Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,122: 3PO Protocol Droid (Red, Droid Factory)

PROTOCOL DROID Dark Red with White Eyes
Star Tours Droid Factory Customizable Figure
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney?
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Removable limbs
Retail: $12.95
Availability: April 2017
Appearances: n/a
Bio: The 3PO-series protocol droid was a Human-cyborg relations protocol droid produced by Cybot Galactica. The model series had very similar aesthetic design in its casing to other Cybot Galactica droid model series such as the TC-series, 3PX-series, and 5YQ-series protocol droids. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Not the same figures.

Commentary: It's red! The Red Protocol Droid is an odd duck - because he may or may not be "somebody." The figure looks a lot like R-3PO, and I dare say looks more like the illustration on Disney's carded R-3PO figure than the figure in that packaging. This dark red figure with white optics looks a lot like some of the fuzzy stills from the movie too - although figures with that name tend to get yellow optics. Which is right, which is wrong? Thanks to a lot of incorrect or fudged reference material, it seems unnecessary to make the call. Teach the controversy, and get whichever figure you think fits your collection needs best. This figure is basically just diorama filler, regardless, and I would say the same as R-3PO as a character. You've got options!

The figure is very similar to Hasbro's build-a-droid Protocol Droid buck from about 2008-2009. As Hasbro has been stingy with new C-3PO sculpts, this may well be as good as it gets - we got a new C-3PO in 2010, but it was shorter, with removable panels. This one has removable limbs. You can pop off the head, shoulders, or hips, and swap with other parts in those bins. The figure is largely unpainted, and as the customer had to package it themselves it probably could have cost less. That's the theme park souvenir business for you. It has a nice glossy finish, plus a painted midriff with colorful wires inside. There's a little black paint in the mouth and eyes, plus white circles on the head. In short, it's a nice figure.

If we lived in an alternate timeline where the Disney Store existed beyond an outlet store, it would be amazing to be able to put these together and probably would have been a way to get kids at least a little interested in action figures. Making your own figure worked for LEGO - admittedly, there are more options - but it's arguably a fun thing to do if the end goal isn't "get one of every figure." At that point it just becomes work to track down these many parts and pieces, and if Disney is reading I bet it would be easy money to sell a bucket of droid parts online. I bet there are very interested customers.

The protocol droid bins weren't around nearly as long as the astromechs, with the program seemingly coming to an end after about three years thanks to COVID-19. Maybe they'll come back some day, but given the proclivity to business to push for higher price point items? I doubt it. Right now this once-$13 figure commands about $45 on eBay when you can find one, so try to get one for less than that. I think this was one of the more interesting "standard" builds you could make, because it really does look like something from more than one of the movies. If you have a chance, why not pick one up?

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Disney Hollywood Studios. Thanks Shannon!

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,122: April 4, 2024