Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,938: Boba Fett (Droids, The Vintage Collection)

BOBA FETT Droids Redux
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Droids Target Exclusive Action Figure
Item No.: No. F5312
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Jetpack, rifle, Coin
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $15.99
Availability: May 2022
Appearances: Droids
Bio: With his customized Mandalorian armor, deadly weaponry, and silent demeanor, Boba Fett was one of the most feared bounty hunters in the galaxy. He became a legend. (Taken from marketing copy. There is no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: As much as I would like to say "at last!" that wouldn't quite be true - this is the second take on this Boba Fett from Droids. Walmart got an exclusive Boba Fett [FOTD #1,482] with BL-17 way back in 2009 as part of a Legacy-era build-a-figure program where you could make a Dark Trooper. It was a pretty good era to collect these things. That version was a slight variation on the 2007 Animated Debut/Holiday Special figure, which itself was a redeco and retool of the 2004 Return of the Jedi Original Trilogy Collection Vintage release. The Droids and Holiday Special character models are very similar in color, but not identical - the chest armor is notable different, for example. What Hasbro gave us in 2022 is a Return of the Jedi Boba Fett figure in cartoon colors, and it's OK. Is it the final word on this version of the character? No.

I like this figure a lot - heck, I'd have paid $16 just for the coin. But let's not kid ourselves, the unique chest is missing, the helmet is good - but not perfect. The boots are wrong, the holster is missing, and the 3 3/4-inch Hasbro rocket is unpainted, while the animation model (and the pictures for the 6-inch one) are at least a little bit painted. The 2009 release is a bit more crude, but it's arguably more authentic despite its metallic paint job. In 2022, Hasbro opted to give Boba a flat, cel-shaded look which I happen to like a bit more.

Complaints aside, this is a neat figure. I like the brown mustard chest armor, the blue helmet and vambraces are distinctive, and while I might've poo-pooed the painted-over dents a few years ago, we now know that Boba Fett has absolutely no problems repainting over his dented armor. (Sure, it's undented on the cartoon, but I don't expect Hasbro to shell out for all-new tooling if they can probably get away with using what was already paid for.) The gray bodysuit is perfectly nice, and the Wookiee scalps are a light brown. His cape is also an orangey brown, and it looks fine. For a repaint, I'd say that Hasbro did a very good job picking the most modern Boba Fett mold in this size, and applying what seem to be the most reasonable colors. His blaster is nothing special - he can hold it, and it looks fine. There's no reason to complain, but it is odd that the 6-inch version has more painted details on the jet pack.

Since this is the most recent version of cartoon Boba Fett in this scale, I'd recommend it - I can't imagine it will be the last, and if Hasbro ever goes back to the well for new tooling for Boba (or Vlix, or the Fromms) I think that would be pretty exciting. This figure reminds me a lot of the repaint waves we saw a lot from 2005-2009, where Hasbro did a good job delivering more figures with whatever tooling was available. I like that it's a different take on cartoon colors Boba Fett, and I appreciate it'll stand apart from the ones I already bought. But for a $3 premium over the regular figure, I would really have liked to have seen some new tooling, or a bonus accessory... but since it's from Droids and in Droids packaging, I'll happily fork over my money.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,938: June 30, 2022

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,937: The Armorer (The Retro Collection)

THE ARMORER Kenner Style
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F4200 No. F4458
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Hammer, tongs, fuzzy cape
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $11.99
Availability: May 2022
Appearances: The Mandalorian

Bio: The Armorer plays a vital role in keeping the culture of the Mandalorians alive. She forges beskar armor in the ancient tradition of her people. (Stolen from the marketing copy. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: I was surprised to get The Armorer in The Retro Collection for a variety of reasons - I love how she turned out, though! Back in the 1980s, Kenner, Hasbro, Mattel, and the rest weren't exactly packing their action figures to the gills with women. In Kenner's entire original run, we got Kea Moll, Sy Snootles, and Princess Leia. It's more than a bit of a surprise we got The Armorer along with Bo-Katan Kryze and Ahsoka Tano in a single wave, because we've not effectively doubled the number of women characters in Kenner-style figures.

