375: August 27, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,374: R2-WRWLF (Droid Factory)

R2-WRWLF Halloween Edition
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: Wolf ears
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $14.99-$17.99-$14.99
Availability: August 2026
Appearances: n/a 

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

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!  

Commentary: Hailing from the planet where Savage and Maul did some stuff, R2-WRWLF is a departure from most holiday droids. Generally, Disney do a good job to be respectful of coloring in the lines and giving you a figure that seems that it could be an in-universe paint job, plus or minus some garish flourishes or the occasional transparent or glow chassis. This one makes a big departure by giving us something that's more of a "designer figure." Given how previous droids were zombies or ghosts or pumpkins or even a vampire, it makes sense that they wanted to try something a bit different. And you know what? It works.

While not without its pricing drama (see below), it's easy to see this droid and go "you is a wahrwilf!" This figure uses the standard build-a-droid body with the non-cable feet, and adds an all-new set of wolf ears. Perhaps we'll see them again as cat ears, a "black cat" droid would make a lot of sense. The Disney designers really went to town on this one. The wolf ears have pink interiors, but the dome is surprisingly ornate. The main eye is yellow - which looks great - and adds a black pupil. Creepy! The box below it adds pink "gums" around a white box for "teeth," and even retains a red dot which can be the interior of the mouth. It's a really clever use of the space, even if it is a bit of a departure from a traditional droid. Aside from that, most of the panels are painted brown - beautiful brown.

The ears are removable, but cover one of the greeblies on top of his dome. This helps it to lock in place. Oh, and be sure to compare your figure to the cardback photos - the "torn panel" patterns changed from the card art to the figure.

The body and legs are sort of brilliant. The droid body is cast in brown put painted mostly in red with lines that look sort of like a plaid pattern, with the occasional "pocket" panel. I love this - I don't think we've ever had a plaid droid before. I'm surprised it didn't start in a Christmas robot. If you've seen the Lon Chaney Jr. classic The Wolf Man or even An American Werewolf in London, and my goodness you should see both, you know that lycanthropy results in torn clothing. Disney knows this too. The figure's right "shoulder" is exposed brown, as are a couple of back panels and one front panel. What a clever idea! I would continue with the commentary, but it sort of gets ugly as you go down - the feet are brown, but so is a third leg extending from below the figure's shirt. Maybe they should have painted the feet brown or green. The soles of the feet are painted black, with black wheels. That's unusual, but it looks good.

If you're looking for something brown, or something dandy, make sure you get this one before it gets expensive. Disney really spent some money slathering this guy in paint, and it turned out rather well. It's creative, and while it probably has no real place in any diorama you can't deny it isn't interesting. $15 isn't cheap, but the only new 3 3/4-inch action figures on the market today at a lower price are Retro Kenner guys. And you have to buy a six pack. I hope monster collectors get wind of this one, I think they're going to enjoy it as a particularly exciting monster mash-up.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Shop Disney. It was $14.99 on launch day, $17.99 a couple days later, and then $14.99 again by the next Wednesday.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,374: August 25, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,373: CZ-3 (The Retro Collection)

CZ-3 Kenner Debut
The Retro Collection Target Exclusive 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. G2554
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $64.99
Availability: July 2026
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Rediscover the classics with The Star Wars Retro Collection - inspired by the Kenner originals! (Stolen from the marketing copy. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: When I first saw CZ-3 I said to myself "Hey, that's pretty good." It is rare that Hasbro makes a figure in Retro that hasn't received a previous Kenner/Hasbro release, but here's one. Disney made a CZ Series Communications Droid (White, Droid Factory) [FOTD #2,381] nearly ten years ago, but all Hasbro has made was 2007's CZ-4 - itself a very nice figure. The white, filthy business droid from Mos Eisley never got a Hasbro or Kenner figure until now. Maybe the other guys were good enough, and maybe not - I don't know you, so you'll have to tell me. I had the Disney guy standing in.

So, how is it?  Great. Wedge felt like a fudged modern sculpt. Captain Antilles was very good, but felt very digital. CZ-3 feels like someone might have caught a glimpse of the previous made-for-Disney droid, since their CZ bin bots have open right hands and gripping left hands - same as this guy. The fronts of the figures are quite similar, but their backs, arms, and head shapes are a little different. The 2026 Kenner figure has almost a pin head, pointier in the back. Speaking of the back, the design is quite different from both Hasbro and Disney CZ molds. The Kenner Retro guy has fewer details, and is honestly quite unimaginative. Kenner usually concocted something neat for the back, but at least I can say the design is pretty original. CZ-3's legs look like those of Kenner C-3PO but feature a lot of changes. For starters, the ribbing behind the knees are smoothed out, like the Disney figure. The raised lines over C-3PO's shins are smoothed out on CZ, and CZ has a single line running up the front of the thigh as opposed to the doubles on C-3PO. (And as we all know, triples is best.) The backs of the legs have changed up designs, and the feet are different too. I think a lot of fans would have been happy with a reuse of C-3PO legs, but Hasbro went and made something that felt the same but looks different. Good for them, I really like that decision.

The deco is different from previous figures as well as the costume from the movie. It's giving me a sense of a designer that probably worked from some reference, and some memory. It's good at capturing the vibes of the design, while getting it a little wrong. That's how Kenner did it, although not on purpose. The grey outline around the chest is pure nonsense, and the unpainted limbs seem very much like a Kenner move. (Heck, it's still a modern Mattel move.) The pointy coverings of the lower arms around the elbow are smoothed out, and the long nose somehow feels even longer - I like it. Hasbro also declined to paint the eyes, instead just sculpting in a dot and letting light do its thing. This was common in 3 3/4-inch Mego figures of the 1970s, go take a look at Mork from Ork or The Motion Picture Spock if you have them handy. I'll wait.

