Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,159: HK-89 Assassin Droid (The Retro Collection)

HK-87 ASSASSIN DROID (Kenner Style)
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. F6874 No. F7304
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Blaster
Retail: $11.99
Availability: October 2023
Appearances: Star Wars: Ahsoka

Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection features design and detailing inspired by the original 1970s Star Wars figures and features original figure design and detailing! Continue your collection from a galaxy far, far away. (Stolen from the marketing copy. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

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Commentary: I've been spreading out opening some of these figures for months - there are a lot of figures released every year, and opening two new figures a week to review is surprisingly weighty. But not uninteresting! This HK-87 Assassin Droid came out last year and I think I've seen it in stores - just Target - maybe twice The 5-jointed figure had other droids with similar color schemes, or cloaks, on the TV shows but this is the one they opted to do for Kenner fanatics. Most of them on the show had capes or sashes or other accoutrements, but the retro one gets a blaster, with red limbs, and a helmet that looks like an old Ralph McQuarrie sketch. That's why it feels legit.

The verdict on the Ahsoka series seemed to be a bit of a shrug - it's got some neat stuff in it, and it ultimately feels like a prologue to another, better story or event. It was mostly made from a grab bag of toys from other parts of the franchise dating back decades, and this was one of the more recent concepts having originally appeared in the second season of The Mandalorian in a slightly different configuration. It feels like a good mix of original trilogy and prequel, with a familiar helmet, a not-too-alien color scheme, and a blaster that seems to have nicely survived the transition to the best concept 1982 didn't have to offer.

My figure had slightly warped limbs, but he still stands without much of a fuss. I kind of wish I had a few more of it, but that's just not going to help me keep my hobby under control - I got one, and one is pretty good. It is to old Kenner figures what Mini-Rigs were to the vehicles. It seems like it fits in with the kind of thing you might have wanted to get for your birthday as a child, and it holds a blaster better than most real Kenner figures. The sculpted detail recalls elements from other droids, with legs not entirely unlike C-3PO. The pose isn't particularly exciting, but it's competent, it stands, it just isn't dynamic. Most fans likely won't have an issue with it, and I certainly feel that it's good enough. I would have liked a cape, at least, as that could add a little more personality to a figure that's just standing around.

These figures are a very specialized product. It's not a perfect Kenner figure, as the sculpting is a little soft and the pose carries the whiff of digital-era sculpting. It's not as hand-made and "real" as the old guys, but it's as close as we're going to get. If you want this droid in this format, this is literally your only choice. We may never get another wave of figures from this show again - so I'm rounding it up to "good enough" because it's charming for the price. If Hasbro were making dozens of repaints at a higher price I'd rescind this, but I appreciate products like this for the fans who are aging out of the hobby. I like to feel like a kid again, and this charmer does the job.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth. Also, I first started writing about Star Wars toys on the internet on August 1, 1995. Happy 29 years to me! If you have enjoyed my stuff, please kick $1 in on my Patreon.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,159: August 1, 2024