The Armorer is particularly nifty because she has design elements that begged to be Kenner-ized, and others that made me wonder how they could pull it off. Her quilted gloves look a lot like elements of the old (also 1990s) Hoth Rebel figures, and look exactly like I imagined. The boots look good, the armor and helmet were pulled off well, and the gold helmet is a lot duller than I'd have expected. I would have anticipated vac-metal gold (which Hasbro avoids now) or something a bit more metallic, but there's not a lot of dull metal paint on old Kenner figures other than the Snaggletooth silver boots. She does have metallic gold paint on her belt, which is consistent with the older figures. Most figures had little or no paint on their belts, usually one paint application at the most.

Other than her arms bowing out a little bit, the sculpt and pose seems spot-on with most of my old Kenner figures. She looks like she'd be right at home lurking near a Creature Cantina or Jabba's Dungeon. What's particularly interesting is how Hasbro tackles some design elements where there's no precise Kenner analog, in this case, her furry "cape." For The Black Series we got a mass-retail plastic version and an exclusive fuzzy cape, while The Vintage Collection opted for plastic. This Retro release has elastic shoulder straps and a fuzzy piece of cloth, and there's nothing like it in the original Kenner Star Wars line. We have some cloth cloaks, vinyl capes, a cloth cape around General Lando's neck, but nothing like this. I would've assumed Hasbro would have left it off (as was done with Boba Fett in 1978) or sculpted directly to the figure to keep costs and parts down. This feels very authentic for an old figure, but almost more of a luxury than what we used to see back then.

This line is a weird kind of time-travel for me - I remember seeing those last figures in clearance bins, mostly Duloks and Klaatu, for a couple of years after the lines died. I always thought it would be cool to see more figures, and this series is what I would have wanted for my birthday in 1987 had they existed. Given that The Armrorer is very stingy with her paint applications, she seems to fit right in with those old figures - but her hammer and tongs do seem a little big for the era, plus it's unlikely Kenner of the 1980s would have given many figures three additional accessories. Thankfully Hasbro did it, and plussed her up a bit - she's pretty perfect to me, and I hope they throw us a Paz Vizsla later. (And maybe a forge playset.) She's an absolute joy and I hope you find and buy her. But if you're not in your late 30s, 40s, or 50s, this style of figure may just be confusing. It means absolutely everything to guys my age who are me.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,937: June 28, 2022

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,936: ARC Trooper (Umbra Operative, The Vintage Collection)

ARC TROOPER (Umbra Operative)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure - Entertainment Earth Exclusive
Item No.: No. F6253
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #237
Includes: 4 blasters, helmet
Action Feature: Removable helmet, pistols fit in holsters, blaster fits in backpack
Retail: $15.99
Availability: May 2022
Appearances: Battlefront

Bio: Entertainment Earth exclusive orange and black ARC Trooper from the game Star Wars Battlefront II. (There is no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: This ARC Trooper (Umbra Operative) is an exclusive repaint - if you bought Jesse, Fives, or Echo, you'll probably recognize all the mold parts from those or other figures. They have the old bend-and-swivel hips, so the range of motion isn't as good as the newer figures, but it's pretty decent. You probably don't need more troopers, but black and orange, not-quite-Halloweeny looking figures work for me. (I admit, I haven't played the game, and since it seems to be DLC or a random drop it's not like I'd be able to get it anyway.)

