Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,385: RA-7 (Silver Droid Factory)

RA-7 PROTOCOL DROID Silver
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 RA-7 protocol droid, also known as the RA-7 inventory droid, the RA-7 series protocol droid, the "insect droid" due to its large photoreceptors, and nicknamed the "Death Star droid" due to its use aboard the first Death Star, was a model of protocol droid manufactured by Arakyd Industries. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam's photo lab. 

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Another guy sitting in a box, this RA-7 Protocol Droid (Silver) is basically a nod to the Kenner Death Star Droid, or MB-RA-7, or the Sandcrawler droid, or whatever does it for you. It uses a mold Disney has done in a few different colors, and this color shows more of the generation loss and/or artistic license. As far as we've seen so far, you can get in blue, silver, or black.

This one wasn't a remake of Hasbro's mold. Disney added jointing more consistent with the C-3PO molds around 2008, so you get ankles and swivel wrists and better elbow movement. That's good! The mold itself is a little bit less detailed. The mouth doesn't look quite right, the chest detail isn't a perfect match. If you have a big collection and could imagine that this is Sega to Nintendo, Pepsi to Coke, Tyco Super Blocks to LEGO, The Corps to G.I. Joe, I think it works. Just to have as a guy to populate your droid ranks, it's fine - but do we really need more at this point? I'm feeling the answer there is "no." Or at least, not without new places to populate.

You could toss this one in your Disney Sandcrawler or really any diorama you please. The midriff is painted black with brightly painted wires, and the eyes are a glossy black. Everything else is unpainted, so this must have been dirt cheap to produce without real packaging.

I wouldn't consider it a crucial addition to any collection, but maybe you will. I think for many fans, the Death Star Droid [FOTD #2,861] with the extra dirt and black bits is the go-to definitive take on this design - at least for right now. And that came out in 2021, with a much older mold. As it's pretty cheap, I'd recommend that any new fan go get that one. There's a bit more painted detail, a better forehead sculpt, more going on in the mouth, and it has a few details on the chest lacking in Disney's release. Obviously you go get whatever works for you, but Disney's take is rare and expensive. Hasbro's is your best bet, at least until something better or chrome-r comes along.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,385: October 1, 2026