R4-I9 - TAC - Saga Legends

The rugged R4 series droids are simpler and less expensive models than the R2 series. R4-I9 is one of the many R4 droids used on the Death Star as economical and reliable droids that are capable of performing multiple services and repairs aboard the massive battle station.

OK, let’s clear this up right now. R4-I9 and R4-D6 are two different characters, but they look identical to each other. R4-I9 is the R4 unit on the first Death Star and R4-D6 is the R4 unit in the Massassi Temple during the Battle of Yavin. One fights alongside the Rebel Alliance and one follows the call of the Galactic Empire. In the Hasbro line, R4-I9 gets two chances at retail but both times Hasbro screwed up its color. Both R4-I9 and R4-D6 are actually dark navy blue with black and silver details. But Hasbro sadly painted the figure from 2003’s SW Imperial Forces set and 2007’s TAC R4-I9 Saga Legends figure solid black (plus or minus a few discriminating details). But perhaps the real question to ask is: “Are you really going to care?” Many Star Wars collectors are huge astromech fans, so another droid in a not-so-screen-accurate color scheme isn’t necessarily a deal breaker. We typically will take all of the droids we can get. In fact, we seem to never get enough of them.

R4-I9 is a really good action figure that utilizes the same mold as 2002’s POTJ R4-M9 figure which just so happens to be another R4 unit from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. A very popular droid back in 2002, it hasn't seemed to lose that much of its luster for a figure released a year later and then again a half-decade later for the Saga Legends line. Granted, some of its proportions are wonky, especially its extraordinarily long and awkwardly angled third leg. (And we don't dig the wiring around the feet of pre-2004 astromech droids.) But the details in the dome and the body are quite impressive. And we're saying this for the most zealous lovers of Star Wars droids out there. R4-I9 looks very sharp in the shiny black paint scheme Hasbro has chosen, and although this R4 unit is quite a ways off from screen accuracy, we want to reiterate that we believe you’ll find favor with it regardless. It’s not too often we get astromech droids from the Death Star, so we should all count ourselves fortunate that we have a relatively decent one with R4-I9. After all, aren't most Imperial droids black?

A Fans’ Choice winner in the Saga Legends tournament led by Dan Curto and hosted by Rebelscum.com, R4-I9 became a clear winner rather quickly in the competition and it made so many collectors happy when it was announced it would definitely be released in the line again. Not only did it give them a second opportunity to get the figure from the elusive Toys R Us multipack, it would be the very first time this character was offered as a basic figure (even if that status meant that it was technically from a sub-line of action figures instead of the main line). R4-I9 is indeed a most perfect candidate for the Saga Legends line and while the droid is absolutely intended to be a straight repack, uncontrollable differences will exist. That's because this version has been revisited so many years after its original release. We just notice some tighter paint operations and some barely noticeable paint variances. You should nonetheless consider this figure a straight repack for all intents and purposes. Saga Legends is bringing the collecting community seconds chances. What a great set of figures for the truly dedicated collecting community!