Molded in black, except for the head, this is a pretty sharp figure. Under the removable helmet (with articulated rangefinder) is a Temura Morrison-esque head, this time with an improved paint job. Some earlier ARC figures had exaggeratedly darkened lips, this one doesn't. The eyes are bright, the subtle forehead wrinkles look excellent, and he just looks - for lack of a better word - very normal. This is the deco they should use from now on, unless they want to give him a wacky hair color or a scarred eye. It's great! The only downside is that the helmet is on the tight side - removing it will cause the head to pop out, so you may need to carefully pry it back out again. The helmet deco has a great orange pattern that looks a bit like a skull or a jack-o-lantern, so I really dig it.

The body is good for a few years ago, as it incorporates elements of many ARC Troopers from The Clone Wars. This model has two pauldrons, chest armor, a Sandtrooper-like backpack (with plug for blaster), twin holsters, fancy boots, and generally excellent articulation. The kama/skirt blocks some of the hip movement, but plastic elements do that - and cloth ones sometimes look weird. Since I assume this guy will never pilot a toy starfighter, the plastic piece is perfectly fine. I had no problems getting him to hold or stow his weapons, but take note - the backpack slot for the smaller rifle is a little loose. It'll hold, but bump it and it might fall out. You won't want to lose it, so take care when playing with it, or setting up the display.

The paint is pretty good, the orange isn't super-thick, and brightly colored paints - orange and yellow in particular - sometimes looks a little worn over black plastic. It looks pretty good here, mostly because I'm a sucker for black-with-neon.

You might be a fan of the game and be familiar with the costume, but I assume most people will buy this figure because it looks neat. It's more of a designer art figure than it is reasonable camo for most combat situation, because I assume the only place where black armor with bright neon highlights would help you blend in would be an arcade or skate rink from 1992. Hasbro could make weird color Clones all day and I'm here for it - this isn't a boring figure, even if it is an obscure set of armor, and I'm happy to have it. It's also worth noting GameStop got a 6-inch version of this figure as an exclusive.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,936: June 23, 2022

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,935: Boba Fett (Morak, The Retro Collection)

BOBA FETT (Morak) Kenner Style
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F4200 No. F4461
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, Rifle
Action Feature: Blaster fits in holster loop
Retail: $11.99
Availability: May 2022
Appearances: The Mandalorian

Bio: Boba Fett was a human male crime lord and former bounty hunter whose career spanned decades, from the fall of the Galactic Republic to the end of the rule of the Galactic Empire. (Stolen from Wookieepedia. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: I really love these Kenner figures. Boba Fett (Morak) is one of the more fascinating designs because it takes some elements from the original Kenner figure and slaps them in a new costume, but generally keeps the figure in the style of the originals. I like this figure a bunch and am glad Hasbro double-packed him in the case so you have a chance to actually see one and buy it if you like it. Also awesome, they updated the helmet sculpt from the 1979 original. These figures feel like honest-to-goodness time travel for me, and I assume your enjoyment of them will be higher if you're old enough to remember when collecting Star Wars meant flea markets or garage sales. There's sweat equity in my toy box.

The original Boba Fett was neat because it was incredibly weird. It was based on the prototype suit colors and then got those colors wrong, it had the wrong blaster, the helmet was a bit off, but it was unmistakably Boba Fetty. The new one copies the basic pose, fixing the hands so both can hold blasters. The shoulder armor remains with no Mythosaur skull, which is true to the aesthetics of the 1980s. The figure has painted green armor - just like he fixed it up - which means he now has a green jetpack. What I love is the jetpack has a Kenner-esque rocket, but not an identical sculpt to the old rocket. The jetpack seems to be very similar to the original sculpt, which is a hoot since Hasbro updated the helmet to look significantly better (but still of the 1980s.) The rangefinder is up this time, and painted. It looks sharp. I love how the visor is painted, and that the red ring is painted all around the helmet this time. Deco is exactly what it should be, and that's pretty good for any Kenner figure.