A departure from most Kenner-style droids who aren't Zuckuss or HK-87, this protocol-adjacent droid has one hand that can hold an accessory. I handed him Retro Wedge's blaster, and I was surprised to find out CZ-3's hand has a better grip than Wedge. Or Han. I have no reason for this guy to hold anything, ever, but I guess it's good to know Hasbro can make a good Kenner droid hand if they want. Nicely done.

I have nothing snarky to say here and little to criticize. I will buy another boxed set (or two, or three) for more of this guy. If it hits clearance, I will buy a few. All the joints move well and it feels pretty good. It's not hard ABS (I think) plastic like C-3PO, the Death Star Droid, or FX-7, but the PVC (again, I think) feels just fine. I wish he had a hint more of a slouch to his posture, but Hasbro really delivered the goods here. It's fun putting him in ships and playsets, and it looks cool. I like it, and I'll likely buy another one or two (sets.)

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target. 

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,373: August 20, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,372: Geonosian Picador (The Vintage Collection)

GEONOSIAN PICADOR with Orray
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Vehicle Pack-In Figure
Item No.: No. G2769
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #411
Includes: Pike, Orray, plugs for orray, reins, stand, wagon
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $79.99
Availability: July 2026
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: Geonosians use orrays - sturday quadrupeds native to the rocky planet - as mounts for the picadors in the execution arena, as well as to pull carts carrying condemned prisoners. (Taken from the cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: It's great to finally have this Orray & Geonosian Picador set. It's also a little late. Attack of the Clones came out in 2002, so this beast hit 26 years later. To put it in perspective, the long-delayed Bantha first got made by Kenner in the summer of 1998... only 21 years after the original movie had been in theaters. Prequel kids have been either much more patient or indifferent than the Gen X-ers, so now they get to pony up $80 for what is an admittedly very good - and over-engineered - display piece. It's very good, it's original, and most importantly it's packed with new stuff you didn't buy when the movie was still new. That is such a rarity that I think it's actually worth holding your nose and getting your credit card without waiting for a sale. I doubt we're going to get a lot of never-before-made stuff next year.

So what's in the set? It's versatile, and it's this year's "playset." It's an item designed to be bought more than once for display reasons, and it became apparent as I was setting it up. The orray creature has a saddle plus little plastic plugs in his side, which you can pull out to connect the reins. This means you should probably buy one of these guys to be pulling the cart, and a second one so that the Geonosian may ride him and the cart can be overturned in a display. Heck, you can probably buy more if you want. Like Mos Eisley and the Tantive IV, this set was very clearly intended for repeated purchase. The cart is good, but noting special. The orray is superior to the Mattel Jurassic World toys by a fair bit, but also you're being charged accordingly. It's the same size as the baby stegosaurus mold from a few years ago. The creature has loads of joints and deco, but is sized similarly to the $13 toys in Mattel's line. If this were made at 2009 levels of Hasbro articulation, I assume this set would probably be $40 - but we are in an era where the goal seems to be to give the fan the very best, most expensive offering possible. Everything has tons of extra detailing and joints. If you love that sort of thing, you're going to love this. If you're on a budget, you're probably mad.

The carded Geonosian Picador figure inside comes on a card, with the biggest blister in The Vintage Collection. The giant spear covers almost the entire box for the photo, and probably makes a pretty good case for Hasbro to try a new 3 3/4-inch packaging style after nearly a decade so we can get some other kinds of accessories. The ones released with the movie had sticks or blasters, but I think they were lacking this specific lengthy stick. It's distinctive, so if you have an army of these guys it'll stand out.

The figure itself surprised me. It's not a figure that shares parts with Poggle the Lesser [FOTD #3,342]. Both seem to share elements from a CAD file ancestor, but nearly every piece is significantly altered with added (or removed) armor plus different carapace detailing. Poggle has a lot more spikes and bumps, and this picador is a bit more smoothed out. Functionally, they're pretty much the same with joints in the same places. The range of movement will not surprise you, but perhaps the hands will. Poggle's are larger, with fingers outstretched for gesturing or holding his cane. This picador grips either the pike or the reins tightly, to the point where I would say it might be challenging to get them gripping.

The level of detail on the figure is pretty great, with the green bug bits being texturally similar to the others in the line with flexible gold armor so nobody loses an eye. This one stands out because the back of the armor has various jewels and tassels. Perhaps the significance of the blue gem or various rings and bars are known to you, but I may have forgotten with time. Maybe they just look cool! I appreciate that they made this guy look different than the four-pack at Hasbro Pulse. The quality is there. Hasbro did a nice job, and if you just want more bugs you can skip this set and get four in the cheaper army pack.

I found getting the orray on the cart fairly easy, but contorting this nicely jointed Geonosian to fit in the seat was tough. I worry it might distort the plastic limbs over time, so I'll probably display him nearby either seated on the creature or standing until/unless I buy a second one. (Unlikely at $80.) I'm sure anyone that worked on this is rolling their eyes at my price-related comments, but you do get a sense of sticker shock when a very good $20 figure is in an $80 box with a floating boat and dinosaur of sorts. At $60 I'd say "this is pretty great." There's so much paint, articulation, and detail on everything in the set that you can get why they are asking $80, and I assume only a sliver of that has to do with our current fun with international trade. It's also the first completely new mold we've had for an Attack of the Clones vehicle or creature in over a decade, and I appreciate that we actually got something that isn't another remake. If you're a prequel collector, go buy this, it's great. If you love creatures and vehicles, it's very cool. If you want it to be 2002 and this to be $25 with a roaring sound box, well, maybe they'll try a "retro" thing for the prequels by going back to 1990s-2000s aesthetics some day. (This won't happen.)

 

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,372: August 18, 2026