R2-D2 (D-Squad)
Star Wars Droid Factory
Item No.: ???
Manufacturer: Disney
Number: n/a
Includes: Card, RX base
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $19.99
Availability: September 2026
Appearances: The Clone Wars
Bio: All different types of droids populate the Star Wars galaxy. Each droid has their own unique personality and colors. This droid served Colonel Meebur Gascon and the droid unit D-Squad to infiltrate a Separatist Dreadnought. Join R2-D2 on his adventures throughout the galaxy.May the Force be with you... and your Droids! (Taken from the packaging.)
Image: Adam's photo lab.
Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!
Commentary: Figures like this show a depth of fanaticism, an attention to detail, and a sign that someone probably should stop me from having a credit card.
R2-D2 (D-Squad) is a figure I've been anticipating for a while, but I was not expecting it to be a theme park exclusive, nor $20, nor actually $33 after tax and shipping. I assumed Hasbro might put out an R2-D2 with swappable legs, or maybe we'd see a decal kit, or something. There are other differences on this R2-D2 from previous Disney releases, but the important thing to remember is that scene from the movie
Mystery Men where Mr. Furious is spun around during a slow-motion costume reveal that while his outfit
seems to be unchanged, they did in fact add flames to the back where you can't see them. And if that reference means anything to you: good, you're in the right place.
The main reason to buy this set is if you liked the D-Squad episodes of
The Clone Wars. I
very much liked those episodes, as they were super weird and actually just kept throwing weird and fun ideas against the wall in a story that I doubt we would see as creators are increasingly scared of fans. It looks like Disney has at least 3 of the 4 astromechs planned for the line this year, and I wouldn't be surprised to see group filled out by the 50th anniversary. The gist of the episode is this: the Republic puts R2-D2, a tiny frog Walter Matthau, and four other droids on a mission to blow up other droids. Upgrades from a mad scientist are doled out to each astromech, and you can tell where they are by some black and red caution marks - that's what makes this R2-D2 interesting. He got some upgraded rockets. Did Disney include rocket legs in the set? No. There's no new tooling here, it's the same basic R2-D2 mold you've bought as R2-D2 and possibly hundreds of other robots by now. What makes it unique is that R2-D2 from Disney rarely has the foot wires - this one has them.
Deco is similar but not identical to other releases. The greeblies are frequently painted this time, so when you look on the dome's holographic projector or that long, rectangular bar on the back you will find them filled with black paint. The little dots over the red dot on the back are painted, but interestingly the panel to its left is left silver. Usually it's painted in blue, and it's worth noting nearly every panel is painted more cleanly and centered than previous recent releases. I should also note, that unpainted silver panel on the back seems to be par for t he course for most prop photos - but for all I know it's a Mandela Effect thing and I need to see if it changes from movie to movie. Depending on how persnickety you are about details, this sort of thing might be very appealing to you until you start doing the math of "my cartoon droid in realistic style is more movie accurate in some ways but lacks the dirt and grime of the cartoon." Pobody's nerfect.
With a rich silver paint on the dome, and sadly a lack of metallic shine in the blue on said dome, this is a pretty good figure. If you don't have an R2-D2 -
and is that even possible - this is a perfectly good one. I wish they retained the "action feature" just because that seems like something I'd go nuts for as a child, and I have a weird fondness for black and yellow caution tape and coloring on toys. Was it worth $30? Not really. Would it have been worth $20 at the theme park? Probably, but after I paid for parking it'd be $30. The mouse demands the $30 sacrifice, and I think this is one of those things that's more of an emotional need to complete D-Squad than it is to have a particularly fresh R2-D2. It's good. They did a nice job. It is not exceptional, nor was it a good deal. I assume we will some day see a D-Squad gift set, because it's what I would have made. If you live in a future where such a thing exists, get it unless you really, really need a red RX droid's foot.
Collector's Notes: I got mine from Shop Disney. It sold out very quickly.
--Adam Pawlus
Day 3,387: October 8, 2026
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