He stands, he sits, he holds his blasters. The loop on the holster can hold the grip of the pistol, and he does a good job fitting in a lot of the vehicles - but the arms are a little on the wide side so expect to do some squeezing. The knee pads are significantly lower - it's kind of weird - but other than that, it's Boba Fett. A figure being slightly off-model but recognizable is a trait of the original line. In some respects, you could Hasbro did us a disservice with the new blasters - by the time of Droids and The Power of the Force in 1984 and 1985, Hasbro tended to just reuse existing weapons and only tooled new stuff as absolutely necessary. Had this been a real 1987 figure, it would've probably just came with another Stormtrooper blaster. (I prefer the new guns, thank you.)

After ripping him off the card, I grabbed my old Kenner Boba Fett that I bought from my friend's older brother's buddy 35 years ago for $1, and handed the rifle to him. Morak Boba's gun is a great replacement for the stormtrooper blaster we had back then, and he holds it nicely. These new black accessory sculpts are pretty crisp, but much like Boba, the detail is a little soft. It's like they took a copy of a copy of a figure. If you actually own real 1970s and 1980s figures, the sculpts are simple, but not soft. Corners are very sharp, detail is excellent. Here it's rounded off and feels like the mold saw years of use before it pushed out the figure you just bought, which just seems odd. If you're not an old collector, you'll probably think this makes it look more authentic, so I won't fault you or Hasbro for that. The details are hard to get exactly right and as someone who has been involved with developing retro action figures, there are many arguments to be had.

While you may disagree, I feel like this is an essential figure - "Boba came back from the dead!" seems like a concept right out of the 1985-1986 Kenner line extension, and the design fits right in with late-era Power of the Force guys down to the baggy pants cut down the middle. I love the upgraded helmet, I love the colors, and the accessories are better than I expected - he's right up there with Old Man Luke in Robes as "figure that's been in the back of your imagination since you were a kid." I might wind up liking The Vintage Collection NuFett more, but for now, I am very happy with this Kenner-style release and am just absolutely thrilled to have a wave of new Kenner figures with absolutely no vinyl capes to ruin the fun.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,935: June 21, 2022

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,934: Artoo-Deetoo (R2-D2, Droids, The Vintage Collection)

ARTOO-DEETOO R2-D2
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Droids Target Exclusive Action Figure
Item No.: No. F5310
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Sensorscope, Coin
Action Feature: Pop-up sensorscope, opening datalink panel, retractable third leg
Retail: $15.99
Availability: May 2022
Appearances: Droids
Bio: A reliable and versatile astromech droid, R2-D2 is a skilled starship mechanic and fighter pilot's assistant. He has an unlikely but enduring friendship with protocol droid C-3PO. (Taken from marketing copy. There is no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: I've been asking Hasbro for years to deliver unto us a cartoony deco Artoo-Deetoo action figure, and there he sits! Much like the 1985 version from Kenner, Hasbro just used an old mold (now 11 years old) and repainted it. This time around, Hasbro tried some new things - the drink tray is missing, and so is the lightsaber. And the drink dispenser. You don't get as much here, but it costs a lot more. That's progress? You also get a coin. We're absolutely being charged premium pricing for these guys these days, because a similar figure would've been $6.99 in 2007 - and making coins is pretty cheap, especially in bulk. But that's not the commentary we're making today - I just want to know if it's any good.

As a very long-time fan of the Droids cartoon, I'm mostly satisfied. We got a figure that takes design cues from the package artwork. That means blank white legs with molded wires, and grey boxes on the chest, and nicely detailed dome deco with no chrome to offend the eye. The blue looks good, the red light looks excellent, and the big blue circle on top is how the character design looks. It's closer to the Spanish PVC figure that you may or may not have also seen at Disney parks in the early 1990s.

Tooling is nothing new - there's a hole in the dome for the missing drink dispenser, which is a pity because it would be fun to have had included. The opening chest panel doesn't like to stay shut, which is also a shame, but it does allow you to have a bonus play feature. Pushing up his central leg causes the scope to pop out, and vice-versa. It's a perfectly nice mold, but had they used the build-a-droid model I'd be just as happy if not happier. Maybe Disney can incorporate this deco into one of their future releases - I'd buy it. His rolling wheels are great, and it's nice to see an animated version of this figure on the market that doesn't cost ridiculous sums of cash.

