Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,218: HK-87 Assassin Droid (Arcana)

HK-87 ASSASSIN DROID (Arcana | Red and Tan)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. E7763 No. F9792
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #330
Includes: Cloth cloak, staff
Action Feature: The cape, my friend, is blowing in the wind
Retail: $16.99
Availability: September 2024
Appearances: Ahsoka

Bio: Assassins by design, the HK-87 droids loyal to Morgan Eslbeth have served her as tireless bodyguards and enforcers. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: The HK-87 Assassin Droid (Arcana) figure is one that you're going to want... and find wanting. It's not bad - it's a redeco of another figure I actually didn't realize I hadn't yet reviewed, though, because there's a similarly colored 6-inch one from The Mandalorian, and a Kenner-flavored one without a cape, and a Vintage one in red. Also that red one is a 6-inch figure, but I skipped that one - there's just a lot of very similar product rolling around, each of which probably doesn't quite have the pack out you want. The "Kenner" one has no cape and no staff. This one has no blaster and/or no energy bolt effects for the staff - but is decent.

This is a good figure, but it doesn't amaze - why? Hasbro keeps upping the price, and upping the ante, so anything short of perfection is going to be disappointing. The red version of this very figure included a blaster - and this one doesn't - so that's a knock against it. This droid also has only swivel wrists, which kind of makes sense, but at $16.99 we've had figures with bend-and-swivel wrists and alternate hands. For a figure who double-grips a staff, that kind of accessory is helpful - not essential, but as it is it limits how he can hold the accessory. It doesn't mean you can't get a cool pose - far from it - but you may be asking why there's a premium price and less gear over the previous release. I don't have that answer.

If you can take it for what it is, it's OK - I don't feel you get enough parts in it to be worth $16.99, but the cape hangs nicely, the staff fits in his hands, he stands well, and the articulation he does have is pretty good. The sculpting work, the colors mostly look great, there's not as much battle damage on the cardback. There's a red visor that's very subtle, but looks great. If someone just handed you this figure with no concern for price or reference photo, you'd say "Wow, this looks fantastic!" and be very happy with it. This probably sounds contradictory, but such is how it is to be a super picky fan who isn't getting their money's worth on most new releases. He's a skinny boy and looks cool, but if you're not picky about joints you may be just as pleased with the $5-$7 The Retro Collection version at Ross or other fine closeout shops near you.

Being adapted from an old 1980s concept sketch, this is a cool droid. They even put it in nice colors, and came along kind of late and is now easily had at a lower price. Two years removed from the series, the $12-ish price on some online commerce sites is hard to beat - $17 seems too pricey, and $12 seems right where it should have been in the first place. I can't help but wish Lucasfilm had a better program for Ahsoka at the series' launch. Thrawn, the Rebels cast, killer droids, witches, fancy zombie Stormtroopers, intergalactic ships, space whales, turtle people, had they just dumped a Force Friday toy drop people would probably be incredibly excited. Spoilers be damned, laying your cards out on the able invites speculation and inspires awe - everything we saw for The Phantom Menace looked pretty great in the merch lead-up! If Lucasfilm keeps it all under wraps, that's a big loss to the marketing - and education - before a show airs. But I digress. Go make yourself a cool bridge and buy a couple of droids. It's not perfect, but it will be cool if you like the look of these things, and Disney's Lucasfilm has done a pretty bang-up job with cool designs for its Mando-era shows so far.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,218: February 25, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,159: HK-87 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!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now! 

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

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