Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,529: R3-B0017 (Droid Factory Line Look)

R3-B0017 Disney Parks Halloween Exclusive Star Wars  Droid Factory
Star Wars Disney Droid Factory
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Probably Not Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Comes Apart, glows in the dark
Retail: $12.99
Availability: August 2017
Appearances: n/a

Bio: All different types of Astromech droids populate the Star Wars galaxy.  Each droid is different and has their own unique personality and colors.  This droid has been programmed to scavenger Dathomir and serve Darth Maul.  Join R3-B0017 on his adventures throughout the galaxy.  May the Force be with you... and your Droids!  (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: Rarely does a toy seem so tailor-made for me as R3-B0017.   I love droids, I love action figures, and I love things that glow in the dark - add in a ridiculous short backstory, and we're off to the races!

The mold is more or less the standard R3 fare - clear dome, hole in the top, a few textured bits, and some painted panels even though they don't seem obvious in optimal lighting conditions.  If the droid is lit from behind, you'll notice a few panels painted green on the front and back of his - erm - person.  It's simple and it doesn't add a ton to the overall look and feel of this one.  I like it because it's something, but it could just as easily have been another color since this blends in so much.  The green plastic tends to absorb a lot of light, obfuscating sculpted detail.  Having said that, you've bought hundreds of droids by now, so you don't need perfect deco.   You need glow.

The glow is good. The droid's green plastic is semi-translucent, fitting for a "ghostly" robot from Dathomir.  It matches the likes of Slimer more closely than my other glow toys, and for those curious the very best glow-in-the-dark toys seem to come from Onell Design's Glyos factory.   (Get some - also see Cosmic Radiation Edition Outer Space Men.)  The toy has a lovely green color rather than a bony off-white color, which is a nice change of pace as glow toys go.  Star Wars has precious few toys which glow in the dark thanks to most people I've spoken with telling me glow toys are seen as a cheap cop-out as design goes (I feel insulted), or in some cases the plastic is a little more brittle and unsuited to things like Transformers.   The more you know, I suppose.

Happy Halloween!  I like when Disney tries doing weird things with these, going above and beyond what would probably be appropriate under the Lucas era.  It's kind of an abomination, but it's also exactly the kind of thing I wanted to have.  I appreciate the backstory, I love the colors, and outside of a few glowing Action Fleet figures and an Applause! Spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi, glowing Star Wars toys are a small subset indeed.  If the price is good, get one.  (Warning: the price is awful now.)  Prices on eBay are usually pretty good - around $20 - within a month or two of release.  If you're interested in any of the special droids, I suggest you don't dawdle.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from eBay.  

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,529: October 30, 2018