I assume he's going to hit markdown, if C-3PO was any indication, but I'd say buy one regardless. I'd buy a spare on sale, but I'm very happy to have mine and I think fans of the old cartoon will be thrilled to own one after a very, very long wait. And if Hasbro ever feels the need to do a new cartoon sculpt, I'd also buy that. This is one of the few repaints I could never seem to get anyone excited about, so I'm thrilled it actually exists, but I would love to know who was the one who finally said "let's do it now."

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,934: June 16, 2022

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,933: Ahsoka Tano (& Grogu, The Vintage Collection Deluxe)

AHSOKA TANO & Grogu
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Deluxe Walmart Exclusive Action Figure
Item No.: No. F5576
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Two lightsabers, cloak, rock, shifter knob, Grogu, Morai, lantern
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $20.97
Availability: May 2022
Appearances: The Mandalorian
Bio: Now a wandering Jedi, Ahsoka Tano forges her own path in the galaxy, righting injustices that she discovers. Grogu, a mysterious alien, is being pursued by bounty hunters. (Taken from marketing copy. There is no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: We just looked at the Corvus version of her, which is basically the same as Deluxe Ahsoka Tano & Grogu. (We'll look at her little green friends later.) We looked at Ahsoka Tano [FOTD #2,927] a few weeks ago, and she's incredible - and skippable, if you decide to buy this Walmart-exclusive set. The very same figure with two lightsabers and a lot more, and for an extra $7. So what comes in the box to justify a 50% upcharge for a figure you just purchased last month?

(Playmobil tree not included.)

The two clear colorless lightsabers don't bring anything new, but her lantern fits in her hand quite nicely. It's the long model with a shiny metal painted frame around a clear yellow core, and it's fine. It's the kind of thing you want in a set like this. The real highlight is Ahsoka's cloth cloak, which is cut very nicely with a thin fabric that hangs surprisingly nicely. There's a hood, and the fabric looks used, but not ratty. It's good. And I assume a fan-made garment would set me back at least $5 before shipping.

Hasbro has put out a few toys with bonus accessories at a higher price, like a recent Studio Series Transformers Starscream with a cape, a chunky throne, crown, and some other gear. It's $20 more than a regular Starscream - but if you look at third-party, fan-made (unlicensed) gear it's quite a bargain. Just the accessories would probably cost you more than that, and they'd be unlicensed to boot. The whole package is, arguably, a good deal if you were going to buy all that stuff... and a waste of money to double-dip if you don't care. Ahsoka is pretty much the same thing. If you just want an Ahsoka figure, she's perfectly good - but do you need two? Probably not.

Since the unique Grogu is pretty cute, and the Morai bird is new and unique, and the shifter knob and floating Force rock are pretty cool, I assume you'd happily pay $7 for just those parts if a fan-made booth at a convention offered them for sale. I think they should be cheaper - this whole set would be great at $17 or $18, particularly since the gorgeous box (a waste of cardboard packed with lots of empty space) denies you a look at the toy you bought. If you're going to open it, it's great - because you can keep the box without ripping anything.

Had Hasbro thrown in a small toy tree or branch for the Morai, or maybe a plastic rock accessory for scenery, I'd say this set is absolutely worth the asking price. For those who want the very best Ahsoka figure, right now, this is it - she has the best articulation, the best likeness, the best gear, and two little buddies. If you don't have a live-action Ahsoka figure, and you open your toys, buy this one. If you don't open your toys, I might suggest buying it anyway because the retro box artwork - admittedly a little weird since they clearly went out of their way to leave text off the fornt - have lavish photography and presents the product in the best possible light. I don't feel ripped off, but if I knew there would be absolutely no difference from the regular TVC release I wouldn't have bothered to open the single-carded one.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Walmart.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,933: June 14, 2022

