Figure of the Day: Day 215: C-3PO (Endor)

C-3PO with Ewok throne
The Saga Collection
Item No.: Asst. 85770 No. 85940
Number: 042
Includes: Endor throne, display base
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Summer 2006
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: No one was more surprised than C-3PO by the sudden manifestation of godlike powers brought on by the golden droid's frustration at being unable to convince the Ewoks to free his friends. Then his sudden short, Force-induced flight around the village drove the superstitious Ewoks into a panic. After that, he was able to make his lack of interest in a delicious meal made up of Han, Luke, and Chewbacca fully understood. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's coffee table. Throne not shown. Escape Pod not included with this particular C-3PO.

Commentary: For years, fans have had one big request for C-3PO, and that was knee joints. In 2006, Hasbro made good by taking the basic figure from 2005 and adding some features to make it just a little bit better. On my open sample, the figure can sit fairly well-- although one of the legs doesn't move forward as much as the other, making it hard to sit well. Still, if you love articulation, this is the best C-3PO to date. The only thing this droid could possibly have is an extra arm joint or two, but it doesn't really need that sort of thing for this particular scenario. The Ewok throne is a nice touch, as many of us owned the original one with our Ewok Village playset. It's nice to have again, but the old one was (as toys go) a little more stable and overall, felt less likely to bend in some screwball shape. Also, there really is no easy way for Ewoks to carry this throne, partially because of the rubbery plastic, but also due to the lack of Ewoks on the market today. While the figure is neat due to his knees and wonderful expression, the throne itself fails as a toy because there really is no way for it to be carried around. And that's the point of this particular accessory, really. Without the ability to carry it around, the extra poles are worthless and just add to the cost of what may well be one of the more expensive figures in the assortment.

Collector's Notes: There are some variants out there, most of which involve the droid's knees-- the non-metalized part on the right leg may also be found in gray/silver. The figure itself is still fairly common, but don't expect to be tripping over them. It's a good figure as C-3POs go, but don't expect to get too much out of the throne as far as a plaything goes. Accessory aside, this C-3PO figure is one of the strongest in the entire line and unless Hasbro makes something better, this is going to be my default C-3PO for all Trilogy-based needs. It's cool.

Day 215: December 7, 2006