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,932: Babu Frik (Droid Depot Redux 2022, The Black Series 6-Inch)

BABU FRIK Droid Depot Set
The Black Series Galaxy's Edge Exclusive Action Figure
Item No.: No. F3400
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Babu Frik, Pit Droid, Battle Droid with blaster and antenna backpacks, K-7R1, and CB-23
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $74.99
Availability: March 2022
Appearances: Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Bio: A tiny droidsmith normally found working arond the Spice runners of Kijimi, the well-regarded Babu Frik can reprogram or modify virtually any droid, regardless of security measures protecting its systems. (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: This Babu Frik is barely different than Target's 2019 exclusive Babu Frik [FOTD #2,664], but this set says it's a unique figure so let's look at him again. The character lit up social media as a bright spot in The Rise of Skywalker, a movie that hasn't really found new audiences loving it just yet. Maybe it'll come down the road - but it got buried by The Mandalorian which deftly took the baton from the movies that brought us all to collect this stuff in the first place. I've not been able to revisit the movie since 2019. Maybe this will change.

If you missed Babu Frik in late 2019, either The Black Series figure is good enough. At 1-inch tall, he remains one of the shortest figures in this larger-scale line with an articulated visor and ball-jointed arms. The wide toes keep the figure from falling over, and the sculpt is pretty good for something that's smaller than a cashew, with wrinkles on the skin and his hood.

Deco is similar, but not identical - the peachy belly and palms of his hands are much lighter this time, which actually does a lot to increase the visible definition of his hands. I appreciate that it lets me see more sculpted detail, and of the two, I would argue this one looks better. Having said that, either is just as good - at this size, unless you get in super close, you won't realize there's a difference.

The Target release with C-3PO can still be had fairly cheaply, so if you just want this character either version offers incentives to make it the version you should buy. It's unusual that an accessory is more interesting than the figure you're paying for, but it happens, and it clicks sometimes. I wouldn't recommend him unless you missed the previous release and want to spend $75 on other robots. It's good, but - at best - this is $2-$3 worth of action figure here. Imaginext figures are $3 and do more for $3, and if this figure falls behind on a shelf you'll probably never see him again.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Shop Disney.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,932: June 9, 2022

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,931: R2-W50 (Droid Factory)

R2-W50 Disney World Exclusive
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $12.99
Availability: May 2022
Appearances: n/a
Bio: AR2-W50 is a unlike any other Astromech Droid in the Galaxy. As a loyal Astromech, R2-W50 loves on Naboo serving different members of the Royal house. His droid build is similar to other classic R-series droids, but features an iridescent coloration of his body. Join R2-W50 on his adventure across the galaxy. May the Force be with you... and your Droids! this Astromech Droid figure was created to commemorate 50 years of magic at Walt Disney World Resort. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: I am simultaneously attracted to and repulsed by R2-W50. Theme park merchandise must always exist, as must anniversary swag, but there's something deeply weird and kind of unpleasant about Disney conventions and theme parks having mascot droid figures that exist for no reason other than for you to buy it. It's not like R2-W50 is rolling around the park or something - this figure's entire reason for being is so you can buy it. It doesn't really fit in the look of the movie figures all that much and the clear-ness doesn't make a lot of sense as an off-camera figure. On the other hand, if this was just some weird designer toy I'd totally be into it. I guess that's my hypocrisy for you. I'll take weird for the sake of weird, but when it's weird in the name of servicing a corporate mascot and/or siphoning off more vacationer dough, I don't like it as much.

Early pictures looked yellow and blue - very IKEA or Ukraine flag - and dirty, but the actual product is a weird glistening rose gold body that's somehow also transparent. It would not be hyperbole to say "you don't have any other droids quite like this." The blue dome is also clear glitter plastic with lots of paint on it, so depending on how you hold this guy up to the light, you can see right through this figure.

The unpainted bits on the dome sometimes behave like light piping, which certainly glistens in interesting ways. The gold paint is also nice. There's a lot of painted blue and gold, and some of the latter fades in to the bare plastic color in spots. Some really pops. It's such a strange, gaudy figure that really does seem like something that would've been right at home out of a theme park's grand opening in 1972. It's cheerful and ugly, with plenty of painted panels on the posterior. A lot of figures have blank backs, so it's nice to see the pennies spent on deco with a design that doesn't look phoned in. But it does look like a glistening mutation of the 50th anniversary repaint of Cinderella's castle at the theme park.

I assume the lack of a hat may have something to do with inflation and cutting costs, but I don't miss it. It's a nifty paint job and for $12.99 it's weird enough that I like it. It doesn't quite fit in the in-universe look, but he seems like a cousin to some of the better, metallic Glyos toys from Onell Design and I can't hate on that. If you have the means to get him for roughly SRP plus shipping, I'd suggest you do so. Since the droid has no reason for being, I like it for the colors and the audacity to do something that is, without a doubt, somewhat ugly. Shine on, you crazy droid.

Collector's Notes: I got this from Shop Disney.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,931: June 7, 2022

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,930: K-7R1 (Droid Depot set, The Black Series)

K-7R1 Droid Depot Set
The Black Series Galaxy's Edge Exclusive Action Figure
Item No.: No. F3400
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Babu Frik, Pit Droid, Battle Droid with blaster and antenna backpacks, K-7R1, and CB-23
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $74.99
Availability: March 2022
Appearances: Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge and Star Wars: Resistance
Bio: Hoping to be reactivated, the KX security droid with black and white plating known as K-7R1 was dismantled and displayed in the Droid Depot by the proprietor Mubo. (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: Go back and read the above bio for K-7R1 up there, because they just told us that this robot exists as a dismembered pile of semi-aware parts in a Hellish liminal space on the cusp of the android equivalent of life and death, which sounds more than a little morbid. Just what the heck did this robot do? Does it have a bad motivator? Did it kill a dog? Being a pile of parts seems to be this guy's entire story, so there's not much to judge here beyond "it's a neat repaint of K-2SO" and "it looks pretty cool."

Back in 2016 there were two flavors of Hasbro's big K-2SO figures (one has red eyes) and now you've got one with a different black body. The figure stands just as well, with clear elements in the limbs to make it look hollow and a top-heavy build that will collapse if you aren't careful. (So be careful.) For the droid fiend, this is a must-buy. He can torment the Mandalorians, or stand around, or be dismembered I guess. Hasbro added some amazing scuffing and rusting, with little patches showing better-than-average faux wear and/or tear on this big Imperial stooge. Some gray plating on the forearms and shoulders set it apart a bit from the previous figure, with lots of grey markings on the face and chest doing the most to say "hey, this is different."

Since there's no character behind it, it's kind of useless and mostly just filler in a set that could've been populated by a protocol or astromech droid that looked a bit more distinct. The Disney or Lucasfilm people did a good job of giving us a robot that seems to have come out of the same factories as K-2SO, but I would argue this figure currently has no purpose beyond being collected or standing around. In-universe, it's debris - so a smaller figure that would be more likely to have a diorama may have made a better home for it.

As I said, "it's a neat repaint of K-2SO" and "it looks pretty cool." I prefer my weird robot repaints to be 3 3/4-inch scale so that they take up less room, but the robot fan in my likes it and as gift set filler goes, it's better than getting a third, largely unchanged K-2SO. (I guess this is some sort of collector Stockholm Syndrome.) If I ever got to a point where I had to pare down my 6-inch collection I probably wouldn't cry over letting this one go, but he wouldn't be the first on the selling block. Hopefully the design gets some use in a movie or streaming show, but I wouldn't hold my breath. If you're getting the set anyway, you'll probably like him just fine.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Shop Disney.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,930: June 